Fuel poverty in the United Kingdom is defined to be when a household spends 10 percent or more of median household income on energy for heating, hot water, lights, and appliances. According to official UK government figures, one in five households (5.5 million households) was affected by fuel poverty in 2009.[ia] While the 2010 figure is expected to remain the same, the 2011 figure could be as much as one million households higher. Further, predictions indicate that the average UK household could face fuel poverty by 2015.
