A fuel-poor household cannot afford to keep the home adequately warm at a reasonable cost.
The Government defines this using the low-income high cost (LIHC) indicator.
This means that a household is fuel poor if their fuel costs are above average to be able to heat their home to an adequate standard. If they were to spend that amount, they would be left with a residual income below the poverty line.
Affordable Warmth Strategy
Our Affordable Warmth Strategy provides a five-year framework over which we aim to:
- Reduce fuel poverty
- Help residents of Peterborough to live in a warm, healthy and energy efficient home.
The plan sets out the actions we will take to achieve this ambition.
Strategy objectives
The Strategy has three main objectives:
- Increase energy efficiency
- By providing schemes to increase the energy efficiency of domestic housing
- By providing energy efficiency advice to residents across Peterborough
- Reduce fuel poverty
- By targeting fuel poor households with assistance
- By maximising the income of households in fuel poverty
- By reducing household fuel bills
- Improve health and wellbeing through increasing affordable warmth
- By improving household heating without increasing carbon emissions where possible
- Through crisis intervention for vulnerable people in cold homes, including heating installation and repairs
- With help to prevent people falling into fuel poverty
ECO Flex Eligibility and the Great British Insulation Scheme
The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) is an obligation on energy suppliers. It aims to help households cut their energy bills and reduce carbon emissions by installing energy efficiency and heating measures.
The majority of ECO targets those in, or at risk of, fuel poverty, under the Affordable Warmth obligation. Energy suppliers will be able to achieve up to 50% of their Affordable Warmth obligation by installing energy saving measures in households declared as eligible by local authorities. This 'flexible eligibility' allows local authorities to make declarations determining that certain households meet the eligibility criteria for a measure under the Affordable Warmth element of ECO.
We have updated our Statement of Intent for ECO 4 Flexible Eligibility and the introduction of the Great British Insulation Scheme. The eligibility criteria recognise the circumstances and challenges faced by Peterborough residents during this difficult time and believes the households most at risk of fuel poverty and the effects of living in a cold home will be effectively targeted.
In the longer term, these measures will also reduce carbon emissions of domestic properties in the city. The Great British Insulation Scheme will support the ECO4 scheme in the delivery of predominantly single measures targeted at a wider range of households.
Previous superseded Statements of Intent:
Local Energy Advice Partnership
Visit our Local Energy Advice Partnership page to find information on:
- Local Energy Advice Partnership (LEAP) - a free energy and money saving advice service
- Warmer Homes Scheme - funding to improve energy efficiency of homes through the Home Upgrade Grant (HUG) where the main source of heating is not gas
- Connected for Warmth Insulation Scheme for on-gas properties
- Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) - a scheme to support the least energy efficient homes in the UK, focusing on low-income and vulnerable households
- Local Authority ECO4 Flex Eligibility - for households not on means-tested benefits but in fuel poverty or vulnerable to the effects of living in a cold home