The Isle of Wight Footprint Trust is, for the first time, recruiting volunteers to help it cope with unprecedented levels of enquiries as Islanders are anxious about energy price rises, with 30% of Island households expected to be living in fuel poverty by the end of next year.
Local residents are facing unprecedented domestic energy bills with latest estimates predicting bills of around £4,650 per annum from January 2023. Before the COVID pandemic, fuel poverty levels were around 11% of households on the Island – they then rose to about 18%.
The Footprint Trust predicts that by the end of 2023, the number of households in fuel poverty will rise to around 30% here on the Isle of Wight. Some 21,000 homes will be affected, making difficult choices between heating and eating.
Ray Harrington-Vail says:
“Without specialist help and support many people will sit in the cold and not put heating on at all. Others will default on rent and mortgage payments or not pay their Council Tax. Some will cancel Direct Debits for fuel and finish up in Court and may ultimately be cut off…”
The Footprint Trust is concerned that its staff will struggle to cope with the number of enquiries that they are anticipating. They estimate that enquiries will go up from around 2,000 per annum to over 4,000 in the next 12 months. The cost of training and recruiting more staff is beyond their resources.
Now, the charity is to recruit volunteer ‘Energy Helpmates’ as this is an immediate and cheaper way of getting basic guidance and help to the fuel poor who, if necessary, can then be passed on to their specialist team for more tailored help.
Their proposal is to recruit volunteers with a level of expertise in energy and related matters. Such people may be retired electricians, plumbers, gas fitters, engineers, teachers, university lecturers. But anyone would be considered who has numeracy skills and a desire to help, subject to a DBS being carried out and receiving information from the Trust and approved national City & Guilds training.
There will be an informal open evening tomorrow (Tuesday 6th September) at 17:00 in Newport to find out more. For more information, email [email protected] or call 01983 822282.
Seems to me that most with children who are living in modern social housing are already at a huge advantage compared to those not in that situation. Why?
Because their rent is already subsidised and as most on tax credits pay little nor much council tax. Paid £20 a week for each child AND upwards of £8,000 in tax credits as well as their wages for just working 20 hours per week
Modern housing is thermal efficient and so as they get more energy funding now free school meals and transportation, free dentistry and prescriptions they are okay but spend on themselves rather than their bills as by whinging they know they will get more
Jammu, with those views you’ve come to the right place to live.
“Modern housing”, in IW terms, is neither thermally efficient nor affordable – it doesn’t need to be, because Tory governments for decades have chosen not to enact build standards and because those who will buy them don’t have to worry about the odd thousand or so. And where do you suppose anybody on IW gets any dentistry (but perhaps you are accustomed to going private?).
Granted, those in lolw-paid work are even worse off, but perhaps you could have a word with your modern efficient MP about that?
Also those living in social housing don’t have to put away money for things like repairs to roof, new boiler, general maintenance NOR do they have to ‘do’ the work either hence at the beach or café and pubs in the day
No property insurance too
Many pretend to be single parents to boost state aid even more but rarely sleep alone.
A large number also grow in their lofts drugs and or deal boosting their undeclared tax free income
Many work on the sly doing nails , hair and other hard to prove income streams. Others use a disability to claim for and or claim to care for a family member who is or fakes such , mental health being the latest hard to prove scam
So because the chorus of those not using the system rightly defend and refute such claims, those who are swindling the system stay quiet to
Keep the money and misplaced sympathy coming
It is low paid with no children people who are in far greater need. Yet they like the elderly don’t whine, so the squeakiest wheel gets the most oil
Good honest comment!
That won’t go well with the snowflakes!
You’re correct in saying that the low paid will suffer, problem is that’s at least 75% of the islands working population. My concern is that the predicted 30% of island households going into fuel poverty might be a conservative estimate!
Why do you blame the less fortunate for this? Your anger should be directed higher up
I wonder how many councillors and council workers will be cold and hungry
Sorry I wasn’t thinking they sll have huge wages so they will be fine
I do wonder how poor some people are when they get interviewed for poor housing, struggling to meant energy bills etc. Or is it propaganda that the media always appear to show in interviews well fed individuals, some with designer type finger nails and covered in tattoo’s all of which come at a price. Not saying there are not genuine people in need but it does play on my mind what some families think is an essential spend and what is not. Perhaps more needs to be done in school to educate the young that you have to work for what you want in life, more so now than ever before. Just seen Truss has been voted in as new PM.
You only have to look at that idiot in charge of the RMT union, salary conservatively 120 thousand a year who refuses to give up his council property because its his right, it is also the right of people on no slary to have someone to live
Oh, that’s just the tip! I know of a young man on benefits with six children who used to drive a BMW M3 sports car. When he wanted to take his family for a day out, social services used to pay for taxis for them all. When I asked why, they told me that his car was his ‘lifestyle choice’ and that they had no right to interfere. That was about four years ago on the mainland, but the amount of money wasted is still eye watering!
Fual Poverty ?
Why not use the bus ?
There’s always one…
If our energy policy hadnt been hijacked by the misinformation and outright lies of enviromentalist quack science and hysterical green fraudsters, there would be no artificial energy “crisis” they are to be blamed for most of this.
That’s 13 years of Tories for you.
YOU GET WHAT YOU VOTE FOR
Still voting Tory to piss you off mate.
I’ll be alright for money
In March next year. You can guarantee that IOW council, will add to the pain of people who actually pay there council tax. Too ensure those that already get over 30 different benefits!!, pay less. About time, the I’m entitled brigade were held accountable.
YOU WILL EAT THE BUGS.
YOU WILL OWN NOTHING.
YOU WILL BE HAPPY.