Affordable Warmth Scheme

Hull City Council used its Household Support Fund (HSF) allocation to help households with the cost of living, particularly around food and home energy costs, in different settings, and in collaboration with a number of external partners. This case study outlines how the Affordable Warmth scheme helped residents reduce their energy use and also had further social outcomes. We worked with local boiler company Ideal Heating to secure social value funding to complement HSF, and charity National Energy Action (NEA) who worked with us on a part-commercial, part in-kind basis, providing free training for Hull Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) groups who support residents experiencing or at risk of fuel poverty.

Working across multiple service areas and with the local VCS infrastructure organisation, Forum, we ran a grants scheme for VCS organisations to fund affordable warmth activities.  VCS groups were incentivised to undertake the NEA-accredited training in fuel poverty advice, and also incentivised to run their activities at times when other local facilities were less available, such as when the council libraries were shut. 34 organisations across the city, working with different client groups, received grants of £2,000 to £12,000, and activities ran from October to March.  The VCS groups chose what would work best for their target demographic regarding affordable warmth.  One supporting older people ran board games sessions in a Warm Space and gave out slow cookers. One assisting refugees bought warm clothing and held culturally appropriate food and film evenings. Over 6,000 households benefited over the winter, and with some households comprising multiple individuals, and many benefitting multiple times, the impact was huge. Using familiar settings and trusted partners meant that many households received fuel poverty advice informally when they accessed a Warm Space, participated in activities, or received goods to help reduce their home energy consumption. Many were signposted to further support and advice, meaning their long-term situation improved, as they accessed services and benefits they were eligible for. Some residents may never have approached the Council for support, either because of the formality of approaching the Council, or a possible sense of stigma, whereas they felt comfortable using familiar community facilities, for example their mosque, centre for deaf people, or local community centre. Below are pseudonymised case studies highlighting the difference the Affordable Warmth scheme has made to residents.