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Reporting from the National Fuel Poverty Conference

February 27, 2026

In their 45th anniversary year, National Energy Action invited delegates from around the country, to their hometown of Newcastle, for this year’s National Fuel Poverty Conference. Our Dominic Griffiths represented Energy Projects Plus, and shares his notes here.

The Glasshouse International Centre for Music strikes an imposing figure on the bank of the Tyne. I’ve passed it a few times over the years, but hadn’t realised how massive it was inside. And it needed to be; with 450 delegates, speakers, and exhibitors over 3 days, this is NEA’s largest ever conference. Though, technically, it’s actually located in Gateshead, and not Newcastle (several of the local attendees were keen to point out this fact over the course of the conference).

Monday evening saw the Exhibition opened officially by the Mayor of Gateshead, Councillor Freda Geddes, alongside NEA’s Chief Executive Adam Scorer, and representatives from the Conference sponsors, Evouchers, Northern Gas Networks, Northern Powergrid, and OVO. I was glad of the opportunity to catch up with friends, including Charis Grants, Christians Against Poverty, and LEAP (Local Energy Advice Partnership), who were exhibiting for the duration of the conference.

Tuesday morning overview

	09:35-09:45 Spotlight on: Growing up in a cold home Penny Walters from Feeding Britain, opened the conference with a reading of her poem, Voice, urging us to use our voices, to speak up for those without a voice.
	09:45-10:15 Welcome address and reflections NEA Chief Executive, Adam Scorer, took to the stage to welcome us, and highlight the power of lived experience, such as that of Penny Walters. Adam says ‘lived experience doesn’t just inform what we do, it defines what we do.’
	10:15-10:40 45 years of fighting fuel poverty Dr. Brenda Boardman literally defined fuel poverty in her 1991 book, “Fuel Poverty: From Cold Homes to Affordable Warmth” in which she stated fuel poverty exists where a household has to spend more than 10% of their income to keep warm. While other definitions of fuel poverty have existed since this time, she states hers remains the only definition that can be used on the doorstep. In thinking back over the past 45 years, she said “fuel poverty was bad in 1980 and unrecognised. Fuel poverty is bad now, but at least it is recognised.” Ian Preston of CSE declared area-based action is needed to continue the fight against fuel poverty: National advice isn’t enough.
	11.15-11.25 Spotlight on: Community Retrofit Hubs NEA manages several Community Retrofit Hubs, and their Home Retrofit Consultant Aisling McGovern provided an overview of the barriers and successes, highlighting how little knowledge there is in the community about retrofit measures, the length of time it takes to engage with residents, build trust, and get contractors to deliver the work, often with tight deadlines due to stop-start funding streams. Aisling stressed the requirement of local energy advice experts to hold the hand of residents, through the journey and beyond.
11.25-12.30 Warm Homes Plan – will it deliver?
	NEA’s Andrej Miller introduced a topic that most of us in the room were particularly keen to hear about, as the Warm Homes Plan had only recently been published, and there were several notable gaps in the plan, including details around the financial support for residents deemed “able to pay” by government, and also whether there’s any room for we assembled energy advisors within the £15bn programme.
	Jessica Skilbeck from Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, provided an executive summary of the plan, as well as some of the “next steps” including when we might see funding for air-to-air heat pumps There were many fears in the room that government’s declared “Warm Homes Agency” would try to replicate all of our work, from a central location nationally, which would be helpful only to those few people who. Jessica tried to allay these fears, by stating that the Warm Homes Agency is only intended to bring together the advice currently offered by DESNZ, OFGEM, and Salix, to save some money, and ensure there’s a single message from government around retrofit.
	Abigail Ward from Energy Saving Trust was keen to point out that local energy advice is required, and suggested a single national telephone number could be promoted, that diverts callers to a local agency who can provide expert advice and support. We remember delivering

Tuesday afternoon overview

14.00-15.15 Retrofit: More than just the measures

In this breakout session, Lorenza Casini from Manchester-based Carbon Co-op, dispelled some myths, including the idea that vulnerable residents don’t care about the environment. However, for people who just want to live in a warm, safe home, carbon reduction may simply be a side-effect for them when reducing their bills.

