Fuel poverty charity National Energy Action explains how growing up in fuel-poor homes can impact children – and how students and teachers can be empowered to be more energy efficient
It is not always easy to spot pupils experiencing fuel poverty. They might come into school frequently tired and struggle to concentrate in lessons, they might fail to do homework, or they might have a persistent cough. Children could be suffering from these for all manner of reasons, but they could be symptoms of living in a fuel poor home.
At National Energy Action, the national fuel poverty charity, we define fuel poverty as a household spending 10 per cent or more of its income on heat and power. It’s no wonder that the shocking rise in the cost of energy since 2021 has pushed millions of UK households into fuel poverty. A significant proportion of these households will have children of school age or younger; almost half of the clients we help have children or dependents in the household. Our figures show six million children in the UK are currently living in fuel poverty.
Pupils and staff are under intense strain
Our research, ‘A Warm Home, A Fair Chance’, shows that fuel poverty affects every dimension of children’s lives: their physical and mental health; their sleep and nutrition; their ability to participate in school; their friendships and social identity; and their sense of safety, dignity and belonging. Fuel poverty is not simply a housing or income issue. It is a childhood issue and, as educators repeatedly emphasise, an educational issue.
Forming the basis of our research into child fuel poverty was our survey of both teachers and students. All educators interviewed described schools now acting as the fourth emergency service, with respondents reporting emotional strain (66 per cent), increased workload (61 per cent), greater reliance on school resources (72 per cent), and educators using their own money (51 per cent).
One primary teacher respondent commented: “This is getting worse every year. We come home and cry about it.” They continued, “We’re choosing between heating our own homes or buying gloves and snacks for our pupils.”
Seventy-nine per cent of survey respondents reported poor physical health among students affected by fuel poverty. Health impacts of cold homes mentioned by educators included increased coughs, colds and chest infections, bronchial issues; mould exposure causing respiratory problems (teachers explicitly referenced widespread mould in children’s homes); and fatigue from poor sleep and cold living conditions. Mental health was impacted as well, with anxiety, stress about finances, distress at home environment all listed.
Many students described staying in bed under covers as a heat saving strategy and avoiding being at home (spending time at friends’ homes or clubs) to keep warm. One child talked about school as the ‘safe, warm space’ during the colder months.
Education is key
Financial support for energy bills is essential to lifting families out of fuel poverty, but education is another key factor. That’s why, as part of our Fuel Poverty Aware Schools programme and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for teachers, National Energy Action supports educators to deliver meaningful learning that raises awareness of energy efficiency, fuel poverty and sustainability. Educating the next generation with the skills and understanding to make homes more comfortable, lower energy bills and create a more sustainable future.
By providing practical resources, teacher training and engaging learning opportunities, we work with schools to empower children to make informed decisions about their energy-saving behaviours both at home and in school.
Energy saving tips
There are various quick wins that can be applied to both homes and schools to help save energy.
Space heating is a key area for this. Use central heating rather than small space heaters, which tend to be very energy inefficient and expensive to run. Consider lowering the boiler flow temperature. A healthy room temperature is between 18°C and 21°C. In the colder months, make sure occupants are warm enough but remember any room warmer than it needs to be is wasting money.
Install radiator reflector panels, which help reflect warmth from radiators back into the room and may make heating more efficient. Make the most of the natural light and heat from the sun by opening curtains or blinds when the sun is out and closing them when it goes down.
Advice for students to bring home
There’s also advice that pupils can share with their parents or guardians to help them save energy at home.
Put draught excluders around draughty doors, windows, and any unwanted gaps. These can be made of rolled up blankets or an old jumper sleeve. Make sure to turn lights off when not using a room. The cheapest unit of energy is the one you don’t need to use.
Washing your clothes at 30°C or the eco setting can lead to significant savings, with most detergents formulated to work at lower temperatures. When replacing appliances, consider energy efficient models, which may be A-rated.
Pupils can also encourage their parents or guardians to speak to their energy supplier, as well as organisations like National Energy Action, if they are struggling with their bills.
Equipping pupils and teachers
To support schools with this challenge of being the fourth emergency service, National Energy Action has developed assemblies for pupils from Key Stage 1 through to Key Stage 4, with the aim of sparking meaningful conversations about fuel poverty, energy efficiency and the practical steps to make informed decisions around energy use. These assemblies are freely available to download from our website, making it easy for schools to embed energy awareness across the curriculum.
Our package of education resources is developed and delivered in schools, colleges and universities by an experienced teacher, covering a wide range of topics and using a variety of learning techniques. All activities are mapped against the requirements of the National Curriculum and demonstrate progression across the key stages.
Through discussion and interactive activities, children explore their own energy-related behaviours, exchange ideas with their peers and create a personal energy-saving pledge, outlining the simple changes they will make at home to reduce energy use and save money as well as the environment.
Our workshops also provide hands-on opportunities to explore renewable energy and energy efficiency. Using renewable energy circuit kits powered by solar and wind, pupils investigate how electricity can be generated to power everyday devices. Thermal imaging cameras enable children to see where heat escapes from buildings and identify appliances that waste energy through excess heat. These practical experiences bring what can be quite complicated concepts to life, helping pupils understand how small changes can improve energy efficiency both at school and at home.
Fuel poverty has a far-reaching impact on families, affecting not only household finances but also health and wellbeing, which has a knock-on effect on teachers and support staff. That’s why National Energy Action’s resources go beyond energy awareness to include themes such as mental health, financial resilience and making informed choices. With energy prices set to remain high into winter and showing no sign of falling in the medium term, fuel poverty will remain a live issue for schools to contend with for years to come.
