To order a title please send a cheque for the relevant amount, made payable to "NEA", to Susan Storey, Communications Resources Officer, NEA, Level 6 (Elswick), West One, Forth Banks, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3PA. Alternatively, e-mail info@nea.org.uk and we will invoice you (publications will be despatched on payment of invoice). There is no charge for publications that can be downloaded from this page.
NEA Regional Fuel Poverty Briefings
The Regional Briefings have been produced twice a year in six regions of England, the North East, North West, Yorkshire & Humber, Eastern, London and the South West. Such was their impact that in 2010/2011 they will be produced for all regions, which will now include the East Midlands, West Midlands and the South East. Because all regions will produce them, there will now be only one publication per year.
The role of the Briefing is to inform regional organisations, groups and individuals of what is happening in their region, any policy changes or additions to/of policy and initiatives/activities that are relevant to them and fuel poverty in general. The Briefings also offer the opportunity for regional players to input into the document, if they have an initiative or information relevant to other organizations within the region. It, therefore, provides a vehicle for information dissemination and exchange and organizations are encouraged to provide input for them. Regional Fuel Poverty Briefings
Click here to view archive publications
Guidance for private sector landlords - Raising energy efficiency standards in private rented sector housing
This guidance note provides private rented sector landlords with information on local authority responsibilities under the Housing Act 2004 including guidance on Housing Health and Safety Rating System duties. It also contains information on how to raise the energy efficiency standards of properties, an overview of forthcoming energy efficiency developements and new housing standards for private rented sector housing as well as sources of further specialist advice and assistance.
Keeping Warm in Your Home
Some people find it difficult to keep their home warm and comfortable, especially with the strain caused by rising energy prices. This guide is designed to help you reduce your fuel bills while still keeping your home warm and comfortable.
NEA and Banks Renewables - working together to tackle fuel poverty
NEA and Banks Renewables both understand the importance of developing strong partnerships to achieve common objectives. Both organisations recognise the need to work with local authorities in order to improve energy efficiency across wide areas and achieve significant reductions in fuel poverty. This leaflet gives an overview of the range of initiatives that NEA and Banks Renewables have worked together on.
Time to reconsider UK energy and fuel poverty policies?
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. More consideration of the possible consequences
of unbalanced social and environmental objectives is now required.
UK Fuel Poverty Monitor 2011
In an echo of the original UK Fuel Poverty Strategy, which described the process as
‘representing the start of the road to the end of fuel poverty in the United Kingdom’,
there is a consensus that in order to make meaningful progress in the right direction
we are in urgent need of a ‘road map’. The map should set out milestones for
progress and describe in some detail how these are to be reached and what actions
are required, and by whom, to make these attainable. The review of fuel poverty
definitions and targets currently being undertaken in England and Northern Ireland
may provide a template on how to move forward; however, it must be recognised
that fuel poverty in the different nations has significant different characteristics and
these must be recognised and addressed.
30 years of Campaigning for Warm Homes
An overview of the last 30 years of fighting the cold and campaigning for warm homes.
HHSRS - Your power to warm homes in the private-rented sector - a toolkit for local authorities
This toolkit provides information on how local authorities in England and Wales can most effectively use the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) to reduce fuel poverty in the private-rented sector and raise housing standards in general.
The toolkit is aimed primarily at local authority managers but contains information that should also prove useful to Environmental Health Officers. It is designed to be used in conjunction with the guidance on Excess Cold from the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) and the Local Government Group (formerly LACORS). This looks at how to assess Excess Cold Hazards and what appropriate remedial measures landlords can be required to implement.
The toolkit can be downloaded as a complete document and/or as separate chapters.
