House of Lords launch for new fuel poverty resource

The new online resource brings together over 25 years of research supported by the Eaga Charitable Trust, which is the leading grant-giving trust dedicated to supporting fuel poverty research. Over £3m has been donated by the Trust to support over 100 projects, generating and sharing knowledge, influencing policy and providing solutions.  

Eaga Charitable Trust will be closing at the end of 2019. This reception marked this occasion and showcased the range of work that the Trust has supported over 25 years. The Fuel Poverty Library includes an online research archive and a range of resources, directed at policy makers and practitioners, to ensure that the Trust’s impact continues into the future.

This legacy project for the Trust was conducted by the Sustainable Housing and Urban Studies Unit at the University of Salford. The research team of Phil Brown, Danielle Butler and Phil Martin was led by Dr Graeme Sherriff, who explained: “The online Fuel Poverty Research Library presents the entirety of the Trust’s outputs in a very accessible form.

“We have worked with our students here at the university to produce a series of fun animations and topic guides for policymakers with key lessons from over 25 years of research. Our legacy project also looks to the future of fuel poverty research, identifying and prioritising fields of enquiry.”  

Guest speaker at the event was the Rt Hon John Healey MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Housing. Other speakers included: Eaga Charitable Trust’s founding trustee, Dr John Clough MBE; the Trust’s Chair, David Kidney; Simon Roberts OBE, Chief Executive of the Centre for Sustainable Energy; Dr Aimee Ambrose, Reader in Energy Policy, Centre for Regional, Economic  and Social Research, Sheffield Hallam University; and Dr Graeme Sherriff, Associate Director, Sustainable Housing and Urban Studies Unit, University of Salford. 

David Kidney, Chair of Eaga Charitable Trust, said “Over the last quarter of a century, Eaga Charitable Trust has repeatedly set the agenda, funding seminal research into the causes of and solutions for fuel poverty and encouraging its dissemination and practical application. This body of knowledge has been extremely impactful: influencing policymakers, building the evidence base and pushing the boundaries in developing and delivering solutions that make a difference to the lives of people, households and communities across the UK and beyond. Whilst we are sorry that our Trust is closing, we are very proud that we are leaving behind such a valuable and substantial legacy of work.”

The Fuel Poverty Library and all the Trust’s legacy resources can be found at: www.fuelpovertylibrary.info