When energy systems don't work for all, what does effective support look like?
Key findings from National Energy Action’s East Riding Traveller Sites project
National Energy Action
In 2023, National Energy Action published research highlighting how Gypsy, Traveller, Roma and Nomadic Communities are systematically excluded from energy systems, advice and crisis support. This report builds on that evidence by showing what happens when services, suppliers and systems are adapted in response to those findings.
Taken alongside National Energy Action’s national research, our East Riding project offers both an in-depth spotlight of the problem and a practical model for change, showing not only where energy systems fail, but how they can be redesigned to prevent harm and support sustainable outcomes.
This report asks:
What does effective energy support look like when systems don’t work for everyone?
For some of the most marginalised communities, energy insecurity is not driven primarily by individual behaviour, but by systems that assume literacy, digital access, stable communication, and trust in formal institutions. When these assumptions do not hold, standard approaches to billing, advice and enforcement can actively create harm. This report builds on National Energy Action’s previous research into the energy experiences of Gypsy, Traveller, Roma and Nomadic Communities, which highlighted widespread exclusion from standard energy systems and support. Our work in East Riding demonstrates what effective, adapted energy support looks like when those findings are applied in practice.
Across three local authority Traveller sites in East Riding:
- Residents experienced escalating energy debt, confusion about billing and metering, and prolonged insecurity following rapid system changes made during the energy crisis.
- Households were moved between metering and supplier arrangements with little consultation or explanation, while rising energy prices, delayed billing and inaccessible communication led to the accumulation of large historic debts, often without residents fully understanding how or why these costs were being incurred.
These impacts were felt most acutely by people with low or no literacy, digital exclusion, health conditions, medical dependency on electricity and long-standing mistrust of formal systems.
In response, National Energy Action (NEA) worked alongside residents, the local authority and E.ON Next to design and deliver a model of support that adapted to these realities rather than expecting residents to adapt to systems.
- Advisers provided intensive, trust‑based, primarily face‑to‑face and verbal support to 43 households, many of whom had not paid an electricity bill for several years and were carrying significant anxiety about debt and enforcement.
- Through close partnership working, National Energy Action negotiated a tailored support offer with E.ON Next that enabled the majority of participating households to voluntarily move to Smart Pay As You Go (prepayment) meters in exchange for the write‑off of historic energy debt.
- In total, £112,524.09 of historic debt was cleared, alongside additional usage credits and financial support to help households transition safely to sustainable payment.
- Where prepayment was unsafe due to medical dependency or safeguarding risk, flexible arrangements were agreed to protect health, dignity and continuity of supply.
What this tells us
- The project demonstrates that technical solutions alone were not sufficient. Effective support required sustained trust‑building, consistent adviser relationships, the use of trusted intermediaries, and tangible interventions to address immediate safety and wellbeing concerns. Practical support including oil‑filled radiators, carbon monoxide monitors, Winter Warmth Support Packs and fuel vouchers, not only reduced risk, but also built confidence and engagement, making longer‑term behaviour change possible.
- A significant outcome of the project was the rebuilding of trust. Many residents were initially sceptical, disengaged or fearful, shaped by previous experiences of exclusion and harm. Over time, consistent presence, fairness, clear explanations and the delivery of tangible outcomes transformed engagement. Advisers began to receive referrals through word of mouth, and households moved from avoidance to proactive contact and sustained payment behaviours.
- Ultimately, this project shows that effective energy support in marginalised communities requires systems to flex. Trust‑based delivery, verbal and accessible communication, strong intermediary partnerships and sufficient adviser capacity are not optional extras; they are essential components of preventing harm and achieving sustainable outcomes when systems do not work for everyone.
The findings from East Riding echo and extend National Energy Action’s earlier research. Where national evidence identified systemic exclusion and inaccessibility, this project demonstrates that trust‑based, flexible and partnership‑led delivery can overcome those barriers when properly resourced.
Why this project was needed: when standard energy systems fail
This project ultimately shows that when standard energy systems fail to account for literacy, digital access, health and trust, effective support must be flexible, relational and delivered through strong partnerships.
In autumn 2025, a National Energy Action (NEA) Project Development Coordinator (PDC) attended an East Yorkshire housing meeting attended by key local housing stakeholders, including the manager responsible for three local authority Traveller sites in East Riding. Following this meeting, the site manager contacted the PDC to raise concerns about the challenges being experienced by residents on the sites and to explore if National Energy Action could support. The intervention that followed shows what effective energy support looks like when conventional engagement, billing and payment systems do not function for marginalised communities.
How energy systems created harm before support began
This section sets out how system change, poor consultation and inaccessible processes created the conditions in which standard energy support no longer worked.
System changes and rising costs
Across the three Traveller sites residents experienced significant upheaval in relation to their energy supply and billing arrangements. Over a relatively short period, households were moved from local authority–managed prepayment meters (PPMs) to domestic supply PPMs and then to domestic supply credit meters, coinciding with the sharp rise in national energy prices. As a result, residents went from paying below‑market average unit costs to facing the full impact of the energy crisis, with unit prices in some cases almost tripling. These changes were implemented with little consultation and limited explanation, leaving many residents unclear about how their energy supply now operated or what their usage was costing them.
Billing delays and hidden debt
During this transition, billing delays were common, with some households waiting extended periods to receive their first bills under the new arrangements. In the absence of timely and understandable bills, significant energy debt accumulated, often without residents being aware of the scale of the charges being incurred.
COVID-19 Impacts
Additional difficulties arose during the COVID‑19 pandemic. At that time, all three sites were supplied through prepayment meters. However, residents were unable to top up as council offices where top‑ups were usually made were closed. As a result, meters were placed into credit mode. When normal operations resumed, households were issued with retrospective bills, in some cases amounting to thousands of pounds, covering energy accrued during this period.