- HHSRS-toolkit-and-appendices.pdf
- HHSRS-Chapter-1-Introduction-070811.pdf
- HHSRS-Chapter-2-Policy-Context-070811.pdf
- HHSRS-Chapter-3-Case-Studies-070811.pdf
- HHSRS-Chapter-4-RPT-Appeals-070811.pdf
- HHSRS-Chapter-5-Sample-Checklists-070811.pdf
- HHSRS-Chapter-6-Tenant-and-Landlord-leaflets.pdf
- HHSRS-Chapter-7-Research-and-Links-070811.pdf
- HHSRS-appendices-only.pdf
Valuable to the Vulnerable: Consumer Perspectives on the Winter Fuel Payments
This report presents the findings and conclusions from a programme of qualitative investigation into the value of the Winter Fuel Payment to those that receive it. Evidence from vulnerable households themselves is supplemented with the views of key front-line agencies and an analysis of the Winter Fuel Payment as a fuel poverty policy.
Energy Action Journal
NEA's Energy Action Journal provides comment on energy policy and carries news items and features on best practice and new initiatives which assist domestic consumers, with particular emphasis on low-income and vulnerable households. Edited in-house, the journal receives contributions from analysts, academics and practitioners and aims to provoke lively debate. Topics such as customer services and the changing structure of the energy industry are examined and there is a regular update on parliamentary interest in the issues. This journal is published three times a year and hard copies are available free of charge for NEA members.
Affordable Warmth Toolkit
Coming soon.......The Affordable Warmth Toolkit is a resource to help local authorities and their partners to tackle fuel poverty. It sets out a five-stage process towards achieveing affordable warmth.
The Toolkit will help local authorities to benchmark current performance against and objective set of criteria, understand local fuel poverty issues and agree a vision for affordable warmth locally. In addition the toolkit will help authorities to set targets and select activities that will help improve their current position as well as help them to identify how, when and by whom these activities and tasks are delivered and reviewed.
Fuel Poverty. Information for Welsh Local Authorities. Resource Sheet
This resource sheet, written by NEA, forms part of the Welsh Local Government Association’s Sustainable Development Framework. It gives a background on fuel poverty for local authorities and shows how fuel poverty fits in with sustainable development.
Fuel Poverty Action Guide
This guide is designed to be a practical and easy-to-use document that will help you identify the best solutions for constituents who are worried about keeping warm and paying their home energy bills. There is support available and help out there from a range of providers - including the Government and the energy suppliers. This guide aims to give you the tools you need to identify the help offered quickly and easily.
Fuel Debt Advice Bulletin
NEA has secured funding from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and British Gas to produce a regular Fuel Debt Advice Bulletin. The Bulletin has been designed to provide advisors with up to date information about issues that affect the provision of energy bill advice.
Fuel Poverty Policies and Progress: A Guidance note for Overview and Scrutiny Committees
Local government has a key role to play in ensuring affordable warmth for residents, and an effective and rigorous means of assessing the effectiveness of policy and actions is essential for measuring progress in this area. With this in mind, NEA and the Centre for Public Scrutiny (CfPS) have recently updated this guidance note that is designed to assist members of scrutiny committees and local government support officers in designing and implementing a scrutiny process relating to fuel poverty and domestic energy efficiency. Scrutiny committees are well placed to oversee progress on fuel poverty and can readily include questions within key inquiries on health, housing, social and financial inclusion, and regeneration, environment and general sustainability at a local level.
Fuel Debt Advice Bulletin
NEA has secured funding from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and British Gas to produce a regular Fuel Debt Advice Bulletin. The Bulletin has been designed to provide advisors with up to date information about issues that affect the provision of energy bill advice.
Air-source Heat Pumps - Assessing the Implications for the Electrical Distribution System
Domestic heating technology, air-source heat pumps (ASHPs) are increasingly being considered as a viable and cost-effective option in heating homes across the UK, particularly in the case of properties not connected to mains gas. The figures in this report demonstrate that the domestic ASHP market is projected to significantly expand over the next decade, driven by political, environmental, social and economic imperatives.
Energy Action Journal
NEA's Energy Action Journal provides comment on energy policy and carries news items and features on best practice and new initiatives which assist domestic consumers, with particular emphasis on low-income and vulnerable households. Edited in-house, the journal receives contributions from analysts, academics and practitioners and aims to provoke lively debate. Topics such as customer services and the changing structure of the energy industry are examined and there is a regular update on parliamentary interest in the issues. This journal is published three times a year and hard copies are available free of charge for NEA members.
