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Worcestershire Fuel Poverty Plan

2017-2022

Version 3 March 2019

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“The annual cost to the NHS of treating winter related disease due to cold private housing is £859

million. This does not include additional spending by social services, or economic losses through

missed work. The total costs to the NHS and the country are unknown. A recent study showed that

investing £1 in keeping homes warm saved the NHS 42 pence in health costs...” [Chief Medical

Officer Report, 20091]

1 Department of health, 2009 chief medical examiners report

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Contents

Section Page number

1. Purpose of the fuel poverty plan 4

2. What is fuel poverty? 4

3. National policy 5

4. Worcestershire overview 4.1 Population 4.2 Tenure 4.3 Fuel types/heating 4.4 Fuel Poverty in

Worcestershire

7

5. Local policy and programmes 10

6. Impacts of fuel poverty on wellbeing

11

7. Looking to the future 14

8. Bromsgrove 16

9. Malvern 18

10. Redditch 20

11. Worcester 23

12. Wyre Forest 26

13. Wychavon 29

14. Action Plan 32

15. Customer Service Protocol 38

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1. Purpose of the fuel poverty plan 1.1 The purpose of this plan is to highlight the issue of fuel poverty and the impacts

of cold, damp homes on the health of Worcestershire residents and identify actions to tackle fuel poverty in the County.

1.2 This plan will follow the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance quality standard for preventing excess winter deaths and illness associated with cold homes. The quality standard provides a set of priority statements to drive measureable improvements. These are;

- Year round planning - Identify households at risk of fuel poverty - Provide a single point of contact for health and housing referrals - Ask residents about keeping warm at home - Identify people at risk from cold homes on admission to a health setting - Discharge people from health and care settings to a warm home.

1.3 The plan will not have a numerical target for the reduction of fuel poverty but will instead follow the targets sets by the Fuel Poverty Plan for England to bring as many households as is reasonably practicable towards a C energy efficiency rating by 2030. This will bring consistency between the plans. Each delivery project within the action plan will have targets. 1.4 It is acknowledged that there are over 28,000 households in Worcestershire believed to be fuel poor. It is this figure which brings about the need for this plan to tackle the issue and move towards improving living conditions for the benefits of resident's health. 1.5 The plan will cover a 5 year period from September 2017 with a review of the action plan on an annual basis. The accompanying action plan details key activity for the next year. These actions will be monitored and evaluated by the Warmer Worcestershire project board. The action plan will be revised each year before the cold weather plan period begins.

2. What is fuel poverty? 2.1 Fuel poverty is defined as the inability to keep your home adequately heated. In

England, fuel poverty is measured by the Low Income, High Cost definition (LIHC). This measure states that a household is in fuel poverty when energy costs to heat to adequate levels are above the national average and, if they were to heat to this level, the residual income would leave the household below the poverty line.

2.2 The key aspects influencing whether a household is fuel poor are; - Household income - Poor energy efficient housing - Energy costs

2.3 This strategy adopts the new fuel poverty indicator, LIHC, rather than the

previous 10% of income spent of heating the home definition.

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2.4 Living in a cold home can have a negative impact on a person's health as colder conditions influence mortality rate. In England, an average 1

oC drop in

temperature in winter results in an additional 8,000 winter deaths.

3. National policy 3.1 The UK Government released its fuel poverty strategy in March 2015. Cutting the Cost of Keeping Warm sets out a vision for as many homes as is reasonably practicable to reach a C energy efficiency rating in England by 2030. 3.2 The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) is the tool that will support the energy efficiency improvements for fuel poor households. The Obligation has been revised to target monies towards affordable warmth from October 2018. . 3.3 Although the private rental market makes up a fairly small percentage of Worcestershire housing stock this is a sector where the tenant has little or no control over the improvement to the property. The Energy Efficiency (private rented property) regulations 2015 bring in legislation to support tenants to request improvements that cannot be unreasonably refused where subsidies are available to pay for them. From 2018, landlords will need to ensure that properties meet a minimum energy efficiency rating of an E to continue to let them. Nationally, there has been a trend towards an increase in the number of people living in the private rented sector. The figures show the numbers of private tenants have more than doubled between 2001 and 2014 with the trend expected to continue

2.

3.4 The English Housing Survey

3 identifies that over 40% of private rental properties in

the lowest energy efficiency rating bands of E, F or G are considered to be fuel poor. This compares to 47% in the social housing sector. The average fuel poverty gap is ~£184 more in the private rental sector compared to local authority owned housing. 3.5 The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) is a method for assessing housing conditions by using a risk based approach. This method classifies the seriousness of the hazard and includes living in a cold damp home. The classifications are from the most severe class 1 hazard which covers risk of death, regular severe pneumonia through to class 4 hazards which covers occasional severe discomfort and occasional mild pneumonia. 3.6 The Home Energy Conservation Act 1995 recognises the unique position of Local Authorities to improve the energy efficiency of residential properties in their area. The Act requires the publication of reports from Housing Authorities every 2 years detailing the activity they have supported to improve home energy efficiency.

3.7 The Bonfield Review was commissioned by Department of Energy and Climate Change (now Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) to review the delivery of Government-supported energy efficiency services. The review will address the key issues identified with customer experience to inform new programmes.

2 PricewaterhouseCoopers 2015 'UK Housing market outlook; the continuing rise of Generation Rent'

3 Department for Communities and Local Government (2016) 'English Housing Survey headline report 2014-15'

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3.8 'The Future of Heating: meeting the challenge of heating' identifies heat networks as an opportunity for reducing fuel costs and therefore the risk of fuel poverty. A heat network distributes heat from a central point for domestic or commercial building rather than each building have their own separate boiler. 3.9 Cutting the Cost of Keeping Warm; a fuel poverty strategy for England identifies the need for further monitoring on the impact of the installation of renewable technologies for the benefit of fuel poverty households. Ensuring the most appropriate technology is install in each household is key to their effectiveness and affordability. Renewable technologies will add additional benefit such as reducing dependency on fossil fuels and limiting carbon emission. 3.10 Better care fund is a programme across Local Government and the NHS. The purpose is to provide fully integrated health and care services for an improved experience. This is a single pooled budget of £5.3 billion 3.11 The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) provides guidance to improve health and care services. NICE have produced guidance on excess winter deaths and illness associated with cold homes which provides a service of recommendations for health and care providers to help reduce the risk of cold related ill health. 3.12 The Commission on the Social Determinants of Health, Fair Society Saves Lives (Marmot Review) 2010, reported on the impacts of the wider determinants on health. The subsequent briefing Local Action on Health Inequalities: Fuel Poverty and Cold Home Health Related problems (2014) This identified how cold homes can exacerbate a range of health problems including respiratory and circulatory problems and cause increased risk of poor mental health. Estimates suggest that some 10% of excess winter deaths are directly attributable to fuel poverty and a fifth of winter deaths are directly attributable to quarter of homes. 3.13 In 2016 the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) merged with Business, Innovation and Skills to form a new department called Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). Responsibility for fuel poverty falls under this new department.

