Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!
20 April 2022
Post No. 244
The Week’s Contents
• Protection Key Note 3 for Week Beginning 18/04/2022: Protection from Soaring Prices of Energy
• Coming Next Wednesday 27/04/2022: Protection Day with a Focus on Protection for Women and Children from Energy Crisis
• Advisory Support for the Impacted of the Cost-of-Living Crisis
… And much more!
Key Messages
• Protection Key Note 3 for Week Beginning 18/04/2022: Protection from Soaring Prices of Energy
The key message about this Note 3 is that due to the increase in prices of energy (i.e. electricity, gas and water), there is a need to protect those who are not able to match or meet this increase. Amongst those who cannot meet or match this increase are some of the CENFACS Community members and the categories of people we have listed under the Main Development section of this post.
All of them need protection. However, the kind of protection we are and will be talking about here is not the one they may already got either from those who have the power to reduce or subsidy the price of energy or energy companies (i.e. electricity, gas and water companies) that may offer to their customers protection schemes or even the protection products sold by financial institutions like insurance companies and banks.
The kind of protection we will be dealing with is mostly what CENFACS can do for the community it serves. Besides that, we will include what the voluntary or the charitable sector is doing to support or work with those of our members who have been drastically impacted by the cascading effects of soaring prices of energy and continue to suffer from dire consequences of these effects. Under the Main Development section of this post, we have summarised the kind of protection we are arguing about.
• Coming Next Wednesday 27/04/2022: Protection Day with a Focus on Protection for Women and Children from Energy Crisis
Before telling you what is going to happen on 27/04/2022, let remind our readers, audiences and supporters the meaning of CENFACS’ Reflection Day.
• • What is CENFACS’ Reflection Day?
CENFACS’ Reflection Day is a day to acknowledge the conditions of women and children in need, to reflect on attitudes and what can be done to improve the living conditions of women and children in need.
CENFACS’ Reflection Day is also a special eventful day to re-engage our mind set and spirit to deeply think about the fate of poor women and children, and engineer possible new solutions that can lift them out of poverty and hardships they are facing. At this time of the cost-of-living crisis, they may be facing poverty induced by this crisis.
• • The 12th Edition of CENFACS’ Reflection Day
• • • What is the 12th Edition of CENFACS’ Reflection Day?
The 12th Edition of CENFACS’ Reflection Day is a continuity of the theme about self-protection by women and children themselves and/or protection of women and children by others against future risks or crises. In this case, the risk or crisis is natural resource (e.g. energy), which is becoming scarce or weaponised. Because of what is happening in Ukraine, energies (particularly gas and oil) become expensive and a weapon used in international economic and trade relations.
This high cost of energy and energy weaponization could have dire consequences on the way people access and pay for energy they need and consume. Amongst these people are women and children, especially those living in poverty. The 12th Edition of CENFACS’ Reflection Day is a day to think of the struggle these women and children have in face of energy crisis. Before going any further, let us define energy crisis.
• • • What is energy crisis?
To define energy crisis, we are going to refer to what the ‘urbandictionary.com’ website (1) says about it. On this website, energy crisis is defined as
“A society-wide economic problem caused by a constricted supply of energy leading to diminished availability and increased price to consumers”.
The online ‘urbandictionary.com’ further states that energy crisis is the noticeable price in increase of energy resources.
Within the literature on energy crisis, there are those who think that energy crisis is either a human-made crisis or a depletion of natural resources. Others contend that energy crisis could be artificial distortions in the market introduced by energy suppliers and excessive restrictions on energy.
Briefly, energy crisis is a bottleneck in the supply of energy resources to an economy. Whatever the real nature or cause of energy crisis, it has to be dealt with or at least reflected upon.
• • • What will happen on the 12th Edition of CENFACS’ Reflection Day?
On the 12th Edition of CENFACS’ Reflection Day, we will reflect on what can be done to improve the living conditions of women and children who are facing energy crisis, because they are not able to access basic energy they need and or they cannot afford to pay for it in order to live a normal life like any human beings.
The day is also about finding solutions to their energy problems through inspirations, new thoughts and ideas. It will be about exploring ways of guaranteeing access and payment to cheap, sustainable, clean and safer energy for women and children.