Warmer Homes, Better Health
The Warmer Homes, Better Health pack contains a range of resources to assist senior managers/ team leaders working in the NHS and local authorities to raise awareness of the impact of fuel poverty on health in the North East of England. The pack has been produced in conjunction with Public Health North East and Newcastle PCT to meet a commitment within the Better Health, Fairer Health strategy to, ‘work with regional partners to establish regional energy goals related to the alleviation of fuel poverty, reduction of inequalities in health and wealth and minimisation of excess winter deaths’.
This resource has been developed for participants attending the Warmer Homes Better Health training events.
Fuel Debt Advice Bulletin
NEA has secured funding from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and British Gas to produce a regular Fuel Debt Advice Bulletin. The Bulletin has been designed to provide advisors with up to date information about issues that affect the provision of energy bill advice.
Future of Rural Energy in Europe (England)
FREE is a rural energy advisorship programme,aimed purely at off-grid communities across England. The programme will bring practical independent advice and information to residents regarding fuel choices, energy efficient technologies, and carbon reduction measures. It will help individual households to focus on reducing their energy consumption and fuel costs, and also encourage local communities to work together to promote best practice in energy efficiency and carbon reduction.
Rural Welsh Energy Advisorship Programme
The Rural Welsh Energy Advisorship Programme is aimed purely at off-grid communities across Wales. The programme will bring practical independent advice and information to residents regarding fuel choices, energy efficient technologies and carbon reduction measures. It will help individual households to focus on reducing their energy consumption and fuel costs and also encourage local communities to work together to promote best practice in energy efficiency and carbon reduction. The project is supported by Calor Gas.
What scope is there for the development of a new fuel payment method in the UK? A solution for vulnerable energy consumers. Consultation Report
Funding from RWE npower has enabled NEA to consult with stakeholders on the findings from an earlier scoping study (funded by the Money Advice Trust) that explored the case for a new payment method for fuel and what a new payment method might look like. Importantly, the consultation exercise enabled participants to reflect and comment upon recommendations made in the earlier report to inform this agenda going forward. Responses to the consultation are summarised in this report, highlighting the leading themes and issues identified.
Fuel Debt Advice Bulletin
NEA has secured funding from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and British Gas to produce a regular Fuel Debt Advice Bulletin. The Bulletin has been designed to provide advisors with up to date information about issues that affect the provision of energy bill advice.
The Heat is On. Using local authority scrutiny committees to reduce fuel poverty. A guide for councillors, local authority officers and organisations concerned about fuel poverty.
Through the Heat is On project, NEA Cymru supported councillors from two local authorities to hold scrutiny reviews of fuel poverty in their local areas. The resulting guide shares the findings of this project and gives advice for other local authorities in Wales who may also wish to scrutinise fuel poverty.
Energy efficiency in community buildings
The information in this publication has been based on knowledge gained over more than 21 years of NEA’s experience of conducting energy audits and installing measures in community centres and village halls. This publication is designed to assist in making decisions to reduce fuel costs and improve the environmental performance of buildings. The text contains technical guides and flow charts and a check list which will be a useful start in the planning process.
Energy Action Journal
NEA's Energy Action Journal provides comment on energy policy and carries news items and features on best practice and new initiatives which assist domestic consumers, with particular emphasis on low-income and vulnerable households. Edited in-house, the journal receives contributions from analysts, academics and practitioners and aims to provoke lively debate. Topics such as customer services and the changing structure of the energy industry are examined and there is a regular update on parliamentary interest in the issues. This journal is published three times a year and hard copies are available free of charge for NEA members.
Developing affordable warmth solutions. Services for local authorities
NEA recognises the key role local authorities have to play in the co-ordination and delivery of local strategies to eradicate fuel poverty and to achieve other strategic objectives at a local level. This leaflet details how NEA can work with local authorities and other key stakeholders on strategic policy and practical developments to achieve affordable warmth and carbon reduction targets.
