Sheffield co-operative helps households in fuel poverty

A community group is helping struggling households overcome high energy bills through a series of simple measures to stop draughts and improve insulation.

Upper Don Community Energy (UDCE) started the project in September 2023 and has helped more than 60 households to keep their homes warmer. Now they have funding and resources to help up to 50 more households in the Upper Don area of Sheffield.

The co-operative provide and fit free door curtains, draught excluders, LED bulbs and more to eligible households living in fuel poverty.

Catherine Cotterill, a director of UDCE, said: ” We realised that lots of little measures in the home would make a big difference to people”

Amongst those who have benefited from the scheme include Helen Lowe, who has lived in her downstairs flat in Stocksbridge for 15 years.

The 68-year-old said it had always been “cold and draughty” but admitted to being initially reluctant to accept help.

“At first I thought I don’t want somebody coming into my house, looking around and thinking everything was wrong.

“After (energy bills) went up a couple of years ago I was turning the thermostat down but it was just too cold so I had to turn it up, but I really wondered how I could afford it.”

The team installed a curtain across Helen’s draughty front door.

“When it was put in, the hall suddenly felt totally different,” she said.

Installing lagging over kitchen pipes and sealing cracks in the windows in the front room also made a huge difference to her.

The group was originally set up to explore energy saving and renewable energy options but, when the war in Ukraine began to impact on energy bills, they were approached by Stocksbridge Town Council, which was concerned by the number of people slipping into fuel poverty.

According to charity National Energy Action, fuel poverty is defined as people who spend more than 10% of their money on energy bills.

It estimates there are currently 6.1 million households in fuel poverty, unable to afford to heat their homes to the temperature needed to keep warm and healthy.

Figures from the charity suggest 13% of UK households are in fuel poverty, but in Yorkshire and Humber that figure rises to 17.5%.

After securing funding from a number of organisations including Sheffield Council, South Yorkshire Community Foundation and the Northern Powergrid Foundation the group secured materials to help secure and warm clients homes including insulation tape, hot water pipe lagging and radiator heat reflectors.

Households are targeted in S35 and S36 postcodes, including Chapeltown, High Green, Oughtibridge and Deepcar, through a referral system with the group working with GPs and foodbanks. Individuals on universal credit, child tax credit are among those who qualify.

As well as the funding, the group has relied on a number of local volunteers who meet monthly to sew curtains and fill draft excluders.

Local handymen have also donated their time for free to fit the new items.

Natalya Odnorozhenko, who is from Ukraine and lives with her daughter and elderly mother in Stocksbridge, said she “didn’t want to ask for help”.

“I have a little daughter and my mum here so I had to think of them,” she explained.

Natalya said “it was hard” to comprehend the price of gas and electricity when she first arrived in the UK and that she had never seen a “sausage draft excluder” before.

“It’s made a huge difference especially for my mother who feels the cold so much,” she added.

UDCE’s MS Cotterill said they were now committed to helping more families as the weather grew colder.

“We are appealing to friends, neighbours, colleagues and relatives to help spread the word about the project and help make dwellings warmer and cheaper to run,” she added.