1. ESRC Seminar Series Fuel Poverty: Impacts on Children, Young People and Families Oliver McHugh Department for Social Development

2. Heat

3. Insulation

4. Fuel Poverty and Children NI Context
One in three households with a child or children were in fuel poverty
73,000 households
The majority were renting terraced housing and relying on oil for their heating

5. History Warm Homes Scheme since 2001
Scheme assisted over 150,000 homes and spent over £120 million
Very successful and popular scheme
Relied on self referral

6. DSD Fuel Poverty Strategy
“Warmer Healthier Homes” 2011
Partnership working
Remove energy inefficiency as a cause of fuel poverty
Practical solutions
Area based approach

7. Why an Area Based Approach?
Fuel Poverty Strategy “Warmer Healthier Homes“ in 2011 committed to test an area based approach to tackling fuel poverty
Similar successful schemes in GB
University of Ulster’s “Defining Fuel Poverty” review of the definition of fuel poverty recommended an area based targeted approach
Fuel poverty lobby called for it

8. Targeting
Research by University of Ulster “Defining Fuel Poverty” highlighted that 33,000 households need to spend more than 25% of their income on household fuel costs
If you can count them can you find them?
Using available data and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) the University of Ulster developed a targeting system which is now the most accurate area based tool available in the UK

9. Fuel Poverty Risk Score

10. Did area based targeting work?
2,145 addresses in target areas were visited by local council teams
82% were in fuel poverty
65% were in severe fuel poverty

11. The New Affordable Warmth Scheme

12. Improved Targeting The Department is targeting the 33,000
households who need to spend 25% or more of
their income on heating and lighting their home.

13. Improved Partnership Working
The Department is working in partnership with local councils
to target households most at risk of fuel poverty and to improve the energy efficiency of their homes.
Council staff conduct an initial home visit to assess both the
eligibility and requirements for the householder under the scheme.
The Housing Executive’s network of Grant offices work closely
with the householder and an installer of the householder’s choice to deliver the energy efficiency improvement measures to the house.

14. The private rented sector
Landlords make a 50% contribution towards the cost of the energy efficiency improvement work.

15. Eligibility qualification criteria
Eligibility for the Affordable Warmth Scheme is based on household income and the threshold is set at £20,000 gross per annum and includes all social security benefits.
Eligibility qualification criteria

16. Energy Efficiency Measures
Measures available:
Insulation
Heating
Windows/draught proofing
Solid Wall

17. Self Referrals
An element of self referral remains in the scheme to allow for eligible households to benefit.
Affordable Warmth Scheme is targeted at those most in need, the number of self referrals should be relatively small and controlled at the discretion of the councils where they identify a need outside the targeted area.

18. How is it going? First region to adopt a targeted area based approach
Different scheme from Warm Homes
Finding vulnerable people in poor housing
Added value of local council involvement
Housing Executive grants experience
Average spend £3.5k
Warm Homes was £1.4k
Concentrating on delivery

19. Thank you