Low-carbon, low-cost. Tackling fuel poverty by meeting socail and environmental need
NEA has been working with manufacturers, research centres and clients over a number of years to develop, implement and evaluate innovative heating and insulation methods that could help alleviate fuel poverty. NEA has monitored over 200 installations of low-carbon technologies and has developed procedures to ensure that clients can gain the maximum savings from any low-carbon technologies. This leaflet details NEA's work to tackle fuel poverty by meeting social and environmental need.
Promoting health and well-being. Services for the health and social care sector
This leaflet details how NEA can work with the health and social care sector to develop policy and practice to improve the circumstances of vulnerable households living in cold, damp homes.
A cold, damp home is a danger zone - Make your home safe and warm
This resource pack seeks to promote greater understanding between those working in Children's Trusts and the wider energy field of how they can work together to create affordable warmth for families. The pack contains a range of briefing papers, presentations and other resources for Children's Trust policy makers and practitioners, parents and those working in the wider energy field.
Home Energy Advice Team (HEAT) - Project Report
NEA Coventry is a local branch of the national charity NEA, which develops and promotes energy services to tackle the heating and insulation problems of low-income households. The Home Energy Advice Team (HEAT) has completed a two year project which has delivered solutions to the complex problem of fuel debt. Fuel debt is caused by a number of complex factors and funding from the ScottishPower Energy People Trust has enabled NEA to provide advice, advocacy and support tailored around the needs of two client groups - families with young children and ethnic minority households. The project's uniqueness lies in that it delivers bespoke telephone advice along with face-to-face advice in the client's home in a holistic way to help deliver a solution to multiple problems faced by the client. NEA was awarded a grant of £49,680.71 from the ScottishPower Energy People Trust to deliver the HEAT project between 1 April 2008 and the 31 March 2010. This final report summarises NEA’s delivery of the project.
Fuel Poverty Charter
Fuel poverty has reached crisis levels. A wide range of organisations have therefore come together to produce this Charter. We call upon the UK government to carry out ten priority actions to address the fuel poverty crisis.
Fuel Debt Advice Bulletin
NEA has secured funding from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and British Gas to produce a regular Fuel Debt Advice Bulletin. The Bulletin has been designed to provide advisors with up to date information about issues that affect the provision of energy bill advice.
Practical Approaches of Tackling Fuel Poverty and Climate Change - An ESCo Approach
This report is for a series of seminars produced as part of an Innovation and Good Practice project funded by the Tenant Services Authority and supported by DECC, NEA and Impact Housing. The detailed report has been produced to highlight information around the implementation of ESCos, in order to draw out lessons learned and good practice identified to stimulate interest in using ESCos as a vehicle to aid the eradication of fuel poverty. Consistent with this, we have examined in detail the extent of fuel poverty in Cumbria, the full report contains details of this and the research methodology which can be adapted elsewhere.
UK Fuel Poverty Monitor. Fuel Poverty Progress? The UK Perspective
For a number of years, National Energy Action (NEA), NEA Cymru, NEA Northern Ireland and Energy Action Scotland (EAS), have published the UK Fuel Poverty Monitor as a unique overview of programmes and policies to address fuel poverty in the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom.
The primary objective of this publication is to identify progress being made by the relevant Governments and Assemblies in reducing the scale of fuel poverty or, as has been the case in recent years, attempting to minimise the increase in fuel poverty.
Yet despite the fact that responsibility for fuel poverty is ostensibly a devolved issue, it is not possible for complete solutions to be devised in this compartmentalised manner. There needs to be much closer working between Westminster and the devolved administrations to arrive at a comprehensive and coherent approach to fuel poverty in the United Kingdom.
NEA and British Gas: Working together to tackle fuel poverty
NEA and British Gas have a long history of working in partnership to tackle fuel poverty. As NEA's first corporate sponsor, British Gas has continued to support NEA in developing projects, campaigns, training and other initiatives to help address the insulation and heating problems of the five million fuel poor households in the UK. This leaflet gives an overview of the range of initiatives that NEA and British Gas have worked together on.
