Fuel poverty affects around 30% of households in Wales, over a third of which contain an older person aged 65 years and over. Older people are particularly susceptible to fuel poverty and are disproportionately affected by its consequences especially in terms of respiratory illness, cardiovascular events, and excess winter deaths. As well as its negative effects on health, fuel poverty can severely impact on many aspects of quality of life.

My research aims to explore the types of poverty and disadvantage that may exist in older households experiencing fuel poverty in Wales. I am particularly interested in food poverty, benefit uptake, and cognitive function in these households.