December 2017 NEWS. New research finds households suffering in cold homes are also at risk from carbon monoxide poisoning

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1 View in browser December 2017 NEWS New research finds households suffering in cold homes are also at risk from carbon monoxide poisoning NEA has launched new research in Parliament which shows fuel poor households on the lowest incomes are also at risk from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Funded by the Gas Safety Trust and the gas network companies, the research recorded elevated CO levels greater than 10 ppm in 35% of monitored homes. Above this threshold, prolonged exposure can have negative health effects. Fuel poverty characteristics were present in a number of these homes. In particular, low income households in the study were more likely to be reliant on gas fires to keep warm. These appliances were generally older and had not been maintained. In one example, fuel poor private renters in a deprived area of Leeds recorded 361 higher CO readings over a period of only two months. The occupants were using their gas fire for heating because they could not afford to run the central heating. No CO alarm was fitted in the property and across all households only 35% of homes had alarms installed. For more information and detailed findings read the report on NEA s website. Stepping up the EU fight against energy poverty: the European Energy Poverty Observatory Monday 29 January Charlemagne Building, Rue de la Loi 170, 1000, Brussels The European Commission is pleased to invite you to the launch event of the Energy Poverty Observatory. More than 50 million households in the European Union are struggling to attain adequate warmth, pay their utility bills on time and live in homes free of damp and mould. Awareness of energy poverty is rising in Europe and it has been identified as a policy priority by a number of EU institutions, most notably in the European Commission s legislative Package Clean Energy for All Europeans.

2 The creation of an Energy Poverty Observatory is part of the EU s policy efforts to address energy poverty across EU countries. The Observatory aims in particular to provide a user-friendly and open-access resource that will promote public engagement on the issue of energy poverty, disseminate information and good practice, facilitate knowledge sharing among relevant stakeholders, as well as support informed decision making at the local, national and EU level. The Observatory is being developed by a consortium led by the University of Manchester and includes, as core partners, Ecofys, National Energy Action, the European Policy Centre, Intrasoft International, and the Wuppertal Institut. The launch event will provide stakeholders and the wider public with information on the objectives and instruments of the Observatory and be an opportunity to obtain feedback on their expectations regarding the Energy Poverty Observatory. Miguel Arias Cañete, European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, will give a keynote speech. For information on how to register and for future updates click here. Invitation to Tender: Research Archive and Legacy Project As Eaga Charitable Trust approaches its 25th anniversary next year, its resources are coming to an end and, after being unable to identify a new source of funding, the Eaga CT Trustees have made the decision to close the Trust in Autumn They are keen to ensure that the research funded by Eaga CT is preserved for future use, and that the Trust s closure is marked in a positive way. They are therefore planning a project which aims: to create a high quality, well ordered and publically accessible archive of Eaga CT s resources; and to create a post-closure legacy product which will demonstrate the breadth and celebrate the value of Eaga Charitable Trust s work over its lifetime. Eaga CT is inviting proposals from a suitably experienced and qualified provider with a proven track record in research and evaluation. It is likely that the provider, possibly through working with a partner, will also have communications skills and experience. All bidders should submit their completed submissions by 10am on 26 January Visit Eaga CT's website to access the ITT which provides full details of the timetable in relation to this tender process, along with information on how to submit clarification questions. MEMBERS NEWS

