This document summarizes Richard Davies' presentation to the AGE UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin Annual Conference in 2013 on helping older people insulate themselves from rising energy costs. The presentation discusses the energy trilemma of cost, carbon, and security. It provides statistics on energy spending and fuel poverty in Telford & Wrekin and Shropshire. It also outlines various programs that provide support to help insulate homes and lower energy bills, as well as the health impacts of living in cold homes. The presentation aims to inform attendees about the issue and solutions available.

1. AGE UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin Annual Conference 2013
The Energy Trilemma: Cost, Carbon & Security
How older people can insulate
themselves from rocketing energy costs
Richard Davies MBE

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3. ‘We see nothing truly
till we understand it’
John Constable 1836

8. “It’s endlessly fascinating. From up here one can see the strained worried faces
of mere mortals as they struggle to pay their gas bills.”

9. Good morning!

10. AGENDA
1.
2.
3.
4.
Marches Energy Agency?
‘We need to talk about energy’?
The Energy ‘Trilemma’
What support is out there, and how
can I help?
5. What do we do on Friday?
6. Some inspiration…….?

11. What
have
future
generations
ever done
for us?

12. Mission…
Local sustainable energy ‘Do Tank’.
Honest broker.
Not for profit.
Our mission is to fix unsustainable energy:
1. fuel poverty 2. energy security 3. climate change.
We try to do this in ways that improve places
economically, socially and environmentally.

16. Local Authority
Telford & Wrekin
Total annual domestic Annual Cost
energy spend/£
£/household
Annual Cost
£/person
Total
£1,282
£512
£194,640,674
Shropshire
£85,391,456
£1,501
£636
£280 million
Telford & Wrekin and Shropshire are spending:
£23.3 million per month
£5.4 million per week
£767,000 per day
£32,000 per hour
£8.88 per second……..
During my 35 minutes slot: £18,700

17. £200,000,000 pa
Gas: £252 pa
Elec: £156 pa
Total: £408 pa

19. Some of the Headlines from 14th March 2013
UK ‘woefully unprepared’ for an ageing
population, warns committee
‘A big shift in services is essential so that the
many more older people with long-term
conditions can be well cared for and
supported in their own homes and in the
community and not needlessly end up in
hospital’.
‘Living longer is a blessing and should bring
great benefits’
This debate primarily revolves around health
and social care BUT will this debate include
how those older people can keep warm?

20. The energy tri-lemma

26. Fuel poverty and rurality…. Source NEA
Type of
locality
Urban
Number of
households in
fuel poverty
(thousands)
Total number
of households
(thousands)
% of
households in
this group that
are in fuel
poverty
% of all fuel
poor
households
that are in this
group
2,691
17,414
15.5%
76.1%
Rural – town &
fringe
326
2,033
16.0%
9.2%
Rural –
villages,
hamlets &
isolated
dwellings
520
2,152
24.1%
14.7%
3,536
21,600
16.4%
100.0%
Total

29. Latest DECC Marches Fuel Poverty Statistics Published 16th
May 2013
Locality
2010 % HH’s in FP 2011 % HH’s in FP Ranking out of 325
(previous)
Herefordshire
27.1%
23.7% (-3.4%)
6th (2nd)
Shropshire
25.0%
21.2% (-3.8%)
20th (4th)
Telford & Wrekin
16.7%
12.9% (-3.8%)
202nd (147th)
Source: DECC Sub-Regional Fuel Poverty Statistics
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-energy-climatechange/series/fuel-poverty-sub-regional-statistics

35. George Monbiot

40. Local Authority
Annual cost to the NHS of
cold related ill health
Telford & Wrekin
£4.1 million
Shropshire
£8.0 million
TOTAL
£12.1 million
Total cost:
£1.0 million a month
£1,380 an hour
£23 a minute

