This winter, the number of UK citizens struggling to pay their bill has reached undreamed levels. An estimated 9 million people in the country are affected and do not know how to heat or light their home, how to cool their food, how to sleep carefree. Easy hacks promoted in the media on how to reduce energy consumption are nice, but not enough to improve people’s lives in a significant way. And, yes, many non-profits do already help energy poor people locally deal better with their situation, but they may not have the full overview of what support schemes and agents are available in the UK. That is why, in a recent article, POWER UP partner Ami Crowther from University of Manchester, together with energy poverty experts Stefan Bouzarovski and Neil Simcock call for a national energy advice service (NEAS).
Such a service would go beyond simple energy saving tips. It would help people navigate through the maze of information, for example by:
- guiding people towards financial support schemes or draft debt repayment plans for them
- helping them prioritise renovation measures
- helping them decide on a technology switch for more efficient heating or cooling
One thing is to provide the right, up-to-date information on what is available at national, regional or local level. However, support is only efficient if it is also tailored and adapted to the individual’s condition, state the authors. The NEAS wouldn’t be a stand-alone service. Crowther and her colleagues emphasise that “the advice service could also work directly with government agencies, the NHS and community groups to seek out and approach those who might benefit from energy efficiency upgrades.”
Read the full, original article published on The Conversation to understand how such a NEAS could work and help thousands of people get out of energy poverty – in the UK and elsewhere in Europe.
