Improving access

Improving access to advice, energy efficiency improvements and related services to UK households

A will strive to ensure that an accessible grant scheme is made available nationally to offer sustainable energy solutions commensurate to need; and that the commitment exists, across all local authority areas, to provide fuel poverty solutions for vulnerable households.

Accessibility of micro-generation and community energy
NEA has been working in partnership with Micropower Council (MPC) to look at a range of options for improving accessibility of micro-generation heat technologies. Building on this, NEA, funded by DECC, will consult with a range of industry bodies' in order to develop a series of ways in which micro-generation and community energy can be accessed by the fuel poor, identifying current barriers to uptake of these technologies within the current commercial and policy landscape and developing policy options in order that fuel poor households can be provided with a compliance option to hedge against increasing energy prices.

Warm & Toasty
With funding from Scottish Power, NEA Cymru is training 60 Health Professionals and 30 Community Health Advisors to enable them to provide useful and accurate advice to their vulnerable patients to help them keep warm. Alongside the training, we will gather evidence to pinpoint what government can do to support links between health and fuel poverty.

Warmer Healthier Children
This ongoing project, funded by the ScottishPower Energy People Trust, will deliver training sessions to a wide range of agencies working with children between the ages of 0-16 and from different family groups, so that staff are equipped to identify children and families in fuel poverty and offer practical advice and solutions.

Energy Girls
NEA will be working in partnership with Calor and the Women's Institute to develop a ‘Women and Fuel Poverty' Campaign, initially by delivering a pilot project which will train and mentor members of the Women's Institute groups in fuel poverty alleviation in rural areas.

Future Rural Energy England (FREE) project and Tackling Fuel Poverty in Rural Areas/Low Cost Carbon Abatement
Operating in England and Wales between April 2010 and March 2013, the Calor FREE project aims to reduce levels of fuel poverty in off-grid areas through combining advice to individual householders with touring road-shows and community initiatives. In 2011 this will be expanded to include ‘village energy audits', where several properties in the same area will be assessed and then offered energy efficiency assistance in order to make installing insulation and heating measures more cost-effective.

Tackling rural fuel poverty
The aim of this two-year project is to develop and support a network of up to 64 community energy volunteers in rural communities who will be trained and supported to be able to advise, support and refer peers so that they can reduce energy costs, carbon and fuel bills. The project, run with the support of DECC, will aim to target hard to reach and vulnerable members of society who live in rural off gas areas, ensuring that the support for community volunteers can provide individuals with new skills whilst also building community networks.

HEAT
The HEAT project runs from NEA's Coventry office and provides specialised fuel debt and energy efficiency advice for local residents that are struggling with fuel debt and/or fuel poverty issues. It is supported by the Ebico Trust and ScottishPower Energy People Trust.

Using the Housing, Health and Safety Rating Scheme (HHSRS) to raise housing standards, reduce health inequalities and engage with private sector landlords
Following on from previous work looking at how HHSRS can take those living in the private rented sector out of fuel poverty, DECC is funding NEA to work with four local authorities to improve knowledge and implementation of HHSRS in the sector, aiming to lead to an increased use of HHSRS by local authorities to reduce fuel poverty.

In Wales, NEA Cymru is undertaking a similar project working with the Welsh Local Government Association.

A Warm Handshake and a Warm Welcome
This project involves working with the North of England Refugee Service to deliver a bespoke on-day Train the Trainer course for refugee and asylum seeker support staff and a 3 hour course for residents complete with comprehensive resources.

Coalmiser
NEA will be working in partnership with The University of Nottingham to trial the suitability of a product which claims to improve the heat output as fossil fuel burns in an open fire. The trials will investigate the suitability of using this product to help alleviate fuel poverty in households in off-gas areas.

Development of a Higher Level Energy Training Course
NEA is being funded by British Gas to develop an accredited high-level training course which will address the current gap in provision for those wishing to continue their training after completing the City & Guilds 6281 (formerly 6176) Energy Awareness Course, or for candidates who already have skills, knowledge or experience in the energy efficiency sector. Additionally NEA is developing training for Green Deal and is working with the relevant Sector Skills bodies.

Helping to Strengthen the Knowledge Base around the Development and Delivery of Policies to Support Vulnerable Customers
NEA aims to improve the knowledge and understanding of new policies and existing mechanisms available to address fuel poverty, ensuring that key policies are informed by the evidence available and that decision makers have access to the most constructive evidence/policy options In particular NEA is working with Professor Hills' fuel poverty review team

REFLOAT - Resourcing Family Learning On Accessible Terms
NEA is being funded by DECC to work with schools directly to deliver lessons that make children, families and staff aware of the impact of domestic energy efficiency, grants, schemes and information available. We will also continue to update our education resources and make these freely available on our website.

Fuel Poverty Forums
NEA holds regional fuel poverty forums aimed at strategic policy makers and front line service providers to examine policy and practical initiatives related to fuel poverty and energy efficiency; showcase innovative provision and best practice; promote dialogue and discussion on a wide range of sectoral issues; and help NEA shape policy developments and campaigns. The forums are supported by a range of funders.