Prevention into action - Single Assessment Process & Common Assessment Framework Toolkit - Updated
This resource is an updated awareness toolkit for responding to cold-related health and social care risks through the Single Assessment Process and Common Assessment Framework and draws on findings from NEA's 'Prevention is better than cure research (see below). SAP and CAF provide an ideal mechanism for identifying householders at risk of, or living in fuel poverty and promoting referral into available affordable warmth services. The toolkit contains a range of presentations for local adaption and use, appropriate guidance on key issues and practical resources for frontline practitioners
Energy Action Journal
NEA's Energy Action Journal provides comment on energy policy and carries news items and features on best practice and new initiatives which assist domestic consumers, with particular emphasis on low-income and vulnerable households. Edited in-house, the journal receives contributions from analysts, academics and practitioners and aims to provoke lively debate. Topics such as customer services and the changing structure of the energy industry are examined and there is a regular update on parliamentary interest in the issues. This journal is published three times a year and hard copies are available free of charge for NEA members.
Fuel Debt Advice Bulletin
NEA has secured funding from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and British Gas to produce a regular Fuel Debt Advice Bulletin. The Bulletin has been designed to provide advisors with up to date information about issues that affect the provision of energy bill advice.
Community Energy Saving Programme: barriers, solutions, success. Annex documents: Area profiles and appendices
These documents accompany a user guide intended for general use by agencies operating a scheme under the new Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP). Agencies operating a scheme under the CESP that do not have a copy of the user guide should contact NEA or their contact within the CESP team at DECC.
The profiling document presents a profile of eligible locations across Great Britain to assist scheme operators identify the most appropriate areas for implementation of a CESP programme and some of the key characteristics of their chosen areas. Profiles include data relating to the regional or local authority location of eligible areas; tenure distribution; proportion of solid walls and off gas properties; and morphology (rural/urban classification).
Warming Homes, Cooling the Planet: An Analysis of Socio-Techno-Economic Energy Efficiency Policy and Practice in the UK. An academic thesis and practitioner report
The thesis focuses on the challenges faced by householders in their
everyday use of energy and how, in different ways, they engage with and disengage
from governing agencies, and the issues of fuel poverty and climate change. Attention is paid to the sometimes synergistic yet sometimes problematic outcomes that result when attempts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from homes become entangled with efforts to make energy more affordable for those vulnerable to fuel poverty.
The report is intended for use by practitioners and other interested parties. It presents the key findings, conclusions and opportunities for the future from the main academic thesis, in a more concise format.
The reports are based on a three year research project funded by an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) CASE studentship and NEA. The research was a PhD project based in Durham University’s Geography Department.
Alleviating Fuel Poverty in order to improve health in the North East. Final report for the Economy, Culture and Environment Regional Advisory Group of Public Health North East
The following report was commissioned by the health sector in the North East. The report sets out to determine how the health of the population could be improved by alleviating the problems and issues brought on by being in fuel poverty.
This report will be of use to all sectors as fuel poverty is not a single sector issue.
Tackling fuel poverty in Europe. Recommendations Guide for Policy Makers
NEA has been involved in a project to assess the scale of fuel poverty and how well this issue is understood in a number of European countries. Working in partnership with agencies from the UK, France, Italy, Spain and Belgium, in a project known collectively as the EPEE project, the main purpose of the partnership's work was to raise the profile of fuel poverty in countries where the issue is barely recognised and to see if a common European approach could be developed to defining and resolving the problems faced by low-income energy consumers. The EPEE project has published a brief summary of some of the findings from the project and a series of recommendations to EU decision makers on action needed to ensure affordable warmth for all households in EU Member States.
Pathway to Healthy Homes. A guide to developing referral pathways that meet health outcomes
This toolkit will enable PCTs to review, improve and introduce referral systems for their patients vulnerable to the effects of the cold. In addition the toolkit will support PCT development in identifying and ensuring uptake of fuel poverty measures and benefits. This toolkit was an outcome of the initial reports undertaken by NEA from four of the current referral systems in the West Midlands; these are in Sandwell PCT, Wolverhampton PCT, Stoke PCT and North Staffs PCT.
NEA MAT Payment Method Report
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. A series of document and
secondary data analysis was undertaken; current fuel payment methods within and
outside of the UK were identified and appraised; the function of the competitive
energy market and the position of vulnerable consumers within it was examined;
and the relationships between fuel payment types, levels of fuel debt, and degrees
of consumer risk of fuel poverty were explored.