Lisa Beaney, from Green Isle of Wight CIC finds “carbon” doesn’t resonate with her residents, and focuses instead on making homes warm. She agrees that what is needed to achieve national retrofit and Net Zero targets, is high quality, in-home energy and retrofit advice. She went on to say these expert advisors need to be independent, not the Council, and not the Housing Association.

15.45-15.50 Spotlight on: A day in the life of an adviser

Rebecca Maddock is one of NEA’s Energy Advisors, and just like our team of friendly experts, she spends a great deal of her time speaking with vulnerable residents living through horrendous situations. The advice is mainly provided over the telephone, and the client has one named casework advisor, who will stay with them until the situation is resolved.

15.50-16.50 Little lives, big struggles: The hidden toll of fuel poverty on children

This session carried a trigger-warning, as the discussion included mentions of self-harm, and details of children suffering in cold, damp homes.

We heard case studies from children who had engaged with NEA and provided their lived experience, and we came away with the headline “fuel poverty = child poverty = poverty” for us all to remember in our daily work.

Wednesday morning overview

	09.30-10.10 Session 5: Ministerial Address Martin McCluskey MP, Minister for Energy Consumers, joined us via video-link, to address the audience and outline the three forms of action being taken by government: Immediate Action: £150 will be removed from everybody’s energy bill from the 1st of April, as the costs associated with retrofit will now be paid by general taxation, as opposed to levies on bills. Structural action: The £15bn Warm Homes Plan will lift 1m households out of fuel poverty, by 2030. Systemic action: Overhauling the system so we never again have substandard insulation installed, so landlords will improve existing homes, and so new homes are built future-proofed. Adam Scorer read out some questions that had been posed by delegates ahead of the conference, including: Q) How do we prioritise children and patients with chronic health conditions? A) The changes we’re making will have a positive impact on their lives.
	10.10-11.10 Shaping regional solutions to fuel poverty This session focused on how different Combined Authorities are approaching their Warm Homes Local Grant schemes
	12:00-12.10 Spotlight on: Fuel poverty in the North East Duncan Oliphant made clear that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach that works to tackle fuel poverty. The challenges faced in the North East may be similar to those elsewhere, but they can also be very different.
	12.10-12:50 Session 7: Partners’ panel We spent quite a while debating social tariffs, as so many of us in the room work with vulnerable residents who would be glad of any additional, financial support with their bills. While I would happily welcome a new, additional social tariff, I’ve been around long enough to remember when we did have social tariffs for energy: Each energy supplier could choose their own eligibility, and the support they wished to offer. OFGEM decided to regulate them, so there was one standard offer. This came with a new name, “Warm Home Discount” and it’s now been around for 15 years, knocking £150 off the annual bills of vulnerable customers.
	12:50-13.30 Final remarks Adam Scorer provided a short reflection on the conference. We’ve received the Warm Homes Plan, the revised Fuel Poverty Strategy, and the Child Poverty Strategy. Now we’re all moving together, from strategy to delivery.

Britain’s first geothermal energy plant will power 10,000 homes with renewable energy

February 26, 2026

As reported by BBC, the UK’s first geothermal power plant has been turned on, providing a completely new type of renewable electricity using hot water from underground.

On Thursday morning, the Cornish plant will be switched on after nearly two decades in development which required Geothermal Engineering Ltd (GEL) to drill the deepest on-shore well in the UK.

The water, super-heated by rocks, will help drive turbines to generate electricity for 10,000 homes, but will also provide the UK’s first domestic supply of lithium – a critical mineral used in green technology.

The British Geological Survey said it was a “major step forward” for geothermal but high drilling costs could make replicating the project difficult.

The Earth generates heat which can be harnessed by drilling down below the surface to provide a renewable, and continuous source of energy to heat and power our homes – known as geothermal energy.

