County Durham Energy & Fuel Poverty Partnership

7th March 2017Cliff Duff Housing Project Manager

Durham County Council

What is fuel poverty?

Context

1 2 3 8

Context

£1, 2 3 8• BEIS – Average domestic energy bill

• Fuel poor households spend on average £1,000 a year more on energy to heat their home

Local Context

• North East fuel poverty 12.2%

• County Durham fuel poverty 12.2%

• Estimated 28,700 households in Co Durham in fuel poverty

• Up to 33.9% in off gas rural areas

Fuel Poverty in County Durham

Affordable Warmth Strategy

• County Durham Affordable Warmth Strategy 2015-2020 (www.durham.gov.uk)

• Seven Key Objectives

• Raise awareness of assistance

• Provide confidence to engage

• Provide help and support

Fuel Poverty Partnership • Partnership working

• AgeUK, CA, CDRA, Fire Service, DCC, East Durham Trust, Housing Associations, Durham Rural Council

• Deliver the AW Strategy

• Co-ordinate assistance to fuel poor households

• Maximise external funding opportunities

County Durham Warm Homes Campaign• Raise awareness of fuel poverty grants

• Provide scheme credibility and assistance

• Countywide promotions of local and national schemes

• 900 local community venues countywide

• Increase uptake by providing customer confidence

• Targeted mail outs to low income households

• Referrals from DCC Services and external partners eg. Welfare Rights, Age UK, CA, Fire and Rescue Service, East Durham Trust, Managing Money Better

Warm up North

• Local Authority partnership involving nine local authorities

• British Gas is the ECO funding partner

• Helping households improve the energy efficiency of their home

• 1,055 energy efficient boilers and insulation measures installed

Central Heating Fund • Free central heating systems for fuel poor

households

• Warm up North awarded £6.5m

• Rural off gas areas – oil central heating and air source heat pumps

• Improved targeting of fuel poor households

• Commenced December 2015 and extended to March 2017

• To date 1,200 households assisted, 350 in County Durham

Warm and Healthy Homes

• Households with ill health living in cold damp home

• Warmer homes to help reduce cold ill health and excess winter deaths

• New central heating, fuel debt advice, fire safety checks

• Award in 2016 from national fuel poverty charity (NEA)

• 300 referrals received, 116 households assisted

• Joint working with DDES Clinical Commissioning Group

Partner Schemes

• Managing Money Better

• East Durham Trust

• AgeUK

• Welfare Rights

• Fire and Rescue Service

• Energy Utility Trusts

• Housing and Health Booster Fund

Conclusion•ECO2 – greater role for Local Authority Partnerships to reduce levels of fuel poverty

•Targeting of vulnerable households in fuel poverty

•Drawing on the strengths of existing partnerships to help fuel poor households to improve their energy efficiency

•Golden ticket – Local Authorities maybe able to nominate households for assistance using ECO2 funding