Agenda item

The Executive Member for Health, Housing and Community Support submitted a report setting out the key points of the Government’s draft consultation document for addressing Fuel Poverty in England and suggestions on what could be done locally to assist with fuel poverty.

The Environmental Strategy and Development Manager advised that Officers had now received a long awaited draft report from the Government in respect of Fuel Poverty in England.  Members were advised that, once the final report was published, Officers hoped to produce a specific Fuel Poverty Strategy and Action Plan for East Herts.

Members were also reminded that the generally accepted definition of Fuel Poverty was when more than 10% of the household income was required to be spent on heating a dwelling to a comfortable level.

The Environmental Strategy and Development Manager stated that, under the new definition, a household was in Fuel Poverty when fuel costs were above average in reference to the national median level and if a household spent that amount, the occupants would be left with a residual income below the official poverty line.

Members were advised that the main effect of the new definition was to reduce the number of households in apparent fuel poverty, since the old definition was heavily influenced by fluctuating fuel prices.  The new definition aimed to better understand the number of ongoing fuel poor.

The Environmental Strategy and Development Manager reported that 7.5% of East Herts local households were fuel poor and this was in line with the Hertfordshire average.  Watford Borough had the largest proportion of fuel poor at 10.3% whist Stevenage and Broxbourne were the least at 6.3%.  Members were reminded that East Herts had a very similar level of fuel poor as a typical inner London Borough, backing up the evidence that fuel poverty was not solely an inner city problem.

Members were advised that communities that were off gas towards the rural north of the District and owners of hard to treat properties with solid walls were the most likely to be in fuel poverty.  Officers hoped that further data on specific communities maybe available for a future report and this reflected a similar picture across the UK where there was usually a significantly greater proportion of fuel poor in more rural communities, off mains gas and living in “hard to treat” properties.

The Environmental Strategy and Development Manager detailed the role of local authorities and the Health and Wellbeing Boards in helping residents in a Fuel Poverty situation.  Members were advised of a number of measures that were already in place across the District and the progress that had been made against these measures.

In response to a query from Councillor R Beeching, Members were advised that landlords would soon be obliged to ensure that a property was energy and heat efficient and it would soon be impossible to rent a property that was not at an acceptable standard.  Grants were available for landlords in East Herts to assist with maintaining these standards.

In reply to a query from the Chairman, the Environmental Strategy and Development Manager stated that assistance for those in Fuel Poverty had to be assessed on a geographic basis so that only those who genuinely needed help would receive assistance.

The Chief Executive and Director of Customer and Community Services advised that, if support was going to be offered for measures such as loft and wall insulation, this would need to be included within the Medium Term Financial Plan.  The Environmental Strategy and Development Manager commented that the Green Deal on energy had been seen by some as an expensive way to borrow.

The Committee received the report and Members agreed that Officers be asked to bring forward costed proposals that take forward the Fuel Poverty Strategy for East Herts.

RESOLVED – that (A) the report be received;

(B)   Officers bring forward costed proposals that would take forward the Fuel Poverty Strategy for East Herts;

(C)   the Fuel Poverty Strategy must be supported by costed proposals being brought forward by Officers; and

(D) a further report and Action Plan be presented for Members’ consideration when the Government’s Fuel Poverty Framework was published.