Fuel Poverty in South Cambridgeshire

Fuel poverty is defined as when people spend more than 10% of the household's disposable income on fuel costs to heat their homes sufficiently. (Affordable warmth is the converse of fuel poverty)

It is estimated that there are at least 10,600 households at risk of fuel poverty in the South Cambridgeshire District Council area. Those who suffer from fuel poverty are unable to afford fuel to make sure that they are warm enough, particularly in winter.

Fuel poverty often leads to poor health, especially in the very old, very young and the disabled. Each winter there are over 40,000 additional deaths compared to the average mortality rate for the rest of the year.

South Cambridgeshire District Council response to Fuel Poverty

South Cambridgeshire District Council recognises that alleviating fuel poverty is a well-being issue, and that it is in the authority's interest to do all it can to facilitate effective measures. This will also assist us in achieving our objectives under the Home Energy Conservation Act, Local Agenda 21, and wider environmental, economic development and health issues.

The authority is developing partnerships to alleviate fuel poverty and in particular local partnerships are being developed with the South Cambridgeshire Primary Care Group.

More information on fuel poverty can be found from Cambridgeshire Health Authority at www.cambridgeshire.nhs.uk. (This link will open in a new window)

Some of the ongoing work is to ensure that our own housing programmes addresses fuel poverty and energy inefficiency affecting our tenants, and ensuring through partnership and publicity activities, that owner occupiers and private rented tenants secure their full share of the increased help available through New HEES and other programmes which help to address fuel poverty.

The Authority has produced a report on Tackling Fuel Poverty for 1999/2000 which contains more details.