Please click here for language/accessibility options

Tackling fuel poverty in rural communities

Recently commissioned reports from Tighean Innse Gall (TIG) and Changeworks, two Trust funded organisations working across Scotland, highlight the challenges faced by individuals and families living in rural areas across the UK, and what support would be needed to help break the cycle of deprivation.

Characteristics that contribute toward fuel poverty in remote locations:

Single pensioners and families with children face the highest risk of fuel poverty, possibly due to limited income sources such as state pension and maternity pay. Children and young adults also rely on electric equipment to socialise remotely and tend to spend more time at home compared to those based in towns and cities, increasing fuel consumption.

The impact that fuel poverty has on rural communities:

The Trusts recent roundtable, which took place in Bristol in July, focused on how rural location and poor mental health can impact the effect of fuel poverty. Employees from TIG and Changeworks were able to present their findings at the event, alongside suggestions for new interventions to support households.

Both reports made recommendations for how to better support individuals:

Jessica Taplin, CEO of British Gas Energy Trust, said:

“Households in rural locations face their own unique blend of pressures that lead to increased levels of fuel poverty and an exacerbated negative impact on health and wellbeing. This includes poor housing stock, social isolation, limited digital connectivity, ageing demographics, a lack of public transport and increased energy costs associated with being off grid. Even being part of a small tight-knit community can create its own challenges, with a fear of stigma stopping people from speaking up about their financial worries.

There is no silver bullet for eradicating fuel poverty. A family in an electricity-only household in central London is going to require very different support from an elderly person in the Scottish Highlands reliant on solid fuel. We know the holistic person-centred support offered by Trust funded organisations works; we can look at the whole person and support their individual circumstances.

As we continue to facilitate meaningful discussions around new and better interventions with charities, social enterprises and other stakeholders throughout the year, these important studies feed into the question we are asking at all our roundtables, ‘alleviating the detrimental impact of fuel poverty- what works, what happens next?'”

Tighean Innse Gall (TIG)- Affordable Warmth at Home in the Western Isles

Changeworks- A Perfect Storm: Fuel Poverty in Rural Scotland

To find out what support is available from the Trust, please click here.