Comment by Dr Rose Chard, Senior Advisor Fair Futures, at Energy Systems Catapult.

“This moment calls for bold, evidence-based solutions that deliver targeted support to society’s most vulnerable. Warm Home Prescription® (WHP) – invented by Energy Systems Catapult – is a proven, practical, and sustainable mechanism to ensure vulnerable households – those with medical conditions made worse by the cold – stay warm without the need for blanket subsidies.

“This is not a theoretical solution; it has been trialled and tested over four years and has delivered consistent results. 95% of WHP recipients did not put their health at extreme risk as temperatures above 16 degrees Celsius were achieved almost all the time. This has the benefit of keeping the medically vulnerable out of hospital. With proven results, WHP should be properly funded; we cannot afford to revisit this issue year after year. It’s time to put this debate to bed and provide targeted support that works.

“Better targeting of support must be accompanied by a comprehensive commitment to energy efficiency and retrofitting that delivers warm homes for all. The Labour government has made positive noises around retrofit. It is important that we act now to protect those most in need this winter, whilst acknowledging the need for longer term, targeted support for the most vulnerable.

“Additionally, the government should be calling on energy suppliers to improve the uptake of existing support schemes by those at risk of being hospitalised. This is not a pie-in-the-sky idea. We are already trialling such an approach with ScottishPower in a first-of-its-kind means of targeting vulnerable people using the £4 billion in the 2022-2026 Energy Company Obligation (ECO). This is delivering improved energy efficiency and low carbon heating measures, such as upgraded or new home insulation and even air source heat pumps.

“To accelerate this, Ofgem must make it simpler for vulnerable people to access the long-term improvements needed to stay warm and well in their homes. This means working with healthcare services to identify those most in need – moving from a reactive support mechanism to a proactive approach that places the identification of those in our communities most in need at its heart. This targeted support reduces the strain on the NHS during winter months by addressing the root cause of many cold-weather illnesses and deaths.

“The evidence on WHP speaks for itself. 93% of people place greater importance on being warm than they previously did, whilst 79% said that it had a positive effect on their physical health. Why wouldn’t we – Ofgem, energy suppliers, government, and the healthcare sector – back an approach that delivers warm homes and better outcomes for people. To do so will require cross-sector collaboration on a scale not yet seen.”