NEA is concerned about the record levels of debt and arrears in the market, recently reaching £2.6bn. This figure demonstrates that an increasing number of households are struggling to afford their ongoing costs of energy and are falling behind. With the majority of the £2.6bn figure coming from arrears, there is a clear need for energy suppliers to ensure that affordable repayment arrangements are being created.

NEA’s response to the BEIS Consultation on hydrogen heating trials. NEA welcomes the plans to deliver a hydrogen village trial by 2025. In this response, NEA sets out the key issues that will need to be considered to ensure fuel poor and vulnerable households can benefit from the trial and are adequately protected from any potentially negative outcomes.

Our Budget and CSR submissions recommend ways to support struggling households to keep warm this winter at a time when energy prices are increasing, incomes are reducing, and there are other financial pressures on households like rising inflation. It also recommends longer term actions to end fuel poverty through increased spending on energy efficiency and making the uplift to Universal Credit permanent.

NEA welcomes the extension and expansion of the ECO scheme until at least April 2026 and fully supports the consultation’s continued, critical focus on low-income and vulnerable households and greater support for deeper retrofits for the least energy efficient homes.