Agenda item

Report of the Director of Housing, Regeneration and Planning. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for  Climate Change and Sustainability]

Cabinet are asked to approved the Haringey Affordable Energy Strategy and the actions/measures within it.  The Strategy has been developed to reduce the increasing number of households who live with the challenges of paying for their energy.  There are approximately 14% of homes that fall into this category for winter heating, and there are an increasing number of homes requiring cooling in summer. This Strategy has been updated following the latest data and feedback from the public consultation.  And reflects the nationally expected increased number of homes in this situation following COVID.

The Cabinet Member Climate Change and Sustainability introduced the report which sought agreement to adopt the affordable energy strategy following public consultation and agreement to a new alignment as a result of COVID-19.

In response to questions from Cllrs Cawley – Harrison and Cllr das Neves, the following information was noted:

• The Cabinet Member had begun work on the strategy as soon as she had taken up post and would ensure that this was a rolling programme.

• The Cabinet Member would ask officers to respond in writing to Cllr Cawley- Harrison to provide information on the actions being taken to ensure that Housing Associations were providing insulation and support for treatment of damp.

• The Council would be working with community organisations that had experience of consulting with hard to reach groups and could act as a conduit to provide awareness of how to access this scheme.

• It was important to work with tenants to help them understand their rights to access this scheme and there would be use of the landlord licensing process as better insulation provided for better quality rented homes.

• The Council would use an incentive approach with landlords, highlighting the risk of Covid 19 and promoting access to the GLA warmer homes scheme which was open for access to funding. The Council would be using the landlord forum to make landlords make aware of funding opportunities and also the risks with Covid 19.

[ Clerk’s note  Cllr Hearn lost connection for less than 5 minutes and the final paragraph was repeated and the Cabinet Member able to vote]

RESOLVED

1. To adopt the revised Affordable Energy Strategy 2020-2025 appearing at

Appendix B of the report

2. To agree to the prioritised actions identified in the “COVID 19 AND THE

AFFORDABLE ENERGY STRATEGY 2020-2025 – PRIORITIES STATEMENT” appended to the Strategy to enable the Council to respond to an increase in fuel poverty this winter.

Reasons for decision

The existing Affordable Warmth Strategy (2009-2019) has now expired. It is

estimated that over 15,000 households in Haringey experience fuel poverty. By

adopting a new strategy Haringey will have a clear way forward to tackle fuel

poverty in the borough and improve the health and wellbeing of its residents.

In November 2019, Cabinet agreed the draft Affordable Energy Strategy for public consultation. The consultation has concluded. Comments have been considered and the strategy amended as appropriate.

The impact of COVID-19 on jobs, incomes and energy use have been considered and it is anticipated that levels of fuel poverty will increase. Priority actions have been identified to enable the Council to react to this situation and support residents.

Approval is sought to adopt the strategy and a COVID-19 impact statement has

been inserted into the document to allow the appropriate actions to be undertaken to support residents struggling to power their homes.

Alternative options considered

Do nothing

The strategy would not be redrafted and released. The Council will have no coherent strategy to improve the circumstances of around 15,000 households living in fuel poverty in Haringey and meet the ambitions of the Borough Plan by driving up the quality of housing for everyone and exploring setting up an alternative local or regional energy savings company(s). And would be failing in its requirement under the Home Energy Conservation Act (HECA).

Do not prioritise actions as set out in the inserted COVID-19 impact statement.

An immediate and targeted response is required to mitigate the effects of

COVID-19 on fuel poor households. This could divert resources and efforts

from where they will be most effective.

Delay finalising the Strategy

The BEIS’s updated Fuel Poverty Strategy for England has been delayed and details of the Home Upgrade Grant Scheme and Social Housing Decarbonisation scheme will not be available until later this year. Again, the GLA are reviewing how their programmes (Warmer Homes and Warm Homes Advice Service) can support an increase in demand and more complex support requirements.

However, there is an urgency to act to ensure fuel poor residents are supported if there is a second wave of COVID-19 in the winter. It is therefore recommended that the strategy is adopted. Consultation documents on the proposed Fuel Poverty Strategy for England were considered when the Affordable Energy

Strategy was drafted. It is therefore unlikely that the new strategy will have a major impact on Haringey’s Affordable Energy strategy. Once publicised the new policies will be reviewed and mitigation measures employed where necessary. If these amendments are major they will be publically reported through the Annual Carbon Report.