NEA Key Areas of Work 2007-10
Summary
During the Business Plan period, the major driver for NEA will be the Government's targets for the eradication of fuel poverty amongst vulnerable households by 2010 and all households by 2016 (2018 in Northern Ireland). Activities NEA will pursue to help meet this objective will include:
Work with DECC and the Devolved Administrations and the Scheme Manager to improve the effectiveness of the Government energy efficiency grant schemes in providing affordable warmth to fuel poor and other low-income households:
- Assist in targeting grants to households which are currently under represented in take up of the Government energy efficiency grants including; the frail elderly, members of ethnic minority communities, people with mental and physical disabilities and low-income households living in rural areas.
- Provide structured feedback to the Department, Devolved Administrations and scheme managers on the operation of the schemes from low-income households and a range of other stakeholders via the Warm Front Scheme Management Board, Fuel Poverty Advisory Groups, regular quarterly meetings and other routes.
- Develop the use of renewable and other sustainable technologies for inclusion in the schemes to meet the needs of low-income households living in hard to treat properties.
Deliver practical energy efficiency and related services to low-income and other vulnerable households:
- Deliver a range of projects which demonstrate innovation and good practice in the delivery affordable warmth to low-income and other vulnerable households.
- Develop the Warm Zone model and extend the provision to cover a greater number of fuel poor households.
Develop the use of micro-generation, renewable and other sustainable technologies and local distribution systems as a way of delivering affordable warmth:
Investigate the technical and social impact of a range of renewable and micro-generation technologies.
- Assist with the development of locally based energy service companies (ESCos).
Improve the impact on fuel poverty of grant aided programmes:
- Encourage the coordinated delivery of Warm Front, CERT and other energy efficiency and related services to ensure that the most comprehensive range of services are delivered in each low-income home treated.
- Ensure that CERT resources are used to fund the most appropriate measures to address fuel poverty and that equity issues within the scheme are properly addressed.
Work with a range of local, regional and national agencies to ensure that affordable warmth is built into their policies and programmes:
- Continue to work with local and regional government to develop affordable warmth strategies.
- Promote and support energy champions in a range of relevant organisations.
- Demonstrate the benefits for social housing tenants of improving the thermal comfort criteria of the Decent Homes Standard and Welsh Housing Quality Standard.
- Encourage local housing authorities to develop their private sector housing strategies to fully address fuel poverty.
- Ensure energy efficiency and affordable warmth are key features of Neighbourhood Renewal programmes, the work of Local Strategic Partnerships and Local Area Agreements.
- Develop performance criteria for local government relating to fuel poverty and energy efficiency.
- Ensure that Primary Care Trusts and other relevant health agencies are fully aware of the negative health impacts of cold damp homes and take account of these impacts in their service delivery.
- Equipping voluntary organisations to respond to the energy needs of their client groups.
Improve the quality of the delivery of energy efficiency measures and related services to low-income households through the provision of high quality training:
- Continue to develop and deliver the NEA/City and Guilds 6176 Energy Awareness qualification, short awareness-raising courses, higher level certificated courses and an additional domestic renewables element.
- Support the Domestic Energy Efficiency NVQ training and assessment infrastructure.
- Develop new bespoke training for agencies and householders.
Raise public awareness of fuel poverty and highlight energy efficiency improvements as the major sustainable solution to the problem:
- Engage elected members and their political parties on the subject of fuel poverty and the benefits of improved energy efficiency.
- Run a "Countdown to 2010" Campaign to draw public attention to the government's 2010 fuel poverty deadline and the progress towards achieving it.
- Co-ordinate an annual winter campaign to draw the attention of opinion formers and the general public to the issue of fuel poverty and the benefits of coordinated energy efficiency improvements and related services.
- Organise an annual conference and a range of other events to disseminate information and debate solutions to fuel poverty.
Identify and promote the synergies between the social and environmental agendas and develop the links between them:
- Promote the social, environmental and economic benefits of energy efficiency improvements to a wide audience.
- Promote social justice and equity issues within UK energy policy
- Disseminate good practice and encourage effective partnerships.
Develop a greater understanding of fuel poverty and the households it affects:
- Work to identify the so-called non-vulnerable fuel poor, identify their needs and develop services to meet these needs.
- Coordinate information on research onto fuel poverty, domestic energy efficiency and related topics.
- Examine the impact on low-income households of new policies and practices.
- In partnership with relevant organisations from other member states, investigate the issue of fuel poverty in the countries of the European Union.