Thursday, 08 February 2024
The number of households in fuel poverty across England is likely to be up to two and a half times higher than the Low Income Low Energy Efficiency (LILEE) indicator states, according to research from a multi-disciplinary group of researchers at the University of Nottingham.
In 2019, the government introduced the LILEE indicator to identify whether a household is fuel poor when measured against two elements:
- Whether people are living in a property with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of D or below; and,
- Whether people are left with residual household income below the official poverty line following energy expenses (including heating, cooking and use of electrical appliances).
To identify potential shortcomings of this metric, researchers conducted a two-part study to analyse fuel poverty and energy insecurity levels in London, with the findings published in Energy Policy.
Torran Semple, study lead and PhD student in the Faculty of Engineering, said: “When LILEE was introduced, the government acknowledged it omits some ‘homes who are unable to afford sufficient energy to keep warm’, which contradicts most definitions of fuel poverty and energy security across the globe."
Given the fact all homes with an EPC rating of A-C are automatically excluded by LILEE, this raised questions for us as to whether its primary function is to measure fuel poverty or encourage energy efficiency upgrades.
Torran continued: "Retrofitting is crucial when it comes to decarbonising our housing stock and providing healthier more comfortable homes. However, it is costly so not always accessible to all as we found in previous work, and only able to reduce bills to some extent. Improving a home’s energy efficiency will help but it isn’t equivalent to eradicating fuel poverty – we need investment in both.”
The first part of the study was a spatial analysis of fuel poverty in the capital, which exposed discrepancies between deprivation and expected fuel poverty levels. In addition, around 171,000 financially vulnerable households (i.e. where the main earner was unemployed or economically inactive) were classed as “not fuel poor” by default due to their EPC rating.
This was followed by a resident survey of 2,886 households in London, which found that around 27% of respondents in EPC A-C rated households were energy insecure, a figure that was only slightly lower than EPC D-G, which came in at around 29%.
Dr John Harvey, Associate Professor based in N/LAB at Nottingham University Business School, said: “One of the most eye-opening takeaways from this research is that there is a significant number of financially vulnerable homes, including those in social housing, that are automatically excluded from current statistics purely because their homes are considered to be energy efficient."
Our findings have shown that the rate of energy insecurity in London is 145%, or two and a half times, higher than the official LILEE fuel poverty rate, highlighting the likelihood that the metric is considerably underestimating the number of households struggling to afford to keep their homes warm.
Torran added: “It’s clear to see that EPC ratings have little impact on energy insecurity and, therefore, should probably be removed from fuel poverty assessments. So, our attention now turns to identifying our own metric that will provide a more accurate representation of England’s fuel poverty levels.
“To do this, we’ll be collaborating with industry to test our ideas against real household data over the next 12 months, which can then be proposed to government as a replacement for LILEE. At a time when the cost-of-living crisis continues to affect thousands of people across the country, it’s never been more important to ensure an accurate metric is in place so effective means of support can be developed and provided.”
To read the paper in full in Energy Policy, click here.
More information is available from Danielle Hall, Media Relations Manager at the University of Nottingham, at email@example.com or 0115 846 7156.
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
Idadi ya watu wanaokabiliwa na umaskini wa mafuta nchini Uingereza inawezekana kuwa mara mbili na nusu zaidi ya kiwango cha kiwango cha chini cha ufanisi wa nishati (LEE) cha mapato ya chini, kulingana na utafiti wa kikundi cha watafiti wa Chuo Kikuu cha Nottingham. "Mwaka 2019, serikali ilianzisha kiashiria cha ""Lile"" ili kutambua ikiwa nyumba ni ya mafuta duni wakati inapopimwa dhidi ya mambo mawili: - Ikiwa watu wanaishi katika mali na kiwango cha cheti cha utendaji wa nishati (EPC) cha D au chini; na - Ikiwa watu wameachwa na mapato ya nyumba ya mabaki chini ya mstari rasmi wa umaskini baada ya gharama za nishati (ikiwa ni pamoja na joto, kupika na matumizi ya vifaa vya umeme)." Ili kutambua mapungufu ya kipimo hiki, watafiti walifanya utafiti wa sehemu mbili kuchambua kiwango cha umaskini wa mafuta na ukosefu wa usalama wa nishati huko London, na matokeo yalichapishwa katika Sera ya