• • • How the 12th Edition of our Reflection Day will be run
This year, the 12th Edition of our Reflection Day will be run in hybrid way. We shall run it hybrid since we are gradually and prudently returning our services and activities as the COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted in England and the nation has moved to “Living with COVID-19” phase.
From the perspective of gradual return, the day will be organised in-person and virtual. Those who want to physically gather together on the day, they will be able to do so provided they follow health and safety rules, including those related to COVID-19. For those going virtual, every participant will be reflecting from the location which is suitable for them (that is, like a virtual reality or remotely).
• • • What areas of thoughts our Reflection Day will touch upon
Our reflection will cover the following:
√ Progress on phasing down fossil fuels (i.e. coal, gas and oil)
√ Acceleration of the deployment of renewable energies
√ Fossil fuel prices
√ Clean energy innovation
√ Impact of interstate fracture of economic and trade relations on energy access for poor women, children and their families
√ Thriving energy innovation ecosystems
√ Energy research and development on non-fossils
√ Artificial distortions in the energy markets
√ De-weaponization of energy
√ Energy scarcity
Etc.
The above is the main menu of our Reflection Day. Besides this main menu, we shall have a side menu which is Reflection on the Effects of the Cost-of-Living Crisis on our Network for Protection in the process of building forward better together greener, cleaner and safer.
Indeed, energy crisis is only an iceberg of the cost-of-living crisis. The cost-of-living crisis includes crisis in various elements of living conditions such as energy, food, housing, education, transport, etc. It is worth reflecting on how this crisis is impacting on the way of covering these elements, and the extent to which it could or could not influence our system of networking for protection.
• • Reflection on the Effects of the Cost-of-Living Crisis for Protection
Through this additional reflection exercise, we should be able to know or estimate whether or not the cost-of-living crisis has made our network for protection stronger or weaker or unchanged. Alternatively, we can reflect on a new window of opportunities to network for protection that the cost-of-living crisis may have brought.
Briefly, this add-on activity will enable us to reset our system of networking for protection in the process of building forward together greener, cleaner and safer.
To support or join the Reflection Day on the Protection of Women and Children, please contact CENFACS.
Under the Main Development section of this post, we have appended a timeline about CENFACS’ Reflection Day for your reference.
• Advisory Support for the Impacted of the Cost-of-Living Crisis
The advisory support, which is part of package offered to the community to manage the cost-of-living crisis, is a deterrent against side effects of losing income or earning capacity because of severe consequences from the cost-of-living crisis. These effects could be for example mental, psychological and social breakdowns.
Additionally, the support will help avoid reversal in gains made by those in most need against poverty and hardships. In doing so, the support will assist them in better coping with and managing undesirable changes brought by the cost-of-living crisis.
The advisory support will be given in three keys areas, which are:
√ Advice to help stop the loss of income because of high bills and prices to pay
√ Advice to support response to the loss of real income
√ Advice on recovery measures to minimise the long term impact of the cost-of-living crisis, while helping them find new or alternative sources of earning income to prevent people from economic and financial collapse.
Through this project, one can hope as outcomes, the following ones:
√ Self-confidence
√ Self-esteem
√ Hope
√ A newly survival strategy
√ Development of new streams or sources of earning income again
√ Build forward better strategy
Etc.
To access and or gain the benefits of this support, please contact CENFACS.
Extra Messages
• Triple Value Initiatives (TVIs)/All-year Round Projects (AYRPs) Activity: Write a Journal of your TVI/AYRP
You can write and reflect on what you are doing as TVI/AYRP user or beneficiary. Journaling a TVI/AYRP (that is Play, Run and Vote) can have benefits. To get those benefits, one needs to have a goal and plan activities/achievements.
• • Benefits of journaling your TVI/AYRP
The journal will help you to capture the moments of your TVI/AYRP via expressive writing and story. It can have other benefits such as setting goals, tracking or measuring your progress on TVI/AYRP, recording and celebrating achievements and gaining both general and specific perspectives of your TVI/AYRP.
• • Journaling Goal of TVI/AYRP
The goal is basically to explore and enrich one’s TVI/AYRP activity through creative writing. This goal does not stop users of TVI/AYRP to have their own journaling goal. Besides their journaling goal, they need to add what their journal can help achieve.
• • What one’s TVI/AYRP Journal can achieve
It can achieve many things including the following:
∝ Solve problems encountered in implementing TVI/AYRP
∝ Enhance one’s health via TVI/AYRP
∝ Improve TVI/AYRP outcomes.
