Affordable Warmth Strategy
Helping residents stay warm and well in their homes - while cutting back on heating bills - is the focus of the Affordable Warmth Strategy which is a new joint action plan written by North East Derbyshire District Council, Chesterfield Borough Council and Chart LSP. The strategy has been developed to help tackle fuel poverty in North East Derbyshire and Chesterfield.
What is Fuel Poverty?
People are generally considered to be in fuel poverty when they need to spend more than 10 per cent of their household income on heating their home to an adequate standard of warmth to promote well being and good health. Adequate heating is described by the World Health Organisation as 21 degrees centigrade in main living areas and 18 degrees centigrade in other areas for healthy adult households.
What causes fuel poverty?
- Low household income - it can be an everyday struggle to decide whether to spend money on heating or food. Heating can often be low on the list of priorities.
- Homes with poor energy efficiency - the energy efficiency of a property is measured by a Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) rating on a scale of 1 to 100, the higher the number the more efficient a house. Many residents in fuel poverty are likely to be living in properties with a SAP rating of less than 30.
- Under occupancy - when a home is unnecessarily large, for example a family home when the children have left, which can be difficult and expensive to heat.
- The price of fuel - energy prices have risen dramatically in the last few years, the more the prices rise the harder it is for people to be able to afford to adequately heat their homes.
The Effects of Fuel Poverty
It is those who are already most vulnerable who are most at risk of fuel poverty - elderly, disabled, long term illness and young families. Fuel poverty has many different effects:
- Increased ill health - A cold home leaves you more vulnerable to respiratory illnesses such as colds, flu, asthma and bronchitis. You are also more at risk of heart attacks and strokes. There are more accidents in cold homes as the cold slows our reactions down.
- Education - children in colder homes end up studying in the warmest rooms in the house usually the kitchen which is full of distractions and means their studies suffer.
- Social exclusion - people in colder homes are far less likely to invite others over which means they end up becoming more socially isolated effecting their mental well being.
- Housing - cold homes are more prone to damp and mould which can affect your health and are more likely to be in need of repair as money is used for other priorities such as heating or food.
The two authorities have a five-year plan which will see them work alongside other partners as part of the CHART Local Strategic Partnership, and aims to improve the quality of life for residents across the two districts. A full copy of the strategy is available to download at the bottom of the page.
Improvements to Council housing, supporting residents to make their homes more energy efficient and making sure people are aware of the financial help available are just some of the areas the strategy is looking to address.
Downloads
Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire Affordable Warmth Strategy 2008 to 2012 (562 KB)
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