Memorandum submitted by Durham County
Council (FP 42)
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY—TOTAL
PLACE PROGRAMME
1.1 Durham County Council are currently working
with Central Government (Communities and Local Government) to
take part in the national Total Place Pilot Programme. This pilot
in Durham is focused on Housing and Regeneration and covers proposals
for the Government to consider changes to the existing national
energy efficiency funding and delivery mechanisms.
1.2 The Total Place energy efficiency case study
directly relates to the current domestic energy efficiency and
fuel poverty delivery programmes to maximise efficiencies in delivering
fuel poverty and energy efficiency programmes. The Total Place
report has been submitted directly to the CLG and we are very
keen to engage with other Government Departments to take forward
this piece of work including the Department of Environment and
Climate Change (DECC).
1.3 The case study from Durham County Council
highlights the barriers and opportunities to maximise progress
to strategically coordinate national opportunities to align national
schemes to maximise the assistance available to vulnerable households
and is available from the Communities and Local Government.
2. PROGRESS AGAINST
GOVERNMENT TARGETS
2.1 The current proxy for fuel poverty is based
on households with a SAP domestic energy performance of less that
65 and being in receipt of a qualifying benefit. Due to the lack
of a national database for SAP energy performance it makes accurate
national reporting on fuel poverty levels very difficult. It also
prevents organisations pro actively targeting households for assistance.
2.2 Durham County Council are therefore working
with the Building Research Establishment (BRE) to establish a
countywide stock condition database for all 239, 000 domestic
properties within County Durham. This database will record property
specific information from a wide variety of data sources to allow
accurate reporting on levels of fuel poverty within County Durham
along with strategic targeting of households for energy conservation
schemes. The Housing and Renewals Service will use the stock database
to assist with the delivery of a comprehensive grants and loans
service and landlord accreditation countywide.
2.3 By using this methodology on a national
level it will be possible for Local Authorities and the Government
not only to accurately assess levels of national fuel poverty
but to directly contact households to maximise referrals to schemes
to lift these households out of fuel poverty.
2.4 This methodology was showcased at recent
national conferences from the British Research Establishment and
Local Government Association.
3. DEFINITION OF
HOUSEHOLDS IN
FUEL POVERTY
3.1 The Governments current proxy for fuel poverty
under NI 187 is based around a household with a SAP less that
65 and being in receipt of a qualifying benefit.
3.2 This proxy does not necessarily align with
the Governments general definition of fuel poverty where a household
pays more that 10% of their income on heating.
3.3 It is therefore worth considering that the
NI 187 proxy requires assessing to ensure both definitions are
aligned to ensure a uniform baseline and annual progress is being
reported to DECC.
3.4 This may require the current NI 187 SAP
figure of 65 being increased to take into account the significant
national increases in fuel costs.
4. COHERENCE OF
THE GOVERNMENT'S
INITIATIVES ON
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
4.1 Over the past 10 year period the Government
have introduced a range of national targets for domestic housing
aimed at eradicating fuel poverty, reducing domestic energy consumption,
reducing climate change emissions and the provision of warmer
homes in line with decent homes targets. A wide variety of funding
mechanisms have also been introduced to assist with the delivery
of theses targets and managing agents have proliferated to assist
with the administration of these programmes.
4.2 This wide variety of national funding mechanisms
has results in a complicated and confusing range of delivery mechanisms.
Some of these mechanisms are in direct competition with each other
thus resulting in a lack of efficiency and wastage of resources
which is not currently providing best value for money.
4.3 This Business Case proposed under the Durham
County Council Total Place programme with the CLG proposes bringing
together the multiplicity of funding streams thus targeting households
which need most assistance.
5, WINTER FUEL
PAYMENTS AND
COLD WEATHER
PAYMENTS
5.1 A significant problem exists with the inability
of national organisations to contact vulnerable households directly
to encourage them to apply for fuel poverty and energy conservation
schemes. This problem is directly linked to the inability in obtaining
client specific targeting data from the Department of Work and
Pensions (DWP) and energy supplier information thus preventing
accurate and cost effective targeting of vulnerable client groups
resulting in the use of complicated and expensive national social
marketing publicity schemes.
5.2 Evidence set before the Work and Pensions
Select Committee (24 June 2009) set out how the provision of the
Pensions Act could be utilised to identify vulnerable households
and prioritise these households for assistance.
5.3 It is suggested that this guidance be used
to consider payment of the winter fuel payments and cold weather
payments directly to the Energy Utility Companies to reduce the
fuel bills of vulnerable households and ensure heating is available
during the winter months when it is most required.
5.4 In addition Durham County Council and in
discussions with the fuel utilities to provide preferential fuel
tariffs to vulnerable households who are in fuel poverty of suffering
cold related ill health.
6. SUPPORT HOUSEHOLDS
WHICH ARE
NOT CONNECTED
TO THE
MAINS GAS
GRID
6.1 Durham County Council is the 4th largest
Local Authority in England and have a very wide range of settlements
ranging from fully rural off the gas network to urban town demographics.
We are currently engaged with the Commission for Rural Communities
and Rural Services Network invited Durham County Council to take
part in the national rural fuel poverty pilot scheme.
6.2 This scheme aims to inform Central Government
how to effectively engage with rural communities on fuel poverty
issues.
6.3 We are currently engaged with local communities
to obtain feedback on rural fuel poverty issues and can report
that significant confusion currently exists among the general
public as to the role of energy companies in assisting them to
reduce their fuel bills and why there are several agencies contacting
them about a confusing range of energy conservation schemes.
6.4 The pilot will report findings to Central
Government leading to good practice guidance on engaging local
communities in energy conservation schemes.
February 2010
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