Infrastructure issues and supplier changes
The council was simultaneously managing ageing and faulty meter infrastructure, which was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain. A decision was therefore taken to switch the sites to E.ON Next, without consultation, resulting in a mixed system of credit and prepayment meters across the sites. When new smart meters were installed, they were automatically set to credit mode. Residents were required to contact the supplier themselves to request a switch back to prepayment, something many were unaware of or unable to do due to literacy barriers, digital exclusion, and lack of clear communication. By the time this requirement became apparent, substantial debts had already accrued.
Collectively, these changes created a complex situation for households, characterised by rapidly rising costs, unforeseen debt, and systems that were inaccessible to many, setting the context for National Energy Action's subsequent involvement and support.
Why one‑size‑fits‑all energy systems did not work
Effective energy support must start from how people actually live, communicate and understand systems, not how services assume they do.
Understanding household circumstances
At the beginning of the project, advisers invested significant time to understand the individual circumstances of households, many of whom faced multiple and acute vulnerabilities. The vast majority of residents have limited or no literacy, and many do not have individual bank accounts, email addresses, or personal telephone numbers. Instead, contact details are frequently shared between family members.
While this reflects strong community bonds, it created considerable challenges when engaging with systems designed around individualised communication, identity verification, and digital access. Advisers often struggled to establish who they were speaking to or to accurately identify which household or stand an issue related to.
‘You’d ring one client and all the ladies get together and she'd have all the sisters and the mothers and they'd all be passing the phone to one another and it was really difficult for you to understand who actually am I speaking to and which stand are you on? Because they don't see it as being so separate.’
Financial understanding and vulnerability
These barriers also affected residents’ understanding of their finances. Many residents believed they were already paying for their energy usage prior to receiving support. Advisers later suspected this misunderstanding stemmed from residents facing difficulties in reading bank statements or independently tracking payments. As a result, individuals often did not know whether energy costs were being deducted, how much they were paying, or whether debt was accruing.
‘They're getting bank statements that they don't know what's going on at their account. They rely on somebody telling them what's happening. So they're extremely vulnerable because they've just got no idea what is being taken out of their account.’
Digital exclusion
Digital exclusion further compounded these issues. Across all three sites, mobile phone signal was consistently poor, including the signal relied upon by smart meters. This posed significant barriers to completing essential supplier processes, particularly PayLink applications, which require a verification code to be sent to a resident’s phone and entered within a 15‑minute window. In practice, verification messages were often delayed by hours due to poor connectivity, causing the process to fail repeatedly and requiring advisers to restart the process multiple times.
Reaching even this stage required extensive groundwork. Advisers first had to identify the correct account holder, then arrange for a trusted individual who could read text messages and numerical codes to be present at a specific time, making it impossible to progress without this additional support.
‘It's very difficult to get to that point anyway, and then it all falls apart.’
These barriers were also encountered by site staff. A site manager at one of the Traveller sites made extensive attempts to resolve the situation, including repeated phone calls, texts, and emails to the supplier. However, these efforts consistently stalled due to the same inability to complete the PayLink process.
‘They couldn't complete the PayLink, so it just didn't happen.’
Administrative barriers
Additional administrative barriers emerged over time. Some residents, particularly older community members, were unsure of their exact date of birth, often because births had not been formally registered. Advisers adapted by using the date of birth recorded on Universal Credit or pension claims to complete identity verification processes.
Taken together, these structural and systemic barriers meant residents were not only facing high energy costs and substantial debt, but were doing so within systems that were inaccessible, inflexible, and poorly aligned with their lived reality. This context was critical in shaping both the intensity and the highly tailored nature of the support that followed.
Georgia and Clara’s story
Georgia and Clara are cousins who live on the same site and face overlapping challenges linked to low literacy, learning difficulties, and inaccessible systems.
Georgia self‑referred to National Energy Action (NEA) after receiving details from the site warden. Georgia is a full-time carer for her child. Georgia also has learning difficulties, very limited literacy, and no access to email, the internet, or reliable phone signal. As a result, she was unable to understand written correspondence or engage effectively with her energy supplier.
At referral, Georgia was on a credit meter with E.ON Next and had accrued significant energy debt. She believed she was repaying £80 per month, but in reality payments had failed and been cancelled months earlier. Georgia felt unable to cope with letters, debt collection activity, and unexpected supplier action. The household relied on bar heaters and bottled LPG for heating and cooking, alongside broken appliances that increased financial pressure.
'Georgia was terrified. She'd had a debt collector come round and she was absolutely terrified and not knowing what to do, how to get themselves out of this mess. Just not knowing where to start.’
Support provided to Georgia
National Energy Action provided fully verbal, trust‑based support, avoiding written materials. Georgia was added to the Priority Services Register, received a Winter Warmth Support Pack, and was supported through the PayLink process to move safely to prepayment mode. Advisers also co-ordinated a three‑way call with DWP to switch Universal Credit communications to “print and post” and worked closely with the site warden to ensure paper barcodes and letters could be explained in person. As a result, over £5,400 of historic energy debt was cleared, £150 credit was applied, an oil-filled radiator was provided and Georgia received £147 in energy vouchers to stabilise supply during the transition.
Clara's circumstances
Clara lives nearby with her children in a local authority rented caravan. She cannot read and relies on her children to interpret correspondence. Clara has health conditions which make her more dependent on care. She self‑referred to National Energy Action after seeing contact details on the site noticeboard. Clara also has pet-caring responsibilities – she considered pets an essential presence in her home for her well-being.
At referral, Clara had accrued nearly £4,000 in energy debt with E.ON Next. Although she believed she was repaying £80 per month, these payments had also stopped months earlier. The caravan has no mains gas supply, and Clara relies on bottled LPG for cooking and electric heating. Broken household appliances and reliance on borrowing from Georgia added further pressure. Clara had applied to the Household Support Fund but was awaiting a decision.
