The aim of the Energy Ambassadors project is to implement sustainable and practical solutions to fight against fuel poverty and to generate energy savings in households through the interventions of social actors- namely those professionals who work with the public in a health or social capacity.
Background
Affordable Warmth is the ability to heat your home to an adequate level for household comfort and health, without developing a debt as a result. The lack of affordable warmth is known as “fuel poverty”. The Government accepts that households needing to spend 10% or more of income to achieve adequate warmth for health and comfort are experiencing fuel poverty. This is the case for between 4.3 and 6.9 million households in England (the lower figure is achieved when housing benefit received is included as “income”).1
Fuel poverty is linked with deprivation in general but there are causal factors which are linked directly to fuel poverty. For example poor thermal standards of a home (if a home has less than the recommended levels of insulation or is particularly draughty it will take more energy to maintain a comfortable and healthy temperature). Other factors include rising fuel prices and a low overall household income. A household that is living in fuel poverty ultimately has two choices. To heat the home and risk fuel debt or not to heat the home and risk housing disrepair, condensation damp and health inequalities related to living in a cold damp home.
There is a strong link between fuel poverty and excess winter mortality. Increases in deaths are mainly due to respiratory and circulatory diseases, influenza is often implicated as it can be complicated by these factors. In the winter of 2008/9 there were 'an estimated 36,700 more deaths in England and Wales, compared with the average for the non-winter period' 2.
Energy Ambassadors
Groups considored most vulnerable to fuel poverty are those groups who often spend more time in the home overall. Typically these include families with young children, unemployed individuals, those with long term health conditions and older people. This is because often these groups spend more time at home, therefore having to heat the home for longer periods of time. This project is based around the involvement of health and social care professionals to be fully trained in identifying fuel poor households, accurately referring occupants to local and national services for support and providing behavioural advice to enable households to address their energy using behaviour. This group of professionals is so important within this concept because much of their work is with those groups who are considored most vulnerable to fuel poverty. These trained professionals will become Energy Ambassadors.
Energy Ambassadors can help to find solutions for those who are at risk to save energy and money in order to gain comfort and health in their homes. In addition to specific training Energy Ambassadors will recieve specific tools, guides and resources to help support them to give advice and help clients to access support. A system of follow up activity is now being developed for the Energy Ambassadors as well as meetings and events to promote and raise awareness of the project.
The Ea Guide can be found here
1 Gloucestershire Affordable Warmth Partnership. Gloucestershire NI 187 Delivery Plan, Tacking fuel poverty-%of people receiving income based benifits living in homes with a low energy efficiency rating. This report can be downloaded in full via the links page of this website.
2 Winter Mortaility Excess winter deaths increace in 2008/9.
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=574
The sole responsibility for this publication lies with the authors. It does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the European Communities. The European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.
