National Energy Action (NEA)
Helping young families to thrive in safe and warm homes
Our project at a glance
- GDN partners: Northern Gas Networks and SGN
- Strategic priority area: Supporting priority customer groups
- Support target: 600 households over two years
- Duration: July 2024 to March 2026
- Investment: £164,473 over two years
- Forecast SROI: £11.93
Staff have really appreciated the information and advice you have shared with us and the families we support in our children centre. It was great to have your organisation come down and meet families giving out advice face to face.
Vanessa Reid
Lambeth Early Action Partnership
Why we’re working together
The arrival of a new baby can greatly increase the risk of a household falling into fuel poverty if they’re already facing financial hardship. It can be difficult for families in fuel poverty to keep their homes warm, yet pregnant women, children under five and people on a low income are particularly vulnerable to health problems associated with cold homes.
We’ve joined with Northern Gas Networks and National Energy Action (NEA) to support new and expectant parents and families with young children to not only survive, but thrive in a safe, warm and healthy home.
Working with organisations such as the digital midwives, Sure Start centres, specialist charities such as Tiny Lives, food banks and baby banks, NEA provides energy advice at a time when increased support is desperately needed. We’re targeting low-income families in areas of high indices of multiple deprivation across Southern England and Northern England.
Project objectives
- Training frontline workers to help families stay safe and warm at home
- Providing energy advice and support to vulnerable families with young children
- Raising awareness of carbon monoxide safety and providing free CO alarms when required
- Helping pregnant people and young families to sign up for the Priority Services Register
How we’re working together
Energy advice and safeguarding
We’re supporting families with young children with energy advice through community workshops in partnership with trusted local organisations and charities. At these sessions, we provide advice on how to keep warm and manage energy bills.
We’re also holding family fun days in our target communities to reach even more families with crucial energy advice.
Frontline worker training
We’re providing free training to frontline professionals who work with pregnant people and families with young children. The training will help frontline workers to provide families with advice on keeping warm and managing energy bills. From this training, we expect to reach around 11,000 families across our two regions.
How to get involved
Accessing help from Warm Welcome
Our Safe & Warm community partners can refer new and expectant parents in England to NEA for advice on 0800 304 7159 or learn more about the programme on the charity's website.
If you’re pregnant or have a baby and you’re worried about keeping your home warm, you can speak to the NEA team for advice on 0800 304 7159.
Becoming a Warm Welcome partner
For more information on how your organisation can receive support from National Energy Action through the Warm Welcome programme, contact Molly Chambers at molly.chambers@nea.org.uk.
Our partnership with SGN brings vital support to the communities we serve. The program allows us to approach fuel poverty holistically, providing support to professionals and service users. At a time when too many families are facing impossible choices between heating and eating, this partnership ensures more options for guidance and solutions.