Home Energy Advice Team - ScottishPower End of Year Report
NEA Coventry is a local branch of the national charity NEA, which develops and promotes energy services to tackle the heating and insulation problems of low-income households. The Home Energy Advice Team (HEAT) has completed the first year of a two year project that intends to deliver solutions to the complex problem of fuel debt.
NEA was awarded a grant of £49,680.71 from the ScottishPower Energy People Trust to deliver the HEAT project between 1 April 2008 and the 31 March 2010. This end of year report summarises NEA’s delivery of the project so far.
The Cost of Affordable Warmth
This report examines the relationship between Government and energy supplier investment in programmes to mitigate fuel poverty and the extent to which these fall short of the measures required to attain statutory targets on fuel poverty eradication. In particular, it looks at the current levels of funding made available by Westminster and Holyrood Governments to tackle fuel poverty, while examining the disparity between existing funding and the resources needed to eradicate fuel poverty.
Hotspots Toolkit
This Hotspots toolkit provides guidance on the development of local Hotspots schemes to tackle the wider determinants of fuel poverty. Hotspots is a cross-referral initiative which aims to engage frontline practitioners as referrers of vulnerable and hard-to-reach households primarily into sources of energy efficiency assistance and advice, income maximisation and home safety services. Hotspots is an adaptable model which can be developed as a standalone scheme or to complement existing provision. It is reliant on in-kind support from agencies and has minimal core costs which makes it an attractive proposition for partnerships operating within tight budgets. The cross-referral nature of provision maximises the range of services that can be provided to householders regardless of how they are referred and also supports the achievement of targets across a broad range of objectives.
The Toolkit has been prepared by Hotspots partners in West Yorkshire with support from NEA. The Toolkit contains the principal guidance as well as three example PowerPoint presentations:
- Referral Scheme Presentation - for referral partners on how to complete referral cards
- Hotspots Launch Presentation - to use at a launch or other event
- Hotspots Fire Services training presentation - to use with fire services staff
Affordable Warmth - Sustainable World. NEA and Defra Award Scheme 2008-2009 in association with British Gas
In 2006 & 2007 the Affordable warmth - Sustainable World Award scheme provided grant assistance to nine regional winners each year. The success of the scheme has led to a third phase of the awards in 2008-2009.
Beating the cold: a guide for local action (English/Welsh)
To help support local action to tackle fuel poverty, the Assembly Government commissioned NEA Cymru to help develop Affordable Warmth Action Plans for each local authority area. In December 2007, NEA Cymru held a workshop with representatives from local authorities to discuss the best ways in which to turn the commitments contained in the Affordable Warmth Action Plans into effective actions. With their help we have developed this guide - designed to build on lessons learned and to provide guidance that can ensure local plans are put into action.
UK Fuel Poverty Monitor: Sixth year report. The wrong direction: how UK Fuel Poverty Policy lost its way - (May 2008)
This issue of the UK Fuel Poverty Monitor has a dual purpose - to present the current situation in the constituent countries of the United Kingdom and to consider how fuel poverty policy decisions resting with Westminster can be revised and strengthened to make energy affordable for vulnerable households.
Fuel savings through new technologies: Micro-generation annual review 2007-08 (May 2008)
Micro-generation can directly impact on the lives of vulnerable groups and there is great potential to use micro-generation to help eradicate fuel poverty. Rising and unstable gas and electricity prices are replaced with energy that comes from an infinite, natural source, with little or indeed no reliance on these volatile markets. In addition, renewable energy brings environmental benefits and, as such, is of increasing importance in national energy policy.
Working as an Energy Champion in your Housing Association
A guide for Energy Champions and staff working within housing associations, this booklet provides information on the issues of fuel poverty and affordable warmth and advises housing association staff on how to work with both individual householders and the wider community to ensure that every tenant is able to heat their home affordably.
Keeping warm in your home. A Housing Association tenant's guide
Some people find it difficult to keep their homes warm and comfortable. This booklet is designed especially for people who rent their homes from Housing Associations. It provides information that may help to reduce bills whilst still keeping warm enough.
