Fuel Poverty
Tuesday 22nd September 2009, Charing Cross Guoman - London, 09:00 - 16:30
Tackling Fuel Poverty: The Way Forward
“It is important to remember that action to eradicate fuel poverty is aimed not just at those who are living in fuel poor households, but also to take preventative steps to stop households falling – or falling back - into fuel poverty. The Winter Fuel Payment, which we have committed to pay for the lifetime of this Government, fulfils such a role.”
Joan Ruddock MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, 4th February 2009
Overview
The credit crunch has had profound effects for homeowners but one of the most profound is the increase in living costs. The number of homeowners in the UK now experiencing fuel poverty is now in excess of 3.5 million as people’s capacity to make ends meet in light of the credit crunch have been severely compromised.
There is no single solution to eradicating fuel poverty. The UK Government and Devolved Administrations have put in place a number of programmes and measure to tackle fuel poverty. The Government is committed to ensuring all homes are warm and since 1999/2000 we have seen a downward trend in excess with winter deaths. In the winter of 1999/2000 there were 48,500 excess winter deaths in England and Wales, compared to 23,900 for winter 06/07.
During the current spending period £2.3 billion has already been committed to help low income and elderly households improve the energy efficiency and heating systems in their homes, reducing the cost of their energy bills.
In addition to this, The Fuel Poverty Advisory Group, sponsored by Defra and BERR, an Advisory Non-Departmental Public Body has been set up. Its primary task is to report on the progress of delivery of the Government’s Fuel Poverty Strategy and to propose and implement improvements to regional or local mechanisms for its delivery.
Despite the considerable resources already committed to tackling fuel poverty, rising energy prise rises have made the challenge of tackling fuel poverty more difficult. For that reason, the Government has redoubled its efforts with the new Home Energy Saving Programme (11th September 2008), which includes:
- An increase in the Warm Front Budget by £74m over the next two years
- A proposal to expand energy suppliers under the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target by 20%
- A proposed new obligation on suppliers and electricity generators to install community-based energy efficiency measures through a new Community Energy Saving Programme
- Trebling of cold weather payments for this winter from £8.0 to £25 a week
Fuel poverty is not something the Government can tackle alone. It is important that central Government works closely with energy suppliers, local authorities, social landlord, delivery bodies and third sector organisations, alongside The Fuel Poverty Advisory Group (FPAG) and across Government departments.
| 09:00 | Coffee and Registration |
| 09:45 | Opening Remarks by Chair Ian Preston, Senior Analyst, Centre for Sustainable Energy (CONFIRMED) |
| 09:50 | Keynote: Moving Forward the Fuel Poverty Agenda: Delivering A Sustainable Approach to Energy Generation and Use
|
| 10:10 | Tackling Fuel Poverty by Investing in Energy Efficiency
|
| 10:30 | Fuel Poverty: The Government’s Continuing Action
|
| 10:50 | Tackling Fuel Poverty with Heat Pumps
|
| 11:00 | Questions and Answers Session |
| 11:15 | Coffee and Networking |
| 11:35 | Warmer Houses, Healthier Homes
Professor Alan Maryon-Davis, President, Faculty of Public Health (CONFIRMED) |
| 11:55 | Investing in New Technologies to Tackle Fuel Poverty
|
| 12:15 | Northern Ireland : An evidence-based Approach to Tackling Fuel Poverty
Professor Christine Liddell, University of Ulster, and Jacqui Frazer, Fuel Poverty Strategy Co-ordinator, Northern Investing for Health Partnership (CONFIRMED) |
| 12:35 | Questions and Answers Session |
| 12:45 | Lunch and Networking |
| 13:45 | How Can Housing Providers Address Fuel Poverty and Energy Efficiency?
Christoph Sinn, Policy & Practice Officer, Chartered Institute of Housing (CONFIRMED) |
| 14:05 | Lifting the Vulnerable Out of Fuel Poverty
Jonathan Stearn, Energy Expert, Consumer Focus (CONFIRMED) |
| 14:25 | Case Study: Ground Source Heat Pumps: Harrogate’s Choice as a Housing Provider
|
| 14:45 | Questions and Answers Session |
| 14:55 | Coffee and Networking |
| 15:15 | Case Study: Fuel Poverty and Sustainable Energy in Edinburgh’s Historic Homes
|
| 15:35 | Tackling Fuel Poverty in Luton: Fuel Poverty Beacon
Dylan Katuwawala, Social Inclusion Policy Officer and Sarah Allen, Luton Borough Council (CONFIRMED) |
| 15:55 | Closing Keynote: Removing all Householders from Fuel Poverty by 2016?
Dr Brenda Boardman, Emeritus Fellow, Environmental Change Institute, Oxford University (CONFIRMED) |
| 16:15 | Questions and Answers Session |
| 16:30 | Close |
*programme subject to change without notice
Exhibitor
Audience
Delegates will be drawn from central government departments & bodies, local authorities, trade unions, think tanks, businesses and employers, regional development agencies, housing associations, RSLs, social services, voluntary sector, local strategic partnerships, local, regional and national health services, NGOs, environmental organisations, children’s services; adult services; elected representatives; trade unions; business representative bodies; universities, research institutions and think-tanks; health advice organizations.