Perennial’s services
team is speaking regularly to people in horticulture who face difficult
choices about whether to heat their homes or go without other necessities
such as food or daily essentials.
Fuel poverty is
caused by low incomes, high energy prices and energy inefficient
housing.
February 15 is Fuel
Poverty Awareness Day, organised by National Energy
Action. Perennial is working with a range of agencies to raise
awareness of the scale of the issue.
The reality is that
the number of people seeking support at times of crisis is continuing to
increase, with many unable to pay for everyday items such as food,
clothing and heating. Research has shown that the number of households
already in debt to their energy supplier before winter began has grown by
more than 300,000 in the past year. They owed an average of £134 each.
Julia Hayne,
Director of Services at Perennial, says: “Poverty touches every
aspect of a person’s life, including their physical and mental health.
We are visiting and taking calls from more people than ever desperate
to gain the specialist support they need to break the cycle of poverty
they find themselves in.”
Over 80% of all
fuel-poor households are considered to have additional care or support
needs, meaning they either include children, the elderly, or someone with
a long-term illness or disability. Families with the
highest rates of fuel poverty are lone parents (26.4%); multi-person
households (15.2%); and couples with dependent children (14.7%).
Julia
continues: “Over the past year we have also seen the growing impact
of poverty on the children of people working in horticulture. Crisis and
emergency support for food, energy, housing and day to day living
costs accounts for over 44% of all the financial assistance we provided in
2018 (from personal items to crisis grants), which has increased overall
by 16% over the last 2 years.”
Many self-employed
people and small businesses tell Perennial that cashflow is a challenge
over the winter months, with some relying heavily on personal
savings until spring when work often picks up. The services team can
help people budget to avoid a cash flow crisis either with tailored
one-to-one advice, or via the online budgeting tool available on
the Perennial website.
Physical health
issues caused by cold homes predominantly relate to cardiovascular and
respiratory problems. This can be a real issue for people working in
horticulture who rely on good physical health to remain in work. Low
temperatures also diminish resistance to infection and encourage damp and
mould growth in homes. Cold indoor conditions have also been linked to
poor mental health resulting from anxiety and stress. Social
isolation can be exacerbated when a home does not provide a
welcoming environment and there is evidence that cold homes can
reduce educational attainment.
Julia
concludes: “Advice and support and practical heating and insulation
improvements can help address many of the problems associated with fuel
poverty. We are ready to help anyone working in, or retired from
horticulture with free and confidential advice and support for as long as
it’s needed. Our friendly and experienced team is just a phone call away
and we urge anyone who is struggling financially or worried about fuel
or other bills over the winter months, to contact us as soon as possible.”
If you, or someone
you know, needs help contact Perennial on 0800 093 8510 or email services@perennial.org.uk For
more information visit www.perennial.org.uk/help
