Issue - meetings

-        Fuel Poverty (Catherine Homer to present) (Pages 28 - 45)

-        Dementia (Kate Tufnell to present) (Pages 46 – 64)

The Health and Wellbeing Board considered the following reports and presentations:-

(A)  Fuel Poverty

Further to Minute No. 20 of the meeting of the Health and Wellbeing Board held on 10^th July, 2013, the Board noted that Fuel Poverty and Excess Winter Deaths remain key national priorities and are both indicators contained in the Public Health Outcomes Framework. Fuel poverty levels in Rotherham are higher than the national average and occurs throughout the Borough area, not only in areas of high deprivation.

Catherine Homer, Health Improvement Specialist, gave a presentation about fuel poverty:-

Why is Fuel Poverty a priority?

-          Current definition – when householders need to spend more than 10% of their income to heat their home adequately

-          Causes of fuel poverty: energy efficiency of the property; fuel costs; behaviours and knowledge, characteristics and household income

-          Fuel poverty is a serious problem from three main perspectives – poverty, health and wellbeing and carbon reduction

-          Heat or Eat

-          Cold weather kills – living in a cold home has significant implications on the health and wellbeing of residents across our Borough particularly the most vulnerable

-          People with an existing chronic health condition or disability, the very young or older people are more at risk from the negative impacts of living in a cold home

-          Children living in cold homes are likely to have poorer attendance and attainment in school

The private and social cost of Premature Death and Illness related to Cold Homes

-          Source of evidence

English Housing Conditions Survey

Mental Health and Housing Conditions in England, National Centre for Housing Research 2010

Housing Health and Safety Rating System

-          Economic model mapping cold, damp and mould to probability of harm

-          Probability of harm further mapped to economic and NHS cost

-          Probable this is an underestimate of effect since the model assumes only one person per dwelling

Rotherham

-          Fuel poverty levels above national average (16% of households in Rotherham, compared to 14% nationally)

-          The rise in fuel prices – energy costs have risen 96% since 2004 or an average of £700 over the same period

-          Average of 144 Excess Winter Deaths per year 1990-2010

-          17,800 Council properties have been supported through Carbon Energy Reduction Target (CERT)

-          400 Council properties have received solid wall insulation through CERT

-          1,049 private sector properties have received solid wall simulation through the Community Energy Saving Program (CESP)

-          1,649 non-traditional build properties in the Borough

-          Green Deal including Energy Company Obligation

Strategic Objectives

-          Reduce levels of fuel poverty across the Borough

-          Significantly reduce levels of cold-related illness and excess winter deaths

-          All of Rotherham’s occupied private rented housing stock has an Energy Performance rating of E and above

-          Target all Council stock not improved under Decent Homes because of resident choice

-          Raise awareness of fuel poverty and associated interventions amongst Council staff, partner organisations and householders

-          Meet vision and ambitions set  ...  view the full minutes text for item 30