Students and youth ‘invisible’ fuel poor

Students and young people are living in fuel poverty, landlords are exacerbating the situation by not doing anything about it and universities are distorting the housing market and indirectly contributing to the problem, according to a study.

The research was conducted by Dr Saska Petrova of the University of Birmingham. Petrova’s study, based in the city, suggested that while fuel poverty measures are targeted at older people, the sick and the vulnerable, flat sharing young people and particularly students were living in fuel poverty and inefficient housing.

Half of those surveyed said they were cutting back on appliances to save energy, and more than half said their homes suffered from mould and condensation.

“This group represent a part of society that is invisible to fuel poverty assistance and many of them do not acknowledge or recognise that they are experiencing fuel poverty. Yet many suffer from inadequate warmth or other problems related to the maintenance and condition of their property,” said Petrova.

“Their situation is, in part, attributable to the widespread cultural expectation that it is acceptable for young people to live in poorly-heated and low quality housing.”

Petrova said landlords should be made to improve the energy efficiency of their properties. She said universities, “which are distorting the housing market and indirectly creating some of the conditions that lead to this situation,” must also take action.

See details of the research project here.