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