NATIONAL ENERGY ACTION 2025-26 OUR IMPACT AT A GLANCE
A YEAR IN CONTEXT Fuel poverty is not just about energy bills. It is about health, dignity, and the ability to live safely at home.
continued to go without essentials. For many, relief from the energy crisis has not been felt.
2025–26: a year where 6.1 million households faced fuel poverty. Energy costs remained structurally high, household debt rose to record levels, and millions
National Energy Action continued working across Great Britain and Northern Ireland to provide urgent support, raise awareness, and drive long-term systemic change.
OUR IMPACT: QUICK GLANCE
31,872 people supported
2,700+
media mentions nationwide: shaping awareness, driving debate
£8.2 million
£15.36
367
£15 billion+
training courses to 7,040 attendees, raising standards and embedding good practice and cascading advice to an estimated 3.5 million more households
HOW WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE
1
social value for every £1 invested
in financial gains delivered
2
secured in support and strategic commitment across the UK and devolved nations to lift millions out of fuel poverty over the next decade
Our work is built around three connected pillars:
SUPPORT
delivering direct help to households
AWARENESS
making fuel poverty visible and understood
3
CHANGE
shaping systems to ensure long-term solutions
Making a difference SUPPORT, AWARENESS, CHANGE A message from our Chief Executive Adam Scorer National Energy Action’s twin challenges are
And awareness through
to support people through the immediate
our media work with over
consequences of crisis and to achieve the
2,700 media mentions and
systemic change to prevent others falling
appearances on the BBC,
into fuel poverty crisis.
ITV, Sky and in the Times, Telegraph, Daily Mail,
The last year has shown, yet again the people
Guardian, Sun and many
we support continue to struggle with the
more national and regional outlets, as well as our
consequences of soaring bills, inadequate
social media channels with over 24,000 followers.
incomes, crippling debt, unresponsive markets,
In that way we continue to shape awareness and
poorly insulated homes, negligent landlords and
drive debate.
inefficient or no heating systems. It is the work with our clients - sharing their But it has also shown the difference National
lived experience and compiling insights that only
Energy Action can make. Over 30,000 people have
National Energy Action can gather that informs
been supported by us, and we’ve secured over
our advocacy work and leads to us campaigning
£8 million of financial gains for our clients.
for change. It is how and why we have been able to secure £15 billion in support and strategic
We’ve continued to raise awareness. Through
commitment across the UK and devolved nations
our events programme including our Fuel Poverty
to lift millions out of fuel poverty and over the
Forums, our Wales conference and our biggest
next decade.
ever annual conference at the Glasshouse in Gateshead - returning to our home patch 45 years
All of these impacts couldn’t happen without our
after our charity was first founded.
partners, members, donors and supporters. Nor could it be achieved without the dedication of our
Awareness also through our Retrofit Hubs in
trustees and, of course, our staff.
Burnley, Oldham and Sheffield - supporting the most vulnerable so they don’t get left behind by
While the last year has been significant, there is
the drive to net zero. And through our Training
still more work to do. Our clients are in crisis. We
and Education programme - with over 10,000
know that we must engage with their immediate
learners across both areas. Learners who are
circumstances, not only to lift unbearable
cascading that advice, embedding good practice
pressure, but to clear a path to longer-term
and raising standards to an estimated 3.5 million
solutions. With a new Prime Minister and our new
more households.
strategy, our work is ever more urgent.
SUPPORT We provide practical, trusted support to people experiencing the deepest levels of fuel poverty, helping them stay warm, safe and financially stable.
Reaching those most at risk
WHAT WE DELIVERED
Our services reach households facing intersecting challenges including low income, poor health, insecure housing and energy debt.
31,872 people supported 76% on low incomes 73% living with health
•
Expert and tailored energy advice and advocacy •
Financial support and income maximisation
•
Community outreach in trusted local settings
conditions or disability
•
Strong reach into underserved communities
Health-integrated support for vulnerable households
Driving real change for households
Before support: many households were forced into harmful coping strategies like cutting heating, food and even medical equipment use. Many were isolated, overwhelmed, and unable to access help.
AFTER SUPPORT •
Fuel poverty reduced from 81% to 53%, with fewer households cutting back on essentials
•
Improved ability to heat homes safely
•
Greater confidence managing energy and bills
•
We delivered over £8.2 million in direct financial benefits, helping clients regain stability and control
WHY IT MATTERS
For people who we supported through our Warm Homes, Healthy Futures programme: •
44.5% said their physical health improved
•
48.7% said their mental health improved
•
45.6% said their ability to cope with their health condition(s) has improved
•
Life satisfaction has improved by 39.1%, and anxiety reduced by 7.4%
Our support does more than relieve hardship. It protects health, prevents crisis, and creates the foundation for long-term resilience.
AWARENESS Making fuel poverty impossible to ignore. We use evidence, lived experience and communication to ensure fuel poverty is visible, understood, and prioritised.
Changing the narrative
•
Our campaigns have highlighted:
•
2,700+ media mentions across national and regional outlets
•
Regular appearances on major broadcasts including BBC and ITV
Engaged over 1,000 stakeholders on Fuel Poverty Awareness Day •
The impact of cold homes on children and families
The links between housing, health and inequality
The long-term consequences of energy debt
Real-time client insight, which directly informs our advocacy
Building frontline capability •
367 training courses
•
7,040 professionals trained
•
Estimated 3.5 million additional people reached by cascading advice
•
Our training: strengthens the frontline response, integrates learning into active delivery and ensures more households receive effective, informed support.
