Project Name: Ebico Trust Caseworker Report (i.e. Quarterly/Final): Quarter 1 Short project summary The project is providing a part-time caseworker to deliver home advice visits and follow up support for householders in Cornwall who are struggling to heat their homes adequately and need help to understand and manage their energy bills. The project aims to achieve long term financial, health and quality of life benefits for vulnerable households and to equip them with the skills and confidence to be more proactive and independent in managing their energy use in future. These householders are identified by our busy helpline and from community events and is enabling our energy advisers to provide in-depth advice, advocacy support and practical help to vulnerable households who need a home visit and deeper help to resolve complex issues. The project is also providing a flexible fund to pay for low-cost measures to improve the energy efficiency of clients home. It is also providing portable heaters, dehumidifiers and other low-cost measures to help the householders supported by the project enjoy warmer, healthier homes with less condensation and mould. Project management and progress [A summary of how the project is managed, what its objectives are, and the progress towards objectives since the last quarterly report (or, in the case of the final report, since Ebico Trust funding).] The 12 month project got underway in January 2017 and during its first quarter delivered 17 home visits up until the end of March. The start of this project has overlapped with the completion of Community Energy Plus s Smart Warmth Project which was due to finish at the end of December 2016 but was granted a 3 month delivery extension by its funder, the British Gas Energy Trust. This extension has meant that the two projects have been able to complement each other and has relieved the pressure on the home visits which will be funded through the Ebico project. This will help to ensure that the charity is able to offer home visits through to the winter period 17/18. Without the project overlap, it is likely that the high demand for home visits in the colder months could have resulted in our target number of 100 home visits being reached several months before the end of December, rather than keeping in line with demand. The Smart Warmth Project has also been able to provide capital measures for 4 of clients who have received home visits through our Ebico funded project. This again has relived some of the pressure on
the capital measures fund and will enable more of the clients supported by the project in the coming months to receive practical help from us. Additionally 1 client living in a residential park home has benefitted from the installation of an Air to Air Source Heat Pump. This was installed free of charge through a project we have recently completed with Cornwall Council and was funded by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy s Central Heating Fund. Although the financial benefits of this new heating system are not yet known, the householder has already reported a much warmer home with less condensation and mould. Our proposed targets for the project over 1 year of delivery are: 100 households will benefit from deeper advice and coaching, benefitting 227 people (based on the Census 2011 average occupancy rate of 2.27 people per home in Cornwall). o In the first quarter, 17 households supported, benefiting 23 people 50 homes will be improved with energy saving measures directly funded by the project, benefitting 114 people. Referrals to ECO and other funders will also lead to additional measures being installed. o 8 homes have benefitted from measures directly funded by this project in its first quarter. Additionally, 2 households have been allocated funded for services to improve the energy efficiency of their properties, such as draught proofing. One householder has been allocated 2 heaters but we have not been able to arrange for the delivery of this measure as the elderly client has been hospitalised after a fall. Financial [Progress against budget. How much money has been spent and on what] The budget includes 100 home visits with follow up support, based on 2 hours per visit, 1 hour follow up and 0.5 hours to produce and post each personalised action plan. The advice budget of 100/ home includes at cost case worker salary with NI, travel costs and a share of overhead (headcount method). This time allocated for each of these tasks in broadly in line with what has been delivered. 1700 has been spent on providing 17 home visits, follow up support and personalised action plans in the first quarter. The project is enabling Community Energy Plus to provide up to 200 of measures for 50 clients. 1,036.89 has been spent on this aspect of the project in the first quarter, providing assistance to 8 clients in the first quarter. An additional 538 has been allocated to clients who received home visits in the first quarter. Progress with referrals [How is the project fairing in focusing its impact on the fuel poor? This project is targeting support to vulnerable households who need a home visit and deeper help to resolve complex issues. Those receiving help from this project have contacted us because they are struggling to heat their home adequately and describe themselves as having a low income. There is usually also an additional element of vulnerability which we apply to prescribing home visits, where we give priority to householders with young children, the elderly and those with long term health conditions which are worsened by cold and damp living conditions. 11 of the 17 home visits provided
in the first quarter were provided to households containing at least one person over the age of 65 years. The impact [What has the project achieved to date? (max. 250 words)] The project has enabled us to provide householders with the face to face advice, support and practical assistance to achieve warmer, healthier homes and more affordable energy bills. Much of the support provided during the home visits are simply not practical to provide over the phone. Being able to demonstrate heating controls and diagnose the causes of damp and mould and high energy bills are helping clients to take control of their energy bills. The flexible fund has enabled us to alleviate immediate problems experienced by householders. This project has directly funded 9 plug-in oil filled heaters and 2 dehumidifiers in its first quarter. These are providing much needed heat a reduction in damp and mould which will be beneficial to the health and wellbeing of the householders supported by the project. The project is taking a holistic approach to alleviating and preventing fuel poverty by tackling the root causes related to poor quality housing, lack of life skills and low incomes. Three households have been referred to Shelter who are progressing applications for replacement of existing, or first time heating systems, and 5 clients have been signposted to other agencies for benefits checks in order to enhance their income. All households have received action plan reports following their home visits. For clients who have needed our support to switch tariffs, our energy advisers have broken the process down into simple clear steps. They have sought to equip clients with the skills to understand their energy bills and be able to change tariffs again without our support in the future.
