A household is considered to experience fuel poverty when the
cost of fuel to adequately heat the home is more than 10% of the
household income. When heating costs are too high, homes
cannot be adequately heated, which leads to poorer quality of life
and poorer health.
Cold, damp houses are associated with respiratory illnesses,
many of which are caused by mould. More vulnerable members of
the population are at greater risk of experiencing adverse health
effects as a consequence of inadequate home heating. It is
estimated that between 22,000 and 30,000 households in Christchurch
suffer from fuel poverty.
Read the
full issue summary for fuel poverty and home heating [PDF] -
updated April 2013.