Can Biomass Help Fight Fuel Poverty?
CROENERGY 2013, Zagreb
Keith Richards & Sophie Pearce
4th October 2013
Communities • Rural & urban
• Large & small
• Wealthy & poor
220 schools
Housing Associations
Estates
International, National & Local
Government
Industry/ commerce Academia
Community
Introduction
• Fuel poverty a part of poverty more generally, resulting in an .......
• Inability to afford fuel to keep warm or to keep cool
• Inability to afford fuel to cook
Northern hemisphere
• Emphasis on keeping warm (Canada and northern Europe in particular although Spain also cited)
• Many countries admit to an issue but .....
• Few countries have a firm definition or understanding of fuel poverty
Definitions
• The UK (historically)and Ireland have definitions of fuel poverty based on the amount of disposable income required to be spent on fuel to keep reasonably warm (more than 10%)
• In France “anyone who meets, in its housing, particular difficulties to have the necessary energy to meet its basic energy needs because of the inadequacy of its resources or of its housing conditions” is deemed to be in fuel poverty
European context
• A group of 5 European countries (UK, France, Italy, Belgium and Spain) are proposing a common definition and action plan
Fuel poverty in the UK (new definition)
• Households living below the ‘poverty line’
• Energy costs that are higher than typical values for their household type
Press reaction
The Department for Energy and Climate Change said a new definition that cut the official number of "fuel poor" families from 3.5m to 2.5m was being introduced to ensure help is "targeted at those who need it most". But critics at the Fuel Poverty Action Group said the Government had "masked an escalating cold homes crisis" by simply redefining the problem.
A new definition for the UK
• More worrying still .....
• DECC also dropped its legal commitment to eradicating fuel poverty where reasonably possible by 2016, but promised a new "framework" that will set goals to tackle the problem.
UK Government Fiscal Incentives
Green Deal
Direct payments
RHI FITs
ECO
Key players in tackling fuel poverty
• Local authorities
• Housing associations
• Private landlords
Utilities
Community groups
Urban/ country comparison
Primary research
Housing Solutions
‘Not trusted’ Retrofitting
Building new homes to high standards
Sovereign Housing Association
Warmer Homes campaign
No Green Deal Considering microgrid biomass
boiler
Retrofitting
ECO
Little way of knowing whether someone is in fuel
poverty
‘Decent homes standard’
Private landlord
Not many impacted by new definition
Green Deal of no use
Already utilised renewable energies
Renewable energy not a seller to tenants
Grants would incentivise
Reading Borough Council
Winter watch
Target those in need by letters and door knocking
Conclude (UK)
• Great scepticism over Government commitment to addressing fuel poverty
• New definition no help
• Finding out who is in real need a major problem
• Each organisation is taking individual actions to help alleviate fuel poverty
• Many energy efficiency actions .....
Hanham hall- Sovereign housing association
• Providing over 60 eco-homes
• Reduce fuel bills • Increase energy
efficiency
Challenge 100
• Tackle fuel poverty for 100 families, in 100 homes in 100 days
• Support and advice to become more energy efficient and therefore lower fuel costs
So ...... can biomass help fight fuel poverty?
Stroud
• Use existing solar PV to
• Lower bills • Greater efficiency
Brixton energy
• Make homes more efficient • Use solar panels to generate power and income • Retrofitting
Biomass/ Woodfuel
• Individual properties too risky to use woodfuel (CO worries, fire risk, health and safety, insurance etc)
• Micogrids and DE schemes in theory of great interest as is
• ESCos to run them • Potentially lower costs as
woodfuel price increases lower than fossil fuels
Energy Service Companies
“ESCo” Design, build & own plant Preventative maintenance
Heat (fuel) supply Extended warranty
Insurance
CAPITAL
OPERATING Customer
Operation Fuel ordering
Ash
RHI payment
Finance Provider(s)
Capital
Operating Charge + Fuel Charge*
Fuel supplier
Fuel Charge
Good news/ bad news
• E on stopping 60+ tariffs
Age UK Fixed 1 year – Our cheapest fixed price plan, specially designed for people aged 60 and over. Protect your prices for 12 months and receive an Age UK winter payment to help with your heating bills in the winter.
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