18th February 2016
Cold@Home
A journalistic investigation of fuel poverty
Across Europe and North America, fuel poverty is on the rise: nearly 100 million people are estimated to be unable to afford to keep their homes adequately warm during winter months. EnAct (The Energy Action Project), in association with the Renovate Europe Campaign (REC), presents Cold@ Home, a multimedia project that investigates the underlying causes of fuel poverty, it impacts on people and society, and the measures being taken by diverse actors to address it.
The project launched this week with a web documentary from Ukraine, where people are facing their first winter after the government put in place a sevenfold increase in natural gas prices overnight (1st April 2015). Over the next 12 weeks (until 7th May), diverse multimedia elements will explore specific aspects of fuel poverty (see the attached editorial calendar).
Cold@Home’s underlying message is that fuel poverty is not about being poor. In most cases, the combination of low quality housing and high energy prices drives people into financial hardship, ultimately compromising their health and well-being.
The project integrates diverse media to highlight different types of content:
Features range from personal stories (e.g. web documentaries and feature articles) to interactive elements and expert interviews via podcast.
Inside is the project’s core element. This daily blog has two parallel streams: The Basics covers one sub-topic in a short entry (~400 words); readers who wish can link to Indepth, where energy experts offer deeper insights, in plain language.
The Energy Diary is a social media element through which EnAct allows people to give glimpses of their own daily struggles. This aims to give people a voice and help reduce the stigma associated with fuel poverty also providing insights for those working on solutions.
In keeping with EnAct’s mission, Reporting that seeks to empower, Cold@Home has a section called Act Now, which includes tips on how people living in fuel poverty can take small steps to improve their situation or where they can go for help. It will also suggest how others can help those in need.
Cold@Home will evolve as it unfolds: EnAct will welcome questions from it audiences, accept ideas for new stories or angles, and engage with additional experts as needed.
Background information
EnAct is an online platform investigating the causes and impacts of energy poverty worldwide, as well as solutions to address it. Jointly developed by seasoned journalists and energy experts, EnAct capitalizes on the power of multimedia to engage, inform, influence and empower.
To get a sense of EnAct’s work, view their trailer video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmCO2Zb4mBw
Renovate Europe is an initiative of the European Alliance of Companies for Energy Efficiency in Buildings (EuroACE). Its headline ambition is to reduce the energy demand of the building stock in the EU by 80% by 2050 as compared to 2005 levels. The REC is calling for ambitious renovation strategies to be drawn up all across the EU in order to triple the annual renovation rate of buildings in the EU from 1% to 3% by 2020 and to ensure that all renovations are deep or staged deep renovations.
Learn more about the Campaign: www.renovate-europe.eu