Data Visualisation & Jumpers!

Fuel Poverty Advisory Group

As part of BERR (Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform), the Fuel Poverty Advisory Group has produced annual reports and other publications that approach the issue of fuel poverty in quite serious depth.

The role of the Group is:

• To consider and report on the effectiveness of current policies in delivering reductions in fuel poverty and the case for greater co-ordination
• To identify barriers to the delivery of reductions in fuel poverty and to the development of effective partnerships, and propose solutions
• To consider and report on any additional policies needed to deliver the Government’s targets
• To enthuse, and encourage, key players to tackle fuel poverty
• To consider and report on the results of the work to monitor fuel poverty

Their latest annual report offers considerable resource/research potential and be downloaded through the below link:
Fuel Poverty Advisory Group (for England): sixth annual report 2007

Sustainable housework?

How about a naturally powered sustainable rotary system for drying washing, it has a zero-carbon footprint, zero maintenance and operating costs and has an unlimited capacity (well, almost).  It’s called a washing line…

Human Insulation?

A more achievable solution maybe?

Knitting lessons = insulated body temperature = lower energy use in heating (space heating + biological) = possible source of income?



....two birds with one wooly stone?


My Nan used to suppliment her pension by selling knit wear...as far as I know, she always managed to pay the bills ^_^

Scientific Solution?

A facinating video about a heating system which produces more energy than that which is put in!

Sustainable Environment Strategy

BBC News Clips

Tennants And Residents Alliance (TARA)

It may be worth contacting this group once we have picked a site to study, they may have a tennants group like the ones mentioned here.

How Fuel Poverty Affects Vunerable Members of Society

PM's energy efficiency package "a slap in the face" for the fuel poor

" Reacting to today’s announcement by the Prime Minister of a new energy saving package, ACE has described it as falling well short of what’s needed to deliver the much-needed step change in the energy efficiency of our homes.

In particular ACE has accused the Government of failing those in greatest need of help. At least 4.5 million households still suffer from the scourge of fuel poverty – and Jenny Holland, ACE’s Parliamentary Co-ordinator, says that today’s announcement is nothing but a “slap in the face” for them.

She explained: “Earlier this year the Government defied its own official advisers and slashed £200 million from the 2008-11 budget for Warm Front, its main fuel poverty programme. The Prime Minister is misleading us by announcing a £74 million ‘increase’ in the Warm Front budget, when in fact he is not even restoring his earlier cut.“We have long argued that the Government is failing in its legal duty to eradicate fuel poverty. Today’s announcement has done nothing to change our view. We are urgently calling for the Government to set up an Inter-Ministerial Taskforce to kick-start a proper, co-ordinated approach to ending fuel poverty.”

While welcoming the new £910 million of investment by energy suppliers in more energy efficiency measures for households, ACE is calling on the Government to put its hand in its own pocket to stop our homes leaking heat through their roofs, walls and windows.

Alongside other leading charities and consumer groups, ACE recently signed a Fuel Poverty Charter, which calls for an extra £3 billion to be spent each year to make our homes as energy efficient as possible. Today’s announcement of roughly £350 million extra a year falls well short of what’s needed to bring about this much-needed step change in the energy efficiency of our homes. "

~Association for the Conservation of Energy (ACE)-11 September 2008.

What is Fuel Poverty (FP)?

"A household is said to be in fuel poverty if it needs to spend more than 10% of its income on fuel to maintain a satisfactory heating regime (usually 21 degrees for the main living area, and 18 degrees for other occupied rooms). Fuel poverty is caused by the interaction of a number of factors, but three specifically stand out.

These are;

1. The energy efficiency status of the property.


2. The cost of energy.


3. Household income.

To tackle fuel poverty the UK Government and Devolved Administrators believe that no single measure is sufficient. The 2007 Fuel Poverty Annual Report updates progress on the range of programmes and measures that have been put in place. This includes;

• Programmes to improve energy efficiency.


• Maintaining the downward pressure on fuel bills, ensuring fair treatment for the less well off, and supporting industry initiatives to combat fuel poverty.


• Continuing action to tackle poverty and increase incomes."

~Department for Business Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (BERR).