Fuel Poverty Portsmouths Approach

1
Fuel Poverty -Portsmouths Approach

• Liz Sheldon, IBAS Manager

2
Fuel Poverty Definition

• A fuel poor household is one that cannot
• afford to keep adequately warm at a
• reasonable cost

3
Portsmouth City Council - Housing Service Approach

• Energy Efficiency incorporated into key
  strategies
• Housing
• Anti Poverty
• Community Plan
• Training for front line staff to identify fuel
  poverty cases
• Raising of awareness / advice giving for
  residents through
• Advertisements / publicity
• Presence in Shopping Centres
• Promotion of National Schemes

4
Energy Efficiency - Direct Measures

• Insulation
• Loft and Cavity Wall
• External cladding / Dry Lining
• Draught Proofing
• Windows renewal
• Improvements to Heating
• Installation of New Heating systems
• Renewal of boilers
• Combined Heat and Power

5
Energy Efficiency - Achievements

• Energy Efficiency improved to 3,140 homes owned
  by PCC
• A better than National Average SAP rating
• PCC in Top Quartile of LAs in the country for
• Energy Efficiency

6
Portsmouth City Council - Private Sector

• Energy Advice Officer in post
• A range of Grants, including
• Improvement Grants
• Insulation Grants
• Affordable Warmth packages
• Capital receipts
• Partnership working
• Home-Check

7
Portsmouth City Council - Health

• Fuel Poverty - Health related
• Hypothermia Deaths or Cold Related Illness?
• Excess winter deaths in Portsmouth
• Appointment of Energy Champion for Portsmouth
  City PCT

8
Energy Champion - Objectives

• Raise awareness of fuel poverty issues across PCT
• Establish Partnerships with clear referral routes
• Influence Health Policies
• Run a Cold Kills campaign

9
Energy Champion - Partnering Opportunities

• Additional training for visiting staff to
  identify fuel poverty vulnerable groups
• Referral for Benefit Maximisation
• Multi agency promotion of Healthy Eating, Flu
  vaccinations
• Direct referral route to EES

10
Conclusion

• PCC and the Energy Champion have the opportunity
  through partnership working to
• Implement a direct referral route to continue to
  raise levels of Energy Efficiency
• To actively succeed in lowering winter deaths
  through the Cold Kills campaign
• To build upon an existing network of
  professionals to identify vulnerable groups
• Continue income maximisation through IBAS project