ALIenergy aims to help families affected by fuel poverty
Local energy charity ALIenergy has started a new, two year project, working with Home Energy Scotland, funded by the Energy Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme – www.energyredress.org.uk. Argyll Energy Advice Service delivers a home energy advice service to households across all of Argyll & Bute. Assistance is available for anyone suffering from fuel poverty with special focus on off-gas households, which are often particularly badly affected by fuel poverty due to reliance on more expensive heating types such as electric heating with punitive restrictive meter tariffs. Households will be supported to access alternative suppliers, meters, or tariffs, implement energy saving measures and behaviours, access schemes and reduce bills using a mix of telephone advice, home visits (as soon as COVID-19 restrictions allow), and dropin events.
Argyll has one of the highest levels of fuel poverty in Europe, due to poor housing, high energy prices, lack of mains gas, low wages, vulnerable demographics, bad weather and exposure. Fuel poverty affects 1 in 3 households across Argyll. The Argyll area is the second largest local authority in Scotland, covering 9% of Scotland, and is particularly challenging: 96% of the area and 45% of its population is classed as ‘remote rural’, tending to fall through policy gaps, and poorly represented in standard household indicators. Many households are isolated or inaccessible and 17% are on 23 inhabited islands. ALIenergy’s Affordable Warmth Advisors are available to help households struggling to meet the cost of heating their home comfortably. Recent cases have seen householders receiving boiler replacements free of charge and hundreds of pounds saved from switching electricity tariffs.
Fuel poverty kills six people in Scotland every day of winter and increased levels of fuel poverty will result in more deaths. In an area like Argyll which is heavily dependent on tourism, hospitality and seasonal work, it’s very likely the knock-on effects of lockdown will see an increased number of households with less income this winter.
“ALIenergy handled every step of the process on my behalf, without them I wouldn’t have received my new boiler, secondary glazing and fridge.” Mrs B, Oban.