International recognition for Islington fuel poverty support scheme

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has highlighted it as one of only nine UK beacons of innovation in its ‘Observatory of Public Sector Innovation’ for its efforts to help vulnerable residents deal with severe weather and fuel poverty. SHINE is a one-stop shop that offers vulnerable residents a package of up to 30 services, ranging from heating and insulation improvements and advice on energy bills, to home safety assessments and befriending. The services are aimed at reducing winter deaths and hospital admissions through tackling fuel poverty and their many other causes. The project has been very successful in reaching vulnerable households, with over 2,800 referrals last year alone. Since the service started in 2010, the council has carried out around 30,000 health and wellbeing interventions – with the energy elements of SHINE estimated to have saved vulnerable Islington residents around £800,000 each year. Residents are referred to SHINE by housing officers, health services and the voluntary sector.

This recognition follows last year’s award for Islington officers winning the Department of Energy and Climate Control’s National Community Footprint Award and the European Prize for Innovation in Public Administration.

Cllr Claudia Webbe, Islington Council's executive member for environment, said, "by the OECD highlighting this project, we are proud that the successful work our SHINE team does protecting vulnerable residents is being shown to a global audience."

“When times are tough one cannot underestimate the benefits of a single point referral system providing the help and support needed to tackle fuel poverty towards achieving better health and well-being outcomes”