Factors such as solar heat gain in summer, and natural ventilation in transitional seasons must be considered when designing energy-efficient residential buildings for hot summer/cold winter zones. In this paper, the rationale for defining thermal design of energy-efficient buildings is...Read more
This study investigates the effect of England's Warm Front energy efficient refurbishment scheme on winter thermal comfort in low-income dwellings. The analysis is based on an extensive survey of some 2500 dwellings selected from five major urban areas in England over the winters of 2001/02 and...Read more
Previous research has shown that the economic crisis has a very serious impact to the indoor environmental quality of the low income households. Indoor temperature as well as energy, environmental, social and health related data are collected during the winter 2012–2013 from 50 low and very low...Read more
Even within a low-income renter sample, Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program benefits seem to reach families at the highest social and medical risk with more food insecurity and higher rates of low birth-weight children. Nevertheless, after adjustment for differences in background risk,...Read more
The Green Group in the European Parliament commissioned National Energy Action (NEA) in an impartial capacity to investigate the feasibility of establishing an ‘EU-wide Social Energy Target’. It is hoped that the outputs of this work could ultimately support a bold and new European wide...Read more
This report was written for UNISON by the National Right to Fuel Campaign (NRFC) to highlight the impact of rising energy prices on low-paid workers. This is a relatively under-researched area, but clearly a major problem that is set to get far worse in the period ahead. The report is based on a...Read more
This research found that fuel-poor families in England are facing an income shortfall of up to £9,331 per year (£778 per month) to cover basic essentials, including energy.Read more
Energy and fuel poverty is an increasing problem in the European Union. Although the specific conditions vary from country to country the drivers defining fuel and energy poverty are similar in all Europe. This paper aims to present the characteristics of the low income housing including details...Read more
Across Great Britain, households located in properties off the gas network are being left behind in the fight against fuel poverty. In particular, the UK Government’s main scheme to provide heating and insulation measures to low income households – Energy Company Obligation (ECO) – is failing...Read more
Internationally, previous studies have investigated the impact of socio-economic and physical dwelling factors on household electricity consumption however, to date, few such studies have been conducted in the UK. Jones et al. (2015) identify six studies that have accessed actual (as opposed to...Read more