Houghton and Sunderland South MP, Bridget Phillipson has called on the government to act after research showedthat the number of children living in fuel poverty increased by 26 per cent to 2.2 million in the last year.

Figures released by the Energy Bill Revolution as part of Cold Homes Week (3-7 February 2014) showed that 225,000 more children are living in fuel poverty homes compared with 2011. A household is saidto be in fuel poverty if they have required fuel costs that are above average and if they were to spend that amount they would be left with a residual income below the official poverty line.

Commenting on these figures, Bridget Phillipson MP said:

“No child should ever be living in fuel poverty. These figures are yet more evidence of the effect the cost of living crisis is having on families in areas such as Sunderland.

A future Labour government would make taking fuel poverty a priority by overhauling the energy market, breaking up the big energy companies and providing a better deal for those living below the poverty line.”

Read more from Energy Bill Revolution here:http://www.energybillrevolution.org/media/increasing-no-of-children-living-in-fuel-poverty/