In 2013 NEA, as part of the Northern Exposure project produced a report in partnership with the University of Ulster and the Public Health Agency, ‘Alleviating Fuel Poverty in North and West Belfast, Northern Ireland’.
NEA engaged the University of Ulster to undertake research into the mental health and wellbeing impacts of fuel poverty and how energy efficiency measures can be used to combat them. A significant outcome from the research was it demonstrated to key stakeholders, including the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Public Health Agency that energy efficiency measures delivered alongside a managed network of support can assist fuel poor households and deliver improvements in health and wellbeing.
The report provided the main results and conclusions based on qualitative and quantitative research carried out with thirty participants. This included before and after telephone surveys and six in-depth case studies which detailed the lives of householders, their experiences of living in cold damp homes, their experiences of interacting with the grant schemes and the benefits they received from having energy efficiency measures installed. The report captured difficulties that many of the participants face, such as the worry of high energy bills, cold rooms, mouldy walls, burst pipes and leaking oil.
Download the full report here
