Providing evidence to alleviate energy poverty

Research by Professor Melinda Mills has provided some of the first evidence to show that prepayment meters are concentrated in social rented properties, households with a higher proportion of children and the elderly, ethnic minorities, those on unemployment benefits and with lower education and income.

The study combined multiple regional data and census estimates from England and Wales to determine the prevalence of prepayment meters in different areas. The findings were published in the British Medical Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, revealing that prepayment meters are concentrated in areas with multiple types of deprivation and higher levels of emergency respiratory hospital admissions.

The research team provided policy recommendations, including financial and regulatory support from the government and policymakers, targeted interventions for prepayment meter users, and reducing health disparities related to energy insecurity for users.

Further reading

Prepayment meters strongly associated with multiple types of deprivation and emergency respiratory hospital admissions: an observational, cross-sectional study (Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health)

Prepayment meters associated with multiple types of deprivation and emergency respiratory hospital admissions (Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science)