3 AgilityEco s fuel poverty outreach service LEAP wins at the SHIFT AWARDS 2017 NEA Business Supporters Group member, AgilityEco, has won the award for Best Resident Engagement Project at the Sustainable Homes SHIFT Awards for their fuel-poverty outreach service LEAP (Local Energy Advice Programme). The awards, presented at a ceremony in London on Thursday 30th November, recognised the achievements of LEAP, AgilityEco s fully-funded, council-led national fuel poverty alleviation service. LEAP is a free outreach service provided in partnership with local authorities and housing associations, as well as a number of key community energy partners, delivering vital help and support to vulnerable residents. Eligible residents receive a home visit from a qualified LEAP Home Energy Advisor who can provide simple energy efficiency measures, energy saving advice, help to switch tariffs and practical support with income, benefits and debt problems. For more information visit the AgilityEco website. Hounslow Council officer recognised for role in helping vulnerable households Rory Prendergast of Hounslow Council was this month presented with an Association of Local Energy Officers (ALEO) award for his role in the WARMTH programme, which delivers home visits to some of London s most vulnerable residents. The programme, a partnership between environmental charity Groundwork London, British Gas and 10 London boroughs, offers a range of financial, energy, and well-being services to households across London. The ALEO awards recognise local energy officers for outstanding contributions to programmes and initiatives. Rory Prendergast was recognised for his personal dedication to making the WARMTH programme a success, through contributing to over 900 home visits in the borough of Hounslow that delivered a range of benefits to vulnerable households. In particular, he facilitated strong participation from Hounslow s public health team, helping residents receive referrals to GPs and other front line health professionals. The WARMTH project delivered 2,600 home visits in 11 London boroughs between 2016 and Delivered by the Green Doctors, Groundwork London s team of energy advisors, the programme provides residents with advice and referrals to services including adult social care, emotional and mental health support, benefit check services, fire safety checks and befriending services. For more information about WARMTH and the Green Doctors programme, please visit the Groundwork website. Latest automation technology helps electricity network get winter ready Homes and businesses across the East, South East and London are benefitting from new technology which is helping reduce the length of power cuts to record lows ahead of the winter storm season. Electricity distributor UK Power Networks has invested in state-of-the-art control systems that redirect power supplies quickly when power cuts happen. When the system detects any problem on the local cables and electricity substations, it uses satellite communications to instantly choose the most suitable alternative cable circuit and switch supplies across, without manual intervention. Residents lights go off for just a few minutes while the technology does its job. The original fault can then be investigated and resolved by engineers while the power is routed round the properties affected by the fault. UK Power Networks delivers power to more than eight million homes and businesses across the East of England, the South East and across London. If residents ever have a power cut they can call the company for free on 105, and engineers will fix it. Anyone who would feel vulnerable

4 during a power cut, can also sign up to a Priority Services Register to receive free extra help (during a power cut), at UK Power Networks gets green light for trial to connect more electric vehicles UK Power Networks is to trial a revolutionary way of managing spare electricity network capacity that could save customers 271million by 2030 and cut more than 448,000 tonnes of carbon emissions by The company has been given the go-ahead for the research project that will potentially release spare capacity to support the predicted increase in electric vehicles. Ofgem approved the joint bid by UK Power Networks and SP Energy Networks as part of their annual Network Innovation Competition. The project called Active Response will trial a responsive, automated electricity network that reconfigures itself constantly, moving spare capacity to where the demand is. It does this by using power electronics to move electricity from heavily loaded substations to nearby substations with spare capacity. By 2030 it is anticipated there will be up to 1.9m electric vehicles in use across London, the East and South East of England where UK Power Networks delivers electricity including London s buses and taxis. This could significantly increase peak demand for electricity. For more information visit the UKPN website. Warm Homes Fund: Round 2 now open Bid Documentation for Round 2 of the 150 million Warm Homes Fund is now available on the AWS website. The closing date for bids is noon on 9 February 2018 however any potential applicants for Category 3 are also requested to submit an expression of interest by 5 January 2018 prior to completing a full bid. You can also download the presentation from the recent roadshow events here. TRAINING NEWS NEA/City & Guilds Level 3 Award in Energy Awareness: 2018 training dates released 2018 training dates have been released for NEA's Level 3 Award: Energy Awareness This three-day course has been running for 25 years reaching more than 25,000 people. This remains NEA s most popular course for energy efficiency advisers For more information on this and other training available, visit the NEA website.

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