Support provided to Clara
National Energy Action support again focused on verbal communication and trusted intermediaries. Advisers worked with Clara and her daughter to confirm benefit entitlement, switch DWP correspondence to “print and post,” and resolve meter issues. Clara agreed to move to prepayment once a faulty smart meter was repaired. As part of the agreed support offer, over £4,600 of energy debt was written off and usage credit applied. Clara also received a Winter Warmth Support Pack.
Household energy use
Advisers identified that shared family living patterns contributed to high energy use, with extended family regularly gathering in Clara’s caravan. These issues were addressed through clear, repeated verbal explanations about shared consumption and realistic contributions. Practical support such as oil‑filled radiators proved particularly important in building trust, enabling engagement with longer‑term solutions once immediate needs were met.
‘They tend to gather in one caravan quite a lot for meals and other things. So then you find that one stand hasn't got a very high usage, the other has got a super high usage because obviously they're all gathering in that caravan to just every day to eat or just to whatever. I'm trying to get them to understand if that's the case, then the people that aren't paying a lot need to be helping contribute to the other, you know.’
Together, Georgia and Clara’s cases highlight how low literacy, learning difficulties, mental health challenges and inaccessible digital systems can create severe barriers to energy security. They demonstrate the importance of verbal communication, trusted intermediaries, recognising family dynamics, and combining tangible support with debt resolution to achieve sustainable outcomes.
‘I always found if I spoke to Georgia first and confirmed with her, she talks to Clara and lets her know. They're together a lot of the time anyway and she tends to always reassure Clara. So, Clara will do whatever Georgia tends to do.
So like filling in the PayLink forms, Clara didn't particularly want to do them until Georgia wanted to do them and then she would do them. So often that worked. So if I spoke to Georgia first, I knew that that message would get relayed to Clara anyway. I'd give it a couple of hours and then ring Clara knowing full well that she'd already would have spoken to Georgia and that just seemed to work for me.’
Photo by Andres Felipe Valenzuela Parra on Unsplash
Photo by Andres Felipe Valenzuela Parra on Unsplash
Offering effective support when standard options fall short
This section demonstrates how effective support balances flexibility with clear boundaries when systems have previously caused harm.
Developing a tailored support offer
In winter 2025, National Energy Action (NEA) met with E.ON Next to negotiate a tailored support offer in response to the severe financial and practical challenges facing households across the three Traveller sites. Taking residents’ circumstances into account, National Energy Action secured an agreement for existing fuel debt to be written off, on the condition that households voluntarily moved back to prepayment meter (PPM) mode—an option many residents had been requesting for some time.
A key condition of the offer was that, once households had voluntarily returned to prepayment, they would remain on PPM mode. Residents were clearly informed that moving back to credit mode at a later stage would result in the previously written‑off debt being reapplied to their account. This condition was explained consistently and in advance to ensure residents were able to make an informed choice.
Improving system functionality
As part of the agreement, E.ON Next also committed to repairing smart meter connectivity issues to ensure reliable prepayment functionality. The offer was presented to residents on an individual basis and communicated verbally and repeatedly to support understanding, particularly in light of low literacy levels and widespread digital exclusion across the community.
Extending support and stabilising accounts
In addition, National Energy Action secured fuel debt write‑offs for a small number of clients who had already moved away from E.ON Next to another supplier. All clients were also provided with a £150 payment credited directly to their energy account to help stabilise supply following the switch to prepayment.
The support offer was clearly presented to all residents as time‑limited and would not be available again. To support informed consent, advisers developed a clear and accessible explanation of the terms and conditions, including residents’ ongoing responsibilities once they had voluntarily returned to prepayment meters.
This balance of flexibility, clarity, and firm boundary‑setting proved essential in supporting engagement, while ensuring residents were fully informed and prepared to manage their energy supply independently once the project concluded.
Trust as a core delivery mechanism
Where systems have broken trust, effective support must rebuild it before outcomes are possible.
Initial trust barriers
Trust was a significant barrier in the early stages of the project. Many residents across the sites did not trust the council, E.ON Next, or National Energy Action, which made it difficult for advisers to gather basic information, maintain consistent engagement, or progress support at pace. Many residents did not answer phone calls and were sceptical that National Energy Action could offer meaningful help, shaped by previous negative experiences with services and a belief that organisations would “come and go” without delivering real change. Limited understanding of energy industry processes and the perception among some residents that National Energy Action was affiliated with the energy supplier further undermined trust. As a result, early engagement was slow, with only a small number of residents willing to participate, and advisers needed to invest significant time in reassurance, transparency, and relationship building before practical progress could be made. However, once early cases were successfully resolved, and residents began to see tangible outcomes, confidence increased, and more people came forward for support.
’It took a long time to build their trust. They don't trust the council and they didn't trust E.ON Next. So us working with them meant we were fighting a bit of a losing battle from the off. But I think we've gained their trust now. We did finally convince them.’
Establishing trust was further complicated by residents’ difficulty in understanding why their situation had become so complex. For many, the solution appeared simple: they wanted to return to PPMs, as they had previously, and could not understand why this had not already been resolved.
Designing a delivery approach
It became clear early on that the complexity and sensitivity of the cases required a specific delivery model. Involving too many staff risked overwhelming residents and undermining trust, while relying on a single adviser was not sufficient given the volume and intensity of the work. A decision was therefore made to assign two dedicated advisers to the project, providing continuity of contact while ensuring capacity for site visits, one‑to‑one support, and case progression.
Being physically present on site proved critical to breaking down barriers. Face‑to‑face contact helped to humanise the support being offered and allowed advisers to reinforce messages consistently. The two advisers worked closely together to ensure residents received the same information regardless of who they spoke to, reducing confusion and building confidence.
