Support most vulnerable & fight against isolation

In France, one in five households is in a situation of fuel poverty, or nearly four million families, who suffer from the cold or health problems, or are faced with heating bills that are impossible to pay due to poor housing. isolated. We now know that all of the country's "thermal sieves" are responsible each year for 25% of CO2 emissions according to the Ministry of Ecological and Inclusive Transition, and for 45% of total energy consumption.

Faced with the evolution of energy poverty, financial programs have been put in place by the State and public aid schemes.But these public aid schemes are difficult to access for vulnerable groups. Today in France there are many households, owners of their homes and in a situation of energy poverty, both the least able to finance their work and the furthest from existing public systems.

Public authorities have difficulty identifying these families and effectively mobilizing the resources necessary to support them. The private sector sees a growing part of the purchasing power of these families burdened, or even immobilized, by unpaid energy bills, and local associations too often find themselves obliged to refinance these unpaid bills in an emergency rather than helping families to get back on their feet.

No wonder that Secours Catholique is on the front line facing this reality which is gaining ground. Energy has become, after food, the second source of aid for Secours Catholique. In ten years, this energy aid has almost doubled. Financial (debt), social (withdrawal) and even health (respiratory illnesses), the consequences of energy poverty reveal a spiral.

Faced with this observation, a paradox: the existence of multiple financial and administrative systems, at all scales of the territory, which it is essential to mobilize together in order to effectively and sustainably get families out of energy poverty.

However, the multiplicity and complexity of financing, the mutual distrust between public operators, businesses and households in precarious situations, the fear of stigmatization or even "out-of-pocket costs" constitute all obstacles to the accessibility of these aids and devices, as well as the action of the volunteers who accompany them.

The fight against energy poverty is an integral part of Secours Catholique's missions and its delegations in France support a growing number of people struggling to heat themselves and meet their energy costs in their accommodations. Thus, in addition to financial aid for the payment of energy bills or for the energy renovation, the local teams deploy innovative projects to support people in situations of precariousness. Their goal is to enable very modest people, families, single people, often elderly, isolated by weak social ties, and in energy poverty in their homes, to carry out work to improve and restore their homes. on the economic model of sustainable development. 

This approach results in:

• Administrative support for the preparation of grant applications and in relations with stakeholders of the territories, provided by volunteers;
• Moral support so that people do not become discouraged during the process, provided by our volunteerswho ensure that a bond of trust and fraternity is established;
• Possibly financial support if deemed relevant (solidarity fund of €10,000 aimed at supplementing aid from the State in terms of energy renovation and reduce the remaining costs).

Expected impact of the project

The “Chauffe-Toi” project is a program launched by the Réseau Eco Habitat and AG2R. It intends to fight against energy poverty and contribute to renovation of thermal strainers for the most modest households in need of support and support to improve their housing.

3 of our delegations were winners of the “Chauffe Toi” program : Poitou, Maine et Loire and Burgundy. They thus benefited from support in early 2022 to accelerate the launch of their project which translates as follows:

1. Position yourself as a trusted third party by offering global and local support for that people consider work calmly: fraternal and local support (dimensions administrative, moral and financial).
2. : Improve people’s living conditions by providing a sustainable response to energy poverty and allow people to live in housing worthy of the name.

Since 2017, the Poitou Delegation has supported an experiment carried out in the Bocage Bressuirais. Rewarded as part of the “Chauffe-Toi” approach, the delegation now wishes to extend its action to combat precariousness energy to the entire department of Deux Sèvres, and subsequently to its entire territory. An employee will be recruited to accompany the development of this project. This employee will carry out a feasibility study to seek the best scenario in order to move forward based on everything that is already experienced on site.

The Burgundy delegation is also committed to the “Chauffe-Toi” approach. This approach is carried out in partnership with public services, communities, associations…

The Maine et Loire delegation is also involved in the “Chauffe-Toi” approach in partnership with ECHOBAT (technical coordinator) and Alizée (socio-economic coordinator financial),

80 households are currently supported by Secours Catholique teams

Testimonial from a trusted third party volunteer
"It was not just a technical intervention, but above all a wonderful adventure human, an encounter with a battered person who was curled up on himself and who opened little by little to first accept our help then accept the feasibility of the project then become an actor in this project by establishing links of trust and conviviality with all the actors who intervened in his home. He entrusted us a heavy but fabulous task: to fulfill his dream of one day welcoming his children and his grandson in his beautiful house: it is possible today and for us too it is a great gift"