A two stage methodology to: a) identify and b) effectively test and pilot an appropriate health and wellbeing and environmental benefit criteria that can be incorporated into NGN’s current gas grid connection procedure.
Benefits
Stage 1: A final report including:
- A review of existing evidence regarding the health outcomes and environmental benefits of connecting a household to the gas grid
- A review of how impact upon health and wellbeing and the environment has been effectively measured by existing initiatives (qualitatively and quantitatively)
- An analysis of gaps in current evidence
- Recommendations of appropriate measurement parameters for a new health-based eligibility criteria for network extension procedures that can work towards addressing those gaps
A consultation workshop with all partners to:
- Share the results of the stage 1 review and provide feedback
- Refine and develop methods for testing the criteria developed in the stage 1 review and closing gaps in current evidence regarding the health outcomes of network connections
- A full proposal for stage 2 of the research incorporating feedback from the consultation workshop will be developed and submitted to NGN for approval
Stage 2:
A pilot study to test and evaluate the health and environmental impact of gas connections procedures in a specified region (County Durham) using qualitative and quantitative techniques both pre- and post-connection (including the use of a crisis fund for the installation of accompanying measures)
A final report evaluating:
- impact upon health and wellbeing, and benefits to the environment, of connecting a household to the gas network
- effectiveness of including health and environmental eligibility criteria to current network extension procedures
- assessment of available health and environmental indicators and criteria that could be adopted as good practice
- A best practice blue-print including:
- recommendations for how health and environmental eligibility criteria can be incorporated into current frameworks for gas connections
- case studies for effective partnership working between local authorities and GDNs for the implementation of the NICE guidance across sectors
- policy recommendations for enabling other industry bodies to incorporate learnings from the research into connections procedures
Learnings
Outcomes
A sample size of 103 households were recruited for the project. Gas connections and first-time central heating measures were all completed by 17th May 2019. Energy advice continued throughout, and monitoring took place for 1 year – to May 2020.
NEA shared the final report in June 2020, which has been disseminated and shared with stakeholders.
Recommendations:
- Designing future schemes to address cold related ill health inequalities
- Ensuring the scheme can engage those who are most in need of and most likely to benefit from support
- Understand partner roles prior to project delivery commencement
- Ensure smooth delivery of works
- Consider the role of government (BEIS) – policies, funding scheme commitments and spend to be confirmed (WHD to continue for example)
- Government and Public Health England – consider how guidance can be developed for the targeting of health based affordable warmth schemes
- Ofgem and BEIS to consider minimum quality standards for energy efficiency installations
- Ofgem and BEIS should consider ways that future projects and funding streams can cover the shortfall between discounts provided through FPNES, variations in local authority ECO-Flex eligibility, and the cost of a gas connection for fuel-poor households
- Ofgem and the UK Government should consider how different energy efficiency funding streams, including the FPNES, WHD II and any future national energy efficiency schemes can be more effectively aligned to ensure households receive the full package of support available
- Suppliers / other agencies to offer a holistic advice package, along with energy efficiency measures – including debt advice, crisis and hardship funding
- Ofgem - include health-based eligibility criteria for FPNES
- Ofgem / suppliers - required WHD II timeframes for delivery reflect the most appropriate timescale for the delivery of support to extremely vulnerable households
- Ofgem and GDNs should work to ensure that the new “use it or lose it allowance” in RIIO GD2 is effectively deployed - to alleviate fuel poverty and reduce health inequalities amongst vulnerable energy customers
Lessons Learnt
A number of lessons learned were identified:
- Logistical challenges and barriers to delivery included some private landlords not engaging – jeopardizing the potential for their tenants to receive support
- Policy mis-alignments between FPNES and funding streams such as WHD Industry Initiatives
- Critical partners need to be identified from the outset, to keep options open. For this project it was not the case (only 1 identified) and therefore when DCC withdrew, the project overall, was significantly impacted.
- In addition to this, all costs need to be understood from the outset, so that the total amount of funding required, is clear to everyone. At a late stage of this project, it was realized that the cost of first-time central heating was higher than anticipated. However, this was addressed by funding via WHD Industry Initiatives (Npower and SSE.)
- Scheme recruitment was successful during the winter period.
- Extra time required for customers with complex needs – more ‘hand-holding’ required.
- Extra time needs to be factored into the project for ‘hard to connect’ properties ie having to cross private land, establishing if a MPRN is existent and meter installation delays.
- Multiple parties were involved. It is therefore essential that Single Points of Contact are established early in the delivery process, to mitigate against delays.
- Minimum energy installation quality standards need to be established at the outset.