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4. Worcestershire Overview 4.1 Population 4.1.1 As a County, Worcestershire has 569,000

4 residents spread across 6 districts.

Population projections for Worcestershire show an increase in overall population up to 2021 with a sharper increase in the over 65 years old age bracket. This coincides with a projected increase in the number of residents over the age of 85 with lower rates of increase in Redditch and Worcester. 4.1.2 This has implications for health services with older residents seeing higher incidents of falls in the home. Around 30% of residents living in the community are expected to suffer a fall each year. A range of injuries are treated as a result including fractures, head injuries and pneumonia

5. All of which bring additional treatment and

care costs. 4.1.3 The County is considered predominantly rural with the most rural districts in Worcestershire being Wychavon (97.5% rural) and Malvern Hills (52% rural) closely followed by Wyre Forest district which is considered urban with significant rural areas (42.1% rural). 4.2 Tenure 4.2.1 In Worcestershire, the majority (86%) of properties are privately owned with or without a mortgage or in some cases are shared ownership. The rental sector (private and social rental) makes up the final 14% of the tenure split in the County (chart 1). This means there are over 65,000 residents who have little or no control over improving the energy efficiency of their property as it is owned by someone else.

Chart 1; Worcestershire tenure split taken from the 2011 Census.

4 Mid 2012 population estimates for Worcestershire

http://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/info/20044/research_and_feedback/795/population_statistics 5 Worcestershire Falls Strategy (2011-2015)

86%

8% 6%

Worcestershire tenure split

Private ownership total

social rented total

private rental total

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4.3 Fuel types/heating 4.3.1 Countywide there are around 20% of households not connected to the mains gas network. For those not connected to the gas network there are a range of fuel options including solid fuels, oil and electric central heating systems. The most common heating fuel after gas is electricity. 4.3.2 In more rural districts (Wychavon and Malvern Hills) the most common non-gas system is oil. In all other districts, electricity is the more commonly used non-gas fuel. Usually these fuels are considered more costly for heating than mains gas. 4.3.3 At the time of writing, oil prices are low making oil heating cheaper than mains gas. This is a considerably different picture from 2014 when oil was being sold at $100 per barrel compared to around $40 per barrel in 2016

6. This impact the end cost to the

consumer. Prices are forecast to increase again in 2017. In July 2015 the average oil fuel bill was £1030 per annum which was down £505 compared to January 2014. Heating the home using gas in July 2015 would have cost on average £1307 per annum compared with night storage heaters (off peak) which would cost an average of £1549 per annum

7.

4.3.4 The energy efficiency rating of the home provides a useful indication of households that may have higher energy costs. In Worcestershire, the average energy efficiency SAP rating of domestic properties is a D. 4% of properties have an energy efficiency rating in the lowest bands of F and G. Only 33 % of households have an energy efficiency rating of a C or above which is recommended in the Fuel Poverty Strategy for England. The EPC

8 scores for each district show the lowest average SAP score in

Malvern Hills District. This falls just inside the D EPC bracket. The highest average SAP score recorded in Redditch. All districts have an average within the D EPC bracket. 4.3.5 In Worcestershire, around 2% of properties have no central heating system (2011 Census).The largest number of properties without central heating are in Wyre Forest District and Worcester City (see district profiles for more detail). 4.4 Fuel poverty in Worcestershire 4.4.1 In Worcestershire, around 11.5% (2016) of households are considered to be in fuel poverty. This accounts for over 28,000 households who struggle to heat their home to a comfortable temperature. 4.4.2 Table 1 details the change in fuel poverty in each district and the County between 2011 and 2016 compared with the West Midlands average. See district profiles for more detail 4.2.3 There are 1153 LSOA

9 areas in Worcestershire where fuel poverty levels are

higher than the county figure of 11.5%, some of these are considerably higher with fuel

6 OPEC World Oil Outlook.

7 Sutherland Tables July 2016 http://www.sutherlandtables.co.uk/

8 Energy Performance Certificate

9 Lower Super Output Area is a geographic classification for reporting small scale statistics. Each LSOA has an

average of roughly 650 households.

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poverty rates above 20%. 8 LSOA areas have fuel poverty rates higher than 20% which covers over 1100 households.

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

LA Name

Proportion of households fuel poor (%)

Proportion of households fuel poor (%)

Proportion of households fuel poor (%)

Proportion of households fuel poor (%)

Proportion of households fuel poor (%)

Proportion of households fuel poor (%)

Bromsgrove 12.6% 10.9 9.8 9.1 10.6 10.0

Malvern Hills 14.8% 15.2 12.6 14.1 15.6 12.6

Redditch 9.8% 10.4 9.7 9.0 10.5 10.6

Worcester 13.4% 13.1 12.1 10.7 12.1 12.7

Wychavon 12.1% 12.1 10.6 11.1 12.7 10.7

Wyre Forest 13.9% 13.5 12.2 11.1 12.6 12.5

Worcestershire 12.7% 12.5 11.2 10.8 12.3 11.5

Table 1: Low Income High Cost measure fuel poverty figures 2011-201610

4.4.4 When comparing fuel poverty in Worcestershire with similar areas known as our nearest neighbours, Worcestershire has the fifth highest levels of fuel poverty(Table 2). In the previous year, Worcestershire was ranked second highest when compared with nearest neighbours.

