Does declining fuel poverty paint a picture of hope?
Fuel poverty in social homes has declined over the past year, but is that the whole picture? We investigate, using the Housing Fuel Poverty Index from smart thermostat provider Switchee
Fuel poverty in social homes has declined over the past year, but is that the whole picture? We investigate, using the Housing Fuel Poverty Index from smart thermostat provider Switchee (sponsored) #UKhousingIn association with:
The number of social homes in the UK falling into fuel poverty has continued to decline in the past year, according to the latest data from smart thermostat provider Switchee and shared exclusively with Inside Housing.
Switchee’s Housing Fuel Poverty Index uses smart devices installed in social rented homes to track fuel poverty in real time. Homes that fail to reach 18°C at any point over seven days are described as being in fuel poverty. The latest figures, which cover the 12 months to the end of September 2025, show that 4.18% of social homes across the UK mainland were deemed to be in fuel poverty on an average day during the year, compared with 4.45% the previous year.
Over the latest quarterly period, covering July to September 2025, an average of 0.14% of social homes across the country were in fuel poverty. However, this low figure follows an exceptionally hot summer. In fact, on every day from 19 June to 4 September, the index measured either 0.00% or 0.01% for the country – a run of 78 days.
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Adjusting our metrics
A more telling comparison in terms of assessing improvements in fuel poverty is between September 2025 and September 2024. Although this year’s average national temperature in September was marginally higher than in 2024 (12.8°C vs 12.7°C), the average number of fuel-poor social homes dropped. In September 2024, an average of 0.49% of homes failed to reach the 18°C threshold, while the figure last month was 0.43%. This improving picture could represent a brief respite for consumers as the energy price cap for the UK increased by around £35 at the start of October for what Ofgem describe as a “typical household”.
“With winter approaching and the recent rise in the energy price cap, it will be important to see how these factors influence fuel poverty levels,” says Izzy Henry, data analysis lead at Switchee. “Using real-time insights to pinpoint the worst-affected homes will be key to ensuring support reaches those most in need.”
£35
Increase in the energy price cap for a typical household
3.08%
London social rented homes that were in fuel poverty in September 2025
12.8°C
Average UK temperature in September 2025
Looking at the 12-month figures for September 2025, the picture across the regions is a mixed one. Among English regions, most showed an improvement in fuel poverty over the year. However, in Greater London and Yorkshire and the Humber, the average proportion of social homes in fuel poverty increased slightly. In Yorkshire and the Humber, an average of 3.65% of homes were deemed fuel poor compared with 3.34% in 2023-24. In London, the figure was 3.08%, up from 2.97% the previous year.
Regional divides
The capital’s slight increase in fuel poverty means that it has relinquished the crown of being the region with the lowest proportion of fuel-poor social homes. East of England now boasts the lowest figure, with just 3.03% of homes on average failing to reach 18°C over seven days, down from 3.30% the previous year. The biggest improvement in fuel poverty came in the North West, where 4.47% of homes on average were in fuel poverty compared to 5.42% in 2023-24.
The South West is now the worst-performing region in England when it comes to fuel poverty, with 5.27% of homes failing to meet the 18°C threshold. That is just ahead of the North East (5.18%) and West Midlands (5.17%). However, all those figures represent an increase of at least 0.4 percentage points on the previous year.
Scotland now has a higher proportion of fuel-poor homes than any region in England other than the South West. Conversely, Wales saw a more dramatic improvement in fuel poverty than any other region across the UK. While Wales had the highest proportion of social homes in fuel poverty in 2023-24 (5.70%), this year just 4.46% of homes were assessed as fuel poor in the country.
The North East showed the biggest improvement in the monthly figures, with 0.56% of homes in fuel poverty compared with 1.02% the previous year. Meanwhile, the South West went the other way, with 0.61% of social homes on average in fuel poverty, up from 0.17% in September 2024.
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