Yorkshire families face fuel poverty

One Yorkshire’s resounding win

ENERGY: Families in Yorkshire are a fifth more likely to be in fuel poverty than those in London and the South-East, according to a study published today.

Analysis by IPPR North shows that 12.3 per cent of households in the North are suffering from fuel poverty – living on a lower income in a home which cannot be warmed at reasonable cost.

FAMILIES IN Yorkshire are a fifth more likely to be in fuel poverty than those in London and the South-East, according to a study published today by a leading think-tank.

New analysis by IPPR North shows that on average, 12.3 per cent of households in the North are suffering from fuel poverty, defined as living on a lower income in a home which cannot be kept warm at reasonable cost.

The rate is as high as 13.3 per cent of households in the North-East, 12.4 per cent in Yorkshire and the Humber and 11.8 per cent in the North-West, compared with a national average of 11 per cent.

The think-tank described a North-South divide when it comes to fuel poverty, with only 10.1 per cent of households in London considered fuel-poor and just 9.4 per cent in the South-East.

It says badly insulated homes are a key cause of spiralling fuel bills and lead to ill health, particularly among the elderly and most vulnerable, but that Big Six energy companies have little incentive to install energy efficiency measures.

IPPR North argues that the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) funding currently given to the energy giants should instead be devolved to local authorities and city mayors to fund local initiatives to boost energy efficiency and cut fuel bills.

The recently published Northern Energy Strategy set out a plan to develop an energy system which meets the needs of all consumers, lowering prices to support those living in fuel poverty.

The director of IPPR North Ed Cox said: “Fuel poverty is a scandal which harms individuals, communities, and results in a significant cost to the public purse. It is yet another dimension of the North-South divide blighting our nation.

“We are not looking for handouts though. Instead, we need a local energy revolution in the North of England in order to tackle disproportionately high levels of fuel poverty in our region.

“As part of our wider Northern Energy Strategy, the Government should devolve money currently wasted by the big energy giants to city mayors who can drive local campaigns for energy efficiency.”

Last month, new research suggested that more than 100,000 people in the region will not have the cash to meet basic living expenses as winter starts to bite.

Charity National Energy Action has calculated that families in fuel poverty could be up to £778 per month (£9,331 a year) short of money needed to pay for the basic essentials, including energy.

The charity, which has flagged up concerns over the impact of the rollout of Universal Credit, the Government’s flagship welfare reform, said people were already making stark choices – turning off the heating for the entire winter, with children eating just one meal a day – or building up ever-greater debts.

A Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy spokesman said: “The Government is committed to tackling fuel poverty, which is why we’re providing £770m worth of support to help reduce the fuel poverty gap. The ECO: Help to Heat scheme will upgrade the energy efficiency of more than 300,000 homes per year – tackling the root cause of fuel poverty – with nearly half of all ECO measures since 2013 installed in the North and Scotland. The Warm Home Discount will provide two million low-income households with £140 off their winter energy bills. This winter, five million of the most vulnerable customers will also benefit from being protected for the first time by a safeguard tariff cap on their bills.”

We need a local energy revolution in the North of England. Ed Cox, director of IPPR North.

BY PUTTING their trust in the people, the leaders of Doncaster and Barnsley Councils have been rewarded with an emphatic endorsement of the One Yorkshire devolution deal that they, and many others, have been trying to broker.

It is a significant vote of confidence. Not only did the landslide result exceed 80 per cent of voters endorsing this option over the Sheffield City Region model that takes effect next May, but turnout exceeded that of several national Parliamentary by-elections and South Yorkshire’s first two polls to elect a police and crime commissioner.

And, because the outcome was so clear-cut, it makes it difficult for Sheffield and Rotherham Councils, and the Government, to ignore it – those polled believe that their future interests are best served by the whole county pooling its collective and considerable strengths, expertise and leadership.

It certainly means One Yorkshire advocates can move forward with greater confidence and build on this momentum when Dan Jarvis, the influential and much-respected Barnsley MP, leads a Parliamentary debate on January 9. It will be interesting to see if other councils look to hold similar votes – Yorkshire simply can’t afford another year of devolution drift and dither if it’s not to lose vital ground to rival regions.

Equally the olive branch offered by Communities Secretary Sajid Javid does need to be explored further. Though he hinted that he would be amenable to Doncaster and Barnsley combining with councils in West, North and East Yorkshire if they so desired – the so-called ‘coalition of the willing’ – it requires full agreement and could take years of haggling to achieve.

One sensible way forward is for the Sheffield City Region deal, which the Government is committed to, being the precursor to full Yorkshire devolution within two years. If agreement can’t be reached, put it to the voters – it’s their future prosperity, after all, that’s on the line.