The COVID-19 outbreak has already had a significant impact on household finances, especially those that already struggle with the costs of essential services. But there is a bigger gathering storm. Existing debt issues within the water and energy sectors are being badly exacerbated by the current crisis, and whilst welcome, current provision is not adequate to deal with the scale of these challenges.

NEA appreciates that many energy suppliers and their staff will be working tirelessly to provide appropriate support and services for customers in vulnerable circumstances during the COVID-19 outbreak. NEA has also been capturing its own staff’s feedback on the early impacts COVID-19 is having on vulnerable customers’ access to support. The findings provide a snapshot of some emerging trends.

This newsletter is sponsored by the Public Health Agency through our Northern Exposure project. It will provide you with current programmes of work aimed at providing advice or support to householders as well as up to date fuel poverty policy information.

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 the draft Forward Work Programme and have made some suggestions, which we hope are helpful on priority projects, which we believe may enhance the Forward Work Programme 2020–21.

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% of their total income to heat their homes. Additionally, one in five households in Northern Ireland are living in relative poverty and 19% of working age adults in the private rented sector spend more than a third of their income on housing.

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, which we hope are helpful on priority projects, which we feel may enhance the Forward Work Programme 2020–21.

Each winter across the UK, on average, at least 11,400 people die due to a cold home. During the “Beast from the East” in the winter 2017/18, people were ten times more likely to die from living in a cold house than a road accident. As well as the direct devastating impacts of a cold home, the resulting loss in productivity and cold-related ill health causes significant health and social care costs, queues at GP surgeries and emergency departments and delays the discharge of the most vulnerable patients from hospital.

The challenge for most charities is to do remarkable things in testing circumstances. That is certainly true for NEA and the results can be seen in this report.

Decarbonising the UK economy to meet the Government’s world-leading Net Zero greenhouse gas commitment by 2050, represents both an unprecedented challenge and an unrivalled opportunity for innovation and investment. The imperative of net zero emissions, as attested by the latest science and now set out in legislation, will require the continued transition of the power sector and also the rapid decarbonisation of manufacturing, transport, agriculture and buildings.