Island-spending on fuel, higher than UK

Fuel poverty on Island decreased over a five-year period, but weekly spending on fuel remains higher than in the UK.

That's according to government figures published this week which states fuel poverty locally has dropped to 9.3 per cent in 2018 from 9.9 per cent in 2013.

However, weekly spending on fuel on Manx shores stands at £42.50 per week, compared to £23.80 per week in the UK.

The statistics have been released in the Isle of Man Fuel Poverty Report which has been delivered as part of commitments made by government in the Cold, Hunger and Homelessness Action Plan.

The report has been compiled using two measurements.

Under the ‘10% indicator’ a household is considered fuel poor if it is required to spend more than 10% of its household income - after housing costs - to maintain a satisfactory level of heating.

Under the ‘Low Income High Costs’ indicator (LIHC) a household is considered fuel poor if its fuel costs are higher than the national median level, or if spending a required amount on fuel would leave an income below a defined level of disposable income.

Meanwhile, the proportion of fuel poor households is lower on the Isle of Man (9.3%) compared to England (10.9%).

But, the average fuel poverty gap per household on the Island (£338 per annum) is slightly higher compared to England (£321 per annum).