Photo by David Hinkle on Unsplash
Photo by David Hinkle on Unsplash
Stanley’s story
Stanley and his partner both have low literacy and rely on trusted others to read and explain written information. They live in an all‑electric caravan and have multiple long‑term health conditions, including asthma, diabetes, hypertension, and mental ill health. Since being moved onto E.ON Next meters, they had not made any electricity payments and had accrued over £5,300 in energy debt.
Initial engagement was challenging. Stanley was distressed and mistrustful, unsure why personal information was being requested and unable to confirm his date of birth, reflecting wider systemic barriers faced by older residents whose births were not formally registered. Early meetings were fraught, with both Stanley and his partner anxious and overwhelmed by the scale of debt.
‘I was really worried about Stanley and his wife. I was very concerned. This is the classic case study on trust. Because the first time I met Stanley, Stanley came in and he sat with his arms crossed. What do you need my date of birth for? Then his wife came in and she next to me, hostile, and she would not speak to me. She wouldn't even say hello. She would not speak to me.’
Energy use and understanding costs
Advisers identified exceptionally high electricity usage, driven by prolonged use of old bar heaters, multiple fridges and freezers, and frequent tumble‑dryer use. Despite repeated explanations, the household struggled to understand how this translated into cost, particularly after moving to prepayment mode and using up to £30–£33 per day in electricity.
‘There were a few fraught conversations, but she was genuinely frightened and genuinely not understanding. They don't understand tariffs either and standing charges – "Why should we pay if I'm not on the site, why am I paying the standing charge for the days that I'm not on the site?" And I said everybody pays a daily standing charge.’
Providing support
Support required sustained, adaptive communication. Stanley’s adviser provided repeated verbal explanations, practical energy‑saving advice, thermo cards, and oil‑filled radiators to reduce reliance on unsafe heating. Significant time was spent overcoming literacy barriers, poor mobile signal, and PayLink access issues, often involving trusted family members and direct liaison with E.ON Next.
Once trust was established, engagement improved markedly. Stanley’s partner began proactively contacting her adviser for guidance. The household successfully transitioned to prepayment mode in January 2026, received fuel vouchers, and, at the most recent check‑in, were in credit and topping up appropriately.
‘By the end of the project, she's ringing me to ask advice when they went across to prepayment. I was really worried because they've got this high usage and I really didn't think that they'd understood how much it was going to cost. She kept saying she did understand. And the last time that I spoke to E.ON Next and asked for an update on their status with their meters, they're actually in credit and they're topping up accordingly.’
This case highlights the importance of trust‑based engagement, flexible communication, and intensive adviser input when supporting households with low literacy, high vulnerability, and long‑standing energy debt. It also demonstrates that meaningful behaviour change around energy use only occurs once residents feel safe, supported, and understood.
Fairness and consistency
Fairness was also identified as essential to maintaining trust. It was agreed early on that anything offered to one household would be offered to all, with only one exception. This commitment to consistency helped prevent perceptions of favouritism and supported collective buy‑in across the community.
Responses to debt
For many residents, the scale of energy debt accumulated over the previous five years contributed to widespread apathy, with some feeling overwhelmed and unsure where to begin addressing their situation. In other cases, this was accompanied by significant fear and anxiety, particularly among women living on the sites who were worried about debt collectors visiting their homes—concerns that were heightened by the fact that debt collectors were already attending the sites due to the scale of arrears.
Engagement patterns across the community
Within this context, advisers observed varying levels of engagement across the community. Some residents were proactive and eager to return to prepayment meters and address their energy debt, while others adopted a more passive approach, questioning what would happen if no action was taken. Advisers were consistently clear about the potential consequences of non‑payment, including further escalation and enforcement action. Over time, two distinct groups emerged: those who actively engaged with advisers and participated in the support offered, and those who remained disengaged or reluctant to engage. This contrast underscored that trust‑building was critical not only to effective engagement, but also to preventing further debt escalation and associated distress.
Over time, the combined impact of consistency, visibility, fairness, and the delivery of tangible outcomes transformed relationships across the sites. Trust was not immediate, but once established it enabled deeper engagement and sustained progress, reinforcing its role as a foundational element of effective support within this community.
What does energy advice look like when written and digital information isn’t an option?
When written, digital advice is inaccessible, effective energy support must be verbal, patient and iterative.
Consent and communication barriers
A further barrier to effective support was obtaining appropriate consent for advisers to speak to energy suppliers on residents’ behalf. Many residents struggled to understand why consent needed to be explicit and verbally recorded, particularly in households where family members were closely involved in managing bills and household affairs.
‘He really did think I was foolish. Why do you need me to actually say the words? I said. I need you to say that I can discuss your account with your mum. And I need it to be on the recording. Then a friend of theirs that understands meters. So he came on the line and again I had to say I need to hear them both say that I'm allowed to discuss their accounts with you and they thought I was nuts, but it did work and this chap was able to get that across.’
These interactions required patience and persistence but were essential in enabling meaningful advocacy and progress with suppliers. Over time, repeated explanations helped residents build a clearer understanding of both their energy accounts and the systems they were required to navigate, supporting longer‑term engagement and stability.
Delivering advice and immediate support
Energy advice formed a core component of the support provided. Clients were triaged to a dedicated group of advisers to ensure continuity of support and build trust over time. This approach was complemented by the introduction of automatic, direct support measures, including fuel vouchers and Winter Warmth Support Packs, providing immediate relief where needed.
In addition, all households were provided with carbon monoxide (CO) monitors, addressing a critical safety gap, as many properties did not previously have one in place. This ensured immediate improvements to household safety alongside longer‑term financial and energy support.