Area % fuel poor rank

Cumbria 12.2 1

Lincolnshire 12 2

Staffordshire 12 3

Derbyshire 11.6 4

Worcestershire 11.5 5

Nottinghamshire 11.3 6

Warwickshire 11.1 7

Norfolk 10.8 8

Northamptonshire 10.4 9

Suffolk 10.4 10

Somerset 10.2 11

Leicestershire 10.1 12

North Yorkshire 10.1 13

Gloucestershire 9.4 14

Essex 8.6 15

Buckinghamshire 8.2 16

Table 2. Nearest neighbour analysis showing how fuel poverty in Worcestershire compares with similar areas.

10

Department of Energy and Climate Change (2016) "Sub regional Fuel Poverty Data for England" https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/2014-sub-regional-fuel-poverty-data-low-income-high-costs-indicator

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5. Local policy and programmes 5.1 In Worcestershire, home energy efficiency and fuel poverty activity is delivered in partnership through the Warmer Worcestershire Network. This Network has been operating since 2009 and consists of a range of Public and third sector organisations all working towards the same goal of improving the energy efficiency of homes for the benefit of the residents health and wellbeing. There is a shared commitment from all participating organisations to work together to better respond to the issues of fuel poverty in the County. 5.2 Warmer Worcestershire began in 2009 with an aerial thermal image survey of the County to identify where there were higher levels of heat loss from the roof of properties. This data was a useful marketing tool for the promotion of free loft and cavity wall insulation programmes promoted in each district. This resulted in additional energy efficiency projects. 5.3 The Warmer Worcestershire Network was successful in both funding rounds of the Department of Health Warm Homes, Healthy People Fund. This funding enabled the delivery of a range of additional and enhanced services such as additional provision for benefit checks, thermometer cards, heating repairs and servicing and chimney sweeping services. As a result of the 2013 project, 80 households received a free chimney sweeping service to not only prepare the home for winter and reduce the risk of chimney fires. The project also increased the number of benefit checks available. This resulted in 665 benefit checks during the winter period which brought in an additional £1,312,197 in benefit entitlement for Worcestershire residents which is an average of £1,974 per person. 5.4 Under the Warmer Worcestershire branding, the Green Deal Communities project was promoted to households. This was a programme to insulate solid wall privately owned domestic properties. While the Green Deal Communities project was not directly a fuel poverty programme it results in improved energy efficiency for hundreds of Worcestershire homes. Households on average save around £250 as a result and carbon savings of an average of 27 tonnes per property over the lifetime of the product, This project began in 2014 and was completed in Autumn 2016. 5.5 The Warmer Worcestershire Network support delivery of the 'information advice and guidance' sections of the Cold Weather plan. Public Health England releases a national cold weather plan each winter which informs the development of the local plan. The cold weather plan provides a framework to protect health from cold weather. 5.6 The Worcestershire Housing Partnership Plan 2017 sets the strategic direction for housing in Worcestershire. This plan includes a vision to create the right home environment for Worcestershire residents which includes the property being well insulated and energy efficient. The plan identifies improving homes as a key priority for addressing health issues brought about by housing conditions including cold homes. 5.6 Worcestershire County Council produce a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment which provides the intelligence to inform the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy for the

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County. The JSNA highlights the areas where there is better and poorer performance compared to national figures. This briefing brings forward the links between colder conditions and an increased risk of certain health conditions such as stoke and respiratory illness along with mental wellbeing implications such as depression. 5.7 The Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy for Worcestershire is a statutory requirement for Health and Well-being Boards. The strategy sets out high level priorities to shape commissioning of health and care services to improve the health outcomes. 5.8 The Better Care Fund is a single pooled budget to support closer working of between health and social care services. Over £37million was allocated to the Better Care fund in 2015/16 in Worcestershire to deliver better integrated health and care services. The fund also acknowledges the links between housing and health with the allocation of disabled facilities grant funding to the district councils. 5.9 The Worcestershire Climate Change Strategy highlights the improvements to home energy efficiency and the opportunity for reducing CO2 levels. The strategy sets out a target to reduce emissions from the domestic sector by 223 Kt by 2020 through a mix of behavioural changes and physical interventions. For more information about the Worcestershire Climate Change Strategy visit www.worcestershire.gov.uk/sustainability. Each project operating under the Warmer Worcestershire banner will record the estimated carbon savings as a result of the project. 5.10 The DPH Annual Report 2015/6 Ageing in Worcestershire identifies how cold homes are associated with poor health outcomes and that Worcestershire has one of the worst level of fuel poverty in the country. The report identified the need to tackle poor insulation, and put in place measures to reduce the impacts of fuel poverty on health. 5.11 The Warmer Worcestershire Network has access to a range of funding opportunities for residents - Warm Homes fund- funding for first time gas central heating in urban areas - Emergency Central Heating Offer (ECHO)- replacement of broken gas boilers. - Energy Company Obligation (ECO)- grants towards the cost of homes energy efficiency improvements 6. Impacts of fuel poverty on wellbeing 6.1 In recent years, the research and evidence base for the link between health and housing has increased. Research has investigated the link between housing tenure and health outcomes. A living environment which is cold with the current level of heating and the number of hours spent at home predicted poorer health outcomes

11.

6.2 The relationship between inadequate indoor heating and excess winter deaths has also been studied. Cold homes affect the wider determinants of health including educational attainment, performance amongst children and young people and absence from work. Cold homes can increase the risk of respiratory problems, such as asthma,

11 Windle GS, Burholt V, Edwards RT, (2005)Housing related difficulties, housing tenure and variations in health

status: evidence from older people in Wales. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16546693

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cardiovascular disease and bronchitis, circulatory problems, such as cardiovascular disease and stroke and exacerbate existing conditions such as asthma, diabetes and delay recovery at home following hospital discharge. Evidence shows that countries with a cooler climate than the UK such as Finland have lower fuel poverty figures than the UK. 6.3 The record of excess winter deaths

12 shows the numbers fluctuate each winter

(December- March). The latest data shows an increase in excess winter deaths between winter 2013/14 and 2014/15 from 11.7% and 25.6% (chart 3). The highest rates of excess winter deaths occurred among residents with respiratory conditions or cardiovascular conditions. Excess winter deaths also increase in older age brackets.

