Warm Homes, Healthy Futures
National Energy Action’s Warm Homes, Healthy Futures is a nationally coordinated network of locally delivered services that will tackle fuel poverty and improve health for tens of thousands of people across Great Britain. The programme will enable effective partnership working between health, energy and housing in various local areas.
The link between cold homes and unhealthy futures
Cold homes are disastrous for long-term health. In the UK, 6 million households are living in fuel poverty, unable to keep their homes warm, and 50% are also coping with multiple cold-related health conditions.
The situation is extremely costly for the NHS, with the estimated annual spend on treating the health impacts of cold homes exceeding £1.4 billion. This rises to more than £18 billion per year when factoring in wider societal costs. Each year, more than 10,000 deaths are attributable to living in cold, damp, poor quality housing – deaths that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence says are preventable and avoidable.
Support delivered on prescription
More than 20 Warm Homes, Healthy Futures areas have been identified so far. These areas will see National Energy Action deliver support ‘on prescription’ by working with key partners in health and housing, alongside established and trusted local delivery agencies to reach people with health conditions, living in or at risk of fuel poverty.
The programme will deliver:
Energy-related advice and support
Benefit checks and claim support
Boiler servicing
Provision of carbon monoxide monitors
Support accessing the Priority Services Register
It will also involve frontline worker training, community engagement and awareness raising around key issues such as energy affordability, energy efficiency and carbon monoxide safety.
Partnerships, insights and best practice
In establishing the network of Warm Homes, Healthy Futures services, National Energy Action and partners will work to support local health and housing bodies to harness critical insights and evidence the positive impact that fuel poverty services have.
These insights will highlight best practice in delivery, the benefits to health, as well as the lived experience of support. The programme will enable effective partnership working between health, energy and housing, working collaboratively at area-based levels to tackle health inequalities and fuel poverty as part of a shared agenda.
Warm Homes, Healthy Futures will run until March 2026 and is funded by the Vulnerability and Carbon Monoxide Allowance Fund. The programme is supported by the gas networks, Cadent, Northern Gas Networks, SGN, and Wales and West Utilities.
If you would like to learn more or are interested in getting involved, please contact Danielle Butler, Project Development Manager at danielle.butler@nea.org.uk.