Fuel poverty is a huge factor in research taking place by various agencies and companies, all looking for the most cost effective and reliable way to reduce the number of fuel poor households within the UK. But what is fuel poverty?
The current definition of a fuel poor household is when a household spends more than 10% of its income on all fuel use within the home to heat it to an adequate temperature. Fuel poverty is driven by three key influences:
- The energy efficiency of the home
- Energy costs
- Overall household income
In 2001, the government passed legislation to incorporate the reduction of fuel poverty into their energy efficiency targets, and as such, several schemes were introduced to tackle fuel poverty in parallel to improving the energy efficiency of the country.
One of the most popular schemes has been the Energy Companies Obligation (ECO) scheme which has allowed the installation of various energy efficient measures being installed in low income properties, and started in 2013. Different versions of the scheme have been in existence, however the ECO scheme itself is still very much going strong – with a new emphasis being placed upon the insulation of properties.
Insulation is growing in popularity due to the speed in which it can not only be installed, but you can often instantaneously feel the benefit from having it installed. Up to 35% of heat is lost through uninsulated walls and up to 25% of heat is lost through an uninsulated loft. By insulating these areas, it is argued that fuel poverty can be reduced as less is being spent to warm the home due to the heat being retained more efficiently.
Research being undertaken by Leeds Beckett University will be invaluable in the future developments of insulation that can really change the way that we heat and retain the heat in our homes.
Do you qualify for grant funded cavity wall insulation or room in roof insulation? Call Heat IQ now on 01422 244777 to see if we can help.
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