Progress in Quarter (for Final Report, use total figures since commencement of Ebico Trust funding) Households and People Number of fuel poor* households helped by tenure Private Rented Owner Occupier Social Rented Number of children (i.e. below 16 years) helped Number of adults aged 65 or over helped 1 13 3 1 14 *state fuel poverty definition used by the project Money Total amount of household debt paid-down Total annual projected savings from tariff switch Total annual projected savings from behaviour change Total annual household income enhancement (incl. WHD) 2,710 (applications made to energy trust funds) 116 450 280 (2 x WHD) (Note that 6 clients have been signposted to other agencies for benefits checks) Energy Efficiency Improvements Insulation Type Total Annual Savings ( ) Total SAP Improvement* none 0 0 *if known Case Studies (Final Report, only) Appliance Replacement/H eating Controls Type Air to Air Source Heat Pump Total Annual Savings ( ) Total SAP Improvement* Unknown 27 [The Ebico Trust is keen to showcase the work of the projects that it supports. To this end, we hope that you will be able to provide us with suitably anonymised case studies (maximum 205 words) demonstrating the achievements of your project.]
Case Study 1 90 year old Mrs M had been living on her own with no heating or hot water after her coal fired range broke. She revealed that with only one fan heater in the house, she was sleeping in her armchair as her bedroom was too cold. We provided two plug-in oil filled radiators and an electric blanket to provide immediate relief from the cold. Mrs M qualified for ECO funding but we could not find an energy supplier who would fund a first time central heating system for her. We referred to Shelter who are applying to the British Gas Energy Trust for a new heating system. Mrs M s immersion heater had not worked for some time, she has been using her electric shower for bathing and a kettle to heat water for washing up dishes. Though our Smart Warmth Project we were able to arrange and pay for a new immersion heater to be installed. Mrs M had been with the same electricity supplier for many years and paid for her bills using a monthly direct debit. She hadn t switched supplier before, and was reluctant to do. Our caseworker called EDF during the home visit. There was 686 of debt on the account and after being given the details of their cheapest fixed tariff, Mrs M agreed to switch to a new tariff and save an estimated 45 a year. We have made a referral to Plymouth Energy Community who are applying to have this debt written off by an energy trust. Case study 2 Mr S, aged 55 from St Austell has multiple long-term health conditions. His main source of heating is an open fire but he agreed with our caseworker Karen that it would be preferable to have a central heating system installed. We have made a referral to Shelter who are applying to British Gas Energy Trust for this. In the meantime we were able to provide a plug-in oil filled radiator through our Smart Warmth Project. Many of the lights were using incandescent and halogen bulbs. We were able to provide 14 LED bulbs through our Smart Warmth project which will save Mr S approx. 213 a year. Mr S currently has a prepayment meter for his electricity and gas from separate suppliers. Karen recommended moving both fuels to a single supplier in order to benefit from a fixed price dual fuel tariff. She provided information about the cheapest tariff available from Mr S s supplier but he was too anxious to complete the switch. Karen has provided the necessary information to his carer so that she can provide further support. An electricity monitor was installed and demonstrated to help him keep track of his use in real time and reduce use where possible. Advice was provided on reducing condensation and mould. A dehumidifier has been provided through our Smart Warmth project. Draft proofing will be carried out to windows and doors shortly. Karen registered this vulnerable householder on the priority service registers of his suppliers and with Western Power Distribution.
Case study 3 Mrs S from St Austell suffers from COPD and sciatica which are worsened by living in a cold, damp home. Her boiler is over 20 years old and not working properly so we have referred her to Shelter who will apply for funding for her boiler to be replaced. During the home visit it was evident that there was condensation and mould in several rooms. We provided advice on reducing this by reducing moisture in the home, ventilation and heating rooms adequately and recommended replacing the property s concrete gutters and fascia with UPVC to remove the cold bridging which is causing part of the problem. An energy efficient dehumidifier was provided to help reduce humidity levels. The unused fireplace in the lounge had been temporarily blocked with newspaper to reduce draughts and heat loss from the chimney. A chimney sheep has been provided to do this job more efficiently and is expected to help the couple save up to 200 a year on their heating bills. We have recommended that Mrs S applies for the Warm Home Discount from her energy supplier and have signposted to an agency to request a benefits check. An electricity monitor was installed and demonstrated and could help to reduce electricity bills by 50 through behaviour change.