THE government must take urgent action to help councils tackle fuel poverty as the cost-of-living crisis deepens, campaigners demanded today.

The End Fuel Poverty Coalition called for the introduction of a windfall tax on fossil fuel firms’ profits and legislation to prevent energy firms from charging more than the lowest tariff for those on prepayment meters.

It has also put forward an action plan to help local authorities tackle fuel poverty ahead of May’s local elections.

The coalition of over 50 organisations — including anti-poverty, environmental and health campaigners; local authorities; trade unions and consumer groups — is asking candidates to pledge their support for a range of measures to help end fuel poverty.

Measures include improving the energy efficiency of housing stock, better enforcement of existing regulations on energy efficiency and property standards in the private rented sector and bolstering private tenants’ rights.

Other recommendations include providing information advice and guidance on energy efficiency and benefits to those most at risk of fuel poverty and the use of central government energy scheme grants to help those most at risk.

Candidates are also being asked to pledge support for bringing forward a motion to their council to end fuel poverty and to urge the government to implement the coalition’s fuel poverty action plan.

Roni Marsh, money advice team leader at South West London Law Centres said: “We not only have clients choosing between heating their homes or eating, they also have to think twice about using energy to heat their food.

“Urgent action is needed to help those households in fuel poverty.”

William Baker, from Solutions to Tackle Energy Poverty said: “The single largest rise in fuel bills for over 30 years will lead many people in fuel poverty to turn to their local councils for help.”

The New Economics Foundation’s head of environment, Chaitanya Kumar, said: “It's vital that the government gives local authorities the resources they need to upgrade homes and immediately protect those on the sharp end of the cost-of-living crisis.”

Emma Lewins of the Students Organising for Sustainability UK said that students are already at a high risk of fuel poverty “due to limited knowledge and experience of how to navigate the energy system, poor-quality student housing and lower incomes.”

“We need the government to step up and take urgent action to respond to the fuel price crisis,” she said.