Understanding payment responsibilities and risk
Energy advice focused on helping residents understand their payment responsibilities and the implications of returning to PPMs. While energy debt was not always viewed as the most urgent issue, many residents were more concerned about their ability to consistently top up once on prepayment. Some believed they could challenge or resist the energy supplier in a similar way to previous disputes with the council, which shaped expectations and affected engagement with advice. In some cases, residents felt that collective non‑payment would prevent enforcement. Advisers were clear that this was not the case and explained the legal processes involved, including the potential for court action, the installation of enforced PPMs, and the addition of further costs if debts continued to escalate.
Explaining energy use and costs
Through ongoing conversations, advisers developed a clearer picture of how energy was being used across the sites. A significant proportion of energy advice focused on helping residents understand usage rather than perceived faults with their meters. Advisers repeatedly reassured residents that meters were functioning correctly and that high bills were linked to consumption levels. Historic kWh consumption data was requested from the council to evidence that rising energy bills were driven by increased unit costs rather than faulty metering. This enabled advisers to have informed and constructive conversations with residents about energy use and, where appropriate, support behavioural change.
Moving beyond written communication
This highlighted the limitations of standard written materials within a community where many residents have low or no literacy. Advisers therefore relied heavily on verbal explanations, repetition, and reassurance to convey key messages. As trust and confidence grew, residents became more comfortable contacting advisers directly. Earlier in the project, energy‑related issues had typically been raised through site wardens; over time, residents increasingly sought advice themselves.
Shared living patterns and energy use
Advisers also identified that shared living patterns across the sites had a significant impact on energy use and billing, requiring careful and sensitive communication. In many cases, multiple family members regularly gathered in one caravan for meals, washing, and heating—often the home of an older relative—which resulted in uneven energy usage, with one household’s consumption appearing disproportionately high while others remained low.
Advisers worked to explain that shared use of facilities has a real cost and that informal contributions made by visiting family members were often far below the true energy impact. Conversations focused on helping residents understand how leaving heaters on continuously, even when caravans were unoccupied, was both costly and potentially unsafe. Advisers emphasised that while shared living and mutual support were strengths of the community, realistic contributions and safer energy practices were necessary to prevent financial strain on individual households.
‘Where they said, "Oh, well, they give me a tenner now and again." And we both said, that's not enough if they're coming and they're doing three or four loads of washing and drying and cooking a meal as well. That is more than a tenner. "Oh, it can't be." And it's like, yes it is, it is. It’s getting them to understand that it's fine to let other people use your facilities, it's lovely, but if they're giving you a contribution, it needs to be a realistic contribution because you are using far more than a tenner.’
Explaining standing charges
A common point of confusion was the standing charge. Several residents questioned why they were charged on days when they were not physically present on site. Advisers explained that the standing charge is applied nationally and covers the ongoing cost of maintaining an energy supply, regardless of usage or occupancy. These explanations had to be repeated verbally and in plain language to support understanding.
Adjusting to payment responsibilities
A significant challenge underpinning these concerns was that many households had not paid an electricity bill for more than five years, dating back to before the COVID‑19 pandemic. As a result, residents were not only struggling to find the money to pay but were also having to adjust to the reality that payment for energy use was unavoidable. Over several years without regular billing, many residents had become accustomed to using electricity for heating without considering cost. After more than four years without needing to monitor consumption, many residents were still learning how energy use translated into cost.
For this reason, advisers anticipated that a small number of residents would struggle to manage PPMs and might need to return to credit mode, despite the majority adapting successfully.
Immediate and practical support as essential to engagement
Effective support must meet immediate safety and wellbeing needs before longer‑term behaviour change is possible.
Unsafe heating practices
During energy advice calls, it became apparent that many households were relying on old electric bar heaters, which advisers explained were both expensive to run and posed safety risks, particularly in crowded or poorly ventilated spaces. In some cases, these conversations were challenging, as residents were understandably anxious and unfamiliar with alternative options. Advisers took time to explain the associated risks and costs, while reassuring residents that safer and more efficient alternatives were available.
Providing practical solutions
In response to concerns about the widespread use of unsafe and inefficient heating and to help reduce reliance on old electric bar heaters, E.ON Next agreed to provide oil‑filled radiators to residents across all three sites. For many residents, this visible and practical intervention carried more immediate value than addressing energy debt, which often felt abstract or secondary. The radiator represented something tangible that could be seen and used straight away, helping to build trust and encourage engagement with the wider support offer.
In practice, this meant that even residents who chose not to engage fully with the project, or who disengaged partway through, still received a radiator or had one set aside for them via the site manager. This approach helped to reduce immediate heating risks across the sites, while also acting as a practical incentive that supported relationship‑building and engagement with households.
Kevin’s story
Kevin lives alone on one of the traveller sites and experiences multiple health challenges, including anxiety, depression, heart problems, hypertension, mental ill health, and learning difficulties. He is unable to read or write and relies on family support to manage bills and official paperwork.
Kevin was one of the first residents to receive support from National Energy Action (NEA). After hearing about the project, he approached the Project Development Co-ordinator and asked simply:
‘Can you really help me?’
Early support and assessment
With support from the site warden, Kevin gathered all the required evidence, and during his energy advice call he was added to the Priority Services Register and provided with a Winter Warmth Support Pack. At this time, Kevin had more than £1,700 of energy debt, being repaid at £3.75 per week through his PPM.
Kevin’s adviser carefully explained E.ON Next’s proposed support offer and ensured Kevin fully understood the terms and conditions before giving consent. Kevin also received a Fuel Bank Foundation voucher to help stabilise his energy supply in the short term.
Temporary relief and breathing space
Following changes to his meter settings, there was a temporary period during which Kevin did not need to top up while the supplier assessed his level of vulnerability. This resulted in three months over the winter period with no energy costs, providing vital breathing space during the coldest time of year.
