Communities Matter opened the doors of Newhaven's first Energy Pop-up Shop for six days from 12 to 17 January 2015 in partnership with Newhaven Town Council, Ovesco, the East Sussex Energy Partnership and the Big Energy Saving Network. It achieved its objectives, delivering results in tackling fuel poverty and raising local awareness towards energy efficiency. This initiative forms part of: • Communities Matter’s Energy advice service which offers practical independent advice to local people, encouraging them to make their homes more energy efficient, help reduce fuel bills and tackle local fuel poverty. • The Sussex Big Energy Saving Network through which Communities Matter staff are trained by National Energy Action to provide independent energy bill switching advice. As BESN Champions the Communities Matter staff also provide fuel poverty and energy bill switching workshops for front line workers working in the voluntary sector. • The East Sussex Energy Partnership free Winter Home Check Service to help vulnerable people and families on low income, giving advice and support on how to keep their homes warm.

The site was selected in 2014 as a key location within Newhaven High Street, making it accessible to all local people in the area. Rt Hon Ed Davey, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change and Norman Baker MP joined Councillor Judith Ost, Mayor of Newhaven to show their support for this initiative and officially opened the energy advice centre in November 2014. The six day Energy Pop-up Shop initiative this January was a focused event to increase awareness of the energy experts available to give advice on how to cut costs on energy bills, particularly for vulnerable people, and remind people of the benefits of being more energy efficient in the home. For those who couldn’t make it, information about where to go for help was made available through this exercis