Warm Homes campaign to reduce fuel poverty
14th December 2006
Alan Whitehead today backs a national campaign aimed at highlighting the plight of households who are unable to heat their homes to adequate levels this winter.
The ‘Warm Homes Campaign’ seeks to cut the number of excess winter deaths and reduce cold-related illnesses by raising awareness of the help available to those who cannot afford to heat their homes during the coldest winter months.
The campaign organised by fuel poverty charity National Energy Action (NEA) and is organised in association with Powergen, and supported by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Dr Whitehead said:
“Fuel poverty is a serious issue. A substantial part of the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act, that I contributed to, requires councils to do more to tackle fuel poverty by placing a direct duty on them to alleviate it by reporting on the reduction of the number of households living in fuel poverty.
“It is vital to make sure everyone knows what help is available to them. The government already offers up to £2,500 in grants to qualifying households to improve their house’s heating and energy efficiency. Not only does this prevent the illnesses and ailments that result from a cold home but a more energy efficient house is good news for your energy bill and for climate change. In this day and age, no one should have to spend the winter cold, without affordable heat for their home. I want to see an end to fuel poverty in Southampton and across the rest of the UK.”
Currently 1.4 million UK households are vulnerable to fuel poverty- down from 5.5 million households in 1996. Approximately half the reduction in fuel poverty is the result of increases in income since 1997. Another fifth of the reduction is attributable to energy price reductions for vulnerable groups, and another fifth is attributable to popular take-up of government subsidised energy efficiency measures.8
Cold homes affect people’s health and wellbeing and are linked to cardiovascular illnesses such as heart disease and strokes, and respiratory illnesses such as asthma and bronchitis. Older people, families with young children, people with disabilities and others on low incomes are especially at risk from the dangers of cold homes. In Southampton there are, on average, 10 excess winter deaths linked to cold homes every year.
William Gillis, NEA Chief Executive, said:
“For millions winter brings poor health, isolation, debt and worry. We believe that this is unacceptable. During the Warm Homes Campaign we will be calling on the Government to provide greater resources to tackle fuel poverty and protect vulnerable householders from rapidly rising energy prices.
Anyone who is worried about their winter fuel bill should call the Home Heat Helpline on 0800 336699 for information and advice on keeping warm in winter. Or for more information about grants available to keep your home warm, call freephone 0800 3166011 and quote MK 550.
Powergen’s Garry Worthington, Social & Environmental Affairs Manager said:
“Powergen is committed to helping people achieve affordable warmth in their homes. Earlier this year we launched the £100 million Caring Energy Scheme to provide vulnerable customers with free energy efficiency measures and advice, as well as, advice on payments, tariffs and income maximisation.”
"We’re delighted to be supporting Warm Homes campaign for the second year to raise awareness of the help we can give in improving the comfort of homes and in reducing energy bills through better energy efficiency.”
More information
- The Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act put into legislation that persons or bodies who fall under the Act should have regard to alleviating fuel poverty:
‘3 Local authorities to have regard to information on energy measures in
exercising functions
The Secretary of State—
must, not later than 12 months after this section comes into force,
publish an energy measures report, and
(b) may from time to time publish revised energy measures reports.
(2) Every local authority must, in exercising any of their functions, have regard to the most recently published energy measures report (if any).
(3) In this section, “energy measures report” means a document containing
information on local authority measures which would or might in the opinion
of the Secretary of State have any of the following effects—
improving efficiency in the use of electricity, heat, gas, fuel and other
descriptions or sources of energy;
(b) increasing the amount of electricity generated, or heat produced, by
microgeneration or otherwise by plant which relies wholly or mainly
on low-emissions sources or technologies;
(c) reducing emissions of greenhouse gases;
(d) reducing the number of households in which one or more persons are
living in fuel poverty.’
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2006/ukpga_20060019_en.pdf - NEA is the national charity that tackles the heating and insulation problems of low-income households through improved energy efficiency. Fuel poverty is defined as the need to spend more than 10% of household income on fuel costs. The Warm Homes Campaign is NEA’s annual campaign targeted at the public and the country’s decision makers to raise awareness of fuel poverty and the benefits of improved energy efficiency.
- The Warm Homes Campaign is organized by NEA and Energy Action Scotland in association with energy supplier Powergen, part of E.ON UK, and supported by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in England.
- Powergen’s 3100m Caring Energy scheme, launched earlier this year, has been designed to support and project vulnerable customers over the next three years, by improving the energy efficiency of their homes, reducing energy bills and increasing household incomes with a range of products and services which include free consultation and Benefits Entitlement Checks. For further information customers should call free on 0800 051 1480 or email caringenergy@powergen.co.uk
- Excess winter mortality is defined by the Office for National Statistics as the difference between the number of deaths during the four winter months (December to March) and the average number of deaths during the proceeding autumn (August to November) and the following summer (April to July).
Warm Front in England is the primary source of grants of grants for energy efficiency improvements for households on low incomes. Warm Front and the HEES Wales offer the prospect of lower bills and increased warmth for the elderly, people with disabilities, lone parent families and other vulnerable households. - For more information about Warm Front call freephone 0800 3166011 and quote MK550. This scheme only covers owner-occupiers and private sector tenants.
- For more information see DEFRA’s 4th annual progress report on the UK fuel poverty strategy, available here: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/energy/fuelpov/index.htm