New research shows social benefits of fuel poverty initiatives

As households across the country face higher energy bills following the latest price cap increase, we’re launching a brand-new piece of independent research by Social Value Lab that unveils the wide-ranging social benefits from initiatives designed to create warmer homes and tackle fuel poverty.

The new report, Creating Value and Warming Homes, reveals that for every £1 invested in programmes like these, £2.31 of social value is generated, creating significant benefits for households, the retrofit sector, the wider economy, the environment, and public services.

Behind this figure are transformational changes that have improved the quality of life for households and delivered positive outcomes for the companies that support the delivery of energy efficiency programmes. This research shows how fuel poverty interventions can:

• Help people be more affordably warm at home, with more than 80% of participants saying their households were warmer and better insulated, and more than half reporting they were spending less on their energy bills
• Support young people to do better at school, with half of families with children saying that having a warmer home contributed to improvements in their children’s educational experience, including better concentration and sleep
• Improve people’s health and wellbeing, with 75% of those surveyed identifying this as a positive outcome from receiving improvements to their home
• Create economic benefits for industry, giving companies involved in the delivery of these programmes financial security. The certainty created by long-term investment allowed nine out of every 10 companies who took part in the research to recruit additional employees and take on more apprentices and trainees

For the first time, this report sets out and quantifies in detail how the process of making homes easier and cheaper to heat also delivers a range of wider social benefits, including reduced public health costs, job creation and training opportunities, and reduced social exclusion.

Jade Hair, a Warmworks customer based in North Lanarkshire, had a new air source heat pump and hot water system installed in her home. She said: “Thanks to the Warmer Homes Scotland scheme, my heating costs have halved. I previously used oil for heating my home and it was very stressful trying to work out how to pay for it as it was very expensive.

“The Warmer Homes Scotland scheme has taken that worry away. My new air source heat pump is great and I now have a consistent heat in my house, which is something I didn’t have before. I have also had up-to-date smoke alarms installed, something I’d have otherwise had to pay for myself.

“The installers were also brilliant. I now have more peace of mind knowing I’m going to be warmer and have less pressure on my finances this winter.”

Read the full report here: Creating Value and Warming Homes