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Brenda Boardman

Brenda is an Emeritus Fellow at the ECI following her retirement in September 2008. She is also a Visiting Professor at the University of Exeter. At the ECI, Brenda was the former head of the Lower Carbon Futures team and a co-director of the UK Energy Research Centre Her main research focus is on how to achieve demand reduction in energy across the UK economy, but in particular the built environment.

Brenda's main research focus is on energy efficiency and the way that energy is used in British homes, particularly by low-income households, i.e. fuel poverty. She considers the economic, social and technical aspects of the subject and her work has a strong policy emphasis. She is widely viewed as one of the most experienced in her field and was awarded an MBE in 1998 for her work on energy efficiency and received the Energy Institute's Melchett Medal in the same year.

Brenda's second book, Fixing Fuel Poverty: Challenges and solutions is available in both paperback and hardback. The book examines why the numbers of households in fuel poverty are rising – currently 5 million in the UK – despite the government's legal obligation to eradicate fuel poverty by 2016. Many of the lessons from the UK are germaine to other countries beginning to experience worsening fuel poverty, particularly in Eastern and Central Europe. The European Commission now requires action on fuel poverty in all Member States, through the revised Electricity Directive. Brenda has given a series of presentations about the book to various professional and academic audiences in the UK, in Brussels and in Prague.

Who is in fuel poverty? The government has no idea as it moves to cut winter fuel payments

Sep 16, 2024 05:54 am UTC| Insights & Views

Energy is an unusual commodity as it imposes running costs and capital expenditure. The main way to permanently reduce running costs is to spend money on more efficient use of energy: better insulated homes, more modern...

Economy

Japan Manufacturing Growth Accelerates in June as Orders Surge Despite Iran War Cost Pressures

Japans manufacturing sector maintained strong momentum in June, supported by the fastest rise in new orders in more than four years, even as businesses continued to face mounting cost pressures linked to the ongoing Iran...

U.S.-Iran Diplomacy Helps Drive Gasoline Prices Down 15% From May Highs

American drivers are seeing welcome relief at the gas pump as gasoline prices continue to decline following improved diplomatic relations between the United States and Iran. According to fuel price tracker GasBuddy, the...

Wall Street Ends Mixed as Alphabet Slumps, Middle East Developments and Fed Outlook Weigh on Markets

U.S. stocks closed mixed on Monday as a sharp decline in Alphabet shares pressured the communication services sector, while investors closely monitored evolving developments in the Middle East and assessed the Federal...

Oil Prices Fall as Iran Peace Talks Progress, Hormuz Reopens, and U.S. SPR Hits 1983 Low

Global oil prices extended their recent decline on Monday as optimism grew over ongoing U.S.-Iran peace negotiations and the reopening of the vital Strait of Hormuz. The easing of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East...

Japan Keeps Markets Guessing as Yen Nears 40-Year Low, Raising Intervention Risks

Japans financial authorities are maintaining uncertainty over potential currency intervention as the Japanese yen hovers near its weakest level in nearly four decades. Market participants are closely watching government...

Politics

Russian Air Strikes Injure Six Across Ukraine as Kyiv Issues Air Raid Alert

At least six people were injured in a new wave of Russian air strikes across Ukraine overnight, according to local officials, as authorities in Kyiv issued an air raid alert early Tuesday and urged residents to seek...

Alan Greenspan: 7 Fascinating Facts About the Former Fed Chairman

Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, who died Monday at the age of 100, left behind a remarkable legacy that extended far beyond economics and monetary policy. Known as one of the most influential figures in...

UNAIDS Urges U.S. to Reconsider South Africa HIV Funding Withdrawal

The head of UNAIDS, Winnie Byanyima, has urged the United States to reconsider its decision to withdraw HIV/AIDS funding for South Africa, warning that the move could put millions of vulnerable people at risk and...

US Waives Iran Sanctions for 60 Days as Peace Talks Advance and Lebanon Sees Calm

The United States has granted Iran a 60-day sanctions waiver following the first round of negotiations under a newly established peace agreement, signaling a potential breakthrough in efforts to ease tensions across the...

Rubio Gulf Tour Aims to Reassure Allies on Trump’s Iran Deal

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Bahrain from Tuesday through Thursday as the Trump administration seeks to strengthen support for its preliminary agreement with Iran...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

Meta Pauses Employee Activity Tracking Program Over Data Security Concerns

Meta has temporarily suspended an internal employee monitoring program used to train its artificial intelligence models after concerns emerged about potential data security and privacy risks. The program, known as the...

Oracle Cuts 21,000 Jobs as AI Reshapes Workforce and Cloud Expansion Accelerates

Oracle reduced its global workforce by approximately 21,000 employees, or 13%, during fiscal 2026 as the company continued a major restructuring effort while expanding its artificial intelligence and cloud computing...

Alphabet Stock Slides as AI Talent Exodus and SpaceX Losses Shake Investor Confidence

Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) shares plunged nearly 7% on Monday, marking one of the companys sharpest single-day declines in recent years as investors reacted to a combination of high-profile AI talent departures and weakness...

SpaceX Stock Plunges 16% as KeyBanc Warns Valuation May Be Overstretched

SpaceX shares tumbled more than 16% on Monday after investment firm KeyBanc initiated coverage with a cautious outlook, suggesting the aerospace giants valuation has become stretched following its strong post-IPO rally....

Trump’s Quantum Push Lifts IBM Stock as CEO Arvind Krishna Receives White House Praise

IBM shares surged in after-hours trading Monday after President Donald Trump publicly praised IBM CEO Arvind Krishna during a White House event focused on advancing U.S. quantum technology leadership. The endorsement...