Affordability, Vulnerability & Fairness
Affordability, Vulnerability & Fairness

Energy, water and communications are essential services that are crucial for public wellbeing.  Our work seeks to ensure that these services are affordable, both for today and tomorrow, and that service providers meet the needs of people in vulnerable situations, including in the pandemic.  

Our research examines fuel and water poverty, innovation for people with additional needs, who pays for social and environmental costs, how different needs are balanced in a fair way, and the frameworks needed to ensure a just transition to Net Zero.

Current and recent projects

Fair Energy Tariffs

Fair Energy Tariffs

Around ten percent of households face a lottery in the current energy market, in terms of price and service. These three million customers, who are on Economy 7 or similar electricity tariffs, are not getting the price protection they deserve. While in principle these customers are protected by the Ofgem price cap and the government Energy Price Guarantee, in practice regulation is failing them. We are calling on Ofgem to give this neglected group of customers the attention they deserve.

Fair Transition

Fair Transition

Sustainability First is providing NationalGrid with strategic advice on helping it deliver a Fair Transition for its UK business, as we move to clean energy in a bid to address climate change. We are running a series of workshops, engaging 40 members of the public about this transition, and National Grid will take on board feedback and adopt the findings into its work.

Fair for the Future Project

Fair for the Future

Our Fair for the Future project was set up in 2018 to help utilities better address the politics around fairness and the environment.  Focused on the energy, water and communications sectors, this major project has explored how companies can maintain a social contract with society through disruptive change and what a focus on corporate purpose means for companies, policy makers and regulators.

Project Inspire

Inspire

Our ‘Inspire’ project on innovation and consumer vulnerability ran from 2016 to 2018. The overarching aim was to improve service delivery and quality of life for energy customers in vulnerable circumstances.

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