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NATIONAL ENERGY ACTION
STRATEGY E N E R GY
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2026-2031
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CONTENTS
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Our Chief Executive’s introduction
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The next five years
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We start from where people are
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How we achieve change
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Aims, values, commitments
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Lead the way in life-changing support
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Build unstoppable momentum for warm homes
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Prevent fuel poverty ruining lives
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Enable National Energy Action to deliver our mission
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NATIONAL ENERGY ACTION STRATEGY 2026-2031
Everyone should be able to afford to keep their homes warm, healthy and safe
Our mission, and therefore our strategy, has a simple yet challenging goal. That everyone should be able to afford to keep their home warm, healthy, and safe. Fuel poverty is about more than an unaffordable energy bill. It is about a lack of dignity, wellbeing, and a decent quality of life. This is especially true for those most vulnerable to an unhealthy home.
Action to take the next step in our own development as a charity to deliver support, raise awareness, and achieve change. NA
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Ours is quiet and cold.
It also requires National Energy
ACT
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Sometimes I think about asking my friends over, but I don’t. Their houses are bright and warm.
markets, support, and policy.
OM
There’s a dark patch on the wall that mum says is mould. I try not to look at it.
others to make systemic change in
IO
My bedroom smells like wet wood.
focus from policymakers and
N AT
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Our mission requires a determined
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A WARM HOME MATTERS FOR OUR MENTAL HEALTH
Adam Scorer, Chief Executive
Lower risk of mental health conditions; ‘peace of mind’ regarding bills
WE CAN TAKE DETERMINED AND DRAMATIC STEPS TOWARDS ENDING FUEL POVERTY
Increased feelings of safety, security and control over the home environment Improved temperature leads to better sleep, reducing longterm health risks Warm homes matter for people, society, and the economy, with potential for up to £2 billion in NHS savings by 2030
The past five years have seen recurring crises
They face dangerously cold homes in winter and,
for millions of people in fuel poverty. The next
increasingly, dangerously hot homes in summer
five will see major shifts in how the UK tackles
unable to control either affordably.
Children have a warmer, quieter space to study, reducing school absences
energy affordability and fuel poverty, increasingly through low-carbon heat and power technologies.
It is a picture repeated in too many homes across the UK. In April 2026, almost 10 million households were
National Energy Action’s twin challenges are to support
in fuel poverty having to spend 10% of their income
people through the immediate consequences of crisis
for a decent level of heat and power. Six million
and to achieve the systemic change to prevent others
children live in those households.
of soaring bills, inadequate incomes, crippling debt, unresponsive markets, poorly insulated homes,
A WARM HOME MATTERS FOR OUR PHYSICAL HEALTH
‘Then, it was a case of us all living in one bedroom.’ NEA client
Decreased asthma, bronchitis, and infections, especially in children and the elderly
negligent landlords and inefficient or no heating systems.
Our mission is that everyone should be able to afford to keep their homes warm, healthy and safe. The benefits to individuals, families as well as the wider
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economy and society are clear and compelling. CT
‘I could only give my children half a bag of crisps for supper. I had nothing for most of the day.’ NEA client
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Reduced fuel bills leave more income for essentials like food Retrofitting homes supports local green jobs and training opportunities
falling into fuel poverty crisis. People in fuel poverty struggle with the consequences
People are more likely to invite visitors over, reducing loneliness and stigma
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Lower blood pressure, reduced risk of heart attacks and strokes Prevention of 6,000 deaths annually Reduced arthritis pain and lower risk of falls Mitigation of respiratory issues caused by poor air quality
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Acting on insight from people in fuel poverty, whether they are our clients, others’ clients or the millions who should be receiving support, but are not, is the guiding principle for NEA and for this strategy.
WE ARE BUILDING FROM A STRONG PLATFORM In 2025/26 National Energy Action supported over
Everyone we support is unable to afford to heat and
30,000 people including over 13,000 complex cases
power their homes properly and most will struggle with
with detailed support for clients.
impossible levels of energy debt. That involved expert and tailored energy advice and Almost all will have vulnerabilities that make their lives
interventions with suppliers and others. Financial
more complex and effective solutions more complex.
support and income maximisation, delivering over
Eighty-eight percent have a physical or mental health
£8 million in financial gain for clients.
problem, 50% have income under 12,000, 20% under £8,000, 24% have a child under the age of five.
367 training courses to over 7,000 people 3.5M households estimated reach Over 800 organisations
engaged through networks
Our clients reported reduction in levels of fuel poverty from 81% to 53%. Fewer households cutting back
We know our clients are in crisis. We know that we
on essentials. Improved ability to heat homes safely.
must engage with their immediate circumstances, not
Greater confidence in managing bills.
only to lift unbearable pressure, but to clear a path to
Over
600 stakeholders
took part in events
longer-term solutions.
