The Energy Retail Association (ERA), formed in 2003, is a trade association

Industry trade group

A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association or sector association, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry...

 to promote the interests of the main electricity and gas retailers in the domestic market in Great Britain

Great Britain

Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

.

Introduction

The ERA is located in Westminster, London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 and is headed by the Chief Executive, Dr Garry Felgate. He is given high level direction from a Board made up of the Chief Executive Officers and Managing Directors of the six member companies.

All the main energy retailers operating in the domestic market in Great Britain are members of the association:

• EDF Energy
  EDF Energy
  EDF Energy is an integrated energy company in the United Kingdom, with operations spanning electricity generation and the sale of gas and electricity to homes and businesses throughout the United Kingdom...
  
  
• British Gas
  Centrica
  Centrica plc is a multinational utility company, based in the United Kingdom but also with interests in North America. Centrica is the largest supplier of gas to domestic customers in the UK, and one of the largest suppliers of electricity, operating under the trading names "Scottish Gas" in...
  
  
• RWE nPower
  Npower (UK)
  RWE Npower plc is a UK-based electricity and gas supply generation company, formerly known as Innogy plc. As Innogy plc it was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index...
  
  
• Scottish and Southern Energy plc
• Scottish Power
  Scottish Power
  ScottishPower Ltd. is a vertically integrated energy company with its headquarters in Glasgow, Scotland. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but in 2006 it became a subsidiary of the Spanish utility Iberdrola...
  
  
• E.ON Powergen
  E.ON UK
  E.ON UK is an energy company in the United Kingdom and a subsidiary of E.ON, the world's largest investor-owned power and gas company. As Powergen, it was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but since 1 July 2002 has been owned by E.ON AG of...
  
  

The ERA has stated that it is focused on finding ways to improve customers’ experiences with their electricity and gas suppliers . This means that it addresses issues such as :

• Tackling fuel poverty
  Fuel poverty
  A household is said to be in fuel poverty when they cannot afford to keep adequately warm at reasonable cost, given it's income. The term is mainly used in the UK, Ireland and New Zealand, although the concept also applies everywhere in the world where poverty may be present.As the term fuel...
  
   and protecting vulnerable customers
• Delivering energy efficiency schemes
• Ensuring good sales practice
• Developing hassle-free systems for changing electricity or gas supplier
• Developing industry standards for customer billing
• Preventing debt and disconnections

Fuel poverty

The definition of fuel poverty

Fuel poverty

A household is said to be in fuel poverty when they cannot afford to keep adequately warm at reasonable cost, given it's income. The term is mainly used in the UK, Ireland and New Zealand, although the concept also applies everywhere in the world where poverty may be present.As the term fuel...

 is a household that spends more than 10% of its income on heating and lighting. Approximately 3 million households in Britain suffer from fuel poverty

Fuel poverty

A household is said to be in fuel poverty when they cannot afford to keep adequately warm at reasonable cost, given it's income. The term is mainly used in the UK, Ireland and New Zealand, although the concept also applies everywhere in the world where poverty may be present.As the term fuel...

 .

Fuel poverty

Fuel poverty

A household is said to be in fuel poverty when they cannot afford to keep adequately warm at reasonable cost, given it's income. The term is mainly used in the UK, Ireland and New Zealand, although the concept also applies everywhere in the world where poverty may be present.As the term fuel...

 is caused by a combination of factors including:

• Low income, which is often linked to absolute poverty
• High fuel prices, including the use of relatively expensive fuel sources (such as electricity in the UK, aggravated by higher tariffs for low-volume energy users)
• Poor energy efficiency of a home, e.g. through low levels of insulation and old or inefficient heating systems
• Under-occupancy: according to UK government statistics, on average those in the most extreme fuel poverty live in larger than average homes

Since 1996, 2.5 million people have been taken out of fuel poverty

Fuel poverty

A household is said to be in fuel poverty when they cannot afford to keep adequately warm at reasonable cost, given it's income. The term is mainly used in the UK, Ireland and New Zealand, although the concept also applies everywhere in the world where poverty may be present.As the term fuel...

 through the efforts of energy suppliers working with social welfare organisations.

UK Fuel Poverty Strategy (2001) set a target for Government to seek to end fuel poverty

Fuel poverty

A household is said to be in fuel poverty when they cannot afford to keep adequately warm at reasonable cost, given it's income. The term is mainly used in the UK, Ireland and New Zealand, although the concept also applies everywhere in the world where poverty may be present.As the term fuel...

 by 2016 and take all vulnerable households out of fuel poverty

Fuel poverty

A household is said to be in fuel poverty when they cannot afford to keep adequately warm at reasonable cost, given it's income. The term is mainly used in the UK, Ireland and New Zealand, although the concept also applies everywhere in the world where poverty may be present.As the term fuel...

 by 2010.

Vulnerable customers

The ERA launched the Home Heat Helpline (0800 33 66 99) in October 2005. It is a free, not-for-profit national helpline for people having difficulties paying their fuel bills. The Home Heat Helpline offers callers advice on cheaper payment schemes, grants for insulating their homes, how to get on to the Priority Services Register for extra services and information on extra government benefits that you may be entitled to. More information can be found on the Home Heat Helpline website.

See also

• Association of Electricity Producers
  Association of Electricity Producers
  The Association of Electricity Producers is a trade association for the United Kingdom electricity market. It has approximately 90 members, including electricity generation companies and those offering support services.-History:...
  
  
• Energy Networks Association
  Energy Networks Association
  Please note: The Energy Networks Association in Australia and the Energy Networks Association in the United Kingdom are not connected.-Energy Networks Association—Australia:...
  
  
• Consumer Focus
  Consumer Focus
  Consumer Focus is a statutory consumer organisation in England, Wales, Scotland, and, for postal services, Northern Ireland, formed in 2008 by the merging Postwatch, Energywatch and the Welsh, Scottish and National Consumer Councils...
  
  
• Energy Retail Association website
• Home Heat Helpline website