Chart 3: Excess winter deaths for Worcestershire, West Midlands and England from 1997/98 to 2014/15. 6.4 Residents with certain health conditions are more prone to negative health impacts from colder conditions. This includes respiratory illness such as COPD

13 and

cardiovascular disease both of which are identified in the highest rates of excess winter deaths. 6.5 Countries with colder climate than the UK do not always see higher excess winter deaths. This is linked to the condition of housing stock with the UK comparatively have

12

Excess winter deaths compares the number of deaths in the winter period with the previous August to November and following April to July. This gives the number of deaths above what was expected. 13

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder refers to a respiratory condition when the airflow to the lungs is obstructive.

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lower thermally efficient housing in comparison to colder countries such as Finland and Sweden

14.

6.6 In the UK there are higher percentages of poor energy efficient housing in rural, more isolated areas compare to urban areas

3. More isolated areas are less likely to be

connected to the mains gas network. This is seen in Worcestershire with the poorer efficiency homes in rural Malvern which has the highest fuel poverty levels compared to newer housing in Redditch with the better performing homes. 6.7 Living in a cold home not only impacts a person's physical health but their mental wellbeing as well. Conditions such as dementia can also influences an individual's ability to take care of themselves during colder weather

15. Cold homes are linked with

increased mental health problems, with older people being particularly affected, by the impact on loneliness, as they cannot afford to leave their home or do not invite people in due to the cold environment. These problems are further exacerbated by reduced mobility and frailty, putting them at increased risk of falling. 6.8 The Governments Warm Front Scheme which provided replacement heating systems for low income households found an increase in room temperature reduced the likelihood of experiencing depressions and anxiety

12.

6.9 Much focus has been on the vulnerability of older residents to colder conditions referring to with the risk of falls, stroke and cardiovascular disease. Younger people also see the negative impact of living in a cold home with increased risk of asthma, increased likelihood of mental health conditions and are more likely to feel unhappy compared with young people living in a warmer home

12.

6.10 Three CCGs

16 deliver services across Worcestershire, these are Redditch and

Bromsgrove CCG, Wyre Forest CCG and South Worcestershire CCG. Across all three CCG areas there are more than half of registered patients who have a long standing health condition (chart 4). For Wyre Forest CCG and South Worcestershire CCG this figure is higher than the value for England

17.

14

Association for the Conversation of Energy (2015) The Cold Man of Europe 15

Public Health England (2014) 'Local Action on health inequalities; Fuel Poverty and cold-home related health problems' 16

Clinical Commissioning Groups are responsible for the commissioning a health services for an area such as GP services and community health services. Each CCG has a priority plan which identify key areas of activity for the plan period. 17

Data provided by the Public Health England Fingertips database http://fingertips.phe.org.uk

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Chart 4: Percentage of patients with long standing health conditions broken down by CCG area. 7.0 Looking to the future 7.1 The plan has identified some key issues for Worcestershire moving forward to tackle fuel poverty. - Worcestershire has an aging population. Increasing numbers of people living longer are more likely to have multiple morbidities making them more vulnerable to if living in a cold home. 7.Over 9,000 households in Worcestershire are considered to be in the poorer energy efficiency banding. Improving the energy efficiency rating of homes can help make heating the home more affordable and improve thermal comfort. 7.4 The latest fuel poverty data identifies that there are pockets of higher levels of fuel poverty with some areas having fuel poverty. Living in a cold damp home can have a negative impact on those with existing long term health conditions. Much focus has been on older residents because of the increased likelihood of multiple morbidities. Negative health outcomes have also been identified for younger people living in a cold home which could have a long lasting impact on their wellbeing influencing their educational attainment. 7.5 In Worcestershire there are currently a number of services to support fuel poor households where possible. 7.5.1 Worcestershire residents over the age of 65 are able to receive information & advice around their benefit entitlements and support, when needed, to apply for these benefits. This additional income can have a significant impact on the life of an older person, enabling them to purchase the services and products they need to stay well and enjoy later life. This service is provided by Age UK Herefordshire &Worcestershire.

51

52

53

54

55

56

57

58

59

Wyre ForestCCG

SouthWorcestershire

CCG

Redditch andBromsgrove

CCG

% of people with long term health conditions

% of people with longterm health conditions

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7.7 Electric blanket testing sessions take place throughout the winter months to check appliance compliance. Any products not compliant can be replaced. This service is provided by Age UK Herefordshire & Worcestershire 7.8 Temporary electric heaters are available for vulnerable households where heating has failed. The service is delivered through the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Fire and Rescue Service Community Risk Teams. 7.9 A Social Prescribing pilot is underway in Worcester City working with local GP practices. Referrals are made to the social prescribers who then carry out guided conversations and implement personal solutions. This includes resolutions to housing issues such as fuel poverty

7.10 Age UK Herefordshire &Worcestershire are able to offer small energy products where relevant for residents over the age of 65 years old. Products include night lights, insulated letter boxes, insulated door strips and radiator panels. Other support schemes are in place including the Veterans Wellcheck which provides guidance for older veterans and the One Digital project which gives older residents the skills and confidence to engage with online services. 7.11 The network has completed a Boiler on Prescription programme. This combined funding from the Better Care Fund with The Warm and Healthy Homes funding through National Energy Action (NEA) and was coordinated by Worcestershire County Council. The programme offered replacement heating systems for households at risk of fuel poverty where a resident has a long term health condition that could be made worse by living in a cold, damp home. Investment from the Better Care Fund is expected to provide a return on investment of around 5 years for NHS and Social Care service benefits. This programme will be utilising Worcester Bosch gas and oil boilers for installations. An energy advisor from Act on Energy visited each resident in the home to offer energy advice and complete the application process with the resident. This project provided replacement heating for 70 Worcestershire households. This project has led to a pilot of a Warm Homes Discount industry Initiative scheme for the replacement of broken gas central heating for low income households in 201718 and the continuation for winter 2018/19 7.12 All households can access free advice and guidance related to heating the home including advice on switching supplier by contacting Act on Energy. 7.13 MECC (Making Every Contact Count) training which is delivered across the county includes informing front line staff and volunteers how to raise the issue of cold homes and signpost people to advice. 4.14 New regulations came in to force in 2018 to drive the much needed improvements in energy efficiency in the private rented sector. Going forward the lowest Energy Performance bands will no longer be able to be let to new tenants without improvements being made. There is a cap on the value of these improvements. Any improvements above the value of £3500, a landlord can obtain an exemption from completing these improvements.