‘I can breathe at last and start my recovery.’ NEA client. ‘My adviser listened to my situation with such compassion and understanding, making me feel seen and supported during a very stressful time.’ NEA client
We delivered 367 training courses to over 7,000 We delivered outreach activities, including within some
people. We estimate the benefit of that training with
of the most marginalised communities.
other frontline organisations reached another 3.5million
Our community retrofit hubs supported people through
households.
complex, intimidating retrofit journeys. We built on our pioneering health-integrated support programme for
Over 800 organisations engaged with us either as
vulnerable households.
members or through our networks. Well over 600 stakeholders took part in our events, conferences and
‘A wraparound service is a great help for us and more importantly for our patients.’ Health partner
forums. Ninety percent of those stakeholders said they were better able to support people in fuel poverty after those events.
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THE NEXT FIVE YEARS National Energy Action has grown in capacity,
Even if too few homes are currently heated electrically
It will involve more change across the charity, to
to shift the dial for the millions in fuel poverty, it will
get more impact and outcome for people from
provide opportunities.
our resources. To work smarter and exploit the opportunities of AI and digital technologies.
scope and impact over the last five years.
The plan promises to devolve more power and resources to the local and regional level and to
Grow and integrate our own support for clients on
But so has the scale and depth of fuel poverty, and the
strengthen regulations in the private rented sector.
retrofit journeys, using the lessons learned to shape
harm caused to some of the most vulnerable people
the design and delivery of schemes.
across the country will continue.
The England Fuel Poverty Strategy has a welcome focus on health-vulnerable referral pathways and a
Build those local and regional partnerships that can
Global gas prices show no signs of reducing to pre-
recognition of the impact of fuel poverty on children
support clients, but also help local authorities realise
under five.
fuel poverty targets as part of their expanded roles.
2022 levels. Household energy debt has reached disastrous levels. The general economic picture is one where the cost-of-living crisis looks set to continue and negative budgets are a reality for millions of households. However, there is context shift in the approach to energy affordability that provides grounds for positivity, providing that it can be harnessed to the goal of
How we will change over the next five years
afford to keep their homes warm, healthy and safe.
NEA can build on what we have already achieved for
poverty.
clients, and we can work to maximise the benefit of the changing policy and market framework. That depends on our ability to deliver ever more compelling evidence from client interactions, work with partners and our research capability to demonstrate the opportunities and to reveal the limitations of the changing policy framework.
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Elevate the shared pathway to fuel poverty prevention
state of fuel poverty in the UK, and the realistic
The UK government’s Warm Homes Plan places a new
as the way to address energy affordability and fuel
risk and supports people in more complex journeys.
and ill-health prevention by ensuring that everyone can
reducing, if not ending, fuel poverty.
technologies, along with cheaper electricity prices,
sufficiently to focus on need, engages those at greatest
This strategy starts from the sobering reality of the prospects for the coming years.
emphasis on low-carbon domestic heating and power
Make sure fuel poverty advice and support is resourced
‘You’ve got me emotional, like maybe there is a light at the end of this tunnel.’ NEA client
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WE START FROM WHERE PEOPLE ARE National Energy Action starts from people’s experiences of fuel poverty and what effective solutions look like for them. We use insight drawn from clients and research to convince others, whether service providers or policy makers, to do the same. Households in fuel poverty will have characteristics that make them additionally vulnerable, beyond the hard economics of household income and expenditure. Eighty-eight percent of our clients have a health condition or a disability. Twenty-four percent have a child under five in the home. Eighty percent have an annual income under £16,000.
Having a plan to address fuel poverty means starting from people’s experiences, not just the condition of the nations’ housing or the general reform of the energy market. We begin by listening to what our clients tell us. But our client data takes us only so far. There are too many people in need who are not supported by NEA, or by anyone else. Our Research team and delivery projects reach into marginalised communities and to people who are unrepresented in client data or missed out by other agencies and policymakers. Together, this provides a crucial, but incomplete, picture of fuel poverty across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The gaps in data are as important as the detailed client experience in determining the priorities for this strategy.
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HOW WE ACHIEVE CHANGE
An informed and dynamic movement promotes best practice and builds momentum for innovation and change.
Change is successful when rooted in the experience of people in fuel poverty.
Through that insight we can raise awareness of the
We push for change, we help define how change might
people, families, and communities.
causes and consequences of fuel poverty, but also
work in practice, and we test those outcomes in real
of the contributions that private companies, local
life support settings.
In pursuit of that mission, we have a clear theory of
agencies, public bodies, charities, and others can make
Our mission is positive. To deliver the life-changing benefits of affordably warm and healthy homes to
change built on our aims and values.
to support people in fuel poverty.
