Warm Homes Campaign&

Warm and Healthy Homes Project

7th March 2017Cliff Duff - Housing Project Manager

Sue Carr - Housing Regeneration Officer Durham County Council

What is fuel poverty

£1, 2 3 8• Average domestic energy bill

• Fuel poor households spend £1,000 a year more on energy to heat their home

Fuel Poverty County Durham

Size of the Problem

• County Durham has 239,000 houses

• 4th largest LA area in England

• Estimated 28,700 households in fuel poverty (12.2%)

• Up to 33.9% in off gas rural areas

Assistance Available

• Warm up North

• Energy Company schemes

• Warm Homes Discount

• Priority Register

• Energy debt advice

• Income maximization schemes

Warm Homes Campaign• Raise awareness of fuel poverty grants

• Provide scheme credibility and confidence

• Countywide promotions of local and national schemes

• 900 local community venues countywide

• Targeted mail outs to low income households

• Referrals from DCC Services and external partners eg. Welfare Rights, Age UK, CA, Fire and Rescue Service, East Durham Trust, Managing Money Better

Barriers

• “What’s the catch”, “It’s charity”, “I can manage”

• Are schemes genuine?

• Bad experiences with energy providers

• Tele-canvassing and cold calling

• Large geographical area covered by County Durham

• Hard to find households

Enablers•Drawing on the strengths of existing partnerships to make contact with fuel poor households

•Providing help and support

•Word of mouth

•Independent, trusted advice

•Local agencies to assist local people

•Local expert knowledge about the needs of local communities

•Local messages out to local residents

Your Comments

Warm and Healthy Homes Project

• Households with ill health living in cold damp home

• Warmer homes to help reduce cold ill health and excess winter deaths

• New central heating

• Fuel debt advice, fire safety checks, income maximization, fuel tariff advice

Warm and Healthy Homes Project

• 300 referrals received, 116 households assisted with new central heating boilers

• Joint working with DDES Clinical Commissioning Group

• Award in 2016 from national fuel poverty charity (NEA) for the CCG Warm Homes Champion Bob Adamson

CCG Warm Homes Champion

Barriers & Enablers

• New area of working with Health Providers

• Large number of front line health practitioners

• Training and briefing sessions

• Bespoke referral card system

• Promotion to health staff via CCG newsletter

Your Comments