For those who are undertaking any of the TVIs/AYRPs and would like to write a journal about their activity, they can do it. There are many online and print resources available on the matter.
For those who would like to approach CENFACS for help and support to write a Journal of TVI/AYRP, they are welcome to do so.
• Goal for the Month: Reduction of Income Poverty and Poverty (or weaknesses) in Earning Capacity
• • What is poverty reduction goal for the month?
We select a particular poverty reduction goal each month to focus on.
This selection may come from or outside one of the stated goals of CENFACS‘ 2020s Development Agenda and Poverty Reduction Goals (2).
For this month of April 2022, we have selected ‘Reduce income poverty and poverty (or weaknesses) in earning capacity’ as our goal for the month. What is ‘Reduce income poverty and poverty (or weaknesses) in earning capacity‘ in the current context of rising cost of living? What does its selection mean?
• • Reduce income poverty and poverty (or weaknesses) in earning capacity
The rising prices of energy, food, housing, water, other utilities, transport, etc. could mean threat in real incomes. There could be a threat as real incomes get dropped because of inflation. Income poor people and families could find that meeting the high level of prices and bills is extremely difficult or even impossible.
So, this month’s goal is to reduce income poverty. Reduce income poverty and poverty (or weaknesses) in earning capacity is the first CENFACS’ Poverty Reduction Goals.
• • What does its selection mean?
Reduce income poverty and poverty (or weaknesses) in earning capacity will help those who are struggling to meet the current high level of prices and bills to find some room for manoeuvre. This reduction could be done either by improving the income side of the income poor or by cutting down non-essential expenses or both. However, for income poor people most of their expenses are essential to maintain basic level of life.
For more details on the goal of this month and how to support this goal, please contact CENFACS.
• Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) and Rising Prices of Energy and Food in Africa
How ASOs are working with their locals to avert cascading impacts of rising prices of energy and food
Studying how the global crisis is unfolding in depth and scale on countries, the United Nations Task Team for the Global Crisis Response (3) estimates that there are Least Developed Countries that are severely exposed to at least one dimension of the shock. This Task Team argues that there are…
“[a] 25 economies in Africa with a severe exposure score across the Food, Energy and Finance dimensions; [b] 25 economies in Africa of a total of Least Developed Countries with a maximum exposure score in at least one of the Food, Energy and Finance dimensions” (p. 7)
This exposure to the dimensions of price shock of energy and food could suggest that ASOs could find themselves with a high demand of their locals in order to avert cascading impacts of this shock or rising prices of energy and food. They are working with their locals on a number of fronts and projects (including access to affordable food, energy and water) in order to avert the impact of the current global crisis linked to the war in Ukraine.
For those who would like to know more about how ASOs are working with their locals to avert cascading impacts of rising prices of energy and food, they are free to contact CENFACS.
La 12ème édition de la Journée de Réflexion du CENFACS aura lieu le 27 avril 2022.
Qu’est-ce que la 12e édition de la Journée de Réflexion du CENFACS?
La 12ème édition de la Journée de Réflexion du CENFACS s’inscrit dans la continuité du thème de l’autoprotection des femmes et des enfants ou de la protection des femmes et des enfants par les autres contre les risques ou crises futurs. Dans ce cas, le risque ou la crise est que les ressources naturelles (par exemple l’énergie) deviennent rares ou transformées en armes.
En raison de ce qui se passe en Ukraine, les énergies (en particulier le gaz et le pétrole) deviennent chères et une arme utilisée dans les relations économiques internationales.
Ce coût élevé de l’énergie et la militarisation de l’énergie pourraient avoir des conséquences désastreuses sur la façon dont les gens accèdent et paient pour l’énergie dont ils ont besoin et qu’ils consomment. Parmi ces personnes se trouvent des femmes et des enfants, en particulier ceux qui vivent dans la pauvreté.
La 12ème édition de la Journée de Réflexion du CENFACS est une journée pour réfléchir à la lutte de ces femmes et de ces enfants face à la crise énergétique.
Ce qui va se passer le 27 avril 2022
Lors de la 12e édition de la Journée de réflexion du CENFACS, nous réfléchirons à ce qui peut être fait pour améliorer les conditions de vie des femmes et des enfants confrontés à une crise énergétique, parce qu’ils ne sont pas en mesure d’accéder à l’énergie de base dont ils ont besoin et ou qu’ils ne peuvent pas se permettre de la payer pour vivre une vie normale comme n’importe quel être humain.