Our potential superpower is to use the insight from our
That movement makes the case and drives the
with those partnerships and coalitions that have
pressure for change across critical policy and delivery
greater reach and impact than we can ourselves.
frontline and research teams to build wider consensus and momentum and influence those change agendas
We influence as National Energy Action, through our membership and supporters and by positively engaging
areas. We seek a virtuous circle of change that starts and
that could make the biggest difference to people in fuel
ends with the experiences of and outcomes for people
poverty.
in fuel poverty.
How fuel poverty affects people drives our priorities and action
Understand
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positive outcomes for fuel poor households.
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This helps us to understand how well-designed
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engagement with marginalised communities, and from
M
We develop insight through our support for clients, our
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Aims
Values
Commitments
Our strategy is built on our three core aims.
Throughout 2025, NEA set about understanding how
Commitment to Clients
Support
we are when we are at our best. How our values can show up across everything we do. Where we need to
To set a path for clients out of fuel poverty where we
bring that culture and those values to the fore.
can. Solutions can be complex and cut across different
To lead the way in providing essential and life-changing
sectors and support specialisms. Increasingly that will
support to people and communities suffering the
After a year of workshops and focus groups, mood
mean support on retrofit journeys. We will not be able
impact of fuel poverty.
boards and flipcharts, challenge, and agreement, we
to lift every client out of fuel poverty, but we can be
have a set of values and behaviours that support us in
more responsive and focused on enduring solutions as
Through community advice, client case management,
how we deliver against our mission and how we behave
well as essential crisis support.
expert support across money, energy and retrofit.
with each other, with clients and partners.
Awareness
Commitment to Impact To make important, and difficult, choices about our
To raise awareness so we can build an unstoppable
priorities according to what will deliver the most
momentum in the fight against fuel poverty.
positive impacts for people in fuel poverty. We cover a lot of ground. We will need to be more intentional
Through training and education, convening people in
about the things that can deliver lasting change for
events, conferences and forums, sharing insight and
people in fuel poverty based on the best insight and
information to be bigger than the sum of our parts.
evidence.
Change
Commitment to Capability
To achieve the systemic change needed to lift people
These values bind us together and are a daily challenge
To gain maximum benefit from our new operating
out of fuel poverty permanently and prevent others
as a team, for our clients and with our partners.
systems to work smarter, quicker, and more
from falling into energy crisis.
efficiently. To build greater digital capability on top of those systems to positively harness AI and related
Through evidence-based policy interventions, public
technologies. To be more capable to support to
campaigns and working with partners and coalitions to
households’ access and benefit from low carbon heat
influence positive change.
and power technologies.
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Lead the way in life-changing support We want to set the standard for support to fuel poor households. Both in our own frontline services, and also to play the most positive role in the developing standards and outcomes across the advice and support system. Most of our clients are in crisis with complex needs that can be difficult to support. We want support for clients to address the urgent challenges that people face, but more than that, to help prevent crises recurring and where possible to set people on a path out of fuel poverty.
FOR OUR CLIENTS
FOR ALL THOSE NEEDING HELP
That means leading the way with our own support
We will increasingly integrate our expert income
We want everyone to get the support they
and energy advice with greater support for
need. We will use our own experience of
clients on more complex retrofit and low carbon
developing sector leading standards of support
technology journeys.
to improve the design of funded programmes
and being a champion for better support from others. It means extending our support for clients on complex retrofit and low carbon technology journeys. It means understanding who is missing out on support and how to reach them.
that are so essential to fuel poverty advice and We will deepen our focus in how to support clients
support services.
with vulnerabilities, especially those with health conditions, and families with young children.
‘Thank you for everything you have done for me. I’m astounded by your patience and kindness. You were there for me when no one else was.’ NEA client 10
We will support local programme design and delivery, especially in the context of the UK government’s
We will use all available data to identify client groups
Warm Homes Plan, to identify, focus on and meet
who are falling through the gaps in support provision
the needs of fuel poor and vulnerable households.
and how we can build programmes that reach into the least served communities.
We will join with partners who are exploring how to realise the benefits of digital and AI-enabled support for fuel poor and vulnerable households.
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Build unstoppable momentum for warm homes National Energy Action has a unique role to bring together people and organisations from different sectors across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland to understand the causes and the consequences of fuel poverty, and to contribute to solutions. Our research, training, partnership, membership and events enable others to make connections, compare experiences, gain confidence and play a role in a genuine progressive movement for change. The fuel poverty movement is a broad church. We aim to encourage those diverse organisations, in their own way and in their own fields of activity, into an unstoppable momentum to bring the benefits of affordable warm homes to all.
‘You should be really proud of what you all do. It probably saves lives.’ NEA client
THROUGH NATIONAL ENERGY ACTION
WITH PARTNERSHIPS
We will use our unique convening role in events, forums and in other ways to build momentum by sharing insight and information about clients and the obstacles and opportunities they face, as well as relevant market and policy developments including around emerging retrofit schemes.