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8. Bromsgrove 8.1 Bromsgrove District is in the north of Worcestershire and over 90% of its 217 square

kilometres is greenbelt. The population is estimated to be almost 93,400 and nearly 20%

are aged over 65, which is 3% higher than the national average. This proportion is set to

increase which is likely to significantly impact on policy and planning for the district. It

has approximately 37,772 households.

8.2 The majority of housing is in the owner occupier sector with over 80% of households

owning their own home, 10% are in social housing and 9% in privately rented properties.

8.3 With the cost of fuel increasing, more people are likely to suffer fuel poverty which

has social and health implications. Good energy management makes good

environmental and economic sense.

8.4 Due to the rural nature of the district there are over 3,500 households not on the

mains gas network and more worryingly 637 households with no form of central heating

(chart5). Electric heating systems are the most popular central heating fuel after mains

gas.

Chart 5: Heating fuel excluding gas central heating systems for Bromsgrove District. 8.5 The Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy have recently released

the 2016 fuel poverty statistics using the Low Income, High Cost indicator. These figures

show a decrease in fuel poverty between 2015 and 2016 from 10.6% to 10%. This

means there are now over 3900households in fuel poverty in Bromsgrove district.. From

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

1,600

1,800

2,000

No centralheating

Electric(including

storageheaters)

central heating

Oil centralheating

Solid fuel (forexample wood,

coal) centralheating

Other centralheating

Two or moretypes of central

heating

Nu

mb

er

of

Ho

use

ho

lds

Type of Heating System

Bromsgrove Heating Types

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the baseline year, 2011, there has been an overall decrease in the percentage of

households considered to be fuel poor in Bromsgrove district,

8.6 When analysing the fuel poverty statistics it is important to look at the districts

nearest neighbours so that we can clearly see how we are performing against areas

similar to ourselves (table 3). Our nearest neighbours and their fuel poverty statistics are

below:

LA Name Proportion of

households fuel poor (%)

Staffordshire moorlands 12.4

Lichfield 10.8

South Staffordshire 10.4

Bromsgrove 10

Rushcliffe 10

Stroud 9.4

Maldon 9

Harborough 8.8

Tewkesbury 8.4

East Hampshire 7.5

Table 3; table showing 2016 fuel poverty figures for Bromsgrove and their nearest

neighbours.

8.7 The district have been working to address the issue of fuel poverty for a number

years and have had strong actions in place through the Bromsgrove Partnership and its

work delivered through the Better Environment Theme Group and Older Peoples Sub

Group in addition to linking to the county work through Warmer Worcestershire.

8.8 We have provided energy advice and support for over 15 years through our energy

advice partners Act on Energy and have run several energy efficiency schemes ranging

from insulation through to boiler replacements. We have recently being working

alongside our district and county partners to deliver a EWI programme.

8.9 We will continue to address the issues facing our residents who may be in, or at risk

of fuel poverty and work together with partners to ensure that the wider health and

housing implications are addressed through closer partnership working.

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9. Malvern Hills

9.1 The Malvern Hills District covers 577km of west Worcestershire. A predominantly

rural area it is sparsely populated, consisting of many villages and hamlets. It is due to

this rurality that over 32,000 (45%) of our residents live in areas which are amongst the

10% most deprived areas nationally in terms of geographical barriers to services, such

as GP surgeries, general stores, primary schools and post offices.

9.2 In 2014 Worcestershire had a higher proportion of older people aged 65 or over

(122,200, 21.2%) than nationally (17.3%). With the highest proportion of older people

(over 65’s) is in Malvern Hills (26.6%).

9.3 In Malvern Hills District oil central heating is the more common heating fuel (chart 6)

after gas central heating. There are a smaller number of households without central

heating compared with other district areas.

Chart 6: Heating system fuel types in Malvern Hills District excluding gas systems.

9.3 The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy have recently released

the 2016 fuel poverty statistics based on the new using the Low Income, High Cost

indicator. These figures show a decrease in fuel poverty from 2015 to 2016 from 16.6%

to 12.6%. This is a decrease on the baseline 2011 figure of 14.8% of households in

Malvern Hills district being considered fuel poor.

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

No centralheating

Electric(including

storageheaters)

central heating

Oil centralheating

Solid fuel (forexample wood,

coal) centralheating

Other centralheating

Two or moretypes of central

heating

Nu

mb

er

of

Ho

use

ho

lds

Type of Heating System

Malvern Heating Types

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9.4 When analysing the fuel poverty statistics is important to look at the districts nearest

neighbours so that we can clearly see how we are performing against areas similar to

ourselves (table 4). Our nearest neighbours and their fuel poverty statistics are displayed

in table 4.

LA Name Proportion of

households fuel poor (%)

Malvern Hills 12.6

West Devon 11.7

Derbyshire Dales

10.9

Forest of Dean 10.8

Wychavon 10.7

Babergh 9.8

Hambleton 9.4

North Dorset 9

Maldon 9

Tewkesbury 8.4

Table 4: Comparison of fuel poverty statistics between Malvern Hills District and

its nearest neighbours for 2016

9.5 These nearest neighbour statistics show that Malvern Hills has the highest fuel

poverty when compared with similar area and we still need to focus on fuel poverty and it

is still clearly a significant issue for the District. We need to look at our past Fuel Poverty

Reduction Policy and highlight how this can be developed further through greater

linkages with partners across both the District and the County. We have an ongoing

partnership with energy advice charity Act on Energy.

9.6 We have recently worked alongside our District and County partners to deliver a

successful External Wall Insulation (EWI) programme.

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10. Redditch 10.1 The district of Redditch covers 54 km2 in the north-east of Worcestershire and is

predominately urban (over 90% of the population live within the urban areas of

Redditch), with the south of the district being rural and much less populated.

10.2 In general Redditch has a younger population than Worcestershire as a whole.

Redditch has a greater proportion of children (19.7% aged under 16 compared to 1.8%

in Worcestershire, England average 19.0%) and less older adults (16.2% compared to

21.2% in Worcestershire, 16.4% in England).

