We’re committed to supporting the vulnerable and fuel-poor and helping society to access energy and to use it safely and efficiently.
Age UK - EnergyRight
We have worked with Age Concern and now Age UK since 1990 to provide products and services tailored for the needs of the elderly. We invested £1 million in EnergyRight, in 2007 in partnership with Age UK. This has reached over 42,000 people aiming to:
- Improve energy efficiency
- Reduce fuel poverty
- Change energy use behaviour and improve the comfort of older people
- Increase brand awareness of E.ON and Age UK
- Introduce additional services offered by E.ON, Age UK and the Government
The main elements of EnergyRight are:
- Supplying energy efficiency information and advice to people who visit Age UK centres or attend events arranged by Age UK
- Referring customers to our Cavity Wall and Loft Insulation Scheme if appropriate
- Implementing simple practical energy efficiency measures such as draft excluders
In 2010, we worked with local Age UK service delivery teams to create a programme which enables hard-to-reach vulnerable people to have access to energy efficiency information and practical measures, such as draught excluders on windows and doors. The ‘HandyPerson Pilot Project’ not only continues to provide energy efficiency advice to older people but also reaches those who are isolated. With 12% of older people unable to leave their homes in the UK and 6% only leaving the house once a week this is clearly a vital service.
During 2010 EnergyRight reached over 14,000 people through telephone advice services, advice surgeries, home visits and energy efficiency lifestyle audits in the home. As well as this, we proactively targeted a range of organised gatherings from stands at supermarkets, Fish Friday events with energy efficiency related bingo, to GP practice flu jab days. Almost 5,000 older people attended these gatherings over two weeks.
A new relationship with Action for Children
We’ve been working in partnership with Action for Children since July 2010 to tackle fuel poverty amongst some of the most vulnerable families in the UK. Every day, these families face a stark choice between a warm home and other necessities such as healthy food, transport, child care, clothing and basic leisure activities.
We created a three-month pilot programme to increase our understanding of the issues faced by families and to provide resources to help change their behaviour in tackling fuel poverty.
Our vision is for all Action for Children services and service users to be able to access and benefit from our energy efficiency advice and support.
We would like to see:
- Energy efficiency activity built into the annual calendars of activity in children’s centres
- An online resource toolkit for all services
- A central bank of energy monitors for loan
- Staff trained to increase their knowledge of energy efficiency
- E.ON employees given the opportunity to take part in local volunteering activities
- E.ON and Action for Children being recognised for making a difference on the impact of fuel poverty amongst vulnerable families
Our volunteers are currently taking part in the pilot, called ‘Energy Counts’ by providing energy efficiency advice to families at Action for Children centres in Nottingham and Leamington Spa. These sessions are a combination of one-to-one and/or group conversations at established Action for Children gatherings as well as fun days specifically designed to focus on energy efficiency.