1. Multiple benefits of energy efficiency Fuel poverty and climate action Dublin, 6 March Brenda Boardman
Not only can, but must tackle fuel poverty and climate change together
Stress why fp does not = poverty
317,000 in 2009, ~20% of households
Dorothy Watson & Bertrand Maitre of the Economic and Social Research Institute, in a working paper published in mid-2015, deprivation ~ energy poverty. Wrong.

2. } { Affordable warmth 10% of income for all energy services
Energy efficiency of the dwelling
24 hour mean internal temperature of 18°C
(+ other energy services)
Affordable warmth = opposite of fuel poverty
Really about ee – need poorest to be in most ee

3. Heating expenditure for a low income, pensioner couple in council accommodation
Present €6.65
For adequate warmth
a) existing poorly insulated home
poor heating system € €9.50
efficient heating system € €3.70
b) well insulated home
What capital expenditure can achieve in one house
Ignore actual numbers = old, but look at relationships
efficient heating system € €1.00

4. Low income + poor housing
High income
Energy inefficient housing
Tackle worst homes and poorest people first.
fuel poverty results from a combination of low income and energy inefficient housing.
Schematic, based on EHCS 1996, energy report, p129 (ie England 1996) = actual housing stock
ie 25% most energy efficient are the top quartile of the stock, not some theoretical number
Colour = severity, red approx >20% of income
Those in most severe fp are in worst housing
Half in fuel poverty in this graphic, ie the situation in NI. Smaller % in England (fewer squares)
Energy efficient housing

5. Households in fuel poverty by BER category
Element Energy p20, an Objective analysis of fuel poverty in Ireland
Focus on G

6. Defining fuel poverty vs identifying fuel poor
Lot of options for definition
OK for modelling, often useless on the doorstep
Monitoring and delivery are two very different tasks
Start with how to identify and who does it, eg
Individual properties (low rating)
Individual people / households (eg ill health)
Areas of deprivation (area based)
Need modelling to identify scale of the problem, but if cannot identify, so money is not spent / spent on the wrong people, that does not help.
Self-referral – only for the assertive
July 3, 2018
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7. Fuel poverty and health
Strong links between mental and physical ill health and fuel poverty
Tackling fuel poverty a key preventative measure
Work with health service for referrals – they know the people and their addresses, you don’t
Or doctor’s surgeries to identify areas of concentrated ill health
Don’t expect health services to pay for measures
Gentoo
National Institute for Health and Care excellence

8. Multiple benefits of energy efficiency
Use the benefits that your audience is most interested in:
Macro-energy policy and govt
IEA 2014
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July 3, 2018

9. Synergies: fuel poverty and climate change
Both about capital investment
Upgrade homes to super energy-efficient, low-carbon (A1/B2)
Climate 50,000 pa x 32 years
Fuel 50,000 pa x 6 years
Get all homes en route for A or B rated.
1.6m households in Ireland, for cc do at 50,000 pa x 32 years
317,000 fp in Ireland = 6 50,000
A1/B1 on BER scale ?
32 years includes 6 years
0.75m x 36 years = 27 million UK homes by 2050, to comply with the Climate Change Act 2008 obligation
Need to achieve as high a standard as possible on first visit, as don’t want to go to many homes a second time.
What rate for fuel poverty? What timescale?
We did have a target of 2016, under Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act Failed abysmally.
Should not automatically accept a new date of (say) 2030, as the forthcoming strategy will probably propose.
Why should the fuel poor have to suffer for another 14 years?
If each upper tier LA (all 150 of them) in England upgrades 6,500 properties pa (to a SAP 81, ie a lower standard than SAP 100)
6,500 x 150 upper tier LA, x 5 years = 4.84m in England
We could have dealt with all the worst housing in 5 years.
ie nearly 1m pa whole country
This is only slightly faster (to a lower standard) than is required for our climate change obligations.
GO FOR IT.

10. Which policies: regulation or money?
Regulate – mandatory minimum standards, all tenures, over time
Or grants for those with no money
Are you giving grants to poor people, even when they have rich landlords?
Or are you making the rich landlord improve the property?

11. Raising the money for grants
Is this from general taxation, via The Treasury?
Progressive, as poor often pay no tax
Or is it being funded by the utilities, via all customers?
Regressive, fuel poor contribute, whether or not they benefit
Recycle money from fuel allowances?
How quickly will you upgrade all fuel poor homes?
To what standard?
So, what is the budget?

12. How to deliver? Area-based approaches
The most-trusted agency = local authority
Takes responsibility for delivery
Manages installers
Works with community groups
Provides single point of contact for housing and health
So, give each local authority the duty to reduce fuel poverty

13. Thank you