This project has drilled three miles below the surface – where temperatures climb to nearly 200C, and this is enough heat to generate electricity.

“You drill deep boreholes into the ground, and then fractures within the granite rock are used to circulate the water that pick up the heat [that is] used for electricity production,” explained Dr Monaghan, head of geothermal at the British Geological Survey (BGS).

Granite is particularly ideal for this technology as it is very effective at holding and conducting the Earth’s heat.

This is the first time the feat has been achieved in the UK because drilling this far down is a technically and financially costly endeavour. The project has cost £50m to date, funded through private investors and the EU.

Ryan Law, CEO of GEL, told the BBC:

“[I’m] tremendously excited after 15 years of hard graft, difficulties, we’re finally there.”

He said geothermal power was “really important” for the UK because there are no price fluctuations like with gas.

“And unlike other renewable sources like wind and solar we are constantly on, 24/7 electricity,” he added.

The power generated at the United Downs site has been sold to Octopus Energy who will deliver it, via the national grid, to meet the electricity needs of up to 10,000 homes.

“This project is a genuine game-changer. For the first time, we’re tapping into “always-on” green power in the UK, providing a steady stream of clean, home-grown energy,” said an Octopus spokesperson.

Energy Price Cap to drop by 7% from 1st of April

February 25, 2026

OFGEM has today (25th Feb) confirmed the average costs for gas and electricity will drop by 7%, or approximately £10 per month, from the 1st of April. You can read their press release by clicking here.

These price announcements are released every 3 months, and are calculated by reviewing wholesale costs, as well as the cost of supplying energy to us. OFGEM then sets a Price Cap that energy suppliers mustn’t exceed, for any customers who are on a variable rate tariff.

The drop announced today has largely been possible due to the Chancellor announcing in her Autumn budget, that some of the costs added to bills to pay for schemes, would be removed, with a stated intention to reduce everybody’s bills by £150 from the 1st of April this year. This means even customers who are already on a fixed deal should see their bills drop, as the relevant costs are removed from their bills too.

Today’s announcement shows we won’t see the full benefit of the £150 reduction, as there has been a rise in network costs, which are passed on to billpayers. This means, without the Chancellor making those changes, our bills would likely have risen in April.

The average costs tend to be true for a small family living in a 3 bedroom, semi-detached house, built after 1930. How much you will actually pay depends on how much energy you use, and we’d urge everybody to read their energy bills to see how many kilowatt hours (kWh) they are estimated to use annually. The national averages are 2,700kWh for electricity, and 11,700kWh for gas. If you’re using more than this, then it’s possible you could be wasting energy, and might benefit from adapting your behaviours to use less (you can use a smart meter to monitor this) and/or ensure you’re using any heating controls to save on waste (as heating our homes is the most costly thing we use energy for), and/or checking to see whether you could install energy efficient measures such as increased insulation, more efficient heating, or even renewable energy technologies.

Residents of Cheshire, Merseyside, and West Lancashire with questions about any of the above, are welcome to call our Save Energy Advice Line free on 0800 043 0151, or email advice@epplus.org. Lines are open 9am-5pm, Monday-Friday.

Local fuel poverty project sets national example

February 12, 2026

A project to reduce the impact of fuel poverty on vulnerable people is being promoted nationally as an example of how to tackle health inequalities.

Health Innovation North West Coast has led the scheme in Cheshire and Merseyside which has focused on adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and children with pre-school wheeze.

It uses insights derived from data to coordinate services for people whose condition may be exacerbated by living in cold homes.

A poster that explains the work has now been adopted as part of NHS England’s Core20PLUS5 approach to reducing healthcare inequalities.

It illustrates how the programme brought together partners from the NHS, local government and the voluntary sector to deliver the scheme, and how up to 450,000 households in the region are affected by fuel poverty.

The programme used data insights to target individuals who would benefit most from an intervention and to coordinate resources across the various sectors without having to introducing new services.

The poster also underlines the scheme’s impact, including a 10 per cent reduction in GP appointments among the target group of patients living in St. Helens.

