Skip to main content
Donate
NEA
National Energy Action
  • National energy action
  • CYMRU
  • Northern Ireland
Recite me
  • Home
  • About Us
    • About us
    • News and insights
    • Energy crisis
    • Policy and advocacy
    • Publications and resources
    • Parliamentary groups
    • Retrofit and technical research
  • Get Help
    • Energy Advice and Support Service
    • Benefits Advice
    • Additional help
    • Struggling with energy bills
    • Cost of living and discretionary support
    • Advice resources
    • Smart meter FAQs
  • Work with us
    • Latest events
    • Membership
    • Projects
    • Consultancy and Partnerships
    • Smart Meters
    • Warm Home Discount
  • Training
    • Course outlines
    • Training dates diary
    • Schools and education resources
    • Training in Northern Ireland
  • Support us
    • Make a donation
    • Fundraise for us
    • Support through your company
    • Subscribe for email updates
  • Search the website

Visit our regional sites

  • National energy action
  • CYMRU
  • Northern Ireland
Back

2006-2007

2006-2007
Date: 01st Jan 2006
Content Type: Timeline
Nation / Region: UK
Tags: Timeline

Our Energy Challenge

2006 and having started this report with reference to the energy crisis of the 1970s it appears that 2006 brings its own version with record increases in domestic gas and electricity prices. The Department of Trade and Industry estimates that every 1% increase in fuel prices forces a further 40,000 households into fuel poverty. NEA estimates that a minimum extra £500m a year is needed over the next four years to get the Government’s fuel poverty targets back on schedule.

The Energy Review – Our Energy Challenge: Securing clean, affordable energy for the long-term is launched in January to assess progress against goals set out in the 2003 Energy White Paper and what additional measures are required to achieve them. NEA’s response to consultation stresses that making energy efficiency the first priority of energy policy was justified on social, environmental and economic grounds. NEA advocates a single national energy efficiency programme which should be comprehensive in form, both with regards to the measures it offers and in offering some degree of help and guidance to all households. The programme should aim to make homes as energy efficient as possible using technically feasible and cost-effective measures and setting a minimum target energy rating of SAP 65. It should incorporate measures to solve the problems of homes that are hard to heat and/or expensive to treat, including solid wall insulation, domestic CHP (when commercially available), renewable generation and other low carbon options that are appropriate to vulnerable groups.

As NEA approached its 25th Anniversary in May 2006 the number of households in fuel poverty in England was estimated to be around 3 million with more than 4 million fuel-poor households in the UK NEA set itself a challenging work programme for 2006 and beyond in an attempt to address this. In its 25th Anniversary Year, NEA had a turnover of around £3.5million and employed 70 staff. Together with Warm Zones Ltd, the charity employed in excess of 160 people and had a turnover of £9 million.

In the five years since NEA’s Silver Anniversary the number of UK households living in fuel poverty rose significantly, from 4 million in 2006 to 5.4 million in 2011. The target set in the UK Fuel Poverty Strategy to eradicate fuel poverty among vulnerable households by 2010 was missed and the 2016 target will be extremely challenging.

2006-2007 The single major factor in rising fuel poverty was the continued increase in energy prices. By March 2007 prices were around 80% (gas) and 50% (electricity) higher than in 2004. NEA had always advocated that the most sustainable approach to tackling fuel poverty was to improve the energy efficiency of the homes of low-income households. The success of the area-based approach to providing these services, as pioneered by NEA’s subsidiary Warm Zones, was acknowledged by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the 2006 Pre-Budget Report, when he announced that £7.5 million would be made available to promote the wider development of this approach.

A number of energy suppliers introduced social tariffs as a means of mitigating the impact of price rises on vulnerable consumers. NEA worked with other NGOs to support a common position on social tariffs – a group of NGOs that would continue to campaign on behalf of the fuel poor as the End Fuel Poverty Coalition.

NEA undertook a number of projects throughout the year aiming to identify the role of renewable and alternative technologies in tackling problems associated with hard to treat properties. These included installations of air-source heat pumps, solar panels, biomass and wood burning stoves. These projects led to NEA receiving a number of prestigious awards including: The National Energy Management Exhibition (NEMEX) Renewables Innovation Award and the Parliamentary Renewable and Sustainable Energy Group (PRASEG) Sustainable Energy Award.

Related

Posts

2011-2012

2011-2012

Posted on 01st Jan 2011
30 years of campaigning for warm homes. NEA’s work to tackle fuel debt was stepped up as increasing energy prices
Nation / Region: UK
Timeline
Read More
2010-2011

2010-2011

Posted on 01st Jan 2010
Along with other partners NEA was successful in persuading all energy suppliers to equalise their prepayment meter tariffs in line
Nation / Region: UK
Timeline
Read More
2004-2005

2004-2005

Posted on 01st Jan 2004
A period of persistently high energy prices meant that the task of eradicating fuel poverty amongst vulnerable households had become
Nation / Region: UK
Timeline
Read More
2002-2003

2002-2003

Posted on 01st Jan 2002
The Government launched the UK Fuel Poverty Strategy in November 2001 making a commitment to eradicating fuel poverty amongst vulnerable households
Nation / Region: UK
Timeline
Read More
2000-2001

2000-2001

Posted on 01st Jan 2000
The major campaigning success of the Millennium year was the passing of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000.
Nation / Region: UK
Timeline
Read More
1994-1995

1994-1995

Posted on 01st Jan 1994
After years of campaigning, NEA succeeded in persuading Government to abolish the client contribution in HEES and, following NEA’s
Nation / Region: UK
Timeline
Read More
1992-1993

1992-1993

Posted on 01st Jan 1992
The first Conservenergy campaign coincided with a major achievement - the insulation of the 1 millionth home to be improved since
Nation / Region: UK
Timeline
Read More
1990-1991

1990-1991

Posted on 01st Jan 1990
New energy efficiency grant scheme in place following lobbying by NEA. Establishment of the Energy Action Grants Agency. NEA becomes
Nation / Region: UK
Timeline
Read More
1986-1989

1986-1989

Posted on 01st Jan 1986
A period of growth
Nation / Region: UK
Timeline
Read More
1981-1986

1981-1986

Posted on 18th May 1981
On 18 May 1981 Neighbourhood Energy Action was formally launched as a development programme of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO).
Nation / Region: UK
Timeline
Read More

© 2025 NEA all rights reserved.

National Energy Action (NEA)

National Energy Action (NEA) is an independent charity

Registration No. 290511

Registered in England No. 1853927

Follow us on social media
Quick links
  • Contact Us
  • Membership
  • Help Fight Fuel Poverty
  • Vacancies
  • Subscribe to our Newsletter
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

No results could be found

Modal title
...