Council offers direct Cost-of-Living support to residents

North Ayrshire Council is ramping up efforts to support residents through the current Cost-of-Living Crisis with the launch of a £450,000 energy crisis payment scheme.

The scheme – which opens for applications today (Monday, October 31) – is aiming to provide much-needed funds directly to low-income households to help with their energy bills.

The payment scheme is the next phase of the Council’s wide-ranging ‘Energy Smart’ programme, introduced to provide a variety of supports to households struggling with soaring energy prices and inflation.

North Ayrshire Council Leader Marie Burns said: “No-one will be unaffected by the escalating cost of energy and shopping bills and it’s our top priority to support people however we can.

“The new ‘Energy Smart: Emergency Response’ grant scheme is a direct payment which will ensure the money goes to those who need it most and as quickly as possible.

“The money should make an immediate difference to families worried about escalating fuel costs over winter.”

In an effort to make the application process as simple as possible, people can either apply online or be supported through the application over the phone.

You can call 01294 310000 or visit the council website at www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/CostOfLiving to learn more.

While the fund is aimed primarily at households with low income, there are other supports available and people are encouraged to get in contact to see what help is available to you.

Council staff will also be reaching out into communities to make people aware of the supports on offer. This includes promoting the new Energy Smart programme at food banks and other touchpoints, and Council staff highlighting the scheme when visiting vulnerable people in their homes as part of the delivery of other services.

Councillor Tony Gurney, Cabinet Member for Economy and Climate Change, added: “This is a further phase of a £2million package of measures we are introducing to help people quickly and practically.

“In addition to the Emergency Response scheme, as part of Energy Smart we will be delivering energy efficiency measures in homes – initially this will be focused on loft and cavity insulation - to provide long-term cost savings. We are encouraging anyone interested in receiving such measures to get in touch with us so that we can see if you are eligible and then arrange installation.

“We announced last month our partnership with the Energy Agency and Home Energy Scotland, where specially-trained advisors are standing by to provide support and practical, impartial advice to anyone looking to reduce their energy bills.

We would urge anyone looking to lower their energy bills to either call the freephone number 0808 808 2282
or by checking out the advice and support available via the Council website at www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/CostOfLiving.

The website has sections on energy, benefits, food and clothing, health and wellbeing and a section dedicated to our business community.

Net zero heating package needed to tackle soaring rural fuel poverty

 MEDIA RELEASE from The Existing Homes Alliance

A new net zero heating package could cut the cost of heating for thousands of households by transforming Scotland’s rural homes, according to rural organisations.

The Existing Homes Alliance [1] and rural groups are calling for the Scottish Government to set up a Rural Homes Just Transition Package [2] that would support people living in rural and island areas to insulate their homes and install zero emissions, renewables-based heating systems.

People living in rural areas are significantly more likely to be living in fuel poverty, with 42% of households in remote rural homes classed as fuel poor or in extreme fuel poverty. This compares to 24.6% across Scotland as a whole. These figures are from 2019 and the true scale of fuel poverty is now believed to be significantly higher, with research earlier this year suggesting as many as 57% of people living in the Western Isles could be in fuel poverty [3]. Rural communities also face higher living costs with research suggesting that living in remote rural Scotland typically adds 15-30% to a household budget [4].

Rural households face higher heating costs as many are dependent on expensive oil heating systems, with high and fluctuating upfront fuel costs. Oil heating is not regulated by Ofgem which means people with oil heating systems are not protected by the Energy Price Guarantee. In the last 12 months the cost of heating oil has doubled with prices rising from around 64p per litre to £1.20 per litre. [5]

The Scottish Government has committed to phasing out the need to install new or replacement fossil fuel boilers in areas not connected to the gas-grid, including most of rural Scotland, by 2025 [6]. Campaigners argue that more support is needed if this is to happen in a way that is fair and affordable to rural households, with help needed to increase the number of local installers.

“Helping people in rural communities to replace expensive fossil fuel heating and make their homes easier to heat must be at the heart of Scotland’s budget”, according to the Existing Homes Alliance chair, Professor Lori McElroy.

Professor McElroy goes on to say, “Working in partnership with rural stakeholder groups, we have developed a package of policies and measures that should be taken forward immediately by the Scottish Government to help make rural homes warmer and cheaper to heat. This package will help address the desperate situation that many households are facing this winter, as well as building resilience for the future.”

The £1.5 million package includes support for new collective purchase and community asset ownership models to pay for the improvements, enhanced grants and loans to cover additional insulation and running costs, and a support service for rural businesses to help them build the skills needed to decarbonise rural heating.

Bryan Leask, Chief Executive of Hjaltland Housing Association, member of the Rural and Islands Housing Association Forum said, “Rural and island communities are being hammered by some of the highest energy prices around, so ending our reliance on volatile fossil fuels for heating must be a priority.  This package of measures would help ensure a fair transition to zero emissions heating for rural communities - tackling fuel poverty, cutting emissions and supporting rural businesses.”

The Scottish Association of Landlords (SAL), which represents private landlords, has endorsed the package, adding “Private landlords provide vital housing in rural areas and need support to make sure tenants benefit from reductions in bills. SAL welcomes the Rural Homes Just Transition Package which proposes vital support mechanisms to help rural households lead the way in the transition to zero carbon heating.”  

Catriona Mallows, Campaigns and Communications Officer with Scottish Rural Action said “Many people across rural and island Scotland are facing real hardship this winter because of rising energy prices.  This package of measures would help alleviate that hardship in the short term, as well as providing the framework needed to decarbonise homes in a way that is fair and sustainable.”