10.3 Redditch has a slightly broader ethnic mix than Worcestershire in general,

predominate ethnic minority groups being non-British white, Asian or Asian British,

especially of Pakistani background, and mixed or multiple ethnicity of white and black

Caribbean.

10.4 Although the income profile for Redditch overall is similar to the rest of the county,

Redditch has some of the largest deprived areas in the County based on multiple indices

of deprivation. There is a clear link between areas of deprivation in Redditch and health

outcomes such as premature mortality.

10.5 In terms of cold exacerbated health conditions, Redditch is significantly worse than

the county average for mortality rates at less than 75 years of age from respiratory

disease, and also tends to be worse than the county average for cardiovascular mortality

under 75 years of age. Mental health and wellbeing, injuries due to falls in people aged

65 years and over, health related quality of life for older people and child development

aged 5 years are also areas of concern where cold homes may have an impact.

10.6 There are approximately 34,722 homes in Redditch. 65.7% are owned compared to

68.7% nationally; of these 26.5% are owned outright, compared to 42.5% nationally. A

further 21.2% are defined as social rented housing (19.3% nationally), of which 16.4%

are rented from Redditch Borough Council and 4.8% from other registered social

landlords such as Redditch Co-operative Homes (part of the Accord Group), Rooftop

Housing Group, Fortis Living, WM Housing Group, Bromford Housing Group, Housing

21 and Bromsgrove District Housing Trust. 11.7% are privately rented and 1.1% free of

rental.

10.7 Gas central heating is the most popular fuel type in the district with electric central

heating such as night storage heaters being the second most popular fuel for heating the

home (Chart 7).

21 | P a g e

Chart 7: Heating fuels excluding gas central heating in Redditch

10.8 The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) have recently

released the 2016 fuel poverty statistics based on using the new Low Income, High Cost

indicator. These figures show 10.6% of residents in Redditch are thought to be in fuel

poverty. This is an increase between 2015 and 2016 and an increase from the 2011

baseline of 9.8%.

10.9 When analysing the fuel poverty statistics it is important to compare with areas

similar to ourselves (‘nearest neighbours’) to better understand how we are performing.

Our ‘nearest neighbours’ and their fuel poverty statistics are below (table 5): However,

there is no reason for complacency as there are still a significant number of households

in the district that continue to be affected.

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

1,600

1,800

No centralheating

Electric(including

storageheaters)

central heating

Oil centralheating

Solid fuel (forexample wood,

coal) centralheating

Other centralheating

Two or moretypes of central

heating

Nu

mb

er

of

Ho

use

ho

lds

Type of Heating System

Redditch Heating Types

22 | P a g e

LA Name Proportion of households fuel poor (%)

Worcester 12.7

Cannock Chase 12.5

Wellingborough 11.1

Tamworth 11.1

Kettering 10.8

Redditch 10.6

Gravesham 10.1

Gloucester 9.4

Rushmoor 8

Stevenage 7.7

Table 5; Nearest neighbour analysis for Redditch Borough fuel poverty figures

2016

10.10 Redditch Borough Council has been working to address the issue of fuel poverty

for a number of years as well as linking in to the county work through Warmer

Worcestershire.

10.11 We have provided energy advice and support for over 15 years through our

energy advice partners Act on Energy and have run several energy efficiency schemes

ranging from insulation through to boiler replacements. In 2015 we launched a 3 year

Redditch Energy Efficiency Fund and Scheme to address fuel poverty. We have recently

worked alongside our District and County partners to deliver a successful external wall

insulation programme.

10.12 As a district we are keen to work even closer with our partners to address the key

issues for Redditch Borough. Fuel poverty relates particularly closely to the following

strategic purposes for Redditch Borough Council

Help me to live my life independently

Help me to be financially independent

Help me find somewhere to live in my locality

Sources:

http://atlas.worcestershire.gov.uk/

Public Health Outcomes Framework

Public Health England: Health Profile 2015

Worcestershire Joint Strategic Needs Assessment: 2016 Redditch and

Bromsgrove CCG Profile

23 | P a g e

11. Worcester City

11.1 The district of Worcester covers 33.28km2 of the south of Worcestershire and

compared to other districts is entirely urban whilst other districts have a higher proportion

of rural areas. There are approximately 100,000 people in Worcester City and there are

approximately 43415 households in Worcester.

11.2 In regards to demographics, Worcester City Council is seeing an increase in the

number of persons aged 65+. Between 2011 to 212 there was a 3.8% increase in the

population of over 65’s compared to a 0.5% increase for persons aged between 18 to

64. In 2012 there were 15,300 over 65’s, 63,500 aged between 18 to 64 and 20,800

aged 17 or under.

11.3 We have three areas of highest need which are ranked as the top 10% in the

country for health deprivation.

11.4 65% are owned compared to 68.7% nationally. 16% are defined as social rented

housing compared to (19.3% nationally) and 19% are privately rented (12% nationally).

Worcester City Council has a higher proportion of households privately renting with a

higher proportion of houses in multiple occupation, 5% compared to the national 1.9%.

The higher proportion of private rented properties and houses in multiple occupation

bring particular challenges to addressing fuel poverty.

11.5 Worcester City is predominantly gas central heating. After gas, the most popular

heating system type is electric such as night storage heaters (chart 8). Nationally, it is

expected that electric night storage heaters are more common in the private rented and

social rented sector18

. There are also a larger number of homes in the City that do not

have a central heating system compared with other districts.

18

Ofgem (2015) Insights paper on households with electric and other non-gas heating.

24 | P a g e

Chart 8: main heating systems types other than gas central heating

11.6 BEIS have recently released the 2015 fuel poverty statistics using the Low Income,

High Cost indicator.

11.7 Worcester City saw an increase in the percentage of household considered to be

fuel poor between 2015 and 2016. Fuel poverty has decreased from the 2011 baseline

year from 13.4% to 12.7% in 2016.

11.8 When analysing the fuel poverty statistics it is important to look at the districts

nearest neighbours so that we can clearly see how we are performing against areas

similar to ourselves. Compared to our nearest neighbours, we have the 4th highest

proportion of fuel poor households. This is shown is table 6.