La journée consistera également à trouver des solutions à leurs problèmes énergétiques à travers des inspirations, de nouvelles pensées et idées. Il s’agira d’explorer les moyens de garantir l’accès et le paiement à une énergie bon marché, durable, propre et plus sûre pour les femmes et les enfants.
Pour soutenir ou participer à la Journée de réflexion sur la protection des femmes et des enfants, veuillez contacter le CENFACS.
Main Development
• Protection Key Note 3 for Week Beginning 18/04/2022: Protection from Soaring Prices of Energy
To deliver this Note 3, we have assembled the following items:
∝ Basic data about changing prices of energy
∝ The need of protection
∝ Those who need protection
∝ Types of protection
∝ What CENFACS can do to support the community to meet its demand of protection.
Let us look at each of these items.
• • Basic data about changing prices of energy
There have been lots of figures and interpretations about how the price of energy sources (i.e. electricity, gas, oil, water, etc.) have gone up following the current cost-of-living crisis. Some of these figures or statistical messages have not been easy to understand or simply are conflicting. To make it easy, we are going to refer to what the UK’s energy regulator advised about the energy price cap.
The UK’s energy regulator Ofgem (4) advising energy consumers to check if the energy price cap affect them states on its website that
“The average price-capped rates for a customer with typical usage, paying by direct debit was £0.21 per kWh (at daily standing charge of £0.25) for electricity during the last price cap period, between 01 October and 31 March 2022. The average price cap unit rates for a customer with typical usage, paying by direct debit during the current price cap period (i.e. between 01 April and 30 September 2022) is £0.28 per kWh at daily standing charge of £0.45”.
The same Ofgem (op. cit.) proposes the following for gas:
“The average price-capped rates for a customer with typical usage, paying by direct debit was £0.04 per kWh (at daily standing charge of £0.26) for gas during the last price cap period, between 01 October and 31 March 2022. The average price cap unit rates for a customer with typical usage, paying by direct debit during the current price cap period (i.e. between 01 April and 30 September 2022) is £0.07per kWh at daily standing charge of £0.27”.
Although energy suppliers cannot charge more than the cap that has been set, the change in price cap between the above stated periods is in itself an indication of rising prices of energy. This rise raises the issue of protection from soaring prices of energy.
• • The need of protection
Protection as a basic life-sustaining need is required to shield energy consumers, especially the poor ones; that is those who are not able to meet the soaring prices of energy. They need defence against harm or danger from the impacts of soaring prices of energy on their budgets, lives and livelihoods. They need it to maintain basic conditions and values of life as humans. Who need protection?
• • The protection needy
Those impacted by soaring prices of energy and in need of protection include the following:
√ Those suffering from cash shortfall induced by rising energy prices
√ Those who are collateral damage of rising energy prices
√ Those with high pressure on energy bills and prices
√ Those without livelihood guarantee under the current circumstances of rising energy prices
√ Those who have their living standards below the national average one
√ Those with income not aligned with inflation or the cost of living
√ Those who have been inflicted or incapacitated by soaring prices of energy
In short, the energy poor who could be amongst people listed above. They need some forms or types of protection.
• • Types of protection
Depending on people’s needs, this protection could cover the following matters:
√ Energy tariffs
√ Energy debt
√ Energy credit
√ Energy meter reading
√ Energy supply
Etc.
Briefly, protecting people, especially the energy poor, from these matters (i.e. energy tariffs, debt, credit, meter reading, supply, etc.) can help them to meet their energy needs and overcome the rise in energy prices.
• • What CENFACS can do to support the community to meet its demand of protection from soaring energy prices
There are already energy protection measures in the market (like those relating to covering bills, disconnections, difficulty paying bills, etc.) that every energy consumer can get from their energy providers or statutory bodies.
Our ways of working with the community to meet its demand of protection relating to energy is not to repeat those measures. Instead, it is about adding something, perhaps new, to them.
