Affordable Warmth Strategy Launch 10 th June 2005

Joanne Carr Director of Business Development National Energy Action (NEA)

The Right Worshipful, The Mayor of Salford Cllr James Hunt Welcome

Plan For The Day Cllr Peter Connor Lead Member for Housing Salford City Council

Bob Osborne Head of Housing Salford City Council What is Affordable Warmth?

Keeping warm and well IN Salford 1.What is Affordable Warmth? 2.What is Fuel Poverty? 3.How big a problem is Fuel Poverty in Salford? 4.Delivering Affordable Warmth

What is ….. Affordable Warmth? Affordable Warmth - is the ability to heat a home to an adequate level for household comfort and health without incurring financial hardship. An adequate standard of warmth is defined as: 20 o C in the living room; 18 o C in other occupied rooms, such as bedrooms.

What is…. Fuel Poverty? Fuel Poverty - is where a household needs to spend 10% or more of income to meet fuel costs. Fuel poverty is caused by a combination of: poor housing conditions; low incomes. Vulnerable households cannot afford sufficient warmth for health and comfort.

Keeping warm and well IN Salford One of the consequences of fuel poverty is the effects that cold conditions have on health. Cold homes worsen existing illness such as asthma. In the UK, every winter, there are many premature deaths, caused by vulnerable households living in cold homes they cannot afford to heat.

Keeping warm and well IN Salford Vulnerable households at risk of Fuel Poverty include: 1. older people 2. people with disabilities 3. people with chronic illness 4. lone parents with young children 5. long term unemployed or people who live on a low income

How big is the problem? Nationally the Government estimated that there are 2 million households in England living in Fuel Poverty. In Salford a recent survey* estimated that: –7,992 households live in fuel poverty –or put another way - 17,000 residents –In some streets fuel poverty reaches an unacceptable 25% of all households. * BRE’s Housing Projections Survey Jan 2005

Wards with the highest number of households living in Fuel Poverty Fuel Poverty in Salford No.Ward% 1Broughton11.5% 2Weaste & Seedley10.1% 3Barton10% 4Irwell Riverside9.5% 5Langworthy9.5%

Delivering Affordable Warmth By developing schemes that will: 1. Maximise vulnerable household Income through schemes that will include a Benefits Health Check up. 2. Make homes more energy efficient by installing energy efficient central heating boilers topping up existing loft insulation and cavity wall insulation 3. By increasing awareness of the help that is available through the Warm Front and council’s own grant schemes to make homes energy efficient.

How much heat are you losing? By making your home energy efficient it is possible to save up to £140 p.a. on fuel bills

Affordable Warmth as an LSP Issue Sheila Murtagh Salford Partnership Manager Partners IN Salford

Affordable Warmth: an LSP issue Affordable warmth is a quality of life issue: LSP vision is to improve the quality of life of people in Salford. Affordable warmth is a complex issue: no one agency can solve in isolation- it requires partnership working

Affordable Warmth: an LSP issue LSP provides a framework for partnership working: brings together public, private, voluntary and community sectors. –seeks to improve co-ordination, reduce duplication, harness greater variety of skills and knowledge, generate wider range of solutions, and improve understanding of community’s needs improve service delivery and accountability –Delivering the Affordable Warmth strategy will require effective partnership and referral systems LSP encourages strategic approach: determining common aims + objectives, clarifying how partners can contribute and measuring performance: this strategy is a good example of partnership working.

Affordable Warmth: an LSP issue Affordable Warmth is a cross-cutting issue, linked to: –Health: Salford has very poor health indicators compared to the rest of the country. –Economic prosperity: strong economy and skilled workforce needed to minimise poverty:17,000+ on incapacity benefit (almost 50% over 50): poverty implications. –Quality of housing stock. –Environmental issue: poor energy efficiency has long-term consequences

Affordable Warmth: an LSP issue Affordable Warmth is an inequalities issue affecting the most vulnerable groups including: –Older people, people with chronic illness, lone parents with young children, people living on a low income Salford the 12 th most deprived area in the country: LSP committed to national narrowing the gap agenda –between the most deprived areas and the rest of the country. –between areas and groups in Salford. Social Inclusion Theme (one of 7 LSP/Community Plan themes) allocated resources to support partnership working and strategy development

Affordable Warmth: LSP support Affordable Warmth Strategy and Action Plan –Development actively supported by the LSP –Commitment to implementation of action plan through LSP structures –Will promote Inclusion in the Community Plan –Facilitate development of reporting mechanisms to monitor progress, identify challenges, achievements and future opportunities

Affordable Warmth: partners’ support We all have a role to play to support the implementation of the Affordable Warmth Strategy We can all contribute to raising awareness of: –The importance of the issue –What partner agencies and individuals can do –What support is available

Key Note Address Ian Stewart MP

New Warm Front - the future Peter Storey Warm Front Account Manager The EAGA Partnership Ltd

Warm Front II Great news from Warm Front 1 Across England over 1 million households assisted with energy efficiency measures between June 2000 and May 2005! Since Benefit Entitlement checks were introduced in Autumn 2003 to Warm Front, over £8.2 million has been identified in unclaimed benefit with an average of £1139 per year per customer (in areas managed by Eaga)

Warm Front II Why did Warm Front need to change? Change from an energy efficiency programme aimed at vulnerable households, to a programme helping to eradicate fuel poverty Better targeting required of those who suffer fuel poverty To remove more clients out of fuel poverty

Warm Front II What are the proposed changes? ( ref: FP Action Plan ) Heating for ALL eligible clients (incl. oil heating) Target on the scheme manager to find those most in need Target on the scheme manager to remove clients from the likelihood of remaining in fuel poverty Benefit Entitlement Check for clients who are likely to be left in fuel poverty Increase in grant maxima Warm Front household account

Warm Front II DEFRA’s fuel poverty budget 2005/6£172m 2006/7£201m 2007/8£251m

Warm Front II DEFRA’s Fuel Poverty Target To eradicate fuel poverty as far as reasonably practical in vulnerable households by 2010 We know that: Finding the most needy will become more of a challenge as we move towards 2010 Traditional marketing methods are unlikely to be effective in reaching the oldest & coldest

Warm Front II Eaga’s approach to reach these people Built up an extensive network over the past five years working with a diverse group of organisations helping us reach those most in need Further extend our partnership approach More than doubling our network teams Local knowledge Specialist skills Draw upon group expertise

Warm Front II Happy to discuss supporting & providing staff for meetings, panels etc.

Warm Front II Key Issues Tight timescales for introduction Changes not as significant as introduction of WF 1 Finding those who are not just eligible but are in real need particularly in, for example, rural areas Continually improving the quality &customer care particularly in heating Eaga commitment to Service Excellence Delivery within timescales

Warm Front II What can Eaga bring to Warm Front 2? Experience over 15 years delivering programmes to low income & vulnerable households A commitment to reduce timelines, particularly heating Quality Assurance innovation, secondary checks Interaction with Utilities to deliver WF to more households Equity of delivery right across England (scheme manager for all areas from 1 st June)

Warm Front II Thank You Peter Storey Warm Front Account Manager

Questions & Answers