41. Health impacts of cold homes……
o Hypothermia
o Increased respiratory illness chronic bronchitis or
emphysema
o Increased blood pressure leading to heart disease
and strokes
o Worsening arthritis and rheumatism
o Increased falls and accidents
o Worsening of long-term medical conditions including
mental health issues
o Poorer nutrition
o Increased admissions to acute services

43. 85% of existing houses will be standing in 2050
Government commitment to reduce emissions by
80% by 2050 (25% of emissions currently from housing).
196,282 homes across Telford & Wrekin and
Shropshire – most do not meet thermal targets.
We need to be retrofitting 5,452 homes a year or 105
per week across T&W and Shropshire.
For Telford & Wrekin and Shropshire this is a
£83
– 113 million per annum market.
Between 2,720 & 3,670 jobs would be created or
supported by this level of investment.

52. Green Deal Basics….

54. The Energy Company Obligation I…..

55. The Energy Company Obligation II…..

58. Home Heating Cost Reduction Obligation

59. Fuel poverty causes
o Low income
o Expensive energy costs
o Energy inefficient homes
o Under occupancy

60. Who can identify fuel poverty?
oAnyone
oYou!
oTrusted, known, knowledgeable
oHow might you spot it?

61. Triggers: What you may SEE?
Outdoors:
o
Severe condensation on windows
o
Curtains kept closed to retain heat
Indoors:
o Mould stains on walls or curtains
o Portable bottled gas or electric heaters
o Heating controls absent / not working / switched off
o Visual evidence that heating appliances are not being used. e.g.
dust on heating elements
o Blocked vents

62. Triggers: What you may SENSE?
o Cold
o Large differences in
temperatures between rooms
o Draughts
o The smell of damp

63. Triggers – What you may HEAR?
o ‘Sorry about the cold.’
o ‘That draught gives me an achy neck.’
o ‘I don’t know how I’m going to pay that
next bill.’
o ‘I just use this room really – that’s all I really need’
o ‘I can’t get rid of this cough.’
o ‘They talk about direct debits but I like this key
meter.’
o ‘I don’t need the heating yet – I’ve got jumpers and
my little heater.’

64. Fuel poverty solutions
o Maximising income - benefit entitlement
checks
o Minimising outgoings - household budgeting
o Draught proofing
o Insulating the home
o Heating controls
o Changing behaviour
o Getting cheaper energy: switching, bulk
buying
o Accessing help e.g. fuel debt……

67. New MEA approach - very significant
opportunity
Agreement signed with Stretton Climate Care
Developing relationships with other core
partners
Seeking ‘light touch’ relationship with many
other groups
“Stretton Climate Care is delighted to join the eco@MEA scheme and
are looking forward to working with them to take advantage of ECO
and Affordable Warmth Funding for people in our community. Being
local, keeping things simple and knowing the people we shall work
with, rather than using some national provider with a distant call
centre, will have many advantages”
Jon Cooke – Chair of Stretton Climate Care – Nov 13

72. “The crisis is in
implementation.”
Kofi Annan, 2002

73. “What we think,
or what we know,
or what we
believe is, in the
end, of little
consequence. The
only consequence
is what we do.”
John Ruskin

75. Telling people to live differently doesn't work. If we are really
to live differently, it will not be as a result of moralising; it
will happen because we want to, and because we come to
reconnect with our environment and the other living things
that make life worthwhile. As psychologists are increasingly
telling us, two emotions dominate modern life: feelings of
emptiness strongly linked with materialism, and feelings of
hope linked to a belief that we can find better ways to live.
Our dependence on nature extends far beyond our
material wellbeing, and informs our sense of meaning at
the deepest level. This sense of meaning will provide a
motivation for us to change the way we live – not because
we are told that we ought to, but because we feel that we
want to.
Jane Kendall 27th February 2008

76. Don’t just stand there, do something!

77. For more information….
Contact: Richard Davies MBE
richard@mea.org.uk
01743 277100
07941 155538