Every year, National Energy Action (NEA)’s Fuel Poverty Awareness Day highlights the pressures placed on household budgets, with many people left struggling in cold and unhealthy homes. With debt at record levels, the situation is stark, meaning people either have to accrue debt or live in homes that will negatively impact their physical and mental health.
Fuel poverty is caused by a complex interaction between low incomes, poor energy efficiency and energy prices. It has a hugely negative impact on the health of those on low incomes, families with young children, older people, people who are disabled and people with long-term medical conditions.
National Energy Action work all year round to ensure everyone in the UK is warm and safe at home. That’s why we work alongside them, Energy Action Scotland and the other gas distribution networks on our Warm Homes, Healthy Futures project.
Warm Homes, Healthy Futures
It’s an evidence-based, multi-year nationwide project connecting health professionals and local public health bodies to energy advice and other specialist support services. We’re addressing the root causes of fuel poverty and targeting those most vulnerable.
Our collaborative programme is coordinated nationally and delivered locally in communities where there is a high need and limited existing support. By integrating our efforts into healthcare services both nationally and locally, we’re leaving an enduring legacy.
With over £12m being invested, the project is:
- Supporting households with health conditions related to cold homes with energy advice and income maximisation support
- Training frontline workers on energy safeguarding and referral routes
- Raising awareness of carbon monoxide (CO) safety and providing free CO alarms when required
- Helping eligible households to sign up for the Priority Services Register
- Offering proactive servicing of existing essential gas appliances where eligible
Working directly with health professionals and local public health bodies, NEA and Energy Action Scotland energy advice teams are supporting people with health conditions related to living in a cold home. Our support covers how to maintain a safe and warm home, including practical interventions such as CO alarms and energy efficiency measures, as well as income maximisation through benefit checks.
We also provide free training to frontline healthcare workers to equip them with a better understanding of the challenges related to living in a cold home and the referral routes available to support households in fuel poverty.
More than 18 months into delivery, the Warm Homes, Healthy Futures programme is active in more than 100 locations across Great Britain, working with 26 well-established delivery partners from dedicated energy advice organisations, and over 350 referral partners across the health, social care and voluntary sectors.
So far, the project has:
- Supported more than 9,300 individuals with energy advice, such as energy efficiency, insulation ideas, and dealing with suppliers and bills
- Secured more than £3m in financial gains for clients through benefit checks and claims support
- Reached more than 7,500 people through community events
- Trained nearly 400 frontline professionals
Who we’re helping
Amina is just one of thousands of people who have been referred to National Energy Action after a traumatic period in her life. She suffers from depression and anxiety and was living in a draughty home with inadequate heating and cooking appliances.
NEA’s specialist adviser supported Amina with energy use advice and provided her with an electric clothes airer, oil-filled radiator, air fryer and cookbook, and a draught excluder.
Through their Benefits Entitlement Check Service (BECS), Amina was helped with successful Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and limited capability for work (LCW) applications and given advice around her council tax payments and accrued debt.
The adviser said: “Amina’s PIP award has not only boosted her income but also given a boost to her mental health. She now feels like her mental health condition – she has been suffering from for years – has been recognised.”
Other projects with NEA
We’re also partnering with NEA on other projects to support our priority customer groups:
- Empowered by Energy supports refugees to understand the UK’s energy system and save money, engaging third-party organisations such as Tamil Women’s Group, Migrant Help UK and the Scottish Refugee Council, to provide practical support to asylum seeker and refugee communities nationwide.
- Warm and Safe Homes (WASH) advice service supports fuel poor households to access expert energy advice, partnering with NEA and Wise Group to address improving energy efficiency and increasing household income through an energy advice helpline service and community outreach events.
- Warm Welcome helps young families to thrive in safe and warm homes. Working with organisations such as the digital midwives, Sure Start centres, specialist charities such as Tiny Lives, food banks and baby banks, NEA provides energy advice at a time when increased support is desperately needed.
