Supported by Fotonow CIC
And Plymouth Energy Community
Government data reveals that the numbers of fuel poor households has risen dramatically as the costs of energy and gas have doubled in the past decade (Rutherford, 2016). Fuel poverty effects millions of families across the UK; 4.5 million fuel-poor households, representing 17% of all households (Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, 2017). Fuel poverty damages people’s quality of life and health. The likelihood of ill health is higher in cold homes, with illnesses such as influenza, heart disease, and strokes all exacerbated by cold temperatures. Cold homes can also promote the growth of fungi and numbers of houses dust mites. The indirect impact of fuel poverty cause social isolation and aggravate mental health problems. (Department for Environmental Food and rural Affairs.)
Cold Realities is a documentary project, which has developed in close collaboration with residents who take part in the Plymouth Energy Community program ‘Warm and Well’.
The series of images give a broader insight into the problem of fuel poverty by presenting short visual stories of people who are affected by this problem in the Plymouth area. The work allows the viewer to step into somebody’s world unveiling authentic depiction of the residents’ lives. We cross the barrier of intimacy, being a witness to a harsh reality.
The symbolic photographs of the dwellings together with portraits, images of personal belongings and extracts from the interviews expresses the need of existing such organisations like Plymouth Energy Community, in better sharing their purpose.
