Issues

Government policy enabling social action

Phoenix Natural Gas hopes that the important lessons learnt through the course of the Boiler Replacement Scheme will be used in future social initiatives such as the Affordable Warmth initiative.

Social action means taking steps to change the things that are wrong in our society and introducing new ideas and processes for doing things better in the future.

It is widely reported that the fuel poverty rate in Northern Ireland is significantly higher than that of its regional counterparts. Although an updated Housing Conditions Survey due to take place in 2016 may show a small decrease in the current 42 per cent rate, the challenge of making a significant impact on this issue that negatively impacts householders’ thermal comfort, physical and mental wellbeing and overall quality of life, remains a key issue.

In 2012 the Department for Social Development launched an additional initiative to help improve the efficiency of householders’ central heating boilers. Since this schemes introduction roughly 25,000 households have replaced their old boiler with a highly efficient alternative.

The Boiler Replacement Allowance scheme has introduced significant efficiency gains and in turn savings to qualifying households right across Northern Ireland. Over £30 million of non-grant investment into the local economy, as well as supporting hundreds of jobs within the plumbing and heating industry locally.

Of course, the Boiler Replacement Allowance is only partially equipped to support households in fuel poverty. However, there is significant learning that can come from the scheme that should be acknowledged and, where possible, replicated into other government initiatives.

In any initiative that requires the householder to take an active role in the application and subsequent appointment of a suitable installation company, the scheme must strike the right balance of having the appropriate level of governance and being capable of engaging the customer with an easily understood scheme and any associated paperwork kept minimal and easy to navigate.

Over 800 installation companies in Northern Ireland have carried out work as part of the Boiler Replacement Scheme. These companies saw the opportunity to invest their own funds into the promotion of the scheme as a positive move and saw that their existing, and potential, customers could benefit from the scheme.

Generally, installation companies involved in this work are small businesses with strong links to the local community they serve; they are trusted and respected by their customer base and have the ability to influence their decision making. If government schemes create enthusiasm amongst the wider trade it is inevitable this excitement will carry through to local householders.

An additional positive feature of Boiler Replacement Allowance that is part of its continued success is the wide number of groups that rallied behind the scheme and were responsible for referring householders. Groups such as the Citizens Advice Bureau, politicians, community groups and indeed utility companies such as Phoenix Natural Gas all have the opportunity to identify eligible householders to the scheme – householders that without this intervention may not have been aware of the scheme.

Although much good work has been done to more effectively target householders most in need of intervention, social schemes must continue to encourage and facilitate the self-referral route.

Local groups identifying householders are making a very positive impact on the efficiency of schemes and with the relationships they have established with homeowners capable of encouraging householders to self-refer that otherwise would not have the confidence to do so.

There is no doubt that the valuable lessons learned from the success of the Boiler Replacement Scheme can be transferred into the recently launched Affordable Warmth initiative and incorporated as part of forthcoming social schemes.

For more information contact Phoenix Natural Gas on 0345 455 5555

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