WHY IT MATTERS
A TRUSTED NATIONAL VOICE
Ensured fuel poverty remains part of the national conversation, beyond crisis periods.
Strengthening the sector •
800+ organisations engaged through membership and networks
•
600+ stakeholders participating in forums and events
•
Over 90% report improved ability to support households after our events
We bring together organisations across energy, housing, health and advice sectors to align understanding and action. Stronger awareness and capability lead to: •
Earlier identification of need
•
More effective frontline support
•
Better-connected local and national responses
This creates the conditions for preventative, coordinated action at scale.
Awareness is not an end in itself. It creates the conditions for better policy, stronger services, and more coordinated action.
CHANGE
HELPING SECURE £15BN
Changing systems to end fuel poverty.
in warmer homes support
We use frontline insight, research and partnerships to influence policy and reshape systems that drive fuel poverty.
Shaping national policy
We played a leading role in influencing the Warm Homes Plan and other energy efficiency schemes and fuel poverty strategies across the UK and devolved nations. •
Securing a £15billion+ in investment and regulation to tackle the worst homes and target those in the worst circumstances
•
Securing action and commitment to lift millions out of fuel poverty over the next decade
From insight to action Our unique approach connects delivery and influence: •
Frontline evidence informs policy design
•
Community-led models improve access to support
•
Data and evaluation strengthen evidence on what works
Improving systems and protections Our work has contributed to: •
Stronger energy efficiency standards for rented homes
•
Continued financial support through schemes like the Warm Home Discount (and Industry Initiatives)
•
Increased focus on affordability, debt and vulnerability
•
Embedding lived experience into decision-making, ensuring policies work in practice
REAL-WORLD CHANGE We work with partners to resolve systemic issues affecting households. Putting policy into practice and applying on-the-ground learnings to our advocacy means we can work to reshape the systems that create fuel poverty, ensuring long-term, sustainable solutions.
What we achieve Fuel poverty remains widespread, complex and deeply embedded. It affects people’s health, wellbeing, financial stability and life opportunities, and places growing pressure on public services. Through our integrated approach, we:
With the right investment, partnerships and policy action, fuel poverty can be reduced at scale. We know what works.
Provide immediate relief to households in crisis
Strengthen organisations supporting vulnerable people
Improve health and wellbeing outcomes
Influence the systems needed to deliver lasting change
•
Early, preventative support
•
Integrated services across sectors
•
Policies grounded in real-world experience and frontline learnings
Why we do what we do ‘I’m not panicking about putting the heating on now’ Cara is a single mum living in private rented accommodation in Northern Ireland with her six-year-old daughter. Despite working part time, she was struggling to afford energy. Her daughter lives with asthma, which becomes significantly worse in cold weather. Keeping the home warm was not just about comfort, it was essential to her child’s health. But with high energy costs and only one gas supplier locally, Cara had little control over prices and no flexibility in how she managed her bills. As costs rose, Cara was forced into constant trade-offs. She rationed heating to 15-minute bursts, relied on a borrowed electric heater, and confined daily life to one room to conserve warmth. Even basic routines like getting ready for school, drying clothes and settling down at night became difficult. For her daughter, the impact was immediate and serious. The cold, combined with damp in the home, worsened her asthma significantly. She developed a severe cough during the cold spell and needed multiple visits to A&E, with increased medication and inhaler use. Nights were particularly difficult, with fluctuating temperatures making it hard to rest or recover. At the same time, the emotional strain on the household was growing. Cara was juggling work, childcare costs, and rising bills, while trying to shield her daughter from the worst of the stress. Like many working parents, she felt a strong sense of pride and initially found it difficult to ask for help - even as life became unmanageable. Everything changed when Cara contacted National Energy Action. With £192 in energy top-up vouchers, she was able to heat her home properly for the first time in months. Instead of rationing,
she could keep the heating on consistently, creating a stable and warm environment. The home began to dry out, clothes dried more easily, and the constant anxiety about whether she could afford the next top-up started to ease. For her daughter, the difference was immediate. With a warmer, more stable home environment, her asthma symptoms improved noticeably. She needed her inhaler less often - especially at night - and avoided further emergency hospital visits. Being warm meant she could sleep more comfortably, breathe more easily, and feel safer in her own home. For Cara, the support meant more than just financial relief. It lifted a constant burden - the worry that she could not provide something as basic as warmth for her child. ‘At least now I know we’re going to be okay… I’m not panicking about putting the heating on.’ This case shows how fuel poverty affects children not just indirectly, but in immediate and visible ways: through their health, their comfort, and their sense of security. It also demonstrates the difference timely support can make. In Cara’s case, a relatively small intervention helped prevent further health crises, reduced Their story, and that of all our is pressure on emergency services, andclients, transformed whyfrom we are here. do of what a home a place of It’s risk why into awe place recovery andTogether, stability. we can ensure that we do. everyone has access to a warm, safe and healthy home. Want to know more? Read our full impact report 2025-26 by visiting our website: www.nea.org.uk/impact.
WORK WITH US
We invite partners, funders and stakeholders to join us in tackling fuel poverty: •
Partner with us to deliver impact
•
Collaborate to shape better systems
•
Fund support for vulnerable households
•
Help households reach the right support
Contact us on press@nea.org.uk or go to www.nea.org.uk National Energy Action: charity registration number 290511. Registered in England and Wales No: 01853927.