The rising price of fuel could be making people’s physical and mental health worse and increasing their risk of stroke, new research suggests.
Researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) looked at how not having enough money to heat the home impacts health and wellbeing.
The study revealed that fuel poverty impacts physical health by raising inflammation levels, measured by blood-based biomarker, fibrinogen.
It also found that fuel poverty affects people’s life satisfaction.
Dr Apostolos Davillas, from UEA’s Norwich Medical School, said:
“We know that exposure to cold temperatures is associated with increased blood pressure, inflammation and cardiovascular mortality risks regardless of age or gender.
“But until now there has been limited research into the mental and physical health impacts of fuel poverty.”
The team studied data from a sample of 6,854 participants involved in the Understanding Society, the UK Household Longitudinal Study.
They looked at links between fuel poverty and wellbeing outcomes, such as self-reported health measures and life satisfaction.
They also explored elevated bloodstream biomarkers, which are tell-tale indicators of health.
The researchers adjusted for lifestyle factors, such as smoking, diet and exercise habits.
Dr Davillas said:
“We looked at those people in the study who experienced high fuel costs as a percentage of their household income or who felt that their home is not warm enough during winter.
“And we found a causal link between fuel poverty and poorer wellbeing, as well as an increased inflammatory biomarker called fibrinogen.”
Dr Hui-Hsuan Liu, from the Department of Comparative Biomedical Science, Royal Veterinary College, added:
“Fibrinogen helps the body to stop bleeding by promoting blood clotting, but it is also an inflammatory biomarker.
“Elevated fibrinogen levels have been strongly linked to higher risk of coronary heart disease, heart attacks, stroke and an increased risk of death.
“This really shows how fuel poverty can really ‘get under the skin’ and impact people’s health.”
The researchers noted that the cost of living is rising at its fastest pace in 30 years.
Meanwhile, the government is set to revise the energy price cap in April and bills could soar by 50 per cent.
The researchers are calling on the government to reconsider its recent change to the fuel poverty definition, from Low-Income-High-Cost (LIHC) to the Low-Income-Low Energy Efficiency (LILEE) indicator.
Dr Andrew Burlinson from UEA’s Norwich Business School and the Centre for Competition Policy said:
“In years to come we will need to adapt our homes to reduce carbon emissions and fight climate change. Low-income households suffering fuel poverty will need policies that better support them so that they are not left behind by the transition to greener living.”