The work was submitted to the National Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme by Rhiannon Clarke, Senior Programme Manager at Health Innovation North West Coast in her role as a Core20PLUS5 ambassador.

Rhiannon is one of two Core20PLUS5 ambassadors at Health Innovation North West Coast. The other is Public Involvement Lead Debbie Parkinson.

Rhiannon said:

“The role of the Core20PLUS5 ambassadors is to share their experiences with colleagues so we can push health equalities up the agenda together.

“I’m really pleased with the outcome of the work we’ve done locally to mitigate the impact of fuel poverty on some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.

“That’s why I’m doubly pleased to share it with colleagues in other parts of the country who may be able to learn something from what we’ve done to narrow the inequality gap in their areas.”

Sara Javid, Senior Manager Strategic Partnerships – Healthcare Inequalities, NHS England, said:

“Rhiannon has successfully shown how data-led population health management and Core20PLUS5 targeting can translate into earlier intervention for people most at risk.

“Rhiannon’s work is an excellent example of prevention in practice. She has shown us that connecting existing services around a shared population health intelligence approach can strengthen early identification, improve coordination across partners and demonstrate real value for both communities and the health and care system.

“One of the key strengths of this model is the quantifiable outcomes that Rhiannon has measured both in saving GP appointment time and economic savings. This is a scalable, evidence-informed model that supports integrated care systems to embed proactive, place-based action and deliver sustainable improvement in outcomes for those who need it the most.”

Read more on Health Innovation North West Coast’s website about how data is driving the fuel poverty mitigation project.

Home Upgrade? Breaking Down the Government’s Warm Homes Plan

January 30, 2026

This is the news many in the sector have been waiting for and we welcome the Government publishing its Warm Homes Plan, first announced in 2024.

The Warm Homes Plan commits £15bn over the next five years to upgrading homes across the UK, alongside introducing new rights and protections for renters. Its stated goals are to tackle fuel poverty, reduce bills, and accelerate the rollout of clean heating and energy efficiency measures.

A major new element is the offer of low and zero-interest loans for “able to pay” households to support the uptake of technologies such as heat pumps, solar panels and batteries.

Below is what we know so far and what remains unclear.

The funding: £15bn split into two main pots

£5bn for low-income households
£5bn is ringfenced for low-income households, who will be able to access direct support to make their homes warmer, healthier and cheaper to run.
Depending on the property and household, this could mean partially or fully funded whole-home retrofits. For some homes, this might include packages such as solar PV and a battery (often costing in the region of £9,000–£12,000), alongside other measures.

£10bn for infrastructure and “able to pay” households
The remaining £10bn will be split between:

Investment in delivery infrastructure and skills, and
Low- and zero-interest loans for “able to pay” households to install clean energy technologies.

The government has said this funding will also support the creation of thousands of well-paid, future-proofed jobs in energy efficiency and clean heating by 2030. This is a critical point: scaling up delivery capacity, skills and local supply chains is essential if the UK is to move from small, stop-start schemes to mass retrofit.

The “able to pay” market: a big opportunity, but big unanswered questions
The loan offer could help many households who have previously been “just outside” eligibility for grants, or for those who want to improve the energy efficiency of their homes but cannot afford the upfront cost.
However, key details are still missing:

Who will provide the loans?
How will households apply?
What will the interest rates and repayment terms be?
What consumer protections will apply?

There is also a real risk that if repayment periods are short or terms are unattractive, some households will still be unable to access support, while also not qualifying for grant funding, leaving them stuck in inefficient homes as energy prices continue to fluctuate.

Where is insulation in the headline offer?
One noticeable feature of the press coverage is the heavy emphasis on technologies (heat pumps, solar, batteries) and much less emphasis on fabric improvements.
There is no clear mention of grant support for “able to pay” households specifically for insulation in the main announcements, even though insulation and draught-proofing are listed in the eligible measures.

