Recent Research

Funded by DECC, this project sought to understand to what extent large scale installations of air source heat pumps may cause a problem. NEA in partnership with CE Electric (now Northern Powergrid) monitored investigated clustered installations and the profile of areas where air source heat pump installations may be a problem to the existing electrical network infrastructure.

NEA has developed a wealth of frontline experience in evaluating Community Energy Savings Programme (CESP) schemes.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change commissioned NEA to prepare a practical guidance document for use by third party agencies operating a scheme under the Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP) launched in September 2009.

This programme of research, funded by the EBICO Trust, sought to understand the environmental and financial impacts of air-source heat pumps (ASHPs) as a low-carbon heating intervention, particularly among households without access to the mains gas network.It examined the carbon and fuel cost savings that can be attributed to the installation of ASHPs in households at risk of fuel poverty and the social and carbon benefits of ASHPs to fuel poor.

Funding from DECC is provided to continue NEA’s work in the area of Park Homes and to contextualise and report upon its understanding of fuel poverty distribution amongst Park Home residents.

NEA has considerable experience of delivering research projects working directly with householders to monitor the transition from thermally inefficient and uncomfortable housing to homes which are more energy efficient, warmer and more affordable to heat. An example of a project recently undertaken by NEA was a piece of research entitled – “The carbon footprint of the fuel poor” which commenced in 2009 funded by DECC.

The Climate Change Act 2008 committed the UK to ambitious and legally binding greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets over the next 40 years. While moving to a low carbon society will have obvious environmental benefits, concerns remain over whether it can co-exist with a socially just approach that seeks to protect low-income consumers from higher energy bills. This thinkpiece, commissioned by the Joseph Rowntree Foundations argues that more consideration of the possible consequences of unbalanced social and environmental objectives is now required.

NEA believes that the Winter Fuel Payment is of immense value to fuel-poor households and advocates its extension to the most financially disadvantaged non-pensioner households including those with young children, or where a family member suffers a disability or chronic illness.

The main objective of this scoping study, funded by the Money Advice Trust (MAT), was to examine the case for and identify the components of a new payment method for vulnerable households either at risk of or in fuel debt.