A report is being prepared and three pilot studies are underway which will give focus and provide information about this essential rural issue.
Dispersed housing patterns and the nature of the rural housing stock mean rural areas face a major challenge when it comes to alleviating fuel poverty. We are working with the Commission for Rural Communities and local authority members to trial a range of special approaches and rural solutions. We will seek to provide quarterly progress bulletins. We believe that joined up thinking (including across service providers) can be of considerable value in tackling this extremely difficult and complex problem.
We are working for the Commission for Rural Communities on this huge issue.
To view the interim report click here
Survey work is now being undertaken as Phase 2 of this work in Durham, the East Riding of Yorkshire and in Shropshire. We will keep these pages updated as that work becomes available.
It is our strong view that rural fuel poverty will be increasing problem. It is more difficult to deal with because of rural dispersement patterns and rural housing characteristics.
We also believe that fuel poverty is a contributor in relation to many rural health issues and also limits the economic potential of many rural enterprises because it is so demanding of the purse of many rural people.
We do feel the problem is understated.
The study we are undertaking with the CRC is really important but can only be a start. We hope it will lead on to a wider study when this key rural problem can be examined in detail under the national microscope.
Below we set out some interesting documentation and information that we have compiled to date.
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