Transcript Fuel poverty after the Energy Review

Fuel poverty after the
Energy Review
Caroline Heijne
National Right to Fuel Campaign
National RIGHT TO FUEL Campaign
Campaigning for a warm dry well lit home for all
Fuel Poverty and
Climate Change
• Emphasis on addressing climate change
• Social justice is a major element, high on
the agenda
• Consequences of not addressing climate
change were so severe that this cannot be
avoided
National RIGHT TO FUEL Campaign
Campaigning for a warm dry well lit home for all
Win, win, win
• Address the reality of sustainable
development, to get win, win, win situation,
meeting environmental, social and
economic objectives
• Need significant increases in measures
to end fuel poverty and reduce carbon
emissions
National RIGHT TO FUEL Campaign
Campaigning for a warm dry well lit home for all
Action on all fronts
• On energy efficiency both in housing and
in appliances and products
• Increasing microgeneration and
renewables
• Maintaining income and benefits support
• Fuel price initiatives
National RIGHT TO FUEL Campaign
Campaigning for a warm dry well lit home for all
Housing Standards
• Focus on housing standards inadequate to meet
the challenge
• Regulations and standards need to be raised
massively
• Development of large scale schemes seldom put
issues of energy efficiency and sustainability at
the heart of the process
• EcoHomes “Very Good” standard – will
benefit low income households, given that
most RSL tenants are low income, but limited
by only applying to new homes
National RIGHT TO FUEL Campaign
Campaigning for a warm dry well lit home for all
Microgeneration and
Renewables
• Increasing microgeneration and renewables
necessary actions
• Successful work on solar hot water heating
installations and selling microgeneration
equipment to residents
• More varied and decentralised approach to
generation and supply of electricity
• No additional money to solve problems
associated with “hard to heat” homes, often
inhabited by low income and potentially
vulnerable households
National RIGHT TO FUEL Campaign
Campaigning for a warm dry well lit home for all
Income support
• Income measures needed to support
those living in fuel poverty prior to work
improving home energy efficiency
• Current increases were not enough to
meet the rise in fuel prices.
• Over 70s target group – a welcome but
very limited response to the range of
groups likely to suffer fuel poverty
National RIGHT TO FUEL Campaign
Campaigning for a warm dry well lit home for all
Fuel prices
• Action on fuel prices were a key aspect of the current
problem for the fuel poverty targets
• Ofgem role in development of initiatives on fuel pricing
and services, specifically for low income and vulnerable
households
• UK energy market changes to provide energy services
and management to UK households, reducing pressure
on UK suppliers to increase fuel sales
• Wait and see for action, but nothing on rising prices
or help for fuel poor
• 10% increase of domestic fuel prices for carbon
costs
National RIGHT TO FUEL Campaign
Campaigning for a warm dry well lit home for all
Co-operation
• Cross-departmental working and coordination - a key factor for effective action
• Government ministers, and officials,
perceived as seeing different aspects of
agenda in conflict, not complementary
National RIGHT TO FUEL Campaign
Campaigning for a warm dry well lit home for all
Targets and duties
• Propose PSA for ending fuel poverty and carbon
emissions reductions for the new DCLG.
• Local Authorities in key position to ensure local
delivery of national strategies and policies
• Duties for local authorities on fuel poverty and
climate change
• Awaiting Local Government White Paper for
proposals
National RIGHT TO FUEL Campaign
Campaigning for a warm dry well lit home for all
Links with others
• Links between government departments
and voluntary sector to improve delivery of
national targets
• Adequate resourcing for local agencies
National RIGHT TO FUEL Campaign
Campaigning for a warm dry well lit home for all
No real change, then
• No new money
• No new regulation or targets
• No widening of remits for energy
efficiency programmes
National RIGHT TO FUEL Campaign
Campaigning for a warm dry well lit home for all
About us
• Campaign formed in 1975 in response to record level of
fuel disconnections and rising hardship experienced by
low income households triggered by major increases in
fuel prices
• Campaign aims to put an end to fuel poverty by securing
a dry warm and well lit home for all irrespective of
income or location
• Membership broad based, includes local authority
departments, local advice agencies, energy businesses,
housing organisations
• Campaign is an entirely independent organisation
• Join us
National RIGHT TO FUEL Campaign
Campaigning for a warm dry well lit home for all