Today we invited charities, businesses and organisations from across Bristol to discuss how we can work together to tackle fuel poverty in Bristol. Why? Because it affects 1 in 8 households in the city. And thousands of people are suffering needlessly.
Together with the event sponsors Western Power Distribution and Centre for Sustainable Energy, we kicked off an action plan of collaborative work.
Mayor Marvin Rees said: “I grew up in what was often a cold home, and I remember the challenges… There now needs to be a shared commitment across the city, working with housing, working with health, working with energy... We need to write the story of Bristol that we want to live.”
What did we learn?
- There’s a strong desire to do something, and no shortage of passion for the cause.
- There are many existing projects in Bristol tackling fuel poverty. We must start by learning from these.
- But services are fragmented. We need to find better ways to link up teams that are all working with the city’s most vulnerable people.
- We need to be able to set city-level targets that are quantifiable and measurable.
What’s next?
- We will set ourselves bold and achievable targets. By 2028, no one should suffer a cold home in Bristol.
- We’ll find tangible solutions, and make sure action happens.
- We’ll form an action group that will meet regularly to check progress.
If you or your organisation would like to be involved in this work, contact our Policy & Strategy Manager Laura Penny.
Let’s all work together to help the 25,000 families in Bristol that need us.