What is Fuel Poverty?

The term ‘fuel poverty’ refers to the ‘condition of being unable to afford to keep one’s home adequately heated’. But this definition seems soulless when it comes to thinking about the millions of individuals across the UK who are struggling with the unthinkable decision between heating their home or feeding themselves and their families.

The winter months come with many challenges, but with rising energy costs, plummeting temperatures and the shadow of the cost-of-living crisis looming over many, this winter seems set to be one of the most difficult the country has ever faced.

The risk.

When residents are unable to heat their homes, they become more at risk of physical health conditions, as well as the mental tole that poverty can take.

Lack of heat in the home has been shown to increase the likelihood of developing several adverse health conditions such as but not limited to, high blood pressure, pneumonia and hypothermia. This is before we consider the health complications that come from living in a mould infested home or a home with high levels of condensation.

Mould, as we have seen from the recent death of toddler Awaab Ishak, is a serious and dangerous issue.

At risk homes.

The most ‘at risk’ homes are properties that consistently sit below 16°C. Anything below 16°C would indicate a risk to the efficiency of the immune system.

Below 13°C, would increase the risk of cardiovascular and blood related illnesses in residents. 

How can we prevent it?

In order to prevent fuel poverty, the most important thing is to understand who is at risk and what properties are consistently falling below the line.

Without understanding the data behind the conditions of a home, it is impossible to assign resource to the most at risk or put in any preventative measures to ensure their safety.

At Invisible Systems, we provide a range of monitoring solutions in order to provide the data needed to avoid these dangerous scenarios.

Some of these solutions include:

• Temperature Monitoring – monitoring the temperature of homes over periods of time to assess if residents are using heat during colder months.
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• CO2 Monitoring – monitoring CO2 can provide insight into the likelihood of residents burning solid fuels within the property.
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• Humidity & Air Quality Monitoring – The humidity levels within the property can be monitored in order to prevent the likelihood of mould growth.
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• Energy Usage Monitoring – this can be used to measure where energy may be wasted or where faulty appliances in the home may be impacting energy efficiency and driving up the cost unnecessarily.
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Find out more about the monitoring solutions we offer to the residential sector or book a meeting with our sales team today.