Fuel Poverty Awareness Day
Awareness of fuel poverty and the importance of living in a warm and safe home.
Today is Fuel Poverty Awareness Day, a nationally recognised day to raise awareness of fuel poverty and the importance of living in a warm and safe home.
The fact is each winter across the UK, on average, at least 11,400 people die due to a cold home. During the "Beast from the East'' in the winter 2017/18, people were ten times more likely to die from living in a cold house than a road accident. As well as the direct devastating impacts of a cold home, the resulting loss in productivity and cold-related ill health causes significant health and social care costs, queues at GP surgeries and emergency departments and delays the discharge of the most vulnerable patients from hospital.
What is fuel poverty?
In a nutshell Fuel poverty means where a household is unable to afford to heat their home to an adequate temperature, whilst on either a low-income, experiencing high energy costs or energy inefficient housing. Until recently, the usual definition meant that a household was in fuel poverty when it needed to spend more than 10% of its income on its fuel bills. Since 2013, the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) set out new Government intentions to approve a new definition for fuel poverty within England.
This new definition states that a household is said to be in fuel poverty if:
- Their fuel costs are above average (the national median level), and
- After paying their fuel bills they are left with a residual income below the official poverty line.
Some further truths.
A shocking 4 million UK households are in fuel poverty and living in cold, damp and unsafe homes. The effects of such can be detrimental to people’s health. Last year there was a huge increase of excess winter deaths with many of these attributed to the harsh weather cycle. Our health services spend an average of £3.6 million every day treating the effects of fuel poverty, over 2016/2017 excess winter deaths increased from 22,780 to 32,500, the recent National Energy Action data shows a considerable fluctuation since 2015*.
Where to get help
This winter will be the first general election in 96 years. It is also the first election where climate action and energy are at the hearts of the campaign. The long term solution lies in improved heating and insulation standards, which we hope for continued support with schemes like LA Flex to help those who struggle to pay their fuel bills.
Grant funding to help homes become warmer and more fuel efficient has recently changed and now focuses on those most at need, helping them to keep their homes warm and reduce their fuel bills.
There are many vulnerable residents living across the country, they maybe your neighbours or live in surrounding areas. These people you know, maybe entitled to grant funding to increase their home insulation or benefit from a grant to replace their old or broken boiler.
In some areas we are able to access grant funding for those with no boiler and radiators enabling us to install a completely new central heating system. Help us to improve the lives of people living near you. To make someone else's life warmer please share our details with them.
Request a call back via the top of our webpage, drop us an email to info@arangroup.co.ukor call our contact team on 01284 812520 for more information. Even if you don't think you know anyone who will benefit from grant funding please look out for relatives, friends and neighbours who may have difficulties getting out and about. Stay warm and well this winter.
*Excess winter deaths data source: https://www.nea.org.uk/resources/e3g-nea-cold-homes-excess-wintedeaths/
* Fuel Poverty awareness http://www.endfuelpoverty.org.uk/news/
* NEA Manifesto for Warmth November 2019
Date : 28-11-2019
