1. OVERCOMING STRUGGLES OF RESEARCHING FUEL POVERTY FOR A SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME Fuel poverty in policy and practice – a postgraduate symposium 16 th November 2012

2. Structure  The struggles and how I have dealt with them when conducting research on fuel poverty  Multidimensionality and interdisciplinary  The fuel poor  Situated in a varying policy and commercial landscape

3. My PhD  The overall aim is to critically evaluate community-based fuel poverty initiatives and their capacity to address access to energy services for older people 1. What rationales are given for improving access to energy services for older people through locally-based fuel poverty initiatives? 2. What understandings of older fuel poor people are held by different actors in locally-based initiatives (including the residents) and how are these reflected in the way improving access to energy services is tackled? 3. How do older people that have been assisted by locally- based initiatives evaluate their experience and how are forms of social relationship implicated in the experiences that older people have of fuel poverty assistance schemes?

4. My PhD methodology Policy analysis Case study of organisations providing assistance to the fuel poor in a local area Interviews with the organisation Shadowing/observation of the energy advice team Observations, telephone interviews and semi-structured interviews in the home with older people that have received help from the case study organisation

5. Causes Fuel poverty Energy prices Income Energy efficiency 1. Multidimensionality

6. Consequences Impacts of cold homes or fuel poverty Poor mental health Fuel debt Heat or eat conundrum Social isolation Negative impact of educational attainment Excess winter deaths Cardiovascular illness 1. Multidimensionality

7. 2. The fuel poor

8. Language Fuel poverty or… Affordable warmth Energy vulnerability Struggling to pay energy bills Energy poverty Unable to heat their homes to adequate temperatures affordably Older people or… Elderly Over 65s Old people Senior citizen 2. The fuel poor

9. My PhD Larger research project EDF energy R&D Case study organisatio ns 3. Relevance

10. Finally…