Sponsors:
Wednesday 28th March
2012, One Wimpole Street - London, 08:45 - 16:10
Tackling Fuel Poverty for Vulnerable Households
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Overview
The government is committed to supporting vulnerable consumers to heat their homes at an affordable cost. Living in cold homes has serious effects on physical and mental health. The elderly, children and people with a disability or long-term illness are especially vulnerable.
Statistics published by the Department of Energy and Climate Change in July 2011 showed that 5.5 million UK households were in fuel poverty. In March this year, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Chris Huhne MP, invited Professor John Hills to undertake an independent review from first principles of the problem of fuel poverty and the way in which we measure it. 'Fuel Poverty: The Problem and its Measurement – Interim report of the Fuel Poverty Review (published in October 2011) estimates that fuel poverty will cause 2,700 deaths during the winter of 2011/12, while 100,000 additional families in England alone are expected to fall into fuel poverty.
The final report of the Fuel Poverty Review, to be submitted by the end of January 2012, will present final conclusions on these issues, as well as their implications for understanding the effectiveness of different policy approaches to the problem.
The government has allocated an extra £10 million to existing schemes, including the Warm Front Scheme, for those most at risk of fuel poverty, as well as a new £20 million fund for local authorities and charities to tackle cold housing, which could help about 10,000 households. The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change has recently announced that the government hopes to create £14 billion of private investment by 2020 to insulate draughty homes and reduce energy bills. Furthermore, the Warm Housing, Healthy People Fund will invite bids from local authorities and charities for innovative methods of supporting vulnerable elderly people, families with young children, and those with disabilities who do not qualify for existing support to warm their homes.
Agenda
This significant forum will explore the effectivenesss of different policies aimed at tackling fuel poverty, strategies for implementing the recommendations of the independent review of fuel poverty, new technologies, and future funding for services to support the fuel poor. Delegates will also hear best-practice case studies highlighting effective programmes for increasing the energy efficiency of homes and supporting vulnerable consumers.
| 08:45 |
Coffee and Registration |
| 09:30 |
Chairs Welcome and Address
Jenny Holland, Head of Parliamentary Team, Association for the Conservation of Energy (CONFIRMED)
|
| 09:45 |
Opening Keynote: The Fuel Poverty Review
- Current fuel poverty definition, strategy and policies
- Hills findings and possible implications
- Next steps for Government
Maya Freedman, Fuel Poverty Programme Manager, Department for Energy and Climate Change (CONFIRMED)
|
| 10:15 |
Heating Controls, Small change – Big effect
- Energy efficiency – are we asking the right questions
- Energy efficiency is all about controlling the right things
- Key facts that demonstrate that controlling heating and hot water CAN make a big difference
- What Honeywell are doing to get the message out to people
- Fit a thermostat campaign
- How you can get involved
- 3Cs CERT scheme
- Be an Instant Hero
Steve Jones Contracts, Director, Honeywell ECC & Andy Mansfield Marketing & Communications Manager, Honeywell ECC (CONFIRMED) |
| 10:35 |
Questions and Discussion |
| 10:55 |
Coffee and Networking |
| 11:15 |
Warmer Houses, Healthier Homes
- Fuel poverty, deprivation and health inequalities
- Optimising the contribution of the health sector - practitioners and policy-makers
- Engaging health practitioners, frontline workers and policy makers in order to tackle the significant health inequalities and social deprivation caused by fuel poverty
- Health and well-being benefits of affordable warmth activity
- Public health reform - the need to link and enable intersectoral cost beneficial change and the regulatory environment to achieve this
Professor Alan Maryon-Davis: Hon Professor of Public Health, Kings College London; Chair, NICE Public Health Reference Group (CONFIRMED) |
| 11:35 |
Campaigning for Warmer Homes
- The scale of fuel poverty in the UK
- Ensuring that the Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation are delivered in an equitable way to address fuel poverty
- NEA’s key asks in the short-term to alleviate the impact of high energy prices
- Examples of partnership projects that tackle fuel poverty
Maria Wardrobe, Director of External Affairs, National Energy Action (CONFIRMED)
|
| 11:55 |
Delivering Energy Efficiency Measures to Vulnerable Households through the ECO
- Increasing interest in energy efficiency
- Ensuring efficient delivery
- Targeting those most in need through partnerships
Nigel Dewbery, Head of Obligation Delivery, EON UK (CONFIRMED)
|
| 12:25 |
Questions and Discussion |
| 12:40 |
Lunch and Networking |
| 13:40 |
Protecting Vulnerable Consumers and the Fuel Poor
- The role of Ofgem in tackling fuel poverty
- Addressing energy pricing – the Retail Market Review
- Encouraging best practice among energy suppliers and identifying effective ways to address fuel poverty and help vulnerable consumers
- Improving information provision for consumers
- Energy Best Deal – findings from the programme
Claire Tyler, Senior Manager, Consumer Policy, Ofgem (CONFIRMED)
|
| 14:00 |
Putting Consumers at the Heart of Fuel Poverty Policies
- Evidence based advocacy of fuel poverty policies
- Providing advice to government, Ofgem and energy companies
- Empowering vulnerable consumers, and protecting consumers against complex and confusing tariffs
- Fuel poverty advocacy and policy development:
- Income
- Fuel prices and the energy market review
- Energy efficiency
Jonathan Stearn, Director of Projects, Consumer Focus (CONFIRMED) |
| 14:20 |
Questions and Discussion |
| 14:35 |
Coffee and Networking |
| 14:55 |
Developing An Evidence-Based Approach to Tackling Fuel Poverty
- The range of fuel poverty responses and interventions
- Which policies offer the most effective approaches to first reducing and then eliminating fuel poverty?
- What aspects of wellbeing are most improved when we tackle fuel poverty?
Christine Liddell, Professor of Psychology & Distinguished Community Fellow, University of Ulster (CONFIRMED)
|
| 15:15 |
Working in Partnership to Improve the Energy Efficiency of Homes
- Strategies to reduce the number of people in fuel poverty, and the energy consumption of UK households
- Implications of green deal and related policies on the providers of energy efficiency products and services for homes
- Addressing the needs of vulnerable residents
- The practical actions of housing associations in tackling fuel poverty
- Maximising energy efficiency in buildings
- Installing technologies to enhance energy efficiency, including ground source heat pumps
- Funding opportunities for housing providers and individuals
- Financial inclusion measures
William Gillis, Deputy Chair, Energy Efficiency Partnerships for Homes (CONFIRMED)
|
| 15:35 |
Case Study: The Home Energy Lincolnshire Partnership (HELP) to Reduce Fuel Poverty
- Offering householders the opportunity to insulate their home at a reduced rate – cost saving benefits
- Investing in new technologies, sustainability and efficiency measure to tackle fuel poverty locally
- The Affordable Warmth Partnership - supporting local authorities in providing affordable warmth for all households in Lincolnshire
- Working in partnership with the Energy Saving Trust, NHS, national energy action and voluntary organisations
- Future funding for fuel poverty measures
- Lessons learnt and best practice
Julie Hanson, Private Sector Housing Team Leader, South Kesteven District Council and Sean Johnson, Chair, Home Energy Lincolnshire Partnership (CONFIRMED)
|
| 15:55 |
Questions and Discussion |
| 16:10 |
Chair's Summary and Close |
*programme is subject to change without notice
Audience
Delegates will include fuel poverty team leaders, energy efficiency managers, sustainability managers, housing strategy managers, financial inclusion managers, energy managers and will be drawn from local authorities, central government, NHS, housing associations and the voluntary sector.
