Fuel poverty update

Fuel poverty

update

Carbon Action Network

9 May 2014

Manchester

Dr Brenda Boardman, MBE, FEI

Emeritus Fellow

Lower Carbon FuturesEnvironmental Change Institute

University of Oxford

Résumé

• 31,100 EWD last winter• Fuel price increase of 10% (£120)

reduced to £50 increase by prolonging ECO

• Real income of the poorest people declining

• Fuel poor are hard (and expensive) to identify

Energy efficiencyEnglish housing (SAP09)

2001 2011

Social sector 52.1 62.9Private sector 45.3 55.4

Average 46.7 56.7

English Housing Survey, Homes 2011 (2013) DCLG Table 4.1

Rates of insulation

CWI LI SWI

2012 (CERT & CESP)

637,000 1,302,000 77,000

2013 (ECO, GD) 163,000 132,000 25,000

Change -74% -90% -68%

EBR and ACE (2014), Fuel poverty: 2014 update, p7

 Low incomeLow energy

costs15%

 High income Low energy

costs35%

 Low incomeHigh energy

costs11%

 High income High energy

costs39%

LIHC – new fp definition

Households in fuel povertyEngland

2013 2014 Change

Old definition

3.9m 4.82m +24%

New definition

2.35m 2.46m +5%

EBR and ACE (2014), Fuel poverty: 2014 update, p3-4

Fuel poor pensioners

• 32% of all households

• 25% of fuel poor (new definition)

• 49% of fuel poor (old definition

2013-14

• Decreasing with new definition

• Increasing with old

Income + housing

Low income High incomeEnergy

inefficient housing

Energy efficient housing

Transforming the housing stock

Local Authority tasks

• HHSRS / minimum standards

• Health and Wellbeing Boards

• HECA

• Prepare for privately-rented, no F & G

• Landlord register

• Complete EPC coverage

• Decent Homes 2

Area based approaches

• Low Carbon Zones (Warm Zone +)

• One (or more) per local authority

• Local authority co-ordinates

• Works closely with community groups

• Street-by-street

• Focused on poorest housing

• SAP 81 or better (A/B on EPC)

Working with communities

• Community groups act as go-between

• Protect and speak for low-income residents

• Arrange advice and non-standard measures

• Are trusted

• Help incorporate all households

Synergies: fuel poverty and climate change

• Poorest people concentrated in worst housing

• Upgrade to super energy-efficient, low-carbon housing

• Climate change = SAP 100 @ 750,000 pa

• Fuel poverty = SAP 81 @ 6,500 pa per local authority

www.eci.ox.ac.uk

Thank you

Workshop questions

Assumes some money available

•Area-based approaches – what size? COA as in NI (150 households)

•How to link with local community groups?

•How to employ local installers?

•Property owner vs occupant?

•How to link with HECA and HHSRS?