Affordable Warmth

Tackling fuel poverty is high on the government's agenda and with fuel prices rising and predicted to double again over the next two years, the focus is very much on keeping Britain warm.

Fuel poverty is defined as any household which has to spend more than 10% of its total income on keeping warm. The government has highlighted three areas which contribute to fuel poverty:

• Poor Energy efficiency
• High Fuel prices
• Low Household income

In order to combat fuel poverty the National Grid, Government, Local Authorities and housing associations have set up the Affordable Warmth programme.

The programme has four main functions:

• Establishing community based partnerships to help eradicate fuel poverty at a local level
• Evaluating social and environmental benefits of renewable energy solutions
• Developing training and employment opportunities at a local level
• Extending the gas network alongside community, home and local partnerships

The Affordable Warmth programme is intended to help those members of community at risk from fuel poverty and engages, landlords, tenants, home owners, neighbourhoods and the environment.

The programme seeks to educate everyone on a local level to become more aware of how much energy is used in our homes, how we can become more energy efficient and what we can do as part of the community to help those who may experience fuel poverty this winter.

The government intends to completely eradicate fuel poverty by 2016. This is an ambitious target and one which will need support at every level, from councils, to Local Authorities, to landlords, home owners and individuals.

Affordable Warmth is about reducing and monitoring our fuel bills, increasing energy efficiency in our homes and improving the quality of the housing we live in.

For more information calls us on 0800 988 2881.

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