This matters because:
Heat pumps and low-carbon heating perform well in homes with low heat loss.
In a poorly insulated home, heat escapes through walls, roofs, floors and draughts. That means:

The heating system runs more
The home is harder to keep warm
Running costs are higher than expected

In the worst case, you risk ending up with a fuel-poor household in a cold, draughty home – just with a heat pump or solar panels added.

New protections for renters
The government has also highlighted new and stronger protections for renters.
Currently, around 1.6 million children in the UK live in fuel-poor homes that are cold, damp or mouldy. The Plan commits to improving standards in both the private and social rented sectors and making sure landlords take responsibility for providing homes that are safe, warm and affordable to run.

However, we do not yet know:

What the new minimum standards will be
The timeline for compliance
What support will be available to landlords
What enforcement mechanisms will be used

The Warm Homes Agency: a major structural reform
One of the most important announcements is the creation of a Warm Homes Agency.
The new Agency is intended to act as a single national delivery body responsible for:

Advice and guidance
Access routes
Quality assurance
The end-to-end customer journey
Combining functions from multiple existing bodies
Reducing duplication, admin burden, and stop-start funding cycles

Local delivery model
The Plan also signals a shift towards greater local and regional control, with mayors and local leaders playing a stronger role in delivery.
This suggests:

More area-based programmes
More strategic, long-term delivery contracts
Less short-term competitive bidding and funding cycle

Confirmed list of eligible measures
The government has confirmed that schemes will cover:

Solar panels (PV and solar thermal)
Heat pumps (air source, ground source, including air-to-air)
Home and heat batteries
Smart controls
Insulation (wall, floor and roof)
Draught-proofing

Risks, unknowns, and what to watch
While the Warm Homes Plan sets a long-term direction and represents a major step forward in funding scale and ambition, many critical delivery details are not yet published.
The creation of the Warm Homes Agency strongly suggests the government intends to improve quality control and customer outcomes – but the technical rules, sequencing and standards have not yet been set out.

Conclusion: the direction is laid out, the detail is not (yet)
The Warm Homes Plan sets a strategic direction of travel: towards mass, long-term, whole-home retrofit delivered at scale.
However, many of the most important delivery rules, technical standards and access routes are still to come and will likely emerge later this year.

Fuel Poverty Strategy for England Published

January 23, 2026

As an environmental charity, we are keen to see the UK achieve its ambition of Net Zero carbon emissions, as quickly as possible. A shift to decarbonised heat has a key role to play in this, as so many British homes burn irreplaceable fossil fuels for warmth. But as a charity with an aim to reduce fuel poverty, we work to ensure there is a “just transition” towards Net Zero, so vulnerable, low-income households aren’t left behind while “able to pay” households reap the benefits of emerging low carbon technologies.

The revised Fuel Poverty Strategy has been unveiled, shaping the support available for the most vulnerable households, for years to come.

We’ll share below the Executive Summary, and a link to the full paper. First we’ll share our initial insights:

It’s reassuring to read that the new government is retaining the target to remove as many fuel poor homes as is reasonably practicable, from fuel poverty by 2030. This deadline felt like a long way away when it was first suggested, in 2014. Now it’s so close it will take a lot of action to achieve, and we welcome an escalation of support to help households over the remaining 4 years.
It’s perhaps a little disappointing to read that the new government is retaining the “Low Income Low Energy Efficiency” (LILEE) definition of fuel poverty. This defines fuel poverty as a household with an energy efficiency rating of D-G, whose net income would be below the official poverty line, were they to heat their home to a decent standard. The problem with this definition is that it excludes people who can’t afford any heat, if they live in a property that’s rated A-C. To us, there is little difference between a cold family who can’t afford to switch on their gas central heating system in a property with an EPC rating of D, and a cold family who can’t afford to switch on their heat pump in a property with an EPC rating of B.

