Welcome

Fuel Poverty
Fuel poverty occurs where a household cannot afford sufficient warmth to ensure a healthy and comfortable home; the causes of fuel poverty are generally a combination of high energy costs, poor heating and insulation standards and low household income.

The Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act requires the Government to eradicate fuel poverty in England by 2016. The Government is committed to removing vulnerable households from fuel poverty by 2010; vulnerable households are those where members are elderly, or disabled or where there are children.

Summary of NEA’s work

National Energy Action (NEA) is a national charity that, for over 25 years, has campaigned for policies to secure the eradication of fuel poverty.

NEA develops and promotes energy efficiency services to remedy the heating and insulation inadequacies of dwellings occupied by low-income households.

NEA works in partnership with central and local government; with fuel utilities, housing providers and health services; and with consumer groups and voluntary organisations.

NEA's work includes

Research and analysis into the causes and the extent of fuel poverty and the development of policies to address the problems

Providing advice and guidance to local authorities, fuel suppliers and installers on best practice in delivering energy efficiency services to low-income households

Developing national qualifications and managing their implementation to improve standards of practical work and the quality of energy advice

Producing educational resources to teach young people about the importance of energy efficiency

Managing demonstration projects in urban and rural areas that show innovation in tackling fuel poverty and bring the wider benefits of energy efficiency to local communities

Providing the Secretariat for the Parliamentary Warm Homes Group.

NEA mission statement

To ensure that all households have access to sufficient warmth for health and comfort, at an affordable cost, in well heated and insulated homes, and that the needs of vulnerable energy consumers are fully addressed in policy decisions made by central, regional and local government; the devolved administrations; and the fuel utilities.

About NEA

In carrying out this mission, NEA will:

use the charity’s expertise and other resources to achieve the eradication of fuel poverty

work in partnership with the charity’s members and other key organisations to deliver the organisation’s strategic objectives

develop good practice and innovation in the delivery of energy services to low-income households

influence decision-makers by proactive demonstration of good practice and innovation in the delivery of solutions to fuel poverty

raise awareness of fuel poverty amongst a wide range of organisations and individuals and persuade them to work to address the problem

raise the quality and standards of energy efficiency services provided by professionals and others to low-income households

work in a sustainable and environmentally responsible way

www.nea.org.uk