Fuel Poverty Strategy Klaxon

@beisgovuk have just released a new Fuel Poverty Strategy for England. It means a new fuel poverty measure, new guiding principles, and new schemes. More importantly it gives direction to all of us working to end fuel poverty.

A thread

Straight up in the lead in, it is couched in terms of its importance to net zero. This fixes action to end cold homes to one of our greatest challenges - reducing our net carbon emissions to nil.

This is a good move, and is another step towards achieving a just energy transition

A big change in the strategy is the fuel poverty measure. Gone are the days of relative energy costs. Now is the time for an EPC based measure.

Put simply, households with EPC D/E/F/G who have a low income are now captured.

1m more are households lie within this new metric.

The statutory fuel poverty target and associated milestones remain.

This is excellent news - a statutory target gives political impetus to take action, and milestones keep us on the straight and narrow to get there.

Also retained is the "Worst First" principle. Again, great news. Schemes will be designed to help those worst affected by fuel poverty first.

Nobody left behind.

And now to some new funding.

As we knew, the Warm Home Discount and Energy Company Obligation will both be extended to 2026.

What we didn't know is that ECO is increasing in scale, by 50%, to £1bn/year. A nice increase to funding (albeit being collected through bills)

And two centrally funded schemes too. Confirmation that the Home Upgrade Grants scheme, and Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund are central to the Fuel Poverty Strategy

Only one year of funding announced so far. Crucial that @hmtreasury announce future years in the March Budget

And a nod to the Green Homes Grant.

We need urgent clarification about what will happen to the remaining budget of the scheme after March this year.

Lastly there are some very important updates to other guiding principles.

The Vulnerability principle links the strategy to the NICE NG6 guidelines.

The Sustainability principle couples the strategy to net zero.

Both immeasurably important.

That's my first take. A good Fuel Poverty Strategy that should help progress the cause.

New Money
Better Metric
Better guiding principles

We have the strategy. Now is the time to deliver.

Almost forgot - see the strategy for yourself here

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/960200/CCS207_CCS0221018682-001_CP_391_Sustainable_Warmth_Print.pdf