Fuel Well 3 applications open

The Fuel Well scheme has already helped over 10 000 Dundee households with their energy costs and has now reopened to new applications.

So far the third phase of Fuel Well Dundee has funded just under £1 million to support people on a low income or who are already experiencing fuel poverty with energy costs.

It also provides a range of energy and debt advice, help with income maximisation and employability support.

Now the scheme is opening up to additional households who have not received a Fuel Well grant in the past 12 months.

Run by Dundee City Council, Scarf (Part of the Home Energy Scotland network) and Dundee Citizens Advice Bureau, the scheme reopened last Friday - 10th February - and will help :

• Single people and couples without children, who will receive a £100 award; and

• Households with children, who will receive a £150 award.

As well as the original focus on low-income families, this time there is a recognition that as the cost of living crisis continues to bite there is an opportunity to extend help to new families (both those in work or out of work) who fall into any of the categories below :

• Spending 10% or more of their total household income on heating their home.

• Struggling to deal with unmanageable debt alongside higher energy costs.

• Dealing with a disability or long-term health condition that means they spend more money on heating their home.

• Have seen their housing costs and energy costs rise to levels where they are having to take on long term debt or are in danger of missing rent or mortgage payments.

Full details of the revised eligibility and how to apply can be found on the council website at www.dundeecity.gov.uk/service-area/corporate-services/customer-services-and-it/fuel-well-dundee

As well as these direct payments, the scheme can help with short, medium and longer-term support from fuel advisers and welfare rights advisers. Information and assistance on how to apply for a Warm Home Discount application is also available.

Fuel Well advisers will also offer support in other areas of financial inclusion including energy advice, a benefits check and debt advice; where appropriate, consideration of referral for Discretionary Hardship Payments or to the council’s Hardship fund; and crisis grants and community care grants advice.

Helping tackle fuel poverty for older people across Dundee

The Evening Telegraph recently ran an important article that highlighted concerns that hundreds of older people in Dundee are missing out on thousands of pounds of benefits to help with fuel poverty this winter.

New statistics from the charity Independent Age has found 1 145 older people in Dundee West are missing out on approximately £160 000 by not taking up the UK Government’s warm home discount scheme.   This includes folk in the West End and I am anxious to highlight this important issue.

You can read the article here - it is particularly useful as it lists a number of benefits are older people entitled to.

I am always keen to speak with any constituent with fuel poverty or benefits entitlement concerns and can be contacted at fraser@frasermacpherson.org.uk or just call me at home on 459378 - always here to help.

Tackling fuel poverty

It is estimated that 4.5 million households are now in fuel poverty, according to Ofgem. As wholesale prices of both oil and gas continue to soar, it is almost inevitable that more price hikes for consumers are on the way. In 2001, the Labour Government pledged to eradicate fuel poverty by 2010, yet it has in fact increased, leaving the Government’s target in tatters and millions facing a fuel price crisis.

The Liberal Democrats have launched a fuel poverty package to tackle this crisis. The key points are :

* Making energy companies invest £500m a year into a rolling programme to make sure homes are properly insulated

* Requiring energy companies to roll out social tariffs to over two million vulnerable customers

* Installing smart meters, which display consumption costs, rather than conventional meters

Vince Cable had an excellent article on tackling fuel poverty, published in the Independent last Thursday - you can read more by clicking on the headline above.

Fuel poverty issue raised in the Scottish Parliament

Full marks to the Scottish Parliament - on Thursday it passed a Liberal Democrat motion urging a holistic approach to tackling fuel poverty - and all credit to Liberal Democrat Energy spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP who has championed the issue. As Liam McArthur has said,

"Over 650,000 households in Scotland are considered fuel poor. The situation is serious and, without urgent action, likely to get still worse. I am delighted therefore that we have achieved consensus across the parliament.

"Liberal Democrats will now look to the Scottish Government to take forward the proposals in our motion, particularly the one-stop-shop approach to tackling fuel poverty and the re-establishment of the Fuel Poverty Forum. The Scottish Government must also heed the parliamentary majority in favour of local tax rebates as incentives for householders to install microgeneration packages.

"I am certain that many thousands of Scottish families struggling to cope with rocketing energy prices will join me in welcoming this positive result."

You can read more from the parliamentary record of Thursday's proceedings by clicking on the headline above.

While household fuel prices have risen by six times the rate of inflation over the past year, power companies’ profits have risen by 500 per cent. For every 5 per cent increase in fuel prices it is estimated that 40,000 more Scottish households become fuel poor, while almost 3,000 deaths a year are linked to living in cold, damp housing. So let's see some concrete action from our parliamentarians on this issue and - as the debate at Holyrood highlighted - the need for a one-stop-shop approach to tackling fuel poverty and the re-establishment of the Fuel Poverty Forum.