Once the new arrangement was confirmed, Kevin contacted his adviser again to explore whether switching suppliers could reduce his costs further. An online comparison showed no potential savings, and after discussing the options, Kevin chose to remain with E.ON Next.
Impact of support
Kevin is well known within his community, where residents take an active role in supporting those who are most vulnerable. By prioritising Kevin’s case and providing thorough, patient, and compassionate support, National Energy Action was able to build trust not only with Kevin but across the wider site.
‘He's the one that they all look after, you know, make sure he's OK. So the fact that we were helping him so thoroughly did reverberate through the family and you know that trust was gained in that way.’
Kevin’s case improved his own wellbeing, reduced anxiety around energy costs, and strengthened his energy security. Crucially, it also acted as a catalyst for wider engagement, encouraging other residents to seek support and enabling National Energy Action to build relationships across the site.
Adapting support to reality instead of expecting compliance
Effective energy support adapts delivery to community realities, rather than expecting communities to adapt to systems.
Accessible ways to top up
Community feedback consistently highlighted the need for accessible, non‑digital ways to top up prepayment meters. Many residents requested paper or card barcodes, as digital options were inaccessible due to low literacy levels, digital exclusion, and limited access to smartphones or email. In response, E.ON Next agreed to issue laminated barcode copies to residents at the end of the project. Prior to this, many households were relying on old E.ON Next letters from when they were on credit meters; while these letters contained barcodes, they were no longer linked to residents’ prepayment accounts and therefore could not be used.
Providing benefits advice
Alongside energy support, advisers referred many residents to benefits advice. Many residents had limited understanding of the benefits system and were unclear about which benefits are means tested. For example, some residents were receiving Carer’s Allowance or Attendance Allowance and assumed these were means‑tested benefits. This misunderstanding created barriers to accessing National Energy Action vouchers, as eligibility is linked to receipt of a means‑tested benefit. Advisers therefore spent considerable time explaining eligibility criteria, clarifying why vouchers could not be issued in some cases, and offering full benefits checks and referrals to National Energy Action’s Benefits team.
Additional tailored support involved liaising directly with DWP. Advisers frequently had to request that residents be moved to “print and post” correspondence, as this was not happening consistently. Although many residents technically had online DWP accounts and journals set up, they lacked either access to their accounts or the literacy skills required to use them. Receiving letters by post enabled residents to seek help from wardens or trusted individuals who could read and explain the information to them.
Value of a consistent adviser team
Delivering this level of tailored support was enabled by working as a small, consistent adviser team. Residents recognised and trusted the advisers supporting them, which helped build a strong rapport and continuity. This approach proved more effective than deploying larger teams, as it allowed advisers to co-ordinate visits, share updates regularly, and maintain a clear understanding of each household’s circumstances.
Engagement challenges
A further barrier to engagement was the transient nature of caravan site living. Not all caravans were continuously occupied, as some residents left for extended periods. Approximately 15 households did not engage with the project largely because residents were away. In two cases, wardens raised concerns when individuals had not been seen for some time. Although these residents declined to participate, advisers were able to make telephone contact, reassuring the warden and council that no safeguarding concerns were present.
The project also highlighted the importance of understanding family dynamics within the sites. While E.ON Next initially suggested appointing a single spokesperson per site, this approach proved unworkable. In practice, households often relied on one family member to manage paperwork and communication, but this responsibility did not extend across the wider community.
Aubrey and Maggie’s story
Aubrey lives on the site with her two children under five, one of whom is autistic and the youngest undergoing ongoing cancer treatment. The household is medically dependent on electricity for essential equipment and refrigerated medication. Aubrey also experiences anxiety and depression and faces significant financial pressure, including benefit deductions and high costs linked to her child’s treatment.
At referral, Aubrey was using old plug‑in electric heaters and facing very high electricity costs. Her direct debit had increased from around £215 to £388 per month, which was unaffordable. Usage checks confirmed exceptionally high consumption, driven largely by heating needs and medical dependency, and outstanding energy debt of £1,850.11.
‘And I said they've got no reason [to lie]. They're frightened, you can tell in the voices they were frightened. So she's got the same deal.’
Safeguarding and supplier response
Both National Energy Action and E.ON Next agreed that any risk to loss of supply needed to be avoided for this family, as well as ensuring continuous capability of storing cancer medication. This was taken into account when assessing meter set-up, demonstrating a prioritisation of safeguarding and flexibility by the supplier.
Safeguarding and flexibility were prioritised throughout. Aubrey was reassured that she would not be contacted while in hospital with her child, removing the pressure of managing energy issues during periods of acute stress.
This approach was extended to Aubrey’s mother, Maggie, who lives nearby on the site and also stores cancer medication in her fridge to support her family.
This case demonstrates the importance of flexibility and close partnership working with suppliers, recognising that a small number of households required flexible arrangements to protect health, dignity, and stability during periods of extreme vulnerability.
What changed when energy systems were made to work for people?
This section demonstrates what effective support achieves when systems are redesigned around people rather than processes.
- 43 residents engaged with National Energy Action across the three different sites.
- Five residents were no longer supplied by E.ON Next but still had debt on their closed account. Working with National Energy Action, funding totalling nearly £2,000 had been provided to allow E.ON Next to clear the balance of those five accounts and officially close those accounts.
- To date, 31 residents have successfully transitioned to SPAYG (Smart Pay As You Go) as their primary payment method and are actively topping up to manage their ongoing energy usage. Notably, these 31 customers had not previously made any payments towards their energy accounts since opening, making this a significant behavioural and financial outcome.
- A further two residents are awaiting metering appointments, after which they will also be able to move onto SPAYG. Overall compliance with the terms of the support offer has been very high. Only two residents did not remain on SPAYG, meaning that the vast majority of participating households are now actively paying for their ongoing energy usage through a sustainable and appropriate payment method.
