Design and Demonstration Unit (DDU)
The Design and Demonstration Unit (DDU) was a team of private sector secondees, based in BERR between 2003 and 2008, which carried out work in support of the Energy White Paper 2003: Our Energy Future - Creating a Low Carbon Economy objectives, particularly in respect of fuel poverty. The Unit undertook extensive research and designed and delivered projects to assist the fuel poor on a community basis.
The Unit’s work was instrumental in Ofgem’s decision to incentivise the provision of gas connections to deprived communities under the 2008-13 Gas Distribution Price Control.
In 2006, the Unit devised partnership programmes with the Regional Development Agencies in the North-East and Yorkshire and Humberside to assist 4,000 low-income households in forty communities. These programmes are helping to demonstrate high-value, community-based approaches to alleviating fuel poverty, including the provision of mains gas connections and associated measures to deprived communities, and the provision of cost-effective renewables technologies where connection to the gas network is not economically viable. The programmes are being delivered by Community Energy Solutions (CES).
The Unit’s work was also reflected in the Government’s announcement, in June 2008, of a a pilot fuel poverty workstream under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme. This will provide renewable technologies under the Programme in four regional partnerships.
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