Some of the biggest names from the charity sector joined us at a pioneering showcase event to ensure the continued support for 250,000 vulnerable people across our communities.
We work with a diverse range of organisations across Scotland and the south of England which are dedicated to supporting people who need extra help heating their homes. Yesterday, over 50 charity partner leaders and stakeholders joined us for the virtual event, which we hosted to ensure we continue working effectively together in our commitment to supporting our most vulnerable customers use energy safely, efficiently and affordably.
This year more than ever, we recognise that more of our customers have become vulnerable and faced fuel poverty, and that’s why we’ve invested more funding in local and national organisations which can provide much-needed support to families and individuals. With input from our stakeholders and expert steering group, we’re effectively implementing our vulnerability strategy, to provide tailored and targeted help to households who would struggle to maintain a safe and warm home.
Due to the rise in cost of living, we’ve seen a significant increase in the volume of our customers in need of crisis support, and many of the charities and organisations that provide vital services are under-resourced and under-funded. By working in partnership with organisations such as Marie Curie, Scope, National Energy Action, Age Scotland and Age UK, Fuel Bank Foundation, Citizens Advice and Centre for Sustainable Energy, we can provide essential funding to critical services which helps support priority groups and hard-to-reach communities.
Our Director of Customer Services Maureen McIntosh, who hosted the session, said: “This was a significant opportunity to bring together our network of stakeholders and our fantastic charity partners who working together are aligned in our mission to keep our communities safe and warm.
“What we’ve seen is a change in scale of fuel poverty with some communities being hit harder than others, as the cost to heat homes can vary on factors like climate, housing stock and incomes. We invited our collaborative partner network to join our event to help inform our decision making and shape how we support our vulnerable customers.
“We’ve got a commitment to help at least 250,000 vulnerable people in our local communities by 2026, and this session will help us to achieve that and make a lasting difference.”
You can find more information on our partnerships and the work we’re doing to help our local communities, here.