Walsall has tenth highest level of fuel poverty in the country
Walsall has the tenth highest level of fuel poverty in the country as the council looks to secure funding to help tackle the issue.
Council bosses agreed to apply for more than £500,000 from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy for a second round of the home upgrade grant scheme, at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
The money would be used for measures such as fuel switches for low income homes and retro-fitting properties.
The authority has previously secured £1.57 million funding in the first round of the scheme with work being carried out across the borough currently.
Figures revealed Walsall currently has fuel poverty levels of 19.4 per cent, compared with the West Midlands rate of 17.8 per and the England rate of 13.2 per cent.
Walsall Council’s deputy leader Adrian Andrew said Walsall was now 10th nationally for levels of fuel poverty.
He said: “The aim of this report is to enable the council to bid for the home upgrade grant round 2. The first application deadline is November 18.
“The funding is to improve the energy efficiency of gas dwellings and help tackle fuel poverty, excess winter deaths and domestic carbon emissions.
“Walsall has current fuel poverty levels of 19.4 per cent compared with West Midlands rate of 17.8 per cent and an England rate of 13.2 per cent.
“Walsall is now 10th nationally for levels of fuel poverty. Officers and partners have continued to tackle fuel poverty through a range of activities including securing grant funding for residents directly and indirectly and supporting collective fuel switches.”
He added: “This is just a continuation of what this administration has done over a number of years in order to tackle some of these problems that are endemic across the borough.
“I think in this time of fuel crisis, it’s more incumbent on this council to step in and help as many people as we possibly can to help with their fuel costs.”
