Decision details
Fuel Poverty Service
Decision Maker: Director of Public Health
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: No
Decision:
The Director of Public Health has approved the grant allocation of £165,000 from the Public Health Grant to Energy Projects Plus (charity number 1080137) (for the period 1 October 2024 – 30th September 2025) to provide a health and housing trailblazer programme to support residents in fuel poverty and improve the health and wellbeing of Wirral residents. This supports delivery of the Wirral Health and Wellbeing Strategy.
Reasons for the decision:
The on-going rise in
energy prices, and continued cost of living crisis has led to a
sustained increase in the number of households struggling to afford
heat and electricity. The energy crisis has led to a sharp rise in
fuel poverty. Fuel poverty means being unable to heat your home to
a safe and comfortable standard.
Fuel poverty has a detrimental impact on our health and wellbeing.
Fuel poverty can lead to cold homes, chronic damp and mould, and
overheating in summer. It can affect people’s ability to live
a healthy lifestyle, including cooking and washing. This can have a
significant impact on residents’ health and wellbeing, and is
highlighted by Government policy- Sustainable warmth: protecting
vulnerable households in England - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) guidance
identifying a link between cold homes, ill-health, and excess
winter deaths.
This funding provides an opportunity to provide a holistic approach
to tackling fuel poverty through a health and housing trailblazer
programme to reduce the adverse health impacts of extreme
temperatures in homes, be those cold homes in winter or summer
overheating. The programme will ensure the continuation and
expansion of the existing single-point-of-contact provision, along
with expert ‘Energy Buddies’ enabling vulnerable Wirral
residents to keep warm and well at home, reduce their energy bills,
and lower their carbon footprints. It is projected that the
programme will achieve over £200,000 per annum in fuel bill
savings for residents.
Following a workshop with the Adult Social Care and Public Health
Committee in January 2024, and a committee decision in March 2024
on Grant reserve use, this grant funding will focus on evidencing
outcomes that are most important to implementing the
Council’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy priorities and
associated ‘game-changers’.
Alternative options considered:
Various options were explored including different financial models for investment along with the option of not providing any additional investment. These options, although considered, are not recommended as this would risk delivery of local strategic priorities.
Interests and Nature of Interests Declared:
The decision has been taken under Part 3 Section C - Overview and Scheme of Delegations of Authority to Officers as the decision is not reserved to a Committee or Sub-Committee and the Director is satisfied that paragraphs 2(a) to 2(c) apply.
BACKGROUND PAPERS
Wirral Health and Wellbeing Strategy
209_healthandwellbeingstrategy_v9.pdf (wirralintelligenceservice.org)
Publication date: 09/10/2024
Date of decision: 03/10/2024