Ends

For further information contact:

Gillian Campbell, Communications and Public Affairs Lead
M 07788 488801
E gillian@campbellconsulting.scot

Notes:

1.	The Existing Homes Alliance is a coalition of housing, environmental, fuel poverty, consumer and industry organisations that believes Scotland’s existing homes must be transformed to help tackle fuel poverty and climate change.
2.	The proposed Rural Homes Just Transition Package has been developed in collaboration with rural stakeholders, including Rural and Islands Housing Association Forum (RIHAF), Rural Housing Scotland, Scottish Association of Landlords, Scottish Rural Action and The Pebble Trust. The package includes measures to ensure equality for people living in rural communities and ensure that they can maximise the benefits of being at the forefront of Scotland’s transition to zero emissions heating.
3.	This is based on the most recent official statistics from 2019 and the current level of fuel poverty is likely to be higher due to people spending more time at home during the pandemic, recent energy price hikes and the cost of living crisis.  https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/homenews/19978536.western-isles-scots-region-57-will-plunged-fuel-poverty/
4.	The Cost of Remoteness, Loughborough University Centre for Research in Social Policy, Scottish Government, September 2021.
5.	Around 130,000 homes in Scotland use heating oil, mostly in rural communities.  Oil prices are unregulated and have doubled over the last 12 months. Scottish homeowners could be forced to downsize due to rising cost of heating oil | ITV News Border https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/17904251/heating-oil-bills-double-in-just-two-weeks/
­6.	The Scottish Government published a Heat in Buildings Strategy in October 2021 which sets out a vision for over 1 million homes in Scotland to convert to zero emissions heating by 2030.  As part of this plan, the Scottish Government has committed to phasing out the need to install new or replacement fossil fuel boilers in off-gas grid areas by 2025, and in on-gas grid areas by 2030. Funding for fossil fuel heating systems will be phased out from Scottish Government delivery programmes by 2024 (where it is not detrimental to fuel poverty objectives) and the Scottish Government has already ended public funding for oil and LPG heating.

 

For further information about the Existing Homes Alliance visit www.existinghomesalliancescotland.co.uk
Existing Homes Alliance Scotland, a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation, (SCIO), No SC048434

Proud to be Finalists in the Ayrshire Business Awards 2022

Our Nethermills Hydro Scheme on the River Ayr reached the final stages of the Ayrshire Business Awards, Planet Saver category.

Fully owned and operated by our subsidiary company Energy Agency Renewables Ltd, the Hydro Scheme is generating green electricity to help support the needs of neighbouring Ayrshire College with any surplus being fed into the national grid. As a non-profit orgasnisation, all funds generated will be used to support future green energy projects in the local area.

To read more about the scheme and the work we do, visit our website at energyagency.org.uk

The winner was announced at a Gala Dinner on 14th October 2022 at Ayr Racecourse and we would like to congratulate the overall winner in the Planet Saver category, Robert Burns Birthplace Museum for their achievement. Our thanks also go to Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce for a fantastic event celebrating great Ayrshire Businesses.

Energy Agency Director, Liz Marquis said:

"We were delighted to be selcted as a finalist in the Ayshire Business Awards. The Nethermills Hydro Scheme is a fantastic demonstration project for what can be acheived with renewable energy. Archimedes screws are a robust technology with a proven track record but to our knowledge, this is the first of its kind in such a shallow setting at just 15 degrees. We hope it will inspire people for many generations."

North Ayrshire Council joins forces with Energy Agency

North Ayrshire Council has joined forces with the Energy Agency to ensure residents get the best possible advice and support during the Cost-of-Living Crisis.

The trailblazing partnership is one of the key measures being taken by the Council to help people through the challenging weeks and months ahead.

The Energy Agency is a long and well-established charity whose aims are to reduce energy consumption and promote sustainability. As part of this work, the Energy Agency operates the Home Energy Scotland advice centre in South West Scotland – funded by the Scottish Government - which has many years of experience in providing free and expert advice covering energy saving and efficiency, renewable energy and sustainable transport.

Anyone requiring energy advice is encouraged to call 

Home Energy Scotland South West free on 0808 808 2282.

Councillor Tony Gurney, Cabinet Member for Economy and Climate Change at North Ayrshire Council, said: “There is no greater priority for us at the moment than supporting people through the financial challenges they are facing.

“No-one is unaffected by the rising costs, increasing inflation and, in particular, the soaring energy bills being experienced at the current time.

“I’m delighted that we are in partnership with the Energy Agency - they have built up years of expertise in offering advice and help on energy issues, helping countless people to lower their bills, and signposting them to other supports to maximise their income.

“It’s more important than ever that people get access to the right advice and I would urge anyone concerned about their energy bills to call the freephone advice line.”

“However, good advice is only part of the Energy Smart approach. That is why we will also be supporting households to install energy-saving features as part of the programme, along with crisis payments for those in the most urgent need of help. Further details on these aspects of the programme will be announced in the coming weeks.”

Liz Marquis, Director of the Energy Agency, said: “We are delighted to be helping householders across North Ayrshire access free independent advice to use energy in the home as effectively as possible. Practical solutions can make a huge difference in the home.”

In addition to the partnership with the Energy Agency, a wider £4million package of support, recently approved by Cabinet, will fund a range of measures to mitigate the rising costs for families.

Two separate Child Bridging Payments of £130 for families of children who are eligible for a free school meal are due to be distributed in October and December. These will be topped up by a further £100 per child for both months. The £100 payment will also be extended to low-income families of children of pre-school age.

Approximately 3,300 families across North Ayrshire (5,700 children) are in line to receive the payment.

The measures also include proposals to build on the existing community food network by investing a further £500,000 to ensure basic food provision is available to anyone who requires the support.