Nishati. "Torran Semple, kiongozi wa utafiti na mwanafunzi wa PhD katika Kitivo cha Uhandisi, alisema: ""Liliilianzishwa, serikali ilikiri kwamba inaacha baadhi ya ""nyumba ambazo haziwezi kumudu nishati ya kutosha ili kuhifadhi joto,"" ambayo inapingana na ufafanuzi mwingi wa umaskini wa mafuta na usalama wa nishati duniani kote." Kwa sababu nyumba zote zenye kiwango cha EPC cha A-C zinaondolewa moja kwa moja na LILEE, hii ilitoa maswali kwetu ikiwa kazi yake ya msingi ni kupima umaskini wa mafuta au kuhamasisha uboreshaji wa ufanisi wa nishati. "Torrand alisema: ""Kubadilisha nyumba ni muhimu wakati wa kupunguza kaboni ya nyumba zetu na kutoa nyumba zenye afya na starehe." Hata hivyo, ni gharama kubwa hivyo si daima kupatikana kwa wote kama tulivyoona katika kazi ya awali, na tu uwezo wa kupunguza bili kwa kiasi fulani. "Kupunguza ufanisi wa nishati ya nyumba itasaidia lakini haifai kuondoa umaskini wa mafuta, tunahitaji uwekezaji katika yote mawili. "" Sehemu ya kwanza ya utafiti ilikuwa uchambuzi wa anga ya umaskini wa mafuta katika mji mkuu, ambayo ilifunua tofauti kati ya ukosefu na viwango vya umaskini wa mafuta vinavyotarajiwa." Kwa kuongezea, karibu familia 171,000 zilizo katika hali ya hali ya chini za kifedha (yaani, ambapo mpata mapato mkuu alikuwa ajira au kiuchumi hai) walikuwa classified kama <unk>not mafuta maskini<unk> kwa default kutokana na EPC yao rating. Utafiti uliofanywa kwa nyumba 2,886 huko London uligundua kuwa karibu 27% ya waliohojiwa katika nyumba za EPC A-C walikuwa na ukosefu wa usalama wa nishati, takwimu ambayo ilikuwa chini kidogo tu ya EPC D-G, ambayo ilikuja karibu 29%. "John Harvey, profesa msaidizi wa NLAB katika Chuo Kikuu cha Nottingham Business School, alisema: ""Kila kitu kinachotokea katika utafiti huu ni kwamba kuna idadi kubwa ya nyumba zilizo dhaifu kifedha, ikiwa ni pamoja na zile zilizo katika makazi ya kijamii, ambazo zinaondolewa moja kwa moja kutoka kwa takwimu za sasa kwa sababu tu nyumba zao zinachukuliwa kuwa na ufanisi wa nishati." "Utafiti wa utafiti huo unaonyesha kuwa kiwango cha ukosefu wa usalama wa nishati huko London ni 145, au mara mbili na nusu ya kiwango rasmi cha umaskini wa mafuta ya LILEE, ikionyesha uwezekano kwamba kipimo hicho kinapunguza kwa kiasi kikubwa idadi ya kaya zinazopambana ili kuhifadhi nyumba zao joto. """ "Toran aliongeza: ""Ni wazi kuona kwamba viwango vya EPC vina athari ndogo kwa ukosefu wa usalama wa nishati na, kwa hivyo, labda inapaswa kuondolewa kutoka kwa tathmini za umaskini wa mafuta." Kwa hiyo, tahadhari yetu sasa inageuka kwa kutambua kipimo chetu wenyewe ambacho kitatoa uwakilishi sahihi zaidi wa viwango vya umaskini wa mafuta vya Uingereza. "Kwa kufanya hivyo, tutashirikiana na viwanda kujaribu mawazo yetu dhidi ya data halisi ya kaya katika miezi 12 ijayo, ambayo inaweza kupendekezwa kwa serikali kama mbadala wa LILEE. """ Wakati ambapo mgogoro wa gharama za maisha unaendelea kuathiri maelfu ya watu kote nchini, haijawahi kuwa muhimu zaidi kuhakikisha kipimo sahihi kiko mahali ili njia bora za msaada ziweze kutengenezwa na kutolewa. Kwa maelezo zaidi, tafadhali wasiliana na Danielle Hall, Mkurugenzi wa Mahusiano ya Vyombo vya Habari katika Chuo Kikuu cha Nottingham, kwenye barua pepe: @example.com au 0115846756 Chuo Kikuu cha Nottingham ni chuo kikuu cha kwanza katika Ulaya na cha 16 katika Uingereza kulingana na QS World University Rankings: Ulaya 2024, na ni mwanachama mwanzilishi wa Russell Group ya vyuo vikuu vya utafiti. Kujifunza katika Chuo Kikuu cha Nottingham ni uzoefu wa kubadilisha maisha, na tunajivunia kufungua uwezo wa wanafunzi wetu. Tuna roho ya upainia, iliyoonyeshwa katika maono ya mwanzilishi wetu, Sir Jesse Boot, ambayo imetupata tukiwa viongozi katika kuanzisha vyuo vikuu nchini China na Malaysia - sehemu ya mtandao wa kimataifa wa elimu, utafiti na ushiriki wa viwanda. Nottingham ilipewa taji la Chuo Kikuu cha Michezo cha Mwaka na The Times na Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 - mara ya tatu imekuwa ikipewa heshima hiyo tangu 2018 - na na Mwongozo wa Chuo Kikuu cha Daily Mail 2024. Chuo kikuu cha Oxford ni moja ya vyuo vikuu bora nchini Uingereza kwa nguvu ya utafiti wetu, nafasi ya saba kwa nguvu ya utafiti nchini Uingereza kulingana na REF 2021. Kama mahali pa kuzaliwa kwa uvumbuzi kama vile MRI na ibuprofen, uvumbuzi wetu hubadilisha maisha na kushughulikia matatizo ya kimataifa kama vile ugavi endelevu wa chakula, kumaliza utumwa wa kisasa, kuendeleza usafiri wa kijani, na kupunguza utegemezi wa mafuta ya mafuta. Chuo kikuu ni mwajiri mkubwa na mshirika wa tasnia - ndani na ulimwenguni - na wahitimu wetu ni wa pili zaidi kulenga na waajiri wa juu wa Uingereza, kulingana na Soko la Wahitimu katika ripoti ya Highflyers ya 2022. "Tunaongoza mpango wa ""Vyuo Vikuu vya Nottingham"" kwa kushirikiana na Chuo Kikuu cha Nottingham Trent, ushirikiano wa upainia kati ya taasisi mbili za kiwango cha ulimwengu ili kuboresha viwango vya ustawi, fursa, uendelevu, afya na ustawi kwa wakazi katika mji na mkoa tunajivunia kuwaita nyumbani."