IOT Solutions - Identifying those at risk of fuel poverty this winter

D​ecember 15 2022

An estimated 15 million people are expected to be in fuel poverty by early 2023^1, with inflation hitting a 45-year high². Fuel poverty leads to "heat or eat" situations, with residents switching their heating off to afford to eat, increasing their chances of respiratory problems, strokes, and heart attacks³. Additionally, closing windows and vents to keep heat in reduces ventilation and increases humidity which can, over time, lead to mould growth.

Recent tragic news stories have further highlighted the negative impacts of damp or mouldy homes on people's health and wellbeing. Therefore, as this story emphasises, the Housing Ombudsman is encouraging landlords to prioritise damp and mould⁴ and take a proactive approach to identify potentially "unhealthy" homes.

"Simple, well planned, preventative action could help avoid over 28,000 deaths each year as a result of living in cold homes."

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence

Additionally, a recent news story from Age UK⁵ has highlighted the impact of cold homes on the NHS. The news article states that "people living in the coldest homes are three times as likely to die from a cold-related illness compared to those in warmer homes" and that the impact of cold homes on older people's health costs the NHS £1.36 billion every year.

Thanks to intelligent technology, identifying cold or damp living conditions that could be putting the health of residents at risk doesn't have to be intrusive, time-consuming, or costly.

Smart IoT environmental monitoring devices enable housing providers to

• -Demonstrate proactive action towards homes at risk of damp and mould
• -Identify residents in need of guidance or support
• -Gather empirical data on the impact of property improvements
• -Detect changes in activity patterns that could indicate poor health

Working with Sutton Housing Partnership, IoT Solutions Group delivered 150 DORIS care sensors, originally for monitoring reductions in the activity patterns of vulnerable or older people, that could indicate a fall or illness. Following concerns from SHP last winter, IoTSG introduced alerts to extreme temperature lows that can suggest that a resident may be experiencing fuel poverty.

Sunita Gordon, Lead Member for Resources, London Borough of Sutton:
"As part of a trial with IoT Solutions Group and South London Partnership's Innovate Project, we identified that 30 per cent of our residents showed fuel poverty signs last winter.

"Some low temperature alerts went off because residents did not know how to use their heating or the heating needed repair, which meant we could help them.

"Crucially, some people did need help with the cost of their heating, and our Independent Living Officers helped them apply for support so they wouldn't end up cold at home.

"This winter, with rising living and fuel costs, we are worried that even more homes will experience fuel poverty, risking the health and wellbeing of our residents. These sensors are critical to making sure people get the help they need when they need it."

Additionally, following concerns for resident wellbeing during the heatwaves of summer 2022, alerts for extreme heat were also developed and implemented for those Sutton residents with a DORIS care device. High temperatures in homes are also well-known for detrimental effects on individual health and wellbeing, especially for the vulnerable or elderly.

All of this can be achieved whilst reducing the need for costly and time-consuming property surveys that only deliver a snapshot of the overall picture. This IoT monitoring solution has also been adopted by social housing providers looking to monitor the performance of homes before and after retrofit for decarbonisation.

We continue to co-develop our sensors in partnership with housing providers, local authorities, and social care providers to meet the needs and challenges of the difficult times we live in.

If you are looking to quickly and easily identify residents at risk of fuel poverty, damp or mould and want to learn more about the benefits and simplicity of IoT monitoring, please get in touch with our IoT experts or click here for more information.

Additional links of interest:

• The Cold Weather Plan for England - Protecting health and reducing harm from cold weather
• Institute of Health Equity – Fuel poverty, cold homes and health inequalities in the UK
• Housing Ombudsman – Spotlight on damp and mould

¹https://www.instituteofhealthequity.org/resources-reports/fuel-poverty-cold-homes-and-health-inequalities-in-the-uk/read-the-report.pdf

²https://www.channel4.com/news/uk-inflation-hits-45-year-high-as-cost-of-living-soars

³https://www.ageuk.org.uk/latest-news/archive/cold-homes-cost-nhs-1-point-36-billion/#:~:text=Cold%20homes%20are%20particularly%20dangerous,to%20those%20in%20warmer%20homes

⁴ https://www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk/2022/11/29/ombudsman-writes-open-letter-to-social-landlords-urging-renewed-focus-on-damp-and-mould-approach/

⁵https://www.ageuk.org.uk/latest-news/archive/cold-homes-cost-nhs-1-point-36-billion/