Furthermore, CENFACS does not have the power to cut bills or to provide financial support towards energy bills. CENFACS can however support the community on various grounds such as
√ Support users to reclaim their energy consumer rights
√ Help switch to energy-saving habits or measures at home
√ Explore ways of negotiating energy debt servicing to affordable plan
√ Provide one-to-one advice on energy relief needs and matters
√ Help understand what organisations are advising (e.g. Citizens Advice Bureau, Ombudsman services)
√ Find social safety nets for energy poor and most vulnerable
√ Help people understand energy literature (e.g. energy debt guide provided by Ofgem) and energy literacy statistics
√ Raise awareness of measures to lower energy use and carbon emissions at home
√ Help people and families in their alignment drive to green energy
√ Assist in reading energy comparison providers’ resources on energy prices and statistics
√ Provide information about energy support measures (e.g. energy grants, bills support, home insulation or retrofit, etc.)
√ Find nature-based solutions to energy poverty and problems
√ Signpost users to energy community services and hubs
√ Help people and families address energy poverty and precariousness
Etc.
From the above mentioned energy support services, we can help reduce pressure on energy budgets, in particular by advising how to reduce energy expenses while increasing incomes for energy and other household needs.
All these ways of working with the community will help to protect them from soaring prices of energy. The more informed they are, the more likely they will find and practise the tools, tips and hints they need in order to overcome energy poverty and hardships.
It is all about working with them to improve the way in which they manage their income and life spent on energy in order to overcome future upheavals of the energy markets, which have recently been impregnated with stories of rising prices and costs.
The above is our Protection Key Note 3. For any further details about Protection from Rising Prices of Energy and CENFACS’ Month of Protection, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.
• References
(1) https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=energy%20crisis (accessed in April 2022)
(2) CENFACS, (2020), The Twenty-twenties (2020s) Development Agenda and Poverty Reduction Programme at cenfacs.org.uk/2020/03/11/the-2020s-agenda-and-programme/
(3) https://news.un.org/pages/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/UN-GCRG-Brief-1.pdf (accessed in April 2022)
(4) https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/information-consumers/energy-advice-households/check-if-energy-price-cap-affects-you (accessed in April 2022)
• Appendix
• • Reflection Day Timeline
The Reflection Day is a day of thoughts by bringing together the two pillars of our network and protection programme, which are 3W and PPS. Although they started in 2003, we only introduced a Reflection Day (RD) in them in 2011.
In 2016, we amalgamated 3W and PPS to become Women and Children projects as we noticed in some situations it was difficult to separate women’s and children’s needs. Where their needs are separable or differentiated one to the other, we run either of the two brands (that is 3W and PPS) individually. This is why these two brands of our network and protection are still alive despite their amalgamation.
The Reflection Day is a day of introspection to think in depth the ways forward for our systems of support network and protection for poverty relief and sustainable development in face of the current, new and emerging challenges ahead as well as the ever changing development landscape.
Since its inception, the following is the timeline of 3W and PPS
2011: Making Networking and Protection Even Better in 2011
2012: Raising Standards in Poverty Reduction for Improving Lives
2013: Place of Women and Children in the Post-2015 Development World (Part I)
2014: Women and Children in the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Agenda (Part II) – A Stock Taking Reflection Event
2015: Doing Business to Lift Women and Children out of Poverty
2016: Improving Digital Protection for the Extremely Digitally Poor Women and Children
2017: Reducing Information and Communication Poverty for Multi-dimensionally Poor Women and Children
2018: Making Transitional Economy Work for Poor Families
2019: Protection of Women and Children in War-torn Zones and Natural Disaster-stricken Areas
2020: Protection of Women and Children in Times of Health or Sanitary Crisis like Covid-19
2021: Ring-fencing Protection for Women and Children to Become More Resilient and Vigilant in face of Future Risks and Crises
For your information,
3W & PPS = Support Network and Protection for Poverty Relief and Development
Women and Children projects = amalgamation of 3W and PPS in 2016
3W (What Women Want) = a CENFACS support network scheme to enhance the lives of multi-dimensional deprived women and families
PPS (Peace, Protection & Sustainability) = a CENFACS child and environmental protection programme to support multi-dimensional vulnerable children, young people and families
KNA (Keep the Net Alive) = a motto that helps to keep our networking for protection running.
For more information on 3W and PPS or Women and Children projects, please contact CENFACS.
_________
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One could consider a recurring donation to CENFACS in the future or as a New Year resolution.
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Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.
Thank you as well to those who made or make comments about our weekly posts.
We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support throughout 2022 and beyond.
With many thanks.