- Across the three sites, a total of £112,524.09 in historic energy debt was written off following residents’ successful transition to SPAYG.
- To further support households during the initial adjustment period, particularly given that many had not paid for energy since before the COVID‑19 pandemic, an additional £5,504.36 was applied as usage credit across the sites.
In total, this represents £118,028.45 of direct financial support, significantly reducing financial pressure on households and supporting a sustainable transition to paying for ongoing energy use.
Emotional impact
For those who eventually engaged, having long‑standing energy debt addressed brought a profound sense of relief. Clearing debt was not only a financial outcome but an emotional one, particularly for older residents who had been carrying anxiety and uncertainty for many years.
Participation and choice
Some residents chose not to continue with the scheme. In total, two residents withdrew from the project, and two others chose to set up their own PayLink accounts rather than having National Energy Action manage the process. Across the three sites, advisers ensured that all residents were given the opportunity to have their energy debt addressed if they wished.
Trust and community-led engagement
A significant positive learning was the level of trust built between advisers and residents over time. As advisers became familiar and visible within the community, referrals increasingly came through word of mouth. Residents recommended the service to relatives living on the same sites, resulting in self‑referrals and additional households joining the scheme.
‘We’re very proud of the fact that we got some new referrals from their word of mouth. They actually told relatives on the site because they’re all related to ring us. We went from them barely picking up the phone, didn't we, to them ringing ours.’
Managing demand and delivery
As demand increased following early successes, an application deadline was introduced to ensure existing cases could be completed effectively. Residents were informed that anyone not applying by the agreed date would be unable to join the scheme, with a clear end date established to allow all support to conclude by 30 March.
Wider reach
An additional and unexpected impact was the spread of referrals beyond the original sites. Relatives living in other areas, including York and surrounding regions, contacted National Energy Action after hearing about the debt clearance support being provided.
Taken together, these learnings underline the importance of flexibility, adequate resourcing at critical delivery points, and trust‑based, community‑led engagement when delivering effective support to communities facing complex and longstanding challenges.
The role of trusted intermediaries and strong partnerships
Effective energy support in system‑failure contexts depends on trusted intermediaries and genuine partnership.
Strong partnership foundations
Strong and responsive partnership working was a critical factor in the success of the project. E.ON Next demonstrated a consistently high level of engagement, responding promptly to queries and providing dedicated support to both advisers. Three dedicated E.ON Next staff members were assigned to the project, ensuring continuity and clear lines of communication throughout delivery.
Building trust through consistency
National Energy Action advisers met with E.ON Next face to face early in the project and continued working with the same three contacts throughout. This consistency helped build trust, establish shared understanding, and foster a strong working relationship.
The role of National Energy Action as intermediary
A key aspect of what worked well was E.ON Next’s willingness to allow National Energy Action to act as an intermediary between residents and the supplier. This role was vital in translating residents’ circumstances and challenges, enabling issues to be resolved quickly once communicated.
One example highlighted the effectiveness of this approach. An adviser was on site when a resident temporarily lost electricity after credit was added to the wrong barcode following a meter change. By providing clear evidence and explaining the situation, the adviser was able to secure a rapid resolution.
National Energy Action's role as a trusted intermediary proved particularly important. By conveying residents’ lived realities—including low literacy levels, shared contact details, and limited understanding of energy systems—National Energy Action helped E.ON Next better understand the structural barriers faced by the community.
Enabling practical solutions
The partnership also enabled innovative and practical solutions to emerge. One example was overcoming limitations within the PayLink system, which normally restricts each email address to a single application. Given the prevalence of shared email accounts, E.ON Next worked with National Energy Action to identify a workaround that allowed multiple PayLinks to be completed.
Role of site wardens and local council
Alongside the partnership with E.ON Next, site wardens played an important role in supporting verification and benefits information. However, levels of engagement and responsiveness varied across the three sites. While one warden was particularly proactive, others were less consistent, sometimes requiring additional follow‑up or direct involvement from residents to obtain the necessary information.
Having a site manager who was strongly motivated to resolve the situation was also crucial. The manager overseeing the three sites was proactive in bringing National Energy Action into the work and keen to ensure as many residents as possible were able to move back onto PPMs under the agreed support offer.
Overall, collaboration between NEA, E.ON Next, and the council was strong, with partners aligned around the shared goal of clearing historic debt and stabilising residents’ energy supply.
Engagement with site wardens was more mixed, with issues of trust remaining for some residents due to previous experiences. However, despite these challenges, all partners continued to work toward the shared objective of resolving long‑standing issues.
Ruth’s story
Ruth is an 82‑year‑old woman living alone in a caravan on a local authority Traveller site. Her son lives nearby and acts as her carer. Ruth cannot read or write and has a long‑standing mistrust of formal systems, including banks. She has lived in a caravan all her life she has always managed her money in cash, and does not engage confidently with formal billing or banking processes.
Following the installation of E.ON Next meters, Ruth had repeatedly requested a move to a PPM. Despite almost a year of attempts by Ruth herself and a local authority Gypsy and Traveller Support Assistant, the switch did not take place. During this time, her energy debt rose steadily, despite Ruth believing she was managing her energy responsibly by paying £20 each week at her local shop.
Confusion around payments and usage
In practice, this amount was insufficient to cover Ruth’s electricity usage, particularly in the context of rising unit costs. Ruth was also unclear whether her weekly payments were contributing to her ongoing usage, her existing debt, or both. This confusion was compounded by a non‑communicating smart meter, which made usage data difficult to access or explain. By the time National Energy Action (NEA) became involved, Ruth’s energy debt had reached over £1,800.
