Fuel Poverty in Argyll
Rachel McNicol
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
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.
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.
How Fuel Poverty affects individuals
Childhood
illness
Medical
costs to
society
Reduced ability
to caring parent
to compete in
labour market
Poverty and
Energy Efficiency
Family in damp
mouldy house
Excessive
expenditure
on fuel
Crowding and stress
Family Breakdown
Poverty
(from Brooke, 1994 in Bhatti, Brooke and Gibson, 1994)
Debt
Leakage of
resources
from local
economy
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
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
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
 Higher
mains gas availability
than average proportion of the population who
are economically inactive, 30.4% of households in Argyll
are aged over 65
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
 Ongoing
vulnerable individuals
mentoring
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.

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.”
We need to work together to eliminate
fuel poverty in Argyll and Bute!