Leaky homes in ‘marginal constituencies’ to be hit harder by energy crisis

Houses in the North and the Midlands of England make up nearly 55% of all homes in fuel poverty, according to a new study

Residents of homes in marginal constituencies will face higher financial pressure from the rising cost of energy bills.

Marginal constituencies are described as places with electoral majorities of 2,000 votes or less.

A new study by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) estimates 1.7 million homes in the North and the Midlands of England will be hit harder by the skyrocketing wholesale prices of gas.

These two regions make up 55% of all homes in fuel poverty in England, according to the research.

The analysis of the 40 most marginal constituencies in the 2019 election also shows that 37 of them fall below the England average for adequate Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) housing standards.

That is a total of 1.2 million homes. This means more households in these constituencies are paying an additional £170 to £400 a year as a result of the rising gas prices.

Sheffield Hallam in Yorkshire and the Humber is top of the list with 81%, almost 39,000, homes below the average.

That is followed by Coventry North West and Gedling in the Midlands with 79% and 78% of homes rated EPC D or below respectively.

Listen to our recent podcast that looked at the current state of fuel poverty.

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