Testimonials

Wednesday 16 September:

Fuel Poverty and Decarbonising Heat

10am

Decarbonising heat is one of the biggest challenges in meeting the Net Zero 2050 target. It is also a challenge that will have a direct impact on Fuel Poor households.

How can the pathway to low carbon heating navigate longer-term carbon goals with meeting the needs of those who are on low incomes and living in cold homes right now?

• Chair: Adam Scorer, Chief Executive, NEA
• Dr Keith Maclean, Managing Director, Providence Policy
• Dr Jan Rosenow, Director of European Programmes, The Reguaktory Assistance Project
• Matthew Hindle, Energy Networks Association
• Helen Stockton, Research Manager , NEA

Annual General Meeting

1.30pm

Open to all, however voting NEA members will be given priority access.

Energy Offline: Fuel Poverty and the growing digital divide.

2.00pm

The Workshop explores how digital exclusion matters to fuel poverty, both to how fuel poverty is caused and experienced and how it might be alleviated. Over the past decade, ways of accessing the amenities and services that people need have migrated online, a shift that has been mirrorwed in the energy inductry with often diverse consequences. Those who cannot easily access the internet or who are digitallly excluded in other ways are more likely to  miss out on the cheapest energy deals, and are less likely to be able to access services such as Priority Services Register (PSR) or Warm Homes Discount (WHD). MEA has estimated this cluld be costing households up to £485 per year, and Covid-19 has thrown some of thes inequalities into starker relief.

Simulateously, the digitoisation of the energy system is gathering pace, with smart energy meter rollout often heralded as opportunities to reduce the digital diide. The interctive workshop there explores the causes, consequences and complexities of digital exclusion and the way it intersects with Fuel Poverty, as well as looking forwards towards the principles and solutions that we should be adopting and advocating to build a fure energy system that is fair, equitable and accessible to all.

• Dr Matthaw Scott. Research and Policy Officer, NEA
• Dr Rose Chard, Energy Systems Catapult
• Dr Elizabetg Blakelock, Citizens Advice

This session is full but you can watch the proceedings live on our YouTube channel. (nea.org.uk/youtubelive)

Belfast Community Planning Partnership Project and NEA working together to reduce preventable winter deaths through the Warm & Well Project

2pm

Following 130% increase in excess winter deaths in Northern Ireland published in December 2018, Belfact Community Planning Project (BCPP) convened a working group with NEA and others so tackle preventable winter deaths. The Warm & Well Project was launched in December 2019 and involves citywide coordination and locality mapping to target the worst areas affected. Initially a 3-month pilot, however with the onset of Covid-19 has meant that NEA has been able to utilse this valuable partnership to target the most vulnerable in greater Balfast.

Join us to learn more about how the project be replicated across the sectors to not only reduce preventable winter deaths but also to improve the health and wellbeing of those at risk as laid out in the NICE NG6 Guidelines.

• Presentation by Iain Deboys, Commissioning Lead Belfast, Health and Social Care Board Northern Ireland
• Case Studies ny Hugh McVeigh, Project Coordinator NEA Northern Ireland
• Q & A

Friends against Scams Awareness

3pm

Friends against scams is a National Trading STandards initiative to raise awareness about the risks of scams and who is most vulnerable, and how we can support oureselves, our loved ones or our customers/clients. We will cover topics on; the type of scams, What to look out for in a scam victim, where to seek support and measures to take to avoid being scammed.

• Matt Baker, Senior Consumer Vulnerability Manager, British Gas
• Meredith Fowler, British Gas
• Steve Brogden, British Gas

NEA Warm Homes Pub Quiz

4.30pm

Grab a drink and Phil and Alie for 90 mionutes of quizzzing and fun!

• Phil Povey, Project Development Coordinator NEA
• Alice Dalgleish, Business and Partnerships Officer, NEA

Thursday 17th Septmeber

Fuel Poverty, Health and Housing: NEA

10am

Warm homes have a crucial role to play in improving public health, even more so as we move towards our first winter with Covid-19. But how can we mainstream warm hoes into policy and practice designed to promote a long, decent and healthy life?

In this session we will hear from an important new initiative from the Centre for Aging Better and draw from experiences across Engald, Wales and Northern Ireland to understand more about the links between cold homes and ill health, learn how public health agencies and others are gearing up to help those in cold housing this winter, and discuss how campaigners, piblic health agencies and others cna work together to tackle cold housing a nd health inequalities.

• Chair; Adam Scorer, Chief Executive, NEA
• David Orr, Associate Director for Homes, Centre for Better Aging
• Dr Sumina Azam, Head of Policy, Public Health Wales
• Emily Bebbington, Welch Clinical Academic Training Fellow,. Bangoir University, Emergency Medicine Registrar, Ysbyty Gwynedd
• Pat Austin, Director NEA Northern Ireland

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