What is Fuel Poverty? A household is in fuel poverty if they cannot afford to adequately heat their home. Fuel Poverty causes misery, ill health and premature deaths in millions of households across the UK. Someone in fuel poverty will be cold, ill and making difficult decisions whether to heat or eat. Overview Of The UKA fuel poverty epidemicThe UK has an estimated 4.5 million households living in fuel poverty and struggling to heat their homes. Figures estimate in England there are 2.35 million households affected by fuel poverty. In Scotland the number of homes affected is 940,000, Wales 390,000 and Northern Ireland has 290,000 households in fuel poverty. The UK has a fuel poverty problem. The primary causes of fuel poverty are low incomes, high energy bills and energy inefficient homes. To find out more about fuel poverty in your region use the interactive map below. To see how CAP helped these regions, visit around the UK. CAP works to tackle fuel poverty across England and Wales. Click on the map to learn more about fuel poverty in each area. By using the number of households in fuel poverty in the specified areas, the percentage of households in fuel poverty and the number of excess winter deaths we can see the areas of concern. Click the map for regional statistics.