People left without heating due to spending cuts, says fuel poverty group

Health of low-income households at risk as funding cuts slash support for replacing and repairing boilers, pressure group warns

No gas boilers have been repaired since April under a government scheme intended to combat fuel poverty, as a result of spending cuts that risk leaving poorer Britons unprotected from the cold at home, according to a fuel poverty pressure group.

National Energy Action (NEA), which obtained the figures from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), said the drop in official support via the energy company obligation (ECO) threatens the health of low-income households. Peter Smith, NEA's director of policy, said: "This leaves thousands of people with existing medical conditions facing a winter without any effective space heating or hot water."

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We know the tragic consequences of not being able to afford to service, repair or replace unsafe gas heating appliances