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

No centralheating

Electric(including

storageheaters)

central heating

Oil centralheating

Solid fuel (forexample wood,

coal) centralheating

Other centralheating

Two or moretypes of central

heating

Nu

mb

er

of

Ho

use

ho

lds

Type of Heating System

Worcester Heating Types

25 | P a g e

LA Name Proportion of households fuel poor (%)

Preston 14.1

East Staffordshire 14

Newcastle-under-Lyme 12.9

Worcester 12.7

Wyre Forest 12.5

Cannock Chase 12.5

Carlisle 12.3

Mansfield 12

Nuneaton and Bedworth 12

Tamworth 11.1

Kettering 10.8

High Peak 10.6

Redditch 10.6

Cheltenham 9.6

Gloucester 9.4

Table 6: Nearest neighbour analysis for Worcester City fuel poverty figures 2016

11.9 Worcester City Council works in partnership with Act on Energy to provide energy

advice and assistance to households as well as running a number of energy efficiency

schemes focusing on reducing fuel poverty through insulation, boiler replacements and

advice. Worcester City works in partnership with surrounding districts and County

Council to deliver various schemes to improve energy efficiency and reduce fuel poverty

such as a recent external wall insulation Scheme.

11.10 Worcester City Council believes that addressing fuel poverty and energy efficiency

is important to achieving the aims of our corporate plan and Health and Well Being plan

by:-

Increasing prosperity by creating homes where people wish to live in bringing in

valuable skills to Worcester City and enabling households within Worcester City

to have more disposable income by reducing expenditure on fuel

Ensuring out City is Clean, Green and Safe by improving energy efficiencies of

properties and making them safe for vulnerable people to reduce harm caused by

excess cold

26 | P a g e

12. Wyre Forest

12.1 There are 98,000 residents and 43,563 households in Wyre Forest. 76% of these

are owner occupiers, 15% social tenants and 9% private sector tenants. The area has a

mix of ages of properties, with many pre 1919 terraced properties around the main

towns (Kidderminster, Stourport and Bewdley), housing developments from between

1960 to 1980 again around the main towns and a large number of older stock in the

villages and rural areas. There are also around 3000 static caravans in Wyre Forest, of

which 213 are classed as residential.

12.2 The latest government statistics show that 12.5% of Wyre Forest households are in

fuel poverty (using the Low Income, High Cost indicator).

12.3 By comparing the district figure with our nearest neighbours it is possible to see

how the area is performing in terms of levels of fuel poverty compared with similar areas.

Table 7 shows Wyre Forest District has the second highest levels of fuel poverty

compared with similar areas.

Nearest neighbour Proportion of households fuel poor (%)

Newcastle-under-Lyme 12.9

Wyre Forest 12.5

Cannock Chase 12.5

Amber Valley 12.4

Erewash 12.3

Carlisle 12.3

Mansfield 12

Newark & Sherwood 11.5

Bassetlaw 11.4

Gedling 11

West Lancashire 11

Kettering 10.8

Fenland 10.8

High Peak 10.6

South Kesteven 10.6

Chorley 10.6

Table 7: Nearest neighbour analysis for Wyre Forest fuel poverty figures 2016.

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12.4 The majority of the 20,000 Wyre Forest properties that have an Energy

Performance Certificate (EPC) fall into bands C (26%), D (39%) or E (20%). 7% of

properties have an EPC A or B rating (most energy efficient), whilst 8% are rated F or G

(least energy efficient). 11% of private rented sector properties which have already have

an EPC have an F or G rating. Private rented sector energy efficiency regulations

require a minimum E rating for new tenancies from 2018 and for all tenancies from 2020.

About 35% of private rented properties are the pre 1919 terraced houses, compared to

less than 20% of owner-occupied properties.

12.5 The most common category one hazard under the Housing, Health and Safety

Rating System for rented properties is excess cold, particularly in relation to pre 1919

terraced properties and rural solid wall construction houses. The most common

complaints received regarding housing conditions from private tenants are cold and

damp and condensation issues followed by general repairs.

12.6 An estimated 8% of households across the district are not connected to the gas

network, although this figure ranges from 0% to 47% at ward level.

12.7 There are over 1300 households that do not have a central heating system of any

fuel type. Chart 8 shows that the most common central heating fuel other than gas is

electric which includes night storage heaters.

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Chart 8: Heating fuel types excluding gas central heating.

12.8 Excess winter deaths for the district stand at a 3 year average of 19.5% per year.

2.1% (2,324) of patients in the Wyre Forest Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) area

have Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). This is significantly worse than

the England average. COPD, and other respiratory and cardiovascular disease, are

exacerbated by the effects of living in cold, damp homes.

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

No centralheating

Electric(including

storageheaters)

central heating

Oil centralheating

Solid fuel (forexample wood,

coal) centralheating

Other centralheating

Two or moretypes of

central heating

Nu

mve

r o

f H

ou

seh

old

s

Type of Heating System

Wyre Forest Heating Types

29 | P a g e

13. Wychavon 13.1 The district of Wychavon covers 664km2 of the south and eastern part of

Worcestershire and is the largest of the six Worcestershire districts. There are

approximately 51,484 homes in Wychavon. 76.4% are owned compared to 68.7%

nationally; of these 43.5% are owned outright, compared to 42.5% nationally. A further

14.9% are defined as social rented housing (19.3% nationally), 6.5% are privately rented

and 2.2% free of rental. The main social housing landlords are Rooftop Housing Group,

Fortis Living, WM Housing Group, Bromford Housing Group, Sanctuary Housing Group

and Housing 21.

13.2 The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy have recently

released the 2016 fuel poverty statistics based on the Low Income, High Cost indicator.

There was an decrease in fuel poverty between 2015 and 2016 from 12.7% to 10.7%

and from the baseline year 2011 there was a decrease of 1.4%to the latest 2016 figure.

13.3 In Wychavon district the most common central heating fuel after gas is oil central

heating systems. Chart 9. A smaller number of households in Wychavon do not have a

central heating system compared with other Worcestershire districts.

Chart 9. Central heating fuel excluding gas central heating systems.