Health Trainer resource pack
The 'Health Trainer' initiative was announced in the 'Choosing Health' White Paper as a means to address broader health inequalities particularly in disadvantaged communities. Health Trainers are in an excellent position to identify households living in, or at risk of fuel poverty and refer them into available provision that in turn may improve health and well-being. The resource pack contains a presentation, a range of briefing materials and practical resources to encourage Health Trainers to help local people to achieve their personal health goals, improve their living conditions and minimise their risk of fuel poverty.
Energy Performance Certificates in the social and private rented sectors
In 2008 NEA produced a piece of research around the introduction of Energy Performance Certificates. The requirement for energy performance certificates to be carried out represented a golden opportunity to carry out a pilot scheme demonstrating how Local Authorities, RSL’s and landlords can incorporate anti-fuel poverty initiatives alongside other added value initiatives for example, energy savings advice, fuel tariff advice, referral’s to grant agencies and assisting with the wider climate change agenda.
Modelling the North East Economy: the Impact of Fuel Poverty Intervention on Economic Activity in the North East of England
National Energy Action (NEA) completed research which measures the economic impact of fuel poverty interventions in the North East of England. This research, funded by Defra, was carried out in partnership with Durham University and used anti-fuel poverty measures data in conjunction with data contained in the North East Regional Accounts and Economic Model, developed at Durham University and funded by One North East.
Renewable energy: How to get the best for your clients
This report contains an executive summary and appendices of key decision-making factors for the installation of solar thermal, heat pumps, micro wind, biomass stoves and solar PV. The report outlines some of the important factors in making a decision about which technology, if any, is suitable to a particular household. You will find this report useful if you are an energy advisor, a specifier of renewable energy or someone who is interested in reducing energy consumption and fuel bills in your home.
Tackling fuel poverty: the next steps
A joint report from the All Party Parliamentary Group on Debt and Personal Finance and the All Party Parliamentary Group on Poverty. This report is intended to provide an overview of the factors which could undermine the efforts to reach fuel poverty targets and the articles contained in this report highlight some key areas for action.
Keep warm, save money. Off-the-shelf training resource (October 2006, revised August 2007)
This comprehensive pack has been designed to support the training and development of community volunteers - enabling energy efficiency advice and information to be delivered to people in their homes. The resource is an off-the-shelf toolkit for trainers and consists of session plans, tutor notes, lists of recommended resources, handouts and hints & tips on effectively delivery techniques. Courses on 'how to use the pack' are also available from NEA.
Available as hard copy only at £5.00 per copy. Please contact Susan Storey for details
Modernising your property
A guide to energy efficiency improvements for private landlords in West Sussex, Gloucestershire, Devon and Dorset.
NEA is working together with eaga Warm Front, the National Landlords Association and the National Federation for Residential Landlords to increase the uptake of energy efficiency measures in the private rented sector. 'Modernising Your Property' explains the importance of energy efficiency in the home and informs abour recent and forthcoming legislation such as the Housing Health Safety Rating System and the Energy in Buildings Performance Directive.
The West Sussex leaflet is available to download above. For Gloucestershire, Devon and Dorset, please contact Susan Storey.
Factor 4 Pilot study - Client impact evaluation
Ofgem, as part of its Social Action Plan commitment, recognised the potential of developing financial services for low-income households and the role that could be played by utilities for mutual benefit. Ofgem commissioned a piece of work carried out by NEA and the New Economics Foundation to ascertain the market feasibility of a Factor 4 approach and subsequently commissioned the pilot evaluation. The Factor 4 pilot was launched in spring 2003 and ended in the summer of 2006.
UK Fuel Poverty Monitor. Fifth year annual report
The UK Fuel Poverty Monitor scrutinises fuel poverty policy and practice across the United Kingdom with a view to identifying best practice and recommending replication in all four countries of the United Kingdom. This is the fifth report in a series and takes as its theme the merits and/or failings of statutory energy efficiency programmes.
