Part 2Schemes for reducing fuel poverty

15Schemes for reducing fuel poverty: interpretation

1

For the purposes of this Part, fuel poverty is reduced if—

a

the number of people living in fuel poverty is reduced, or

b

the extent to which any person is living in fuel poverty is reduced.

2

For the purposes of this Part—

a

a person is living in fuel poverty if the person is a member of a household living on a lower income in a home which cannot be kept warm at reasonable cost, and

b

the extent to which a person is living in fuel poverty is reduced if the difference between the cost of keeping the person's home warm and what would be a reasonable cost for doing so is reduced.

3

The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision about—

a

what is to be regarded as living in fuel poverty for the purposes of this Part;

b

what is to be regarded as a reduction in the extent to which a person is living in fuel poverty for the purposes of this Part.

4

Provision made under subsection (3) may, in particular—

a

specify what is to be regarded for the purposes of subsection (2)(a) as a lower income, or a reasonable cost, or the circumstances in which a home is to be regarded for those purposes as being warm;

b

amend this section.

5

In this Part—

  • “fuel poverty risk group” means a category of persons of whom, in the opinion of the Secretary of State, the proportion who are (or, but for a support scheme, would be) living in fuel poverty is higher than the proportion of people in Great Britain who are living in fuel poverty;

  • “licensed electricity supplier” means the holder of a licence under section 6(1)(d) of the Electricity Act 1989;

  • “licensed gas supplier” means the holder of a licence under section 7A(1) of the Gas Act 1986;

  • “licensed supplier” means a licensed electricity supplier or licensed gas supplier;

  • “pre-existing arrangements”, in relation to a scheme supplier, means arrangements made by the supplier before the commencement of section 9 with a view to reducing fuel poverty;

  • “scheme customer”, in relation to a support scheme and a scheme supplier, means a customer of the supplier to whom benefits are, or are to be, provided by the supplier under the scheme;

  • “scheme supplier”, in relation to a support scheme, means a licensed supplier to whom the scheme applies;

  • “support scheme” has the meaning given by section 9(2).