Age UK Conference Shrewsbury 14 Nov 2013
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The Energy Trilemma: Cost, Carbon & Security How older people can insulate themselves from rocketing energy costs Richard Davies MBE AGE UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin Annual Conference 2013
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Fuel poverty, affordable warmth, sustainable energy, sustainability, health.
Transcript of Age UK Conference Shrewsbury 14 Nov 2013
The Energy Trilemma: Cost, Carbon & SecurityHow older people can insulate themselves from rocketing energy costs
Richard Davies MBE
AGE UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin Annual Conference 2013
Copyright Statement:
The images used in this presentation are assumed to be in public domain and are used under the fair dealing principle. This presentation has been created by the not for profit charitable organisation Marches Energy Agency for educational and non-commercial purposes. If you are the owner of the images and you believe that their use in this presentation is in violation of any copyright law or other law, then please contact Marches Energy Agency at [email protected] and we will respond to your concerns.
‘We see nothing truly till
we understand it’ John Constable 1836
“It’s endlessly fascinating. From up here one can see the strained worried faces of mere mortals as they struggle to pay their gas bills.”
Good morning!
AGENDA1. Marches Energy Agency?2. ‘We need to talk about energy’?3. The Energy ‘Trilemma’4. What support is out there, and how
can I help?5. What do we do on Friday?6. Some inspiration…….?
What have
future generations ever done for us?
Local sustainable energy ‘Do Tank’.Honest broker.Not for profit.
Our mission is to fix unsustainable energy: 1. fuel poverty 2. energy security 3. climate change.
We try to do this in ways that improve places economically, socially and environmentally.
Mission…
We need to talk aboutENERGY….
Local Authority Total annual domestic energy spend/£
Annual Cost £/household
Annual Cost £/person
Telford & Wrekin £85,391,456 £1,282 £512
Shropshire £194,640,674 £1,501 £636
Total £280 million
Telford & Wrekin and Shropshire are spending: £23.3 million per month£5.4 million per week£767,000 per day£32,000 per hour£8.88 per second……..During my 35 minutes slot: £18,700
£200,000,000 pa
Gas: £252 paElec: £156 paTotal: £408 pa
Some of the Headlines from 14th March 2013UK ‘woefully unprepared’ for an ageing population, warns committee‘A big shift in services is essential so that the many more older people with long-term conditions can be well cared for and supported in their own homes and in the community and not needlessly end up in hospital’.‘Living longer is a blessing and should bring great benefits’This debate primarily revolves around health and social care BUT will this debate include how those older people can keep warm?
The energy tri-lemma
Cost
Security
Carbon
Cost
Fuel poverty and rurality…. Source NEA
Type of locality
Number of households in fuel poverty (thousands)
Total number of households (thousands)
% of households in this group that are in fuel poverty
% of all fuel poor households that are in this group
Urban 2,691 17,414 15.5% 76.1%
Rural – town & fringe
326 2,033 16.0% 9.2%
Rural – villages, hamlets & isolated dwellings
520 2,152 24.1% 14.7%
Total 3,536 21,600 16.4% 100.0%
Locality 2010 % HH’s in FP 2011 % HH’s in FP Ranking out of 325 (previous)
Herefordshire 27.1% 23.7% (-3.4%) 6th (2nd)
Shropshire 25.0% 21.2% (-3.8%) 20th (4th)
Telford & Wrekin 16.7% 12.9% (-3.8%) 202nd (147th)
Source: DECC Sub-Regional Fuel Poverty Statistics https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-energy-climate-change/series/fuel-poverty-sub-regional-statistics
Latest DECC Marches Fuel Poverty Statistics Published 16th May 2013
Security
Carbon
George Monbiot
Health
Total cost:£1.0 million a month£1,380 an hour£23 a minute
Local Authority Annual cost to the NHS of cold related ill health
Telford & Wrekin £4.1 million
Shropshire £8.0 million
TOTAL £12.1 million
o Hypothermiao Increased respiratory illness chronic bronchitis or
emphysemao Increased blood pressure leading to heart disease
and strokeso Worsening arthritis and rheumatismo Increased falls and accidentso Worsening of long-term medical conditions including
mental health issueso Poorer nutritiono Increased admissions to acute services
Health impacts of cold homes……
It’s theeconomy
stupid
85% of existing houses will be standing in 2050
Government commitment to reduce emissions by 80% by 2050 (25% of emissions currently from housing).
196,282 homes across Telford & Wrekin and Shropshire – most do not meet thermal targets. We need to be retrofitting 5,452 homes a year or 105 per week across T&W and Shropshire.For Telford & Wrekin and Shropshire this is a £83 – 113 million per annum market.Between 2,720 & 3,670 jobs would be created or supported by this level of investment.
The Prize?
What supportis out there,and howcan I help?
Green Deal Basics….
The Energy Company Obligation I…..
The Energy Company Obligation II…..
Home Heating Cost Reduction Obligation
Fuel poverty causes
o Low incomeo Expensive energy costso Energy inefficient homesoUnder occupancy
Who can identify fuel poverty?
oAnyoneoYou!oTrusted, known, knowledgeableoHow might you spot it?
Triggers: What you may SEE?Outdoors:o Severe condensation on windowso Curtains kept closed to retain heat
Indoors:o Mould stains on walls or curtains o Portable bottled gas or electric heaterso Heating controls absent / not working / switched offo Visual evidence that heating appliances are not being used. e.g.
dust on heating elementso Blocked vents
o Coldo Large differences in
temperatures between roomso Draughtso The smell of damp
Triggers: What you may SENSE?
Triggers – What you may HEAR?o ‘Sorry about the cold.’o ‘That draught gives me an achy neck.’o ‘I don’t know how I’m going to pay that
next bill.’o ‘I just use this room really – that’s all I really need’o ‘I can’t get rid of this cough.’ o ‘They talk about direct debits but I like this key
meter.’ o ‘I don’t need the heating yet – I’ve got jumpers and
my little heater.’
Fuel poverty solutionso Maximising income - benefit entitlement
checkso Minimising outgoings - household budgetingo Draught proofingo Insulating the homeo Heating controlso Changing behaviour o Getting cheaper energy: switching, bulk buying o Accessing help e.g. fuel debt……
What dowe do onFRIDAY???
“Stretton Climate Care is delighted to join the eco@MEA scheme and are looking forward to working with them to take advantage of ECO and Affordable Warmth Funding for people in our community. Being local, keeping things simple and knowing the people we shall work with, rather than using some national provider with a distant call centre, will have many advantages”
Jon Cooke – Chair of Stretton Climate Care – Nov 13
New MEA approach - very significant opportunityAgreement signed with Stretton Climate CareDeveloping relationships with other core partners Seeking ‘light touch’ relationship with many other groups
Inspiration?
“The crisis is in implementation.”
Kofi Annan, 2002
“What we think, or what we know, or what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence. The only consequence is what we do.” John Ruskin
Telling people to live differently doesn't work. If we are really to live differently, it will not be as a result of moralising; it will happen because we want to, and because we come to reconnect with our environment and the other living things that make life worthwhile. As psychologists are increasingly telling us, two emotions dominate modern life: feelings of emptiness strongly linked with materialism, and feelings of hope linked to a belief that we can find better ways to live. Our dependence on nature extends far beyond our material wellbeing, and informs our sense of meaning at the deepest level. This sense of meaning will provide a motivation for us to change the way we live – not because we are told that we ought to, but because we feel that we want to.
Jane Kendall 27th February 2008
Don’t just stand there, do something!