We will be engaged, positive, and challenging partners with those driving the low-carbon transition. Together, making sure that fuel poor and vulnerable households are at the front of the queue and the biggest beneficiaries of the big changes happening in home heating, and increasingly cooling, technologies.
We will increase the reach and impact of our training and educational services, tailoring content and courses to reflect the needs of learners and the pace of change across the energy and fuel poverty world. We will use our own delivery projects and partnership work as effective vehicles for insight and storytelling. Focused on positive outcomes from clients, effective support delivery and engaging fuel poor households who find it difficult to access help.
We will collaborate with partners to ensure the greater devolution of resources, powers and responsibilities to regional and local control, translates into effective programmes, especially in more deprived communities. We will work together with administrators, funders, referral and delivery partners to provide more accessible and effective support for those complex needs and who are currently under supported.
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Prevent fuel poverty ruining lives National Energy Action must take our experience in supporting people living through painful crisis and direct it to achieve the necessary change that prevents such crises recurring. Our mission requires systemic change across energy, welfare, housing, and health policy. It requires a cross-government agenda that starts and finishes with affordable, warm and healthy homes. NEA will bring passion, clarity, and persistence. We will bring challenge and positive solutions.
FOR THOSE IN CRISIS
FOR THOSE AT RISK
But we will need to identify those focused areas in
We will campaign for more effective support for
We will work to make fuel poor households the
those most vulnerable to the consequences of
greatest beneficiaries from insulation and low
fuel poverty; families with young children, those
carbon heating technologies and schemes in the
in ill-health and those cut off from support.
UK government’s Warm Homes Plan.
We will make the case for better financial support for
We will make sure the interests of fuel poor consumers
people living in immediate crisis through a social tariff
are front and centre as energy markets change to
and schemes that lift the crushing burden of debt from
reflect the impact of low carbon technologies, greater
those unable to bear that weight.
electrification, flexible tariffs, and greater demand
which our actions can have the greatest impact. We will need to make targeted interventions and partnerships that create waves across a broad range of markets and policy areas.
‘Without your support, I would still be feeling the cold to my bones.’ NEA client
response. We will advocate, with others, for systems of fuel poverty advice and support that are properly focused,
We will strengthen the connections between the fuel
funded and delivered across England, Wales and
poverty and health inequality policy worlds, making
Northern Ireland.
the opportunities for each area clear and unavoidable for policy makers and more dynamic and positive for energy support and health services
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Enable National Energy Action to deliver our mission Like all charities there are critical enabling areas in which we need to invest and take good decisions. As we have grown in scale, complexity and ambition, it becomes more important that our foundations are secure and robust. FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY
PEOPLE
INSIGHT
We will improve our financial sustainability as a charity.
We will be a more rewarding place to work. Our
We will build our capabilities around research,
We are fortunate to work with great partners across
work can be complex and stressful. We ask a lot of
evaluation and insight, and make them a core driver
the energy system to deliver client support. That will
our people. While our mission and the passion and
for the decisions we make and priorities we set
remain crucial for us. But we will need to extend our
commitment of staff sustain us as a team, we aim to
across the charity.
partnerships to more diverse sources to support our
make working at National Energy Action simpler and
advocacy agenda and be more resilient to shifts in
more efficient so that our people can be focused on
We will develop the capability for an ever deeper
funding.
delivering our mission.
understanding of the circumstances, experiences,
At the same time, we will take the necessary decisions
We draw on a diverse set of skills and experiences,
to make sure that the charity controls costs, becomes
and, in turn, we will build an inclusive and supportive
more efficient and delivers value for money.
working environment. Skill and competency
and opportunities of our clients and those in fuel
frameworks, training, support, and personal
DIGITAL We are at an early stage in becoming a truly digitally enabled charity. We will work with others who are
development.
poverty.
LEADERSHIP We will set the conditions for our leadership group
VALUES
to grow as individuals, in their careers and to push National Energy Action forward and to help us deliver, improve, and innovate. They are the key to
further along this path to maximise opportunities,
We will embed our values at the core of what we do. As
translating this strategy into good outcomes for fuel
safely, from AI and other digital technologies to
an employer, partner, service provider and campaigner.
poor households.
support innovation, efficiency, better experiences and
Living up to our values is a non-negotiable condition
outcomes for clients while maintaining our commitment
of our success. We will hold ourselves accountable to
to delivering personal support
them and build our success upon them.
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NATIONAL ENERGY ACTION
E N E R GY
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Twitter/X: @NEA_UKCharity
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www.nea.org.uk press@nea.org.uk
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STRATEGY 2026-2031
Instagram: www.instagram.com/nea_ukcharity
Bluesky: nea.org.uk
Linked In: www.linkedin.com/company/national-energy-action
Facebook: www.facebook.com/nationalenergyaction
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