March 2017 | The Connecting Homes for Health: Phase 1 Review has been prepared by NEA for Northern Gas Networks (NGN) with the intention of identifying a possible pathway for piloting revised and more inclusive criteria for connecting vulnerable households to the gas network. Such a pilot would go beyond currently eligibility criteria for the fuel poor network extension scheme (FPNES), and represents a voluntary and proactive move on the part of NGN.

The review finds that off-gas households are some of the most energy inefficient properties in the country, contributing significantly to domestic sector carbon emissions. They are also some of the most expensive to heat, meaning that a significant proportion of off-gas households are in fuel poverty. They are therefore more likely to experience colder indoor temperatures which, as the review shows, are a risk factor for respiratory and cardiovascular disease, mental ill health, and a range of other associated health conditions. A potential widening of FPNES criteria might therefore achieve additional health and environmental outcomes for households who are vulnerable and either in or on the edge of fuel poverty, but who fall outside the scope of current eligibility requirements.

February 2017 | A report by NEA for the gas distribution network companies

Across Great Britain, households located in properties off the gas network are being left behind in the fight against fuel poverty. In particular, the UK Government’s main scheme to provide heating and insulation measures to low income households – Energy Company Obligation (ECO) – is failing off-gas homes. National Energy Action (NEA) was commissioned by the four gas distribution network (GDN) companies to examine opportunities to address the non-gas gap under ECO and redirect support to vulnerable households who need it most.

January 2017 | Charlotte N. B. Grey, Shiyu Jiang, Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff University. Christina Nascimento, School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University. Sarah E. Rodgers, Rhodri Johnson, Ronan A. Lyons, Farr Institute, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University. Wouter Poortinga, Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff University & School of Psychology, Cardiff University

Research suggests that living in fuel poverty and cold homes contributes to poor physical and mental health, and that interventions targeted at those living in poor quality housing may lead to health improvements. However, little is known about the socio-economic intermediaries and processes that contribute to better health. This study examined the relationship between energy efficiency investments to homes in low-income areas and mental and physical health of residents, as well as a number of psychosocial outcomes likely to be part of the complex relationship between energy efficiency measures and health outcomes. A quasi-experimental field study with a controlled pretest-posttest design was conducted (intervention n= 364; control n= 418) to investigate the short-term health and psychosocial impacts of a domestic energy efficiency programme that took place across Wales between 2013 and 2015.

December 2016 | Aimee Ambrose, Lindsey McCarthy, James Pinder

This research sought to afford tenants a voice in the urgent debate about energy (in) efficiency in the private rented sector. This was primarily achieved through 48 in-depth interviews with tenants in Hackney and Rotherham. It was revealed that tenants face considerable barriers to seeking help with cold homes that are unaffordable to heat.

October 2016 | Dr Keith Baker & Ron Mould, Glasgow Caledonian University and Scott Restrick, Energy Action Scotland

The Scottish Government’s statistics now show that rural households spend more on energy to heat their homes than urban equivalents. However, research conducted by the project team using data from households in Renfrewshire has found this ‘energy spend gap’ is more significant than those statistics suggest, whilst other research has shown that influences on the energy spend of rural households are also highly multi-facted. The Speird Project validates and significantly expands on these findings across five areas of Scotland. The findings provide new evidence on the extent and segmentation of fuel poverty in Scotland – uncovering the ‘hidden geographies’ of fuel poverty across rural areas and the islands.

October 2016 | Nicky Hodges, Simon Roberts, Karen Smith, Toby Bridgeman, Nick Banks, Molly Asher

Prepayment (PPM) customers are known to be poorly served by the energy market, paying higher tariffs, having difficulty switching tariff and/or supplier and being at risk of self-disconnection. Numbers of PPM customers are rising (due to debt recovery) and there has been an early focus on PPM customers through the smart meter rollout.

This research will provide an early-stage snapshot of the impact of smart meter technology on PPM households. It will examine industry-wide statistical trends, and combine customer interviews with analysis of customer data to ascertain the extent to which benefits claimed from smart PPM (real-time data, flexible top-up options, greater control and reduced bills) are being realised and if benefits outweigh negatives (e.g. higher tariffs).

September 2016 | Stefan Bouzarovski and Jenni Cauvain

Homes in multiple occupancy (HMOs) – residential properties containing common areas shared by several households – are a growing feature of the housing landscape across the UK. They have often been subject to political stigmatization as a result, in part, of comprising poor quality dwellings. This paper uses a “spaces of exception” framework to explore the juridical and material mechanisms involved in the rise of fuel poverty among people living in HMOs.

September 2016 | Neil Simcock, School of Environment, Education and Development, University of Manchester

In policy and activist discourses there is often an expectation that community wind energy projects will avoid the conflicts and local opposition often associated with private-developer-led developments. However, the empirical validity of this assertion has not been widely investigated. In previous research on private-developer wind projects, the fairness of decision-making processes (‘procedural justice’) during project implementation has been identified as an important factor in shaping local acceptance, but has not been deeply studied in relation to community-led schemes. Using in-depth qualitative research of a proposed community wind project in South Yorkshire, this paper examines stakeholder interpretations of procedural justice during the design and siting of this scheme.

September 2016 | Report by NEA

BREDEM modelling of Thirteen’s 5 most commonly visited property types was performed, to compare modelled energy with expected energy need, and to assess optimal energy saving and cost effective improvement. Stakeholder interviews were carried out to assess the benefits of the project, and capture participant views on policy / legislation for tackling fuel poverty were explored.

August 2016 | Author: National Housing Federation

The National Housing Federation used data from the English Housing Survey to compare HA homes with private rented, local authority and owner occupied stock, examining the state of repair, accessibility, neighbourhood and energy efficiency.