Fuel Poverty in Argyll Rachel McNicol

1. Fuel Poverty in Argyll Rachel McNicol

2. Fuel Poverty in Argyll • ALIenergy’s affordable warmth work • Fuel Poverty and what it really means • How fuel poverty affects individuals and their health • Fuel poverty in Argyll and Bute • What can ALIenergy do for people in fuel poverty

3. Our Affordable Warmth Team • Working to combat fuel poverty in Argyll since 2009 • 4398 engagements in 2012/13 • Affordable Warmth for Sustainable Rural Communities • Five year project 2013-2018 • Advice, support and mentoring to older people and single parents • Mid Argyll, Kintyre, Oban, Lorn and Bute • Training and mentoring to people who support the target groups in their community • Tara, Jenny and Rachel covering Oban, Lorn, Mid Argyll and Kintyre. Julie and Alma at Bute Advice Centre.

4. Fuel Poverty • The Scottish Government’s definition of Fuel Poverty is: • "A household is in fuel poverty if, in order to maintain a satisfactory heating regime, it would be required to spend more than 10% of its income (including housing benefit or income support for mortgage interest) on all household fuel use". • There are three main factors which influence whether a household is in fuel poverty: • Insufficient income. • Fuel costs. • Energy efficiency.

5. How Fuel Poverty affects individuals Poverty and Energy Efficiency Childhood illness Excessive expenditure on fuel Family in damp mouldy house Medical costs to society Leakage of resources from local economy Crowding and stress Reduced ability to caring parent to compete in labour market Family Breakdown Debt Poverty (from Brooke, 1994 in Bhatti, Brooke and Gibson, 1994)

6. Fuel poverty and health • In Britain, a cold spell in winter is followed; • Two days later by a sudden rise in heart attacks • Five days later a big rise in the number of strokes • Twelve days later a rise in respiratory illnesses

7. Indoor temperature and health • 18-24°C, comfort zone, no risk • Below 16°C, diminished resistance to respiratory infections • Below 12°C, increased blood pressure and viscosity • Below 9°C, after 2 or more hours, deep body temperature falls • Indoor environment is a source of health risk factor-most people spend more than 90% of time indoors • Older people, young children and babies are less able to detect temperature changes

8. Fuel Poverty in Argyll and the Islands • 38.2% of Argyll households spend more than 10% of their annual income on fuel. • Higher than the national average; • High proportion of hard-to-heat, hard-to-treat housing • Limited mains gas availability • Higher than average proportion of the population who are economically inactive, 30.4% of households in Argyll are aged over 65

9. How we help people in fuel poverty • Specific advice to individuals to suit their needs; • Maximise household incomes • Improve their energy behaviours to reduce waste and save energy • Improve the energy efficiency of their homes • Access social tariffs, where appropriate • Handhold vulnerable individuals • Ongoing mentoring

10. Can we all work together? • YES, it makes sense. • We can help you and the people you are in contact with. • You need to help us to help them.

11. We need to work together to eliminate fuel poverty in Argyll and Bute! • Joe FitzPatrick MSP: • “As an energy rich nation, fuel poverty has no place in Scotland.” • Maggie Kelly, Policy and Campaigns Officer, The Poverty Alliance • “We need to poverty-proof our decision-making”. • Norman Kerr, Director, Energy Action Scotland: • “There is not a lack of funding, there is a lack of co-ordinated response.”