National Energy Action (NEA), the fuel poverty charity, responded to the Autumn Budget on 30 October 2024, saying it will not lessen the impact of unaffordable energy bills and record levels of energy debt this winter1. The charity's chief executive, Adam Scorer, also pointed to likely increases to energy bills later in January, saying things will remain bleak for some of the most vulnerable households across the UK1.
"This Budget will not lessen the impact of unaffordable energy bills and record levels of energy debt this winter."
Scorer said a longer-term Warm Homes Plan designed to help fuel poor households is more vital than ever, and described a downpayment as welcome while saying the full detail and investment promised in the Labour manifesto are needed1. The response does not set out the size of that downpayment, the measures it covers, or the amount of investment promised, and none of those figures appear in the charity's statement1.
NEA campaigns so everyone can afford to live in a warm and safe home, and works across England, Wales and Northern Ireland on fuel poverty, supporting people with energy and income maximisation advice and advocating on issues including the energy efficiency of homes1. The charity says partnerships and collaboration have been at its heart for over 40 years1. Its statement does not cover Scotland, where energy efficiency and fuel poverty programmes are devolved, and it gives no figures for energy debt levels or for expected January bill changes1.
Why it matters for households
The statement places the Budget alongside two pressures on household finances: the cost of energy bills and existing arrears. For a household trying to keep its energy costs predictable, the charity's position is that the Budget does not change either pressure this winter, and that a further increase in bills is likely in January1. Energy debt is money already owed to a supplier, so it sits alongside the ongoing cost of each unit of gas and electricity rather than replacing it. The charity's own work covers help with energy bills and debt in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and it is described as the fuel poverty charity working on energy bills and energy independence.
The reference to a Warm Homes Plan concerns the energy efficiency of homes, which affects how much energy a household needs to buy to stay warm. NEA frames that as a longer-term measure, separate from the immediate level of bills and debt1. The charity's statement does not describe the contents of the plan, its funding, or a timetable for it1.
What happens next
NEA expects likely increases to energy bills later in January1. The Budget was delivered on 30 October 20241. No further dates, including any date for publication of the Warm Homes Plan or its full detail, are given in the charity's statement1.