Executive Summary

Reducing energy costs: the Budget 2025 acted to reduce energy costs by an average of £150. This includes moving 75% of the domestic costs of the Renewables Obligation to the exchequer from April 2026/27 to 2028/29. This shifts the balance from levies to public spending by £7 billion over 3 years. In addition, we have expanded the Warm Home Discount to provide a £150 rebate to a further 2.7 million of the poorest households with nearly 6 million households now eligible for the discount. This government is ensuring that lower income households benefit the most from energy bill reductions.

Tackling the cost of living: Our focus on cost of living to benefit fuel poor consumers goes beyond energy costs. We are boosting incomes through changes to the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage and government has legislated for an above-inflation rise in Universal Credit. Fuel poverty is intrinsically linked to child poverty. High energy costs can be the difference between a household being in poverty or not, and can force decisions on which essentials are bought. As set out in the Child Poverty Strategy the government has removed the 2-child limit which will lift 450,000 children out of relative poverty within this Parliament, and benefit over one and a half million children more generally.

Improved energy performance: By focusing on the energy efficiency of homes, we are seeking to deliver long lasting change. Our plans to introduce minimum energy performance standards in the rental sectors will see around 650,000 households lifted out of fuel poverty. This will be complemented by the £5 billion allocated to low income households in the ‘Warm Homes Plan’. This will be initially delivered through existing schemes; the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund and Warm Homes: Local Grant. Government intends to establish a single low-income capital scheme which will shift toward area-based delivery, learning the lessons from previous schemes, underpinned by a robust consumer protection regime and enhanced customer journey.

Read the strategy here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fuel-poverty-strategy-for-england/fuel-poverty-strategy-for-england–2

OVO to pay £2.7 million in redress for Warm Home Discount payment failures

January 22, 2026

As reported by Ofgem, OVO will pay over £2.7 million in redress after failing to provide Warm Home Discount (WHD) rebates to 11,646 customers by the statutory deadline of 31 March 2024.

These customers did not receive their rebate until November 2025 – more than 19 months late. The delay meant that some of the most vulnerable customers were left without the support they were entitled to during the coldest winter months.

Of those affected, 7,726 were on the Priority Services Register (PSR) meaning they are classed as vulnerable energy consumers, and 4,066 of those on the PSR were medically vulnerable.

OVO will pay a total of £2,765,200 in compensation directly to affected customers. This includes £150 for all impacted customers, an additional £150 for medically vulnerable customers, and £100 for each instance of self-disconnection between 31 March and 31 May 2024. All affected customers have been contacted by OVO and they do not need to take any further action, they will be compensated automatically.

Neil Lawrence, Director of Delivery and Schemes at Ofgem, said:

“The Warm Home Discount is a vital source of support for vulnerable energy consumers. Delays of this magnitude can cause real harm, particularly for those experiencing fuel poverty who also have medical needs. Suppliers must act swiftly and accurately to deliver these payments on time – where this does not happen, we will intervene and are prepared to take strong action.

“On this occasion, OVO fell significantly short of its obligations, though we recognise the positive steps the company has taken.

“We expect all suppliers to have robust processes in place and to act quickly when issues arise. Failures of this kind are unacceptable, and we will continue to intervene where necessary to ensure customers receive the support they are entitled to.”

Ofgem will continue to monitor all suppliers’ compliance with their obligations under the Warm Home Discount scheme and expects suppliers to make timely payments when consumers need them most, over the winter months.

Have your say: Changes to Standing Charges

December 17, 2025

Standing charges are the daily payments chargeable to all energy meters, regardless of whether any energy is used. They are used to meet the fixed costs for distributing gas and electricity to our homes, and also include additional levies. One such levy is the “Warm Home Discount.”

OFGEM (Office For Gas and Electricity Markets) is the energy supply regulator in Great Britain. They are seeking views on the impacts on consumers of a proposal to move the Warm Home Discount costs from the standing charge to the unit rate (the per-kilowatt hour charge for electricity and gas usage).

The Warm Home Discount has been crucial in providing a de facto ‘social tariff’ through the primary activity of paying a discount of £150 to low income and/or vulnerable energy consumers. This year, the Warm Home Discount will be paid to significantly more households than last year, as government broadened the eligibility to include most billpayers in receipt of a means-tested benefit.

