What we do
We believe everyone deserves to live in a warm, healthy home
National Energy Action (NEA) is the national fuel poverty charity. We’ve worked across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland for over 40 years, to ensure that everyone can afford to live in a warm, healthy home.
Together with frontline practitioners, companies, regulators and governments, National Energy Action works to support vulnerable clients, raise awareness and achieve enduring change.
Helping households stay warm and informed
Support
Every year, we support tens of thousands of people living in fuel poverty.
If you or someone you know can’t afford to heat their home then we’re here to give energy help – we offer a range of advice and support both directly to people in need, and via frontline workers and other intermediaries.
A typical household energy bill is now £1,641 – almost £500 more than pre energy crisis levels in October 2021. For millions this is simply unaffordable. Across the UK, 6 million children are in fuel poverty and the stories we hear are heartbreaking.
Every client who comes into our service is offered holistic, tailored support, including energy efficiency and home safety advice, income maximisation, help with energy affordability, support with energy debt, and advocacy with energy suppliers. The support each person receives is shaped around their individual needs and circumstances.
Our programmes are designed to put clients first, from our health-focused Warm Homes, Healthy Futures to cross-sector initiatives that put people first.
You can work with our consultancy and partnership teams to ensure that energy efficiency, regulatory compliance and support for vulnerable customers are built into your project from the ground up.
Fuel Poverty Awareness: Shine a light on the crisis
Awareness
National Energy Action work to make ending fuel poverty a message that cannot be ignored.
We raise awareness of fuel poverty through engagement with elected representatives, through our training and education programmes and through the media. Every year we hold dozens of events, train thousands of people who, in turn, share their knowledge, and appear in many of thousands of media articles.
Our events programme — from our three-day annual conference to regional fuel poverty forums — brings
together key stakeholders from across sectors, strengthening shared advocacy and campaigning.
Our Fundraising and Partnerships team has built a network of over 700 members with an additional 48 organisations in our Business Supporters’ Group.
Our fundraising work also allows us to elevate awareness – from our own events like Walk for Warmth and the Nation’s Biggest Housewarming to our involvement in national mass participation events like the Great North Run. This work leads to donations, media coverage and vital support
for clients.
Accessibility is central to our approach. Our website includes Recite Me, enabling translation into over 160
languages, text-to-speech in over 100, and adaptations for some neurodiversities and visual impairments. Many of our client-facing resources are also available in easy-read and translated formats. And we have SignVideo for d/Deaf clients.
The more awareness we raise, the more people we can help.
Fuel Poverty Awareness: Shine a light on the crisis
Change
Lasting, structural change is essential if we are to reduce the hardship caused by fuel poverty and improve the lives of millions of households across the UK.
Our advocacy is driven by the experiences of our clients and those who are on the frontlines of providing support.
It is grounded in the lived realities of those struggling in fuel poverty and those working to tackle it.
We take the lessons and insight from those realities to advocate for policy-based solutions that can tackle
the root causes of fuel poverty. Our aim is to make meaningful and long-lasting differences on national,
devolved and local levels, to end fuel poverty.
We regularly meet with government energy advisers and through sustained engagement with Ofgem we influenced its latest strategy to ensure fair prices and quality service and promote financial resilience and sustainable competition.
We hold events in parliament frequently. By bringing frontline issues directly to Westminster we are able to
secure lasting change for those people who need it the most
Our Campaigns
Find out about our campaigns including our Fuel Poverty Awareness Day and our Child Fuel Poverty campaign.
How fuel poverty impacts everyday lives
Amid the cost of living crisis, millions are being pushed into fuel poverty, struggling in the cold and dark. Read the real-life stories of people struggling under the crushing weight of high energy bills and poorly insulated homes.
How the energy crisis unfolded
The energy crisis means millions of households are struggling to afford their energy bills and stay warm. Our figures show 6 million children in the UK are currently living in fuel poverty.
When my heating broke in the middle of winter, I didn’t know what to do. National Energy Action helped me understand my options and guided me to emergency support. I felt seen – and safe again.
Carla, Newcastle
