NEA briefing on Budget & Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) representations 2021

The Fuel Poverty Coalition (FPC) Northern Ireland is united by our ambition to highlight the need for urgent action to eradicate fuel poverty in Northern Ireland. There is clear need for a strategic, cross-departmental, and cross-sectoral approach to tackle NI’s...

National Energy Action (NEA) has been involved in policy work to maintain and reform the Default Tariff price cap for several years. This has included working with Ofgem to initially create the Safeguard Tariff cap for prepayment and other vulnerable...

National Energy Action welcomes the opportunity to input into this process and calls on Ofgem to consider solutions it has the power to create, in addition to working with the UK Government to create enduring solutions to debt and affordability...

Ofgem has opened a Call for Input on the subject, which will close on 13 May 2024. This briefing highlights National Energy Action’s emerging views on what Ofgem and government can do to tackle affordability and still-rising debt levels.

NEA NI response to the Northern Ireland Electricity Networks Ltd Transmission and Distribution 7th Price Control (RP7).

NEA NI response to the Consumer Council NI Draft 2024 – 2025 Forward Work Programme Consultation.

NEA NI response to the Utility Regulator’s Consumer Protection Programme 2024-29 Consultation.

NEA NI response to the Utility Regulator's draft Corporate Strategy 2024-2029.

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 transition to net zero in Wales will be crucial to ensuring homes are warm and safe, mitigating climate change, and to achieving Welsh fuel poverty targets.

The transition to zero carbon homes in Wales will be central to ensuring people are warm, healthy and safe. It will also help in Wales’s efforts to mitigate climate change and in achieving Welsh fuel poverty targets. This executive summary...

NEA NI response to the Utility Regulator's Best Practice Framework Proposals: Code of Practice for Consumers in Vulnerable Circumstance.

NEA NI response to the Utility Regulator's Call for Evidence on the Electricity Connection Policy Framework Review.

NEA welcome the opportunity to respond to the Consumer Council’s Draft Forward Work Programme (FWP) 2023–2024.

NEA NI welcome the opportunity to respond to the consultation on policy options for the Energy "One Stop Shop" Implementation Plan.

NEA NI welcomes the opportunity to respond to the consultation on NIE Networks RP7 Price Control.

As a regulated company, SSE Airtricity ultimately serves to provide an essential service to consumers in Northern Ireland. The interests of consumers must be at the heart of the Final Determination.

As a regulated company, firmus ultimately serves to provide an essential service to consumers in Northern Ireland. The interests of consumers must be at the heart of the final determination.

NEA NI welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Utility Regulator’s Draft Forward Work Programme (FWP) 2022–2023.

NEA NI welcomes the opportunity to respond to the SONI governance licence modifications consultation.

The Consumer Council for Northern Ireland (CCNI) plays a fundamental role in providing vital information, advice and advocacy for all consumers in Northern Ireland, with a focus on vulnerable consumers. This work has great importance for NEA and many organisations...

The Budget provides the Executive with an opportunity to improve the lives of people in Northern Ireland by allocating resources to high priority areas in order to improve outcomes for citizens.

NEA NI welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Department for Economy’s Consultation on ‘Heat Networks - Building a market framework’.

NEA’s response to the BEIS Call for Evidence on the future of the energy market on a green gas levy.

NEA’s Response to the the Ofgem Statutory Consultation on short term changes to the price cap in April 2022.. NEA believes that the best option for fuel poor households is to “do nothing” and strongly disagrees with the proposals to...

NEA’s Response to the Ofgem Consultation on adapting the price cap methodology in the long term. NEA believes that Ofgem should investigate the viability of a parallel price cap for vulnerable households that has a lower cost base than the...

NEA broadly agrees with plans to phase out fossil heating, but BEIS must ensure that homes off the gas grid receive adequate support to decarbonise, including through funding hybrid heating technologies; ensure that there is sufficient awareness and advice around...

NEA’s response to Ofwat’s consultation “PR24 and beyond: Performance commitments for future price reviews”

NEA believes that any changes to the price cap should not reduce the protections that are in place for fuel poor and vulnerable households during a significant increase in prices. Further protections could be put in place to provide deeper...

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...

NEA is pleased to respond to this open consultation on a new Strategic Policy Statement for Ofwat, providing our thoughts and suggested amendments on each of the following proposed priorities.

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.

NEA is pleased to respond to this open consultation on the proposed changes to the guidelines for water companies in supporting residential customers to pay their bill, access help and repay debts.

NEA NI welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs ‘Call for Evidence and views on the Climate Change Bill’.

NEA NI welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Department for Economy’s consultation on policy options for a new Energy Strategy for Northern Ireland.

This strategy will impact upon every energy commodity in Northern Ireland from power station, to building, to vehicle. However, as a fuel poverty and energy efficiency campaigning charity, NEA NI will be specifically focussing on the key considerations for domestic...

Urgent action is needed to improve health outcomes and support the most vulnerable people who are at most risk of needless death and morbidity. Public Health England (PHE) recently warned there is a clear overlap between cold homes and Covid-19...

The Consumer Council for Northern Ireland (CCNI) plays a fundamental role in providing vital information, advice and advocacy for all consumers in Northern Ireland, with a focus on vulnerable consumers. This work has great importance for NEA and many organisations...

NEA’s response to Ofwat’s consultation on their forward programme for 2021/22 outlines four key areas of focus.

NEA NI works closely with the Utility Regulator across many aspects of work, but especially in relation to consumers and policy development, also with the view to empowering consumers and communities. We have made some comments around the objectives in...

NEA’s Response to the Ofgem Consultation on their Forward Work Programme 2021/23 Gas Levy. NEA believes that Ofgem should provide clarity on the actions they will take in the next year of their consumer vulnerability strategy.

