» August 2010
Suffolk, Northumberland and Nottinghamshire contain the most fuel poor rural areas in England, according to new research published for the launch of FREE (Future of Rural Energy England) – a new energy efficiency initiative funded by energy company Calor.
Calor, the UK’s leading supplier of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), worked with the Commission for Rural Communities to match fuel poverty data[1] with areas of England that are off mains gas. Analysis of those LSOAs[2] showed that Forest Heath (Suffolk), Berwick-upon-Tweed (Northumberland) and Bassetlaw in Nottinghamshire contain the highest percentage of fuel poor households in off-mains gas England. The areas are all highlighted in a first-of-its-kind Heat Map of England.
» Top ten fuel poor household areas in England:
The research has been compiled for the first time to highlight the complexities associated with living off mains gas in Great Britain. It demonstrates that rural fuel poverty is often very different from urban fuel poverty, both in root causes and solutions. The research is all part of the new three year £1 million initiative funded by Calor to help tackle fuel poverty and promote energy efficiency in off-gas grid communities.
Stephen Rennie, managing director of Calor said: “The issue of rural fuel poverty in the UK is a complex one and often misunderstood by central government. Rural fuel poverty does not always neatly align with social poverty but is more closely associated with the quality of housing stock in the area or by single or elderly households living in larger, hard to heat homes. By working at a local level with the communities most at risk of fuel poverty rather than apply a one-size-fits-all approach we will provide much more tailored advice and assistance to those most in need.
“We know that it’s an issue that won’t go away overnight, but we want to do what we can to begin addressing the problem. For off-gas grid customers, there is a real need to gain a better understanding of their energy options. Thanks to a combination of geographical, environmental or physical factors, these customers have more complex energy choices than those living in mains gas areas. Having someone in their local area who is sympathetic to this and able to help them navigate the complex system of grants and energy advice will be invaluable to this often overlooked sector of society.
The FREE initiative will help households to understand the full range of options open to them with regard to cost savings, new technologies, income maximisation and carbon reduction methods and will encourage local communities to work together to promote best practice. Calor will be working with fuel poverty charity National Energy Action (NEA) and the Rural Community Action Network across England (ACRE) to fund Regional Energy Officers (REOs) who will offer independent information and advice to off-gas grid households and communities to help improve energy efficiency and reduce their carbon footprint.
Jenny Saunders, NEA chief executive, commented: “Awareness of the impact of fuel poverty on the quality of people's lives is now better understood than ever before and we are very pleased to be working with Calor and the other partners to help and support rural communities, an often overlooked group. The FREE campaign will deliver the right help in the right place and at the right time.”
The REOs will also be able to offer advice on the various grants available to improve insulation and heating systems including the eligibility criteria for applications. Similar initiatives will run in Scotland and Wales with NEA sister agencies Energy Action Scotland and National Energy Action Cymru.
As well as the REOs, an energy efficiency website and information pack are being developed specifically for rural households to offer advice, technical solutions for a range of typical rural housing types, locations and lifestyles.
Rennie concluded: “The FREE initiative is about getting the proper advice and help to the people that need it most. In a climate of rising household bills and economic uncertainty, many people are worried about the cost of energy as well as the environmental impact of their energy use. With off-gas grid customers, this can be exacerbated as their fuel options may be more complex. In rural areas, there is often poorer quality housing stock, built before today’s modern insulation techniques were introduced or smaller households living in larger hard to heat homes. This doesn’t always equate to social poverty – many of these households would be deemed well off – but they face equally serious issues with energy efficiency and cost.”
Regions not in the top ten :
» Notes for editors
[1] From the English Housing Condition Survey 2007
[2] A Lower Layer Super Output Area is a geographic area (see further explanation below)
[3] There are similar schemes occurring in Scotland and Wales
- Heat maps detailing fuel poor areas in England, Scotland and Wales are available on request
- An information-graphic detailing the areas affected and outlining the initiative is also available on request
For more information or interview requests, please contact 3 Monkeys Communications
Tori Stokes / Julie Fourcade / Chris Bull / Rhian Lewis
020 7009 3100
» Further information:
Calor
Calor was set up 75 years ago with the intention of bringing clean, efficient and modern energy to rural Britain. This focus continues today with 75 per cent of our business in the British countryside. Calor supports efforts to tackle climate change and fuel poverty. As an energy provider we take our environmental responsibilities very seriously and we want rural property owners to have a strong voice in the energy efficiency debate – and the same opportunity to reduce their carbon emissions and fuel costs as exists in urban on-grid areas.
NEA – National Energy Action
NEA’s Mission is to ensure that everyone in the UK can afford to meet their energy needs in the home, sufficient for good health, comfort and well being.
ACRE and the RCAN Network
Action with Communities in Rural England is the national body of the Rural Community Action Network (RCAN). Our members provide comprehensive support and advocacy to help rural communities take action for themselves to achieve a vibrant and sustainable future. RCAN helps improve the well-being of rural people, particularly those most in need of support, by stimulating local community action and seeking locally led solutions.
Lower Layer Super Output Area
- Lower Layer Super Output Areas are a geographic hierarchy designed to improve the reporting of small area statistics in England and Wales.
- Lower Layer Super Output Areas are built from groups of contiguous Output Areas and have been automatically generated to be as consistent in population size as possible, and typically contain from four to six Output Areas. The Minimum population is 1000 and the mean is 1500.
- There is a Lower Layer Super Output Area for each POSTCODE in England and Wales. A pseudo code is available for Scotland, Northern Ireland, Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.
- The Organisation Data Service publish files created on their behalf by the Office for National Statistics, which link POSTCODES to the Lower Layer Super Output Area.
- See the Organisation Data Service website at Contact Details for the NHS Postcode Directory Gridlink ® Record Specification and data file.
- See the Office for National Statistics website at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/geography/soa.asp for further information on Super Output Area geography.
