Halton Council as part of the All Together Fairer programme has been tackling the health impacts of fuel poverty by shifting from a reactive model where support was offered only after residents reached crisis point, to a proactive data driven approach.
Working with Health Innovation North West Coast, the council have adopted a fuel poverty dashboard that brings together clinical data, deprivation levels, housing conditions, and other risk factors to identify residents most vulnerable to cold homes and rising energy costs.
Background
Halton Council, as part of the All Together Fairer programme, has been working to reduce the significant impact that fuel poverty has on residents’ health, particularly during the winter months. To achieve this Halton began working with local partners to provide support to vulnerable households struggling with rising energy costs. The need for a more proactive approach became increasingly clear as the council examined how residents were accessing help.
Historically, fuel poverty support relied heavily on self‑referrals or referrals from frontline professionals. While this system captured some residents in need, it presented two major challenges. First, it was difficult to ensure that all partners across health, social care, and the voluntary sector were consistently aware of what support was available. Second, referrals often arrived when a resident was already in crisis, meaning their health had deteriorated and the opportunity for early intervention had been missed.
This was particularly concerning for people with long‑term conditions such as COPD, who are at heightened risk of hospitalisation during cold weather.
Identifying the need for change
The Public Health team at Halton Council recognised that the current reactive working model needed improvements to identify vulnerable residents before they reached crisis point, enabling earlier, more targeted support that could prevent avoidable hospital admissions.
The team began exploring opportunities to use data more intelligently to identify those most at risk. This led to a partnership with Health Innovation North West Coast, who had developed a fuel poverty dashboard designed to bring together multiple data sources to assess a patient’s vulnerability.
Using data to drive prevention
The dashboard integrates a range of indicators, including:
- Clinical information on long‑term health conditions
- Levels of deprivation
- Housing and environmental factors
- Known risk factors for fuel poverty and cold‑related illness
By combining these data points, the dashboard generates a risk profile for each patient, enabling the council to identify individuals who may be at significant risk from cold homes and rising energy costs.
Recognising the potential of this tool, Halton Council presented the proposal to both Primary Care Networks (PCNs) in the area. With their support, the council submitted an application to the Data Access and Asset Group (DAAG) to access patient‑identifiable data for the purpose of targeted public health intervention.
Halton became the first Public Health body to be granted access to this level of data, marking a significant milestone in the region’s approach to preventative health.
Implementation
With access approved, the council identified a small cohort of COPD patients who were at the highest risk of hospital admission due to cold weather and fuel poverty. This group will form the focus of a proactive winter support programme.
Each resident in the cohort will be offered a home visit from Energy Projects Plus, a regional charity that delivers Halton’s affordable warmth service. During the visit, residents will receive:
- Personalised advice on managing energy bills
- Support accessing grants, discounts, or emergency credit
- A full assessment of the home’s energy efficiency
- Screening for eligibility for home improvement schemes (e.g. insulation, heating upgrades)
Where improvements are identified, Halton Council will coordinate the necessary works, ensuring residents receive timely and practical support.
Expected impact
This approach represents a fundamental shift from reactive crisis management to proactive prevention. The anticipated benefits include:
- Reduced risk of hospital admissions among high‑risk COPD patients
- Improved warmth, and wellbeing for vulnerable households
- Earlier access to financial and practical support
- More efficient use of public resources by targeting those most in need
- Stronger collaboration between health, local government, and voluntary sector partners
By using data in a more strategic and targeted way, Halton Council has implemented a working model that could be replicated across other local authorities seeking to address fuel poverty and health inequalities.
If you would like any further information please email Matt.Hancock@halton.gov.uk