NEA's Budget submission builds on recent positive policy developments and highlights where key actions remain and must be taken within the upcoming Budget.

NEA’s Response to the BEIS Consultation on Improving home energy performance through lenders. While NEA agrees with the need to move towards Green Mortgages, there are significant risks to fuel poor households that need to be fully understood. These can...

NEA’s Response to the Ofgem FPNES Governance Drafting Consultation. NEA fully supports the Fuel Poverty Network Extension Scheme, and is pleased that it will continue until 2026. In order for the scheme to reach its full potential, Ofgem must require...

NEA’s response to Ofwat’s consultation on the role of customer engagement in the next price review, PR24.

NEA supports the smart meter rollout, and broadly the mechanism for attributing targets to suppliers for the next phase. However NEA believes this could be improved through the addition of targets specifically to upgrade legacy prepayment meters, as well as...

NEA’s Response to the CCW Call for Evidence for the Water Affordability Review. NEA considers all aspects of the current affordability support in water, highlighting areas of best practice, possible improvements and learnings from other sectors to help develop a...

Despite positive attempts to end fuel poverty in Wales, the statutory targets that were in place to eradicate the scourge of cold homes were missed and fuel poverty continues to be a devastating problem. Here, we respond to the Welsh...

Overall, NEA is pleased that Ofgem is seeking to extend protections for domestic customers who may have prepayment meters installed under warrant (Electricity and Gas Supply Standard Licence Condition 28B). We fully support this approach and it will be necessary...

NEA recognises that many low-income households experience affordability issues with their essential household bills, rarely struggling with one bill in isolation, and as a result is delivering a programme of work which seeks to support ‘People Living in Water Poverty...

NEA has extensively engaged with Ofgem the DNOs to help shape this price control, through stakeholder meetings, workshops, and through working with Ofgem in the RIIO 2 working groups. NEA is so far pleased with Ofgem’s approach in the ED2...

While we understand that, at present, the key focus for the Department is to ensure that the Single Electricity Market (SEM) is maintained and fully operational after the implementation period. We also note that issues such as retail, consumer vulnerability...

NEA response to Ofgem’s self-disconnection and self-rationing final proposals

In response to the NAO’s report7 in 2018 on smart meters we highlighted our concern that the smart meter roll-out was significantly back-loaded.

Respiratory and circulatory diseases are linked to living in a cold and damp home and amongst those living with fuel debt. NEA believes that given the outbreak, it’s now even more crucial to help keep people warm and well in...

Improved insulation and heating standards are seen as the most rational and sustainable means of mitigating heating price increases and ensuring affordable warmth. While we must decarbonise our energy system, we must also ensure that the needs of those on...

NEA recognises that many low-income households experience affordability issues with their essential household bills, rarely struggling with one bill in isolation, and as a result is delivering a programme of work which seeks to support ‘People Living in Water Poverty...

In our January 2020 response to Ofwat’s forward work plan, we acknowledged that driving innovation across the water sector was vital to address the strategic challenges the industry faces. We believe the innovation competition allows an additional opportunity for companies...

District heating can contribute to fuel poverty reduction targets through its ability to provide stable and predictable prices for energy over an extended period of time; reduced worry for households about breakdowns or repairs; the creation of local employment opportunities...

Driving consumer and societal outcomes through company performance should remain a key ambition of Ofwat so that it can continue to demonstrate the legitimacy of a privatised water sector even with the reduced risk of re-nationalisation following the recent general...

NEA NI works closely with the Utility Regulator across many aspects of work, but especially in relation to consumers and policy development, also with the view to empowering consumers and communities. We have made some comments around the objectives in...

Based on the 2016 House Condition Survey (HCS), Northern Ireland has a rate of fuel poverty at 22%. It is also estimated that there are approximately 43,800 households in extreme fuel poverty which means they need to spend over 15%...

Over the last year, NEA has worked alongside Citizens Advice on a number of issues in order to facilitate better outcomes for fuel poor and vulnerable households in the energy market.

Over the last year, NEA, alongside other consumer groups, worked with Ofgem to secure some key improvements in the treatment of domestic customers. In particular, we worked to ensure that low income and vulnerable customers had adequate protections in gas...

NEA Northern Ireland has made some comments around the objectives in the draft Forward Work Programme and believe that the projects identified in the document are the right ones and have no queries regarding same. We have made some suggestions,...

NEA has a long-standing interest in smart meters and their roll-out in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, particularly with regard to their impact on vulnerable consumers. NEA believes that smart metering has the potential to provide real benefits for vulnerable...

NEA Cymru welcomes the opportunity to respond to the committees inquiry in to fuel poverty and would like to thank the Committee for focusing on this important issue.

The proposals made in this consultation will undoubtedly have a material affect on the number of customers that self-disconnect and self-ration. They are broadly in line with a number of suggestions that NEA made within our response to the preceding...

NEA believes dramatically improving domestic energy efficiency levels remains the most enduring solution to addressing energy affordability, however, we also know other key actions are required in retail energy markets to safeguard vulnerable domestic customers, particularly those living on the...

Given the stated aim to target low income, fuel poor and vulnerable households; NEA believes it is paramount that beneficiaries of the scheme receive adequate consumer protections.

NEA welcomes Ofwat’s recognition of affordability issues with water bills, highlighted by the 3 million customers in England and Wales saying they struggle to pay their water bills. Ofwat’s interventions to ensure bills are reduced by over 12% before inflation...

NEA has supported the Regulator’s work to protect more low income and vulnerable customers from unexpected price rises. The efficiency and cost effectiveness of gas distribution networks play a key role in tackling fuel poverty levels and we need to...