We welcome the opportunity to respond to this Call for Evidence on developing biomethane production in Northern Ireland.

We welcome the opportunity to respond to this consultation. Our comments are informed by our research, expertise and extensive experience supporting fuel-poor households and vulnerable energy consumers in Northern Ireland.

National Energy Action’s Impact Report 2023-24 highlights the work we’ve done and the challenges we’ve faced over the last year as the national fuel poverty and energy efficiency charity.

This newsletter is sponsored by the Public Health Agency through our Northern Exposure project. It will provide you with current programmes of work aimed at providing advice or support to householders as well as up to date fuel poverty policy information.

The upcoming General Election provides a vital opportunity for policymakers to address the fuel poverty crisis and ensure vulnerable people are warm, safe and healthy at home. NEA NI is calling on all Northern Ireland candidates and parties to commit to 3 key actions at Westminster to tackle fuel poverty in Northern Ireland.

We are pleased that the Utility Regulator (UR) is continuing to look at ways the standards of customer service in the energy supply sector can be improved.

National Energy Action (NEA) has been involved in policy work to maintain and reform the Default Tariff price cap for several years. This has included working with Ofgem to initially create the Safeguard Tariff cap for prepayment and other vulnerable customers. Subsequently, NEA helped to design the Default Tariff price cap to ensure it offers as much protection for low-income and vulnerable customers as possible.

Research conducted by Public First explored public attitudes on the impact of the price cap. More than half of surveyed households believe that the price cap is the only thing stopping energy suppliers from charging more, that it protects vulnerable and low-income households and that the price cap means that consumers are not charged unfair prices.

National Energy Action welcomes the opportunity to input into this process and calls on Ofgem to consider solutions it has the power to create, in addition to working with the UK Government to create enduring solutions to debt and affordability challenges.