Extreme fuel poverty consumes residents

Saddleworth has more private homes in extreme fuel poverty than any other area of Oldham, a new survey shows.

More than 10 per cent of private households in Saddleworth North and 7 per cent in Saddleworth West and Lees wards are in extreme fuel poverty. That means in 687 homes, householders pay 20 per cent or more of their income on fuel.

But the worst overall ward for extreme fuel poverty is Werneth where more than 13 per cent of householders in 337 homes pay a fifth or more of their income on fuel.

The figures are in a new report going to councillors tonight as they update the council’s affordable warmth strategy to tackle the problem.

Other figures show that basic fuel poverty, where it costs householders more than 10 per cent of their income to pay their fuel bills, affects seven Oldham wards — Chadderton Central, Crompton, Failsworth East, Saddleworth North, Saddleworth West and Lees, St Mary’s and Werneth.

Werneth is also the highest in this category, with over 1,000 households, or 41 per cent, paying 10 per cent of their income on fuel costs.

The worst fuel poverty cases are in pre-1919 terrace and privately rented homes, lived in by single people, single parents or the elderly and ethnic minority communities.

The report will be presented to Cabinet by Councillor John McCann, spokesman for regeneration and environment.

He said: “The high areas of fuel poverty in such areas such as Saddleworth may seem surprising, however there are many larger, stone properties which are hard to heat in these areas.

“Figures must be used with caution and supplemented with other information on housing types and deprivation to determine our target vulnerable areas.”