Shropshire Photo Project to Highlight Effect of Fuel Poverty

A new initiative in Shropshire is set to cast a stark, visual light on one of the UK's most pressing economic challenges: fuel poverty. The project, titled "Keeping Warm: A Photo Project About Fuel Poverty," will use photography and video to document the lived experiences of those struggling to heat their homes, aiming to transform abstract statistics into a powerful human narrative for policymakers and the public.

The project is a collaboration between Citizens Advice Shropshire and Aston University, designed to move beyond traditional data reports and provide an unfiltered look into the daily realities of the crisis. By empowering individuals to tell their own stories through a camera lens, the organisers hope to challenge prevailing stigmas and drive a more empathetic and effective policy response.

The Human Cost of Cold Homes

Fuel poverty is a term that describes a household's inability to afford to keep their home adequately warm. In the UK, it is officially defined by the Low Income Low Energy Efficiency (LILEE) metric, which identifies households that have both a relatively low income and an energy-inefficient home.

The consequences extend far beyond financial strain, seeping into every aspect of an individual's life.

• Health and Wellbeing: Living in a cold, damp home is directly linked to a range of severe health problems. It exacerbates respiratory conditions like asthma, increases the risk of cardiovascular events, and is a significant contributor to the UK's thousands of excess winter deaths each year. Mental health also suffers, with constant anxiety over bills and the physical discomfort of being cold leading to increased stress, depression, and social isolation.
• Dignity and Stigma: The project directly confronts the misconception that poverty is a result of poor decision-making. "Everyone assumes that if you're poor or if you're in that situation it's because of bad choices and bad decisions - and that's just not true," said Jackie Jeffrey, CEO of Citizens Advice Shropshire. The anonymity of the photo project allows participants to share their reality without fear of judgment, preserving their dignity while highlighting a systemic issue.

A Creative Strategy for Policy Influence

By choosing a visual medium, the project's leaders are employing a strategic approach to advocacy. While statistics are crucial for understanding the scale of the problem, personal stories and images can create an emotional connection that data alone often cannot.

The goal is to arm organisations like Citizens Advice with a new kind of evidence. "It means that when we talk to policy makers and meet people who make decisions about how we support people in fuel poverty... their voice is really heard," Jeffrey added.

The methodology is designed to be inclusive and supportive.

• Project Mechanics: Between 10 and 20 participants, all over 18 and living in Shropshire, will be recruited. They will be given digital cameras or can use their own devices to capture photos and videos that represent their experience.
• Academic Support: Participants will attend group sessions at The Hive in Shrewsbury, supported by staff from Citizens Advice and the project's academic lead, Dr. Alexis Paton from Aston University. This ensures the process is guided and ethically managed.
• Public Exhibition: The anonymised content will form the basis of public exhibitions at The Hive in Shrewsbury and Aston University in Birmingham. These events will serve not only as a showcase but also as a resource hub, providing clear information for others struggling with their energy bills.

"It was really trying to think of a creative and innovative way to really try to highlight what this issue is and challenge a lot of those preconceptions," explained Catherine Devayney from Citizens Advice. "There really isn't a portrait person for how this issue affects a household."

The National Economic Context

The Shropshire project is not happening in a vacuum. It is a local response to a national crisis exacerbated by years of volatile energy markets and a persistent cost-of-living squeeze.

According to the charity National Energy Action (NEA), an estimated 6 million UK households were in fuel poverty as of early 2024. This follows a period of unprecedented energy price hikes, driven by global supply chain disruptions and geopolitical instability.

While the energy price cap, regulated by Ofgem, has fallen from its crisis peaks, standing charges remain high, and prices are still significantly above pre-2021 levels. Government support schemes, such as the Energy Bills Support Scheme, have provided temporary relief but have not addressed the underlying drivers of fuel poverty: low incomes, high energy costs, and the poor energy efficiency of much of the UK's housing stock.

This project's focus on lived experience provides a critical counterpoint to high-level economic debates, reminding decision-makers of the real-world impact of energy prices, inflation, and wage stagnation on households across the country.

Implications and Next Steps

"Keeping Warm" is more than an art project; it is a model for a new form of social and economic advocacy. By placing the storytelling tools directly in the hands of those affected, it aims to generate authentic evidence that can cut through political noise.

The immediate next step is the recruitment of participants in Shropshire, followed by the creation of the photographic and video content. The subsequent exhibitions will be a critical test of the project's ability to engage the public and capture the attention of local and national policymakers.

The ultimate success of this initiative will be measured not just by the quality of the images produced, but by its ability to foster a deeper understanding of fuel poverty and contribute to tangible changes—from improved support services and insulation programmes to a national policy framework that ensures everyone can afford to live in a warm, safe home.