Consultancy and partnerships
Helping you better serve your customers
National Energy Action’s expert consultancy ensures that energy efficiency, regulatory compliance and support for vulnerable customers are built into your project from the ground up.
As a leading voice for people at risk of fuel poverty, we bring decades of expertise to our partnerships and have an unrivalled record of delivering cost-effective, sustainable and innovative solutions.
Our consultancy teams work with local authorities, housing associations and industry stakeholders so that everyone can afford to live in a warm, safe and healthy home. By working with National Energy Action, your organisation can make a genuine difference to people living in fuel poverty.
Find out more about our consultancy services below, or email partnerships@nea.org.uk to discuss your project with us.
Expert research and tailored solutions
System and service design
Inclusive systems are vital in giving vulnerable and low-income customers equal access to services. Working as a critical friend, we help suppliers and manufacturers to deliver against and exceed Ofgem’s Consumer Vulnerability Strategy.
After an expert review of your existing policies, services and processes, we provide highly targeted action plans. These will improve customer journeys, call scripts and consumer-facing materials. We provide training for call centre staff and use our unique understanding of the policy and regulation landscape to develop voluntary charters that anticipate and exceed new regulations. With our emphasis on inclusive design, you can be confident you’re providing a welcoming and accessible service for all your customers.
Strategic planning
National Energy Action has over 20 years experience in developing Affordable Warmth Strategies and accompanying action plans for local authorities and social landlords. We devise ambitious visions and provide the delivery pathways and step-by-step action plans that turn ambitions into reality. Bringing together stakeholders across multiple sectors, we excel at cohesive and collaborative approaches.
Awarding grants
For decades National Energy Action has awarded grants to a range of organisations. This enables them to deliver their own energy-related projects and provide support to people in fuel poverty. We have experience in administering small-scale grants to fund face-to-face advice services or community events, through to high-value awards supporting the installation of energy efficiency measures. Our team is skilled at assessing funding bids. We carry out due diligence to ensure grants are awarded to robust delivery partners. And we capture and analyse performance and outcome data.
Do you want to prioritise supporting people in fuel poverty but are not sure where to begin? Or do you have a strategy in place but need support to action it? Get in touch with partnerships@nea.org.uk to find out how we can help.
Consumer engagement
National Energy Action has extensive experience of teaching underrepresented or underserved customers. With projects such as our National Grid Programme we help industry and other stakeholders to reach the people who are in the greatest need, and those who might not present for help and support themselves.
Drawing on decades of expertise, we provide advice on consultation strategies that accommodate all your customers. Our innovative methods encourage broad participation, boosting the ultimate effectiveness of your project.
Product innovation trials and demonstrations
As we move towards a low-carbon future, at National Energy Action we are determined that nobody is left behind. We know that innovation has the potential to help people manage their energy use, stay warmer and keep healthier. Inclusive design and effective service-user engagement are essential in ensuring that everyone benefits from energy efficiency developments.
Our industry-leading team trials new technologies in fuel-poor households to test innovative methods and technologies to understand how they affect comfort, warmth and energy use.
Social and technical monitoring and evaluation
Our social and technical research analyses domestic energy flows and assesses the impacts of interventions on the people receiving them. Everything we do is with people in mind. We make sure interventions offer the greatest benefit, are inclusive and work towards helping people stay warm and well in their home.
Working with partners, we design, run and analyse resident questionnaires, energy and environmental data capture and analysis, thermal analysis, and energy performance surveys (RdSAP and retrofit assessment). We also provide comprehensive reporting and support with dissemination.
If you’d like to discuss your consultancy needs with a member of our team, please email us on partnerships@nea.org.uk. You can read more about our innovation and technical evaluation work here. Find out more about our policy and research work here.