The Technical Innovation Fund has been groundbreaking because it enabled us to get an insight into how many new technologies can help households in vulnerable situations to reduce their energy bills and improve the comfort of their homes.

NEA commissioned this report to help stimulate debate on the policy options we must consider as we seek to decarbonise heat alongside delivering fuel poverty strategies across the UK. It helpfully draws out some of the tensions and challenges we face in changing the way in which we heat our homes, and the authors help us to consider the cost implications and distributional impacts of different funding mechanisms.

This research investigated the relationship between fuel poverty and carbon monoxide (CO) risk in households on low incomes and in vulnerable situations.

This project was delivered by YES Energy Solutions in collaboration with Basingstoke and Dean Borough Council to establish running costs of air-to-air source heat pumps (ASHP) in a park home setting, ultimately reducing heating costs for residents of Attwood Close park home site; examine customer satisfaction levels with ASHPs as a heating system; and provide a case study to be applied for future park home sites.

This project was delivered by Northwards Housing Limited. The project involved the installation of Honeywell evohome intelligent heating controls, Potterton MultiFit gas-saver flue gas heat recovery systems, and Potterton MultiFit weather compensators.

This project was delivered by New Charter Housing Trust Ltd and involved installing measures in 53 properties in both the social and private housing sectors. 17 properties received a new boiler with flue gas heat recovery system fitted and heating controls, 17 received hard to treat cavity wall insulation, and 19 properties received all measures.

This project involved installing Daikin Altherma hybrid heat pumps in 24 properties. It also required connection to the gas grid which was funded separately via the Fuel Poor Network Extension Scheme (FPNES) through Northern Gas Networks, which incentivises the regulated gas network companies to connect low-income households and communities to the mains gas network.

The technology installed was Tadpole, which removes air including dissolved oxygen from heating system water. It claims to reduce corrosion and improve heating system efficiency by elimination of air bubbles lining radiators / pipes, so saving up to 20% on energy bills.

The technology installed was Chop cloc, a retrofit heating controller over ride which turns the heating off for 15 to 45 minute in each hour as set by the resident to take advantage of radiant heat from the building fabric and contents. It claims not to affect thermal comfort, and to save up to 30% and an average of 16% on home heating bills.