A council chief has led calls for zero VAT on energy bills. The leader of Cumbria County Council, Eddie Martin, claims more than a quarter of homes in Cumbria are now in fuel poverty, meaning they spend more than a tenth of income on fuel. Mr Martin has produced statistics showing that there are more than 61,161 households in Cumbria currently living in fuel poverty. This is a 130 per cent increase in the number of homes since 2005.