Fuel Poverty
Fuel poverty has been defined as where a household needs to spend more than 10% of its income to keep the home heated to 21°C in the living room and 18°C in the rest of the house. It is calculated using the income of households, the cost of fuel they need for heating, and the ability of their home to retain heat.
The age and nature of rural houses has implications for the cost of heating a home. Virtually all houses built before 1919 are solid walled, while nearly all built after 1945 are cavity walled and are therefore generally better insulated. Rural houses are more likely to be detached and larger than urban houses but living in a larger detached house in a rural area does not necessarily imply a higher income.
While over 60% of homes in urban areas and rural towns are cavity walled and on mains gas, this is true of only 32% in villages and 21% in hamlets. In villages and hamlets oil is a major source of heating fuel, and electricity for heating is more common in villages than any other area type. for more information on the the current issues of fuel poverty in rural areas take a look at the housing section of the recent Commission for Rural Communities State of the Countryside report here.