13.3 When analysing the fuel poverty statistics it is important to look at the districts

nearest neighbours so that we can clearly see how we are performing against areas

similar to ourselves. Our nearest neighbours and their fuel poverty statistics are below:

30 | P a g e

LA Name Proportion of households fuel poor (%)

Malvern Hills 12.6

Wychavon 10.7

Stratford on Avon

10.5

South Somerset 10.2

Babergh 9.8

South Norfolk 9.5

Hambleton 9.4

Stroud 9.4

North Dorset 9

Tewkesbury 8.4

Table 8; nearest neighbour analysis for Wychavon district fuel poverty figures

2016

13.4 Wychavon have been working to address the issue of fuel poverty for a number

years and have had strong actions in place through our Intelligently Green Plan and

Affordable Warmth Strategy as well as linking in to the county work through Warmer

Worcestershire.

13.5 The district council have provided energy advice and support for over 15 years

through our energy advice partners Act on Energy and have run several energy

efficiency schemes ranging from insulation through to boiler replacements. We have

recently worked alongside our District and County partners to deliver a successful

external wall insulation programme.

13.6 As a district we are keen to work even closer with our partners to address the key

issues for Wychavon.

People: healthy, happy, active and supported

Place: green, clean and safe with quality, affordable homes

Prosperity: vibrant communities with quality jobs and skills

All of these issues are key when addressing the issues facing households experiencing

fuel poverty

31 | P a g e

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Action plan 2019-20

Action Responsible organisation

deadline Review date

RAG status

Resource requirements?

Comments Outcomes and measures of success

6 month progress review

Year round planning

Establish data sharing protocol between partners and key stakeholders

Worcestershire County Council

September 2018

March 2019

Red Staff time Specialist knowledge regarding data sharing and data protection

To include information governance , privacy impact statements, process for sign off for data sharing

Plan produced for writing a data sharing protocol and agreed with the Warmer Worcestershire Group Data to be shared identified

Hold a minimum of two Warmer Worcestershire meetings per year to monitor and review the fuel poverty plan

Worcestershire County Council

September/October and March/April

March 2019

Green Staff time, Meeting room booking

Meeting dates planned

Two meeting dates booked Monitor attendance to these meetings

Monitor funding available and

Worcestershire County

Ongoing Review March

Green Staff time

Funding proposals to

Number of funding opportunities

33 | P a g e

proposals to bid for this as a network or individual members.

Council 2019 be sent on email or taken to Project Board meeting. Funding proposals can be

available Number of funding bids submitted Number of successful funding bids.

Identification of households at risk of fuel poverty

Mapping of the latest fuel poverty data by LSOA area to identify areas with higher levels of fuel poverty

Worcestershire County Council

June 2019 September 2019

Green Staff time. Fuel Map completed with the 2016 data. To be updated after new data is released in June 2019.

Identify areas with higher prevalence of specified health conditions such as COPD.

District Councils

March 2019

March 2019

Amber Staff time Identification of target areas from data available.

Data sources identified Key health conditions identified

Single point of contact for health and housing referrals

Procure a single point of contact to deliver these services

District Councils

September 2018

Review March 2019

Amber Staff time and district budget for service

Contracts reviewed annually

Funding identified within each district council. Options for single

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point of contact procurement identified Warmer Worcestershire Project to source single point of contact for the delivery of funded projects

Warm Homes Fund Project- 150 first time central heating

Worcestershire County Council

May 2021 March 2019

Amber Staff time. External capital funding secured

150 households received gas central heating (10-15 heating systems per quarter installed) Savings identified through the completion of EPCs

Emergency Central Heating Offer- Replacement of broken gas boilers

Worcestershire County Council

Began 1st

September 2018

March 2019

Amber Staff time. Promotional material

Funding in place through Act on Energy, promotion needed and take up to be monitored

Number of households receiving a new boiler

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Energy Company Obligation flexible eligibility- grants towards the costs of home energy efficiency measures for vulnerable households

Worcestershire County Council

March 2022

March 2019

Amber Staff time. Promotional activity

Funding in place, promotion needed and take up to be monitored

Statement of Intent published on the Warmer Worcestershire Web site.

Asking residents about keeping warm at home

Identify frontline staff in public and third sector who are best placed to make referrals

All Ongoing March 2019

Amber Staff resource. Engagement with new teams

Key frontline services identified for engagement. Promotion of relevant schemes to these groups.

Set up training/information pack with key points for frontline staff

Act on Energy

September 2019

March 2019

Amber Act on Energy secured funding for some face to face training sessions. Additional funding bid submitted to focus on working with young people and their care

Number of training sessions booked and number of attendees Services areas attending the training sessions Provision of key information online.

36 | P a g e

workers. This would be online and face to face training

Refer residents for additional support services such as Priority Services Register sign up

Act on Energy

June 2019 March 2019

Amber Funding bid submitted to Western Power Distribution Energy Affordability project

Promote sign up to the Priority Services Register

Identify people at risk of cold homes on admission

Fuel poverty to be factored in to the tender specification for support services being procured by Public Health

Worcestershire County Council

December 2018

March 2019

Green Staff time Fuel poverty included within tender specification

Discharge people from health and social care settings to a warm home

Determine if cold homes are already factored in to the discharge plan for the health service.

Worcestershire County Council

September 2018

September 2019

Amber Staff time

Contact NHS emergency planning to confirm process.

37 | P a g e

Previous actions now complete

Completed actions Category

Fuel poverty plan in place Year round planning

Customer service protocol agreed for all Warmer Worcestershire schemes

Year round planning

Age UK Home from Hospital Service addressing patients being discharged to a warm home.

Discharge people from health and social care settings to a warm home

38 | P a g e

Warmer Worcestershire Customer Service Protocol This customer service protocol applies to all organisations/individuals working under the Warmer Worcestershire banner. This includes principal contractors, sub contractors and their labour pool. Customers need you to listen and understand their needs.

Understand that a smile and a friendly attitude can go a long way

Sometimes you may not have the answer, be honest and let the customer know that you

will get back to them within a reasonable timeframe.

The customer needs to be kept informed, so keep in touch throughout the process.

Open dialogue is always the best policy and helps the customer to understand.

Make sure you treat and respect the customer home, leave it clean, tidy and safe.

Exceptional service, leads to happy customers.

Remember, lasting impressions are good for everyone, so go that extra mile.