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Click HereBlackburn’s Fuel Poverty Toolkit
Thursday 30th November 2023 is National Energy Action’s Fuel Poverty Awareness Day (FPAD), a day dedicated to raising awareness for fuel poverty in the UK. Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council is dedicated to helping the local residents tackle fuel poverty.
That’s why we are hosting two free events; one in Blackburn and one in Darwen.
Both events take place on Thursday 30th November and will offer a range of advice and support about fuel and energy costs this winter. Join us at Darwen Market between 9:30am-12:00 or at Blackburn Market between 1:00pm-4:00pm.
In this article, we highlight the wide range of resources available to help local authorities, health and third-sector partners work together to reduce fuel poverty in Blackburn with Darwen and beyond. We also share some key resources available to help residents tackle fuel poverty.
The energy crisis has now been ongoing for more than two years and shows no signs of improving any time soon. As of 1st October 2023, 6.3 million households in the UK are in fuel poverty. This means more than 6.3 million families cannot afford to heat their homes, a problem that is significantly more worrying as winter draws closer.
When the energy crisis began in 2021, a fifth of all households in Blackburn with Darwen were in fuel poverty, according to statistics from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
BeWellBwD is Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council’s Public Health website. The BeWellBwD Fuel Poverty Toolkit offers a selection of resources.
Fuel Poverty Explained
The Fuel Poverty Explained series from BeWellBwD offers a handful of articles that explain what fuel poverty is, how it is measured and why the “fuel poverty gap” is important. You can also learn about how fuel poverty impacts the health and wellbeing of those affected.
The Fuel Poverty Explained series also highlights who is most impacted by fuel poverty, including single-parent households and people on lower incomes. You can find key statistics about fuel poverty, including fuel poverty in Blackburn with Darwen, within the Fuel Poverty Explained series.
Impacts Of Fuel Poverty
The Impacts of Fuel Poverty series from BeWellBwD offers a handful of articles that outline the major impact fuel poverty has on the health and wellbeing of Blackburn with Darwen residents.
You can find out which vulnerable groups are at higher risk of falling into fuel poverty, including people with disabilities and pregnant women. Similarly, we explain how different areas of an individual’s life are impacted by fuel poverty, including physical health, mental health, education and housing.
The Impacts of Fuel Poverty series also provides information on the health risks of living in a cold home whilst highlighting the stark reality of excess winter deaths.
Fuel Poverty in Blackburn with Darwen
In 2019/20, before the energy crisis took hold, 36.5% of children in Blackburn with Darwen were living in poverty and an estimated 9,922 households in the borough were already experiencing fuel poverty. Unfortunately, food poverty is also a significant issue in Blackburn with Darwen.
Statistics show that some areas of Blackburn with Darwen are amongst the top 10 most deprived areas in England. Find out more about fuel poverty in Blackburn with Darwen here.
Policy Drivers
The Policy Drivers section of our Fuel Poverty Toolkit collates the key national and devolved policies that are currently aiming to address the drivers of fuel poverty. This includes the Government Fuel Poverty Strategy, the Energy Company Obligation (ECO), the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) and the Home Energy Conservation Act among others. It also includes the Blackburn with Darwen Health and Wellbeing Strategy, which looks at addressing poverty in the borough.
Tackling Fuel Poverty
The Tackling Fuel Poverty series from BeWellBwD offers a number of articles that provide information on how to take action to reduce fuel poverty in Blackburn with Darwen and surrounding boroughs.
It highlights the UK government’s current strategic approach to tackling fuel poverty, including the key eight areas.
The Tackling Fuel Poverty series also offers a range of information on the importance of being energy efficient. It includes tips for residents to help their household become more energy efficient, such as avoiding unnecessary heat loss, improving insulation, replacing the boiler and switching to smart heating controls.
Residents can also find information on reducing energy prices and getting help with their energy bills. The Energy Prices article offers information on switching suppliers and the grants/benefits that may be available to help with energy bills, including the Winter Fuel Payment.
The Income maximisation and Low Income article share information on where to get help further help on benefits and debt.
Referral Pathways
The referral pathways section provides clear information on where Blackburn with Darwen residents and local organisations can make a referral or go for help. It features a range of useful contact details for various organisations that may be able to help residents experiencing fuel poverty.
Reach Out To BeWellBwD
If you would like to discuss anything we have explored in this article, whether it be to get advice on fuel poverty, or to be signposted to the right support for you, feel free to get in touch with a member of our team!
You can reach us today by calling 01254 585570 or emailing publichealthadmin@blackburn.gov.uk.
If you find yourself under financial stress, help is available. Check out our Financial Wellbeing article to find organisations currently offering support in Blackburn with Darwen.