Community Action Norfolk's Work to Reduce Fuel Poverty in Norfolk

Community Action Norfolk has been funded by British Gas Energy Trust’s Healthy Home Fund to support its work on fuel poverty in Norfolk.  This will support the County Council’s Warm and Well campaign, in partnership with Public Health, local authorities, CCGs (Clinical Commissioning Groups) and the voluntary sector,  in developing a range of solutions for fuel poverty and staying warm in winter. 

The funding will: 

• provide training for front-line staff in how to support those in fuel poverty
• evaluate the use of new technologies in tackling health, monitoring the most vulnerable and staying warm
• provide limited support for maintaining and improving the efficiency of homes - particularly in ‘off-gas’ and rural areas and
• explore how all involved agencies and individuals can tackle fuel poverty together.

The funding will run throughout 2016.  We’ve secured an additional £8,000 from Big Energy Saving Network and Energy Best Deal campaigns to provide training to consumers and local groups across Norfolk – helping people to understand the health risks presented by a cold home, save energy and save money through switching suppliers and claiming benefits.

Fuel Poverty, renewable energy and staying warm and well

A household is in fuel poverty if the occupiers have a low income and face high costs of keeping adequately warm and maintaining other basic energy services. Fuel poverty is driven by three main factors - household income, the current cost of energy and the energy efficiency of the home.

Although the definition of fuel poverty is complicated, a person is said to be living in fuel poverty if she or he is part of a household, living on a lower income, in a home which cannot be kept warm at reasonable cost. Under the newer government statistics there were, in 2013,  an estimated 35,700 Norfolk households in fuel poverty, representing 9.3% of the county’s households, rising to 11.5% in Norwich and great Yarmouth.

Because of limited gas connectivity, households in many areas of Norfolk have above average electric and oil use, especially in rural areas, and so are disproportionately disadvantaged by the cost of heating their homes.

Cold homes can affect people’s health.  Respiratory conditions such as bronchitis and asthma, circulatory problems including strokes, anxiety, depression and other poor mental health issues can be exacerbated. Estimates suggest that some 10% of excess winter deaths are directly attributable to fuel poverty and a fifth of excess winter deaths are attributable to the coldest 25% of these homes. Cold homes can also affect educational performance among children and young people, and lead to increased work absenteeism. And of course older people are especially vulnerable, forming the focus of this winter’s ‘Surviving Winter’ appeal.