Tackling Fuel Poverty: Towards integrated approaches in London boroughs Chris Church Community Environment Associates

Fuel Poverty –the ‘ultimate antithesis’ of sustainability? Negative impacts on  Environment – unnecessary Co2 / pollutant emissions  Economic – increasing poverty and debt, money flows out from local communities  Social – poor health, isolation, inequality Very few agencies tackle all of these

Solution are needed at all levels:  Policy / strategic change  Infrastructure / delivery  Engagement Again, few agencies work across all these

The audiences to engage with are diverse:  Older people  Families with children  Those with long-term heath issues  Those in poor housing (social, private)  Those in poverty Again, many agencies..... Also one of multiple stresses for many households

A meeting point? At borough level the one place where all these can / do meet is within the VCS How do we enable public (councils, health sector, social housing), VCS and private sector agencies to plan and act together to maximise impact and synergies and to reduce overlap and confusion? A significant challenge for inter-disciplinary working? Are there too many stakeholders to work with?

Finding and binding? We are only like to make impacts on the scale needed, given the level of resources available if all those involved have a clear picture of what is being and needs to be done. Some initial shared goals:  Ensuring common knowledge and understanding of fuel poverty as it is at the operational level  Understanding who else is working in that area / at that level and the nature of their desired outcomes  Recognising energy efficiency as being at the core of long- term solutions

“Our analysis shows that improving the housing of those at risk is the most cost- effective way of tackling the problem, cutting energy waste, with large long- term benefits to society as a whole. ” Professor John Hills, Government Independent review of fuel poverty

The national / London level agenda “What is needed is better and more effective integration between fuel poverty alleviation' work” by different agencies with: (LVSC seminar, Dec. 2013)  Housing policies to create warm and safe homes  Action by the health sector to end early deaths associated with energy costs  The use of carbon tax incomes to support large scale retrofit of the worst housing  National energy policy including work on renewable energy and climate change.

The local / borough level agenda  Who’s taking the lead?  Some boroughs have excellent projects – council or health sector or VCS  Others less so – too many Heath & Wellbeing Boards not prioritising or leading  If there is no leadership how can this develop?

Islington SHINE Hub A broad range of services for referrals:  Advice on saving energy and grants available  Support with bills and energy debt  'Energy Doctor in the Home' home visiting service  Benefit checks  Falls Assessments  Telecare applications  Befriending services  Fire Safety Checks  Home Security Checks  Air quality alerts for those with respiratory diseases  Handyperson Service

Can’t get there from here?

Why not? Lack of....  Resources?  Time?  Buy-in from others?  Knowledge?  Skills?

Working together – Building a strong local....  Hub?  Network?  Project?  Referral centre? Interdisciplinary work needs to complement each organisation’s work (and not threaten, confuse or complicate...)

So where to start?  Get the local evidence (e.g. DECC figures)  Read the local HWB strategy  Be clear on what you / your organisation can really offer  Do the local research – find the other agencies  Understand others’ reservations  Those suffering from FP may have little interest in sustainability / energy issues

Common impacts, shared outcomes, local outputs  Impacts: healthier, better educational attainment, better off, happier (more sustainable...)  Outcomes: fewer EWDs, less energy waste, people getting benefits to which they are entitled  Outputs: more people engaging, more advice given, more homes improved, (more local funded work!) Outputs relate to local circumstances, but feed in to th same impacts

Two key levels for action  London / national policy frameworks / support  Local level engagement by agencies working together to get more households active and solving their problems

THANK YOU!

Who do we need to involve? Each table has a sheet like this. Firstly identify local organisations to involve in fuel poverty work, and map them on the sheet in terms of what you think to be their interest and importance to the work Secondly look at some of the ‘important /uninterested’ and discuss how you might get them too engage.