Liverpool City Council - energy strategy

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Energy Strategy

Fixing a radiator; below is a picture of Liverpools "Fuel Poverty and Warm Homes" document

There are a number of reasons why people's homes are not warm enough to keep them healthy and comfortable.   These include:-

  • low household income
  • inefficient heating systems
  • expensive heating systems
  • poor quality housing
  • ill health or disability which increases the need for a warm home
  • different ways of paying fuel bills.        

 

What is "Affordable Warmth"?

The two most common definitions of "Affordable Warmth" are:-

  • the ability to heat your home to a level to keep you comfortable and healthy without falling into debt as a result;
  • a situation where households can live in temperatures needed to keep them comfortable and healthy for a cost of 10% or less of their disposable income (or how much money they have to spend each week after having paid all other essential bills).        

Homes that do have an efficient form of heating and a good level of insulation can be kept warm at a cost that family's on a low income can afford.

 

What is "Fuel Poverty"?

The lack of affordable warmth is called fuel poverty.  This affects up to 7 million households in England.

Fuel Poverty is also caused by the different costs of heating various sizes of homes. 

Another reason is that some households have a greater need for heat than others. These may include households with no-one in employment; people who are at home due to long term sickness or a disability; and pensioners or households who are generally on lower incomes. These households often struggle to heat their homes.

 

Key Aims and Objectives of the Fuel Poverty and Warm Homes Strategy

We have a strategy that wants to:-

  • identify levels of Fuel Poverty and target assistance to vulnerable groups;
  • raise awareness and provide advice;
  • improve levels of knowledge regarding Energy Efficiency/Welfare Rights;
  • encourage maximum take up of benefits/grants;
  • reduce the impact of poor warmth as a contributory cause of ill health;
  • promote minimum standards of Energy Efficiency across all tenures;
  • provide local solutions to Fuel Poverty and contribute to the debate for national and regional solutions.        
View the Fuel Poverty & Warm Homes document (PDF [2.5Mb] opens in new window).            

 

Merseyside Affordable Warmth Strategy

The first Merseyside Affordable Warmth Strategy was launched in September 2002.  It was approved by the Leaders and Chief Executives of all five authorities on Merseyside.   

Five focus groups worked to produce the strategy.  The document raises local issues about fuel poverty and discusses solutions.   The process was led by a Steering Group made up of officers from the five local authorities together with other interested organisations.