Providing support
Supporting Ruth required intensive, trust‑based and highly personalised intervention. National Energy Action advisers worked closely with the local authority support assistant and site warden, acting as trusted intermediaries to ensure Ruth answered calls and understood their purpose. All communication was delivered verbally and repeatedly, recognising that written correspondence was inaccessible. Advisers confirmed Ruth’s eligibility for additional support, checked her Priority Services Register status, and completed a benefits check to identify any missed entitlements.
Explaining costs and behaviour change
A significant focus of support involved explaining why £20 per week was no longer sufficient to cover Ruth’s energy use. These conversations were challenging, as Ruth found it difficult to reconcile long‑established payment habits with the reality of current energy pricing. Her fragile access to services was further illustrated when she temporarily stopped topping up altogether after a paper letter became unusable when it got wet.
Outcomes
With sustained reassurance and clear explanations, Ruth agreed to move to prepayment mode. Following meter repairs, Ruth successfully moved to prepayment mode in March, with £1,852.75 of historic energy debt written off. She received Winter Warmth Support Packs, a carbon monoxide alarm, and £147 in energy vouchers. Paper top‑up information was provided via the site warden to account for her lack of smartphone access, and an oil‑filled radiator was supplied to reduce reliance on more expensive and inefficient electric heating.
Although Ruth has continued to require reassurance and follow‑up support, she is now clearer about how to manage her energy, understands the conditions of her prepayment arrangement, and has trusted contacts in place should issues arise.
Ruth’s case illustrates the complexity of supporting older residents with low literacy and deep‑rooted mistrust of formal systems. It highlights that delays in accessing appropriate metering were not due to disengagement, but to systemic barriers, inaccessible communication methods and assumptions around vulnerability. The case reinforces the crucial role of trusted intermediaries, clear verbal communication, and patience in achieving sustainable outcomes for highly vulnerable residents.
What must change if energy support is to work for everyone?
Learnings: what effective energy support looks like when systems don’t work
The findings from East Riding reinforce and extend National Energy Action’s earlier research into the energy experiences of Gypsy, Traveller, Roma and Nomadic Communities. While national research identified the scale and nature of exclusion from energy systems, this project demonstrates what effective support looks like when services, suppliers and delivery models are adapted in response.
Together, these pieces of work show that exclusion is not inevitable. With sufficient trust, flexibility, partnership working and resourcing, energy systems can be made to work for communities that are currently overlooked.
This project provides clear evidence of what must change if energy support systems are to work for people who are currently excluded by standard processes. The following learnings directly answer the central question of this report.
1. Trust is not a “soft” outcome — it is delivery infrastructure
Where communities have experienced historic harm, exclusion or broken promises, trust must be rebuilt before outcomes are possible. In East Riding, effective engagement only emerged through visible, consistent adviser presence, continuity of relationships, fairness across households and the delivery of tangible results. Once trust was established, engagement increased rapidly and was sustained through word of mouth, demonstrating that trust is a prerequisite for effective delivery, not an added benefit.
2. Standard energy systems are not accessible to everyone — and this creates risk
Digital‑first processes, written communication, individualised verification and assumptions about literacy and connectivity excluded many residents from engaging with their energy supply. These barriers were not neutral: they delayed resolution, escalated debt and increased anxiety and safeguarding risk. Effective support required active adaptation of systems through advocacy, flexibility and intermediary working, without which many households would have been unable to engage at all.
3. Effective delivery depends on continuity, presence and time
Limiting the number of advisers involved, maintaining consistent points of contact and spending time on site all proved critical. This approach reduced confusion, reinforced understanding and allowed trust to develop gradually. Fragmented or remote delivery models would not have been effective in this context. Adequate resourcing at key delivery points was essential to achieving sustainable outcomes.
4. Clear boundaries combined with flexibility enable informed choice
The conditional support offer, in this case historic debt write‑off in exchange for a voluntary and sustained move to prepayment, was effective because it was explained repeatedly, verbally and honestly. At the same time, genuine flexibility was required for a small number of medically vulnerable households where prepayment would have been unsafe. Effective energy support balances clarity and accountability with professional judgement and safeguarding.
5. Clearing historic debt creates the conditions for behaviour change
For many residents, years of unmanageable debt were paralysing. Clearing historic debt was not just a financial intervention but an emotional one, relieving anxiety and fear that had prevented engagement for years. Once debt was resolved, households were better able to understand energy costs, engage with advice and sustain ongoing payment. Emotional relief was as significant an outcome as financial resolution.
6. Tangible interventions accelerate engagement and reduce harm
Practical support—such as oil‑filled radiators, carbon monoxide monitors and fuel credits—often mattered more initially than discussions about billing or tariffs. These interventions reduced immediate safety risks and demonstrated commitment, which in turn enabled residents to engage with more complex or abstract aspects of energy management. Tangible action was a critical enabler of trust and behaviour change.
7. Energy advice must be verbal, patient and iterative
Written materials alone were ineffective in a community with widespread low literacy. Understanding of usage, standing charges, shared consumption and realistic contributions developed only through repeated verbal explanation, reassurance and real‑world examples over time. Effective advice in this context was relational and cumulative, not transactional.
8. Strong partnerships and trusted intermediaries make systems work
The success of the project relied on close collaboration between National Energy Action, E.ON Next and the local authority. Dedicated supplier contacts, mutual trust and a willingness to problem‑solve enabled barriers to be resolved quickly and safely. National Energy Action’s role as a trusted intermediary—translating lived experience into system action—was essential in making energy systems function for this community.
Taken alongside National Energy Action’s national research, the East Riding project offers both a diagnosis of the problem and a practical model for change — showing not only where energy systems fail, but how they can be redesigned to prevent harm and support sustainable outcomes.
Report produced by Ayah Hatim (ayah.hatim@nea.org.uk). For any queries, please get in touch.
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