Your computer can read this out loud
Aim: Work to cut down climate change at world and local levels.
Using less energy is the best way to cut carbon dioxide emissions [dangerous gas that gets into the air]. This helps to stop climate change. It also helps to make our energy supplies last longer. So we do not have to get so much from other countries.
Saving energy is at the centre of the Government’s Climate Change Programme.
Tackling fuel poverty is very important. Saving energy is one of the best ways to cut fuel bills. It can help people to afford to heat their homes.
Fuel poverty can be because of things like:
people’s wages; 
the condition of homes; and 
the price of fuel.
Dealing with the problem is not easy. Different groups and people need to help. The group in charge is the new Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC).
Some of the other groups helping in this are:
Action to make disability equality better There are ideas for saving energy in the home. Full details are in the UK Energy Efficiency Action Plan 2007.
Winter Fuel payments are run by the DWP. These payments help pensioners – both non-disabled and disabled.
New houses have to use energy better. They must have lower carbon dioxide emissions. This means they are easier and cheaper to heat.
One of the main aims is to make buildings airtight. So less energy is used to heat or cool them. But some disabled people have breathing problems. So, good ventilation [let fresh air in] is very important. Also damp homes can make people ill. So homes need to keep out rain and stay dry inside.
There are over 2 million homes in fuel poverty in England. A lot of these have children, old or disabled people living there.
As fuel prices go up and wages do not, this will get worse. Another 1 million homes could be in fuel poverty by the end of 2008.
The Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) is helping with saving energy in homes.
In September 2008 the Prime Minister said about more help. Ways to save energy in homes. Things like:
loft insulation [putting material in to stop heat escaping]; and 
using low energy light bulbs.
The Home Energy Saving Programme has £1billion to spend. It will show families without a lot of money how to use less energy. Energy suppliers will spend an extra £910 million to help.
Energy suppliers have energy saving targets called CERT. They must help people to save energy in their homes. They can help people to:
put insulation in their homes; 
use low energy light bulbs; 
use the sun to heat water; and 
use the wind to make electricity.
Energy suppliers can choose how to meet their targets.
Suppliers must aim nearly half of their energy savings at a Priority Group. This Priority Group is for homes that have people who are getting 1 or more of these:
council tax benefit 
Energy suppliers are expected to spend £3.4bn on their CERT targets. About half of this should be spent on the Priority Group.
Action to make disability equality better Suppliers will be expected to carry on this work. To keep to their CERT targets until at least 2020.
Energy suppliers can help low income homes in fuel poverty. For example - wall insulation.
Ofgem is the group that checks electricity and gas prices in Great Britain. Part of their job is to make sure suppliers meet their targets. This includes those for the Priority Group. Between 2002-2005 and 2005-2008 suppliers did better than their targets.
We want to end fuel poverty for disabled people by 2010. And for other people by 2016. To help, Defra set up the Warm Front Scheme. This is now run by the DECC.
The Warm Front Scheme is for people on low income or disability benefits. It pays for energy and heat saving in the home.
The following shows what help was given between 2005-2008.
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Attendance Allowance (AA) are paid for by the DWP. These benefits mean you could get help from the Warm Front Scheme.
The table below shows how many people the scheme has helped. It also shows how many of these were claiming DLA or AA.
| Scheme Year | Number helped | Those on DLA or AA |
|---|---|---|
| 2005-2006 | 114,595 | 44,531 |
| 2006-2007 | 253,078 | 104,013 |
| 2007-2008 | 268,900 | 109,424 |
| Total | 636,573 | 257,968 |
The number of disabled people in this group getting help has gone up a lot since 2005. These figures do not include disabled people who do not receive DLA or AA.
Since 2005 the Warm Front Benefit service has helped around 4,500 disabled people. It has found out that they could claim DLA or AA.
People can talk to an advisor [person who can help]. Or they can fill in a form. They are told how to claim their benefit. The advisor will work with the DWP to get the help needed.
The table below shows how many people the service has helped. These were all people who had not been getting benefits that were due to them.
| Scheme Year | Number helped to claim DLA or AA |
|---|---|
| 2005-2006 | 395 |
| 2006-2007 | 2,144 |
| 2007-2008 | 1,940 |
| Total | 4,479 |
We cannot show the number of homes getting help by the different priority groups. But DECC will work with other groups to get more details. To make sure they help disabled people.
The Warm Front Benefit service wants to find out what customers think. This will help to make the service better.
They want to find out things like:
how many of the people told to claim benefits do; and
why others do not claim 
The Warm Front Scheme has information in different formats. It also uses local radio stations and local events. It also works with groups aimed at disabled and elderly people.
Warm Front Scheme work aimed at disabled people:
Work with Motability – a charity with around 200,000 members. We post information to their members every year.
In Leeds a special leaflet was sent to people with bad lung problems.
Work with East Sussex Association for the Blind. Members get information in different ways – like local radio and newspapers. Also get our newsletter in formats that are accessible [usable by disabled people]. This began in January 2007. It will carry on for 2008-2009.
The Warm Front Scheme has helped to fit better controls to heating systems. This makes them easier for disabled people. For example -
Central heating controls and displays that:
are bigger and brighter; 
have big numbers and writing; and 
have markings that you can touch and feel. 
Thermostat [where you control the heat level] radiator controls fitted at the top of radiators. This makes them easier to reach.
Warm Front can supply radio controlled thermostats for heating systems. They can be fitted to wheelchairs. So users can control the heat from anywhere in the house.
People need to change the way they think about the energy they use. Help and information is important. It should be usable by everyone.
The Energy Saving Trust is a group that gives free advice. Defra pays the Energy Saving Trust to do this work. But it does not tell it what to say. Help given by:
accessible website; 
telephone;
leaflets; 
and posters.They also:
work in local areas; 
display information; 
Their leaflets are available in other formats.
Their advice centres work with local councils. To help disabled people and people at risk in their areas.
Government departments also help people to think about energy saving. An example is the recent Road Tax change. Hopefully it will make people buy smaller cars. Ones that are less damaging to the air. We realise that some disabled people need larger cars. If they get certain benefits they do not have to pay Road Tax.
We need companies to stop making things that waste energy. This can be done by setting standards [level of work that is OK] for companies when they make things. These standards are being set by the European Union.
It has been agreed that old style light bulbs waste energy. They are being replaced by new low energy bulbs. The change should be finished by 2011. This could cut carbon dioxide emissions by 5 million tonnes.
It should save people money on their bills.
However some people will still be allowed to use the old style bulbs. This is because the new ones could make them ill.
We told the European Commission [group in charge of running Europe] about this problem. We are working with them on other health risks. This will help when the standards are set later in the year.