Many people don’t realise the Warm Home Discount also includes “Industry Initiatives” which allow the obligated energy suppliers to fund schemes designed to provide additional support to low income and/or vulnerable energy consumers. Some such schemes provide in-home energy advice for residents who might struggle to engage over the telephone. They can also provide routes to funds that could potentially reduce or totally clear energy debts.

Energy Projects Plus is pleased to deliver some schemes that are funded via the Warm Home Discount Industry Initiatives, and we agree that the mechanism to fund this vital work should be shifted away from the standing charges on everybody’s bills.

As standing charges have to be paid even if you don’t use any energy, each year we engage with multiple households who stopped topping-up their prepay gas meter once the weather picked up in March/April, only to find a debt on their meter when they wanted to turn their heating back on in September/October. They can’t afford to repay that debt, so without the support of our expert Energy Advisors, they would have no access to heat. It therefore feels like the right move would be to reduce how much the Standing Charge needs to be.

Standing charges can form a greater proportion of fuel poor households’ bills, and they’re often living in older, less energy efficient properties. This means that those households who receive the Warm Home Discount reduction payment, and support via Industry Initiatives, are themselves paying more than their fair share towards these schemes.

An alternative system would be for the Warm Home Discount to be paid out of general taxation. That way, our low-income, vulnerable clients experiencing fuel poverty are unlikely to contribute at all, as many of their incomes are below the threshold for Income Tax. But they could still benefit from the scheme. As part of OFGEM’s consultation, they welcome these ideas for how the system might change.

They’re keen to hear from you, whether you respond as part of an organisation, or as a private individual. Click the link below to take the online survey before the 6th of January.

If you’d like to discuss this survey before submitting your response, please feel free to contact us at info@epplus.org

Have your say

Online Survey

Deadline = 6th Jan 2026

Families to receive letters confirming £150 off energy bills

November 18, 2025

More than quarter of a million families to receive letters confirming they will get £150 off their energy bills this winter through the Warm Home Discount.

More than 250,000 families to receive confirmation of £150 discount off their energy bill due to extra help from government
Vast majority to receive discount automatically but some will need to provide extra details
Prime Minister expands Warm Home Discount to an extra 2.7 million households this winter

More than a quarter of a million families will receive confirmation this week of their £150 discount on energy bills this winter, as part of the government’s drive to help families tackle energy affordability and put money into people’s pockets.

The Prime Minister took the decision last year to expand the Warm Home Discount to a further 2.7 million families, meaning 6 million households now receive the help.

Covering households across England and Wales, letters will start arriving from today, with all those entitled to the discount set to receive one before January.

For the vast majority of recipients, £150 will be automatically deducted off their energy bill and they don’t need to take any action.

However, some households will need to provide extra information to ensure they get the discount, with the letters advising them to call the helpline provided. They will need an electricity bill or statement to confirm the billpayer’s name and account number.

It means around 6 million households will benefit this year, including 900,000 more families with children and a total of 1.8 million households in fuel poverty.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

This cash injection will help people manage their bills while we fix the rusting energy system we inherited.

Because it is only through our clean energy mission that we will get bills down for everyone in the long-run – creating jobs and economic growth along the way.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:

Letters will be dropping on doormats across the country this week containing welcome news for hundreds of thousands of families.

This government is determined to tackle energy affordability for families, and this winter more people will be helped as a result.

And I would urge anyone who needs to provide extra information to follow the straightforward steps and make sure they get money off their bills this winter.

Every billpayer on means-tested benefits now qualifies for the Warm Home Discount, removing restrictions that previously excluded many who needed help and providing peace of mind to millions more families.

Wholesale gas costs for consumers remain 75% above their levels during the year before Russia invaded Ukraine, and working people are paying the price. That is why we are getting Britain off the rollercoaster of fossil fuel prices and onto clean, homegrown power we control.

