Fuel poverty
is being unable to heat your home. Fuel poverty means having to make that
choice between heating and eating. Fuel poverty means cold, damp homes.
Fuel poverty
is a wider issue however than not being able to pay your heating bills. It has
direct effects on your health: it worsens respiratory conditions, circulatory
diseases. It affects your mental health as you struggle with high energy bills,
and deal with energy debt. There are links between fuel poverty and increased
mortality in winter, and links with health inequalities. Fuel poverty leads to
repeat visits to your GP, and increased hospital visits.
Indirect
effects include the effect on your health when you are unable to afford to pay
the electricity to power the fridge which has your medication in it that you
need to keep chilled. The effect on your health when you can’t afford the
energy to pay for the lift in your home to help you get out of bed. The effect
on your diet when you have to get food from the food bank which doesn’t need to
be cooked. The effect on your children when they struggle in school and their
attainment drops as there are no warm rooms for them to do their homework in.
The effect when you don’t want to invite people into your home as it is so cold
and mouldy which can then lead to social isolation and loneliness.
One of the
key messages of Challenge Poverty Week is that poverty exists in Scotland and
affects us all. Everyone is affected by fuel poverty. 26.5% of households in Scotland
are in fuel poverty. 10% of these households are families with children while
41% are older households. The likelihood is that you or someone you know is
currently living in the misery of fuel poverty.
So what is
the solution?
The Scottish
Government now recognises the seriousness of this issue, after much work by
campaign groups such as EAS, and has made a commitment to address fuel poverty.
They have introduced the Fuel Poverty (Target, Definition and Strategy)
(Scotland) Bill which proposes to reduce fuel poverty to 5% by the year 2040.
This new Bill will also introduce a new definition of fuel poverty that will
focus on lower income households, and will develop a new long-term fuel poverty
strategy.
The Scottish
Government funds fuel poverty schemes and you can get energy efficient
improvements made to your home which will help you save money on your bills.
You might qualify for the Warm Home Discount scheme, or benefits like winter
fuel payment or cold weather payments. There are also funds which can help you
clear energy debt.
There is help
out there. There are local energy advice agencies, environmental charities,
Citizens Advice Bureaux, housing associations, energy teams in local
authorities.
There are
things you can do to help yourself. You can go to one of the above agencies and
ask for help. You can hang thermal curtains in your windows and fit low energy
bulbs to save money. You can switch your
energy supplier.
Fuel poverty
can be resolved; it just needs increased investment, increased collaboration
and increased will to solve it. We all need to work together to ensure another
generation of children are not condemned to poor health and outcomes.
