A caring way to combat fuel poverty

Older, Wiser, Warmer, which is run by South Yorkshire Energy Centre, aims to engage the local elderly community in energy efficiency.

It targets a particular neighbourhood for a certain period, working with existing community groups and organisations to arrange activities. Interested local residents are then selected to train as energy champion volunteers so they can offer peer support in whichever way works best in their community.

Eight weeks of learning about energy efficiency and affordable warmth follows, and learning is put into practice as the volunteers make changes in their own homes.

The Older, Wiser, Warmer volunteers then decide how they would like to share information within their community and help other local people save energy, save money and reduce their carbon footprint. The project, which is funded by Comic Relief, was started more than a year ago. During this year, 23 volunteers supported just over 500 people in Sheffield to keep warm while saving energy.

The project does have a broader aim to combat fuel poverty and reduce excess winter deaths, but it also encourages local people to develop themselves and establish new local projects such as helping to set up a local charity shop, recycling clothing and growing vegetables.

The volunteers, through their activities, identify other local people who may be struggling in a cold home.

A home visit is organised and support is offered to more frail and vulnerable elderly residents so they can make informed choices and changes to the way they use their heating, cook their food and use electrical appliances.

Older, Wiser, Warmer also helps people access free insulation and warm front grants to make their home a more energy efficient and warmer place to live.

The judges were pleased to see that Older, Wiser, Warmer is pro-actively trying to help the over 65s in addressing fuel poverty, budgeting and energy management. They commended the organisation for its face-to-face approach.

Shelly Davis, volunteer project co-ordinator, said: “Older, Wiser, Warmer is a project that supports older people to train as energy champions. They find out everything they need to know about saving energy and keeping warm in winter. I work with the volunteers very much on their level and what interests them and where they want to go. I’m there to support them. I don’t tell them what they need to do. I support them to find out information and do the projects they are passionate about.”

“The older people have been fantastic. They show such enthusiasm and have been a pleasure to work with.”

After the awards ceremony, she said it was “fantastic” to have won the accolade, adding: “Hopefully people will take the project more seriously, it will increase people’s interest in the project and help it to continue for longer.”

South Yorkshire Energy Centre is a domestic energy efficiency advice and information centre based on Heeley City Farm in Sheffield.