Towards a new Fuel Poverty Strategy - local insights into national policy

Last week, I had the privilege of speaking with some of those responsible for local delivery of fuel poverty schemes, people who are really transforming the everyday lives of many of the most vulnerable people in our society.

I was at the Carbon Action Network's training conference in Manchester, where I facilitated two workshop sessions in anticipation of the Government's forthcoming Fuel Poverty Strategy consultation. We had hoped to have the consultation document to discuss, but I know from experience that consultations are incredibly hard to put together and can take longer than planned to produce. We made do with DECC's Framework for Future Action - vital reading for anyone who is interested in the direction of fuel poverty policy in this country.

So what do local authorities think of the ideas and approaches suggested by the Framework?

Firstly, there's an ongoing commitment amongst many officers to local projects helping bring people out of fuel poverty. There is a lot of local, on-the-ground experience that could perhaps benefit from a higher profile and louder voice when national policy decisions are being made. Translating national policy to local delivery is tricky, and this group of people had some very valuable experiences to offer.

They also had some concerns. In summary:

- The new definition of fuel poverty is hard to explain, even harder to use for targeting, and - by reducing the number of households in fuel poverty - may actually lower commitment to addressing the issue at a local level (for more on the definition, see this report from Consumer Futures).

- Targeting of support for fuel poor households is driven by the availability of subsidy. People are chasing the money. This can be incredibly frustrating for officers who know of people in desperate need of help but who don't meet the criteria (or for whom ECO brokerage - roundly criticised by all - can't provide sufficient incentive for delivery organisations to help).

- The other impact of chasing the money is cherry picking - meaning that broad area-based approaches have lost a lot of their effectiveness. This could have implications for the Community Energy Strategy if there is an expectation that communities can and will delivery improvements to fuel poor households as part of wider area initiatives.

- Data sharing remains a barrier for many, but there was recognition that there are some very effective models out there. Authorities struggle with finding out how to do it. This is where networks such as CAN could really play a part in disseminating existing, simple practice that works.

- Many of the participants really wanted to offer more on advice and behaviour change but were constrained by resources. The majority of the funding that is available for fuel poverty is related to capital work, leaving a funding gap for engagement activities. maybe this is something that existing obligations could address, or maybe it's a case of campaigning / bidding for other funding (another Warm Homes Healthy People fund, or bids into EU pots, perhaps).

My full summary of the discussions - including some recommendations for DECC and others - is available for download here.

If you'd like to discuss these ideas further, or find out more about our experience within the fuel poverty sector, please do contact Liz Warren, Director of SE2 on 020 8469 1333 or email liz.warren@se-2.co.uk. And if you're interested in tackling fuel poverty in London, why not visit the London Fuel Poverty Hub, a free online resource providing information about advice, funding and support in all 33 London Boroughs.