There were 3.16 million homes in fuel poverty - 13.2 per cent of households - in England in 2020, official figures show.
Under measurements brought in last year, a household is in fuel poverty if their home's energy efficiency rating is poor - a band D rating or below - and their disposable income after housing and fuel costs is below the poverty line.
The number of English households struggling to pay their fuel bills in 2020, the most recent year for which figures are available, was down slightly from 3.18 million, or 13.4 per cent of households, in 2019.
Energy efficiency improved between 2019 and 2020, the figures show, with 52.1 per cent of all low-income homes living in a property with a rating of C or above - taking them out of fuel poverty under the new measure.
In 2020 incomes grew and energy prices fell 2.6 per cent in real terms as wholesale energy prices dropped at the start of the pandemic.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all use a different definition of fuel poverty. They class a household is fuel poor if they spend more than 10 per cent of income - after housing costs - on energy.
Charity National Energy Action reckons the number of fuel poor households in England is set to rise to more than six million when upcoming price rises kick-in.
It claims the cost hike will be a disaster for those who were already struggling to pay their bills and could leave more than 6.5 million households in fuel poverty across the UK.
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