Reducing the health impacts of cold, damp homes on those living with long-term conditions - A briefing note for community matrons
The briefing focuses on findings drawn from NEA's Health Champions' programme and the production of the guidance note entitled 'Prevention is better than cure' which includes recommendations on the development of assessment frameworks and services to meet the needs of those with long-term conditions living in cold, damp housing. The briefing note is intended for Community Matrons and is a useful introduction to the impact of cold homes on health, provides guidance on policy and practice developments as well as available sources of specialist information, advice and assistance.
Regional Housing Boards: Promoting Affordable Warmth. An NEA Guidance Note (April 2007)
This guidance note reviews regional housing strategies to assess the extent to which Regional Housing Boards have addressed Energy White Paper objectives on affordable warmth and UK Fuel Poverty Targets, and aims to promote the role of Regional Housing Boards in setting fuel poverty priorities and policy to encourage and support local action. The guidance note also identifies good practice and makes recommendations demonstrating how Regional Housing Boards can take a strategic lead in this area. Please note, this guidance note refers to England only.
Prevention is better than cure
A guide to assessing the risks to vulnerable people living in cold, damp homes through the Single Assessment Process and recommendations for action.
Achieving affordable warmth through Local Area Agreement
A review of the extent to which fuel poverty/affordable warmth commitments were a feature of rounds one and two of Local Area Agreements (not including refreshes) and recommendations for future developments.
NEA/Westcountry Energy Action study trip to Munich
Report to the Parliamentary Warm Homes Group.
NEA Coventry 15th anniversary review
NEA has been active in Coventry since 1991 and this report looks at what has been achieved since then.
Developing a regional approach to affordable warmth: Regional affordable warmth action plans
Regional and sub-regional organisations are in an ideal to develop policy and partnerships to tackle fuel poverty and affordable warmth by providing the link between national policy and local action. This guidance note outlines good practice in the development of regional commitments and actions and also provides a model regional action plan for adoption and replication across England.
NEA 25th anniversary review
This anniversary review records the key milestones and achievements of 25 years of action by NEA in tackling fuel poverty.
The NEA Primary Care Trust Energy Champions Programme 2002-2006 Evaluation Report
The PCT Energy Champions programme has aimed to demonstrate the role that PCTs have in helping to tackle fuel poverty in communities. NEA has carried out a full evaluation of all its previous Energy Champions programme to assess the sustainability of projects and this publication highlights how PCTs may be able to develop comparable practices to make practical use of their own funding to reduce the impact of cold homes on health.
Comprehensive performance assessment - Tackling fuel poverty
This briefing note explores how having a local commitment to eradicating fuel poverty may contribute to a successful outcome of the Comprehensive Performance Assessment.
Energising Fuel Direct
This report by National Energy Action (NEA) and Energy Action Scotland (EAS) urges the Government to provide additional support for susceptible households who find themselves at risk of fuel poverty.
Improving targeting of Warm Front (Eradicating fuel poverty - introduction, guiance notes 1, 2 & 3)
A series of guidance notes to ensure that black and minority ethnic communities, rural communities, and householders with sensory impairment, are fully represented in Government efforts to eradicate fuel poverty with a focus on Warm Front. The guidance notes will be of use not only to those involved in the Warm Front scheme, but also to those organisations and individuals who work with each of these under-represented groups.
UK Fuel Poverty Monitor - Fourth year report 'Are fuel poverty targets out of range?'
This issue of the UK Fuel Poverty Monitor aims to present a realistically informed view of the fuel poverty problem in the four countries of the United Kingdom; the resources that are at present dedicated to delivering solutions and also what further methods and approaches will be necessary in order to meet future fuel poverty targets.
Responding to health risks in fuel-poor private sector households
This guidance note is intended to be of particular use to those working in the health, social care, voluntary or community sectors who provide services to vulnerable fuel-poor households living in the private sector. The guidance note helps practitioners to identify health risks in homes, provides information on potential solutions; and can be used as a resource to refer householders into sources of further advice, grant aid and assistance.
Health and fuel poverty: Improving health through affordable wamth
A guidance note for Primary Care Trusts, health professionals and local partnerships in the South West area.