The only way to bring down bills for good is through government’s mission to get off the rollercoaster of fossil fuel prices and onto clean, homegrown power. Further proposals to support families will be announced in the Warm Homes Plan later this year.

Eligibility

People in England and Wales will qualify for the Warm Home Discount this winter if they are receiving one of the following means-tested benefits and are named on the electricity bill, either in their own name, that of their partner, or their legal representative.

Housing Benefit
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
Income Support
Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit and Savings Credit)
Universal Credit

What We Learned From the Merseyside Fuel Poverty Conference 2025

November 12, 2025

What We Learned From the Merseyside Fuel Poverty Conference 2025

Fuel poverty remains one of the most persistent and damaging issues facing households across Merseyside. Despite years of effort, the scale of the problem has barely shifted. In 2011, 13.2% of households were living in fuel poverty; in 2023, the figure stands at 12.9%.

Four years into the energy crisis, families continue to face impossible choices: heating or eating, rent or energy bills. For children, older residents and people with health conditions, the consequences of living in cold, damp homes are immediate and severe.

Against this backdrop, 80 professionals from across the region came together for the Merseyside Fuel Poverty Conference, hosted by Energy Projects Plus (EPP) and co-funded by the British Gas Energy Trust (BGET). The event brought together charities, councils, housing providers, health professionals, community groups and energy specialists, all united by the same goal: to understand the barriers facing households, share what is working, and push for stronger collaboration across Merseyside.

Below are the key themes and insights from the day.

Breakout Session 1: Barriers Preventing Households From Getting Support

The first breakout session highlighted a range of challenges that continue to prevent households from accessing the help they need.

Barriers for Households
Delegates described common issues seen across Merseyside:

Stigma, pride and fear of judgement when asking for help
Lack of trust following scams or negative past experiences
Language and literacy barriers
Poor mental health, stress and chaotic lifestyles are limiting engagement
Confusion and misinformation around health and energy advice
Digital exclusion, particularly among older residents
“On the cusp” clients who don’t meet strict eligibility rules
Worries that landlords will increase rents after energy improvements
Debt-related shame leading to avoidance of bills or disengagement

Barriers for Organisations
Organisations reported their own barriers too: short-term funding cycles, complex national eligibility rules, poor data-sharing arrangements, limited staff capacity, gaps in referral knowledge, and slow planning processes for retrofit measures. Energy suppliers’ poor customer service and the legacy of low-quality previous installations further damage trust and make support harder to deliver.
A strong theme emerged across the room: people are falling through the gaps not because they don’t need help, but because systems remain too complex, inconsistent, and under-resourced to catch them.

Breakout Session 2: What’s Working Across Merseyside

Despite the challenges, there is a great deal of effective practice happening locally.
Delegates emphasised the importance of:

Face-to-face support
Clear, jargon-free communication
Outreach through trusted community spaces such as foodbanks, churches, warm hubs and pop-up events
Integrated energy efficiency and income-maximisation advice
Partnership-led programmes and one-stop support models
Flexible appointments and continuity of service
Academic partnerships and local research
Strong, trusted messengers drive engagement, whether that’s a council logo or a well-known local organisation get the best outcomes

The Next Steps: What Professionals Agreed Must Happen Next

Across all discussion tables, one message came through strongly: we must work together – not in competition and not in isolation. Professionals highlighted the need for a unified cross-sector referral pathway, regular knowledge-sharing forums, and better mapping of services to reduce duplication and identify gaps. Delegates also stressed the importance of tackling misinformation collectively, securing more stable funding for frontline teams, and strengthening links between health and fuel poverty services. Overall, attendees agreed that Merseyside has the passion and expertise to make lasting change, and what’s needed now is a more coordinated system.

The conference made one thing clear: fuel poverty cannot be solved by any single organisation. It requires shared commitment, shared knowledge and shared action.
The energy crisis has pushed thousands more households into hardship, but it has also brought partners together with renewed determination. By working collectively, Merseyside can change the story for the families who need it most.

To every speaker, delegate, volunteer and partner: thank you!

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