A total of 765,122 unique support services have been delivered to households to help them stay safe and warm in the past three years, according to the latest report on our work to help vulnerable customers.
Our Vulnerability and Carbon Monoxide Allowance (VCMA) Annual Report 2024 reveals how we’ve maximised the funding from our regulator Ofgem, working alongside trusted partners to support our most vulnerable customers this year.
It’s the third year of our programme delivery and our report sets out how we’ve supported more vulnerable customers than ever to use energy safely, efficiently and affordably:
- We’ve helped 403,717 households maintain a safe and warm home since April 2021.
- £34.8m+ has been achieved in social value for our vulnerable customers.
- We’ve registered 59,880 customers for the Priority Services Register (PSR).
- Our engineers have installed 2,359 fuel poor gas connections and 610 locking cooker valves, our free safety device.
- 29,891 carbon monoxide (CO) alarms have been distributed to protect people from CO in their homes.
- We’ve built a network of 110 Safe & Warm community partners.
We’re continuing to build a network of expert community partners that can draw on each other’s expertise and specialist services, whether that’s supporting a geographical community or a particular vulnerability group. We’re working with national partners such as Kidney Care UK and Scope to ensure people with medical needs and disabilities receive much needed energy advice, as well as local fire and rescue services, local authorities and regional charities to distribute life-saving CO alarms.
Key to this is bringing partners together and creating new connections. We’ve hosted in-person and virtual events so that our partners can meet with one another, work collaboratively and share best practice.
Kerry Potter, our Group Social Impact and Vulnerability Manager, said: “By adopting a ‘whole household approach’ to supporting vulnerable customers, we’re creating a legacy of support for customers now and into the future. Our collective aim is simple: we want to unlock all the available routes to support and break down the barriers to vulnerable households maintaining a safe and warm home.”
Our report also highlights how our frontline engineers go above and beyond to protect our vulnerable customers. People like David Kaminski, who has referred more vulnerable customers for extra help from our Careline team than any other engineer in Scotland or the south of England. Across this year alone, David has helped 193 customers access 543 unique support services, including identifying 123 households for the PSR.
CEO Mark Wild OBE said: “Our network and our people play a key role in keeping customers up and down the country safe and warm. We’re trusted to enter customers’ homes at a time when they need us most, often in an emergency. What I’ve witnessed among our team is a truly embedded culture of never walking away from a customer in need. I’m humbled by the dedication of our people and partners to support our most vulnerable communities. While this is an opportunity for us to report on the annual progress of our strategy, I invite you to also use this report to learn more about our Safe & Warm partnership network and the services we collectively provide to the vulnerable communities we all support.”
Find out more about our partnerships and how we’re helping vulnerable customers here.
