Cadent Foundation reports record year of fuel poverty support

• Number of people supported by the Cadent Foundation doubles from 2024.
• Households have made a combined £2.3m cost savings, while £345,000 worth of debt has been managed or written off. 

The Cadent Foundation has released its annual Impact Report, revealing that it has awarded over £4.3m worth of grants to charity partners over the past year, supporting more than 70,000 people living in fuel poverty. This is a record high for the Foundation, which has announced it will continue to focus its support on ensuring long-term sustainable solutions are provided to people living in fuel poverty all year round.

The last 12 months saw the Cadent Foundation work with a number of organisations which specialise in providing local support to those who need it most. Partners, including Groundwork, Citizens Advice, Housing Plus Group, Care Network and Act on Energy, use the funding to develop and implement programmes that help to find a long-term solution to fuel poverty.

The impact in 2025 has seen the Cadent Foundation support more people than ever:

• 70,201 people have been supported with fuel poverty / energy advice and support 
• 12,024 homes have become more energy efficient
• 21,830 energy efficiency measures have been installed
• £13,479,059 financial gains have been achieved through income maximisation support
• £2,308,249 cost savings have been achieved through energy efficiency measures or advice
• £345,299 debt managed or written off

Detailed in the Foundation’s 2025 Impact Report, the support has helped transform thousands of peoples’ individual circumstances. Many examples, including that of Simon, are included in the report. The 40-year-old single parent received support from Care Network in Blackburn to ensure his home was safe and warm for his children, following issues with a faulty boiler and a leaky roof. Care Network used its grant from the Cadent Foundation to help repair Simon’s boiler, as well as contributing towards important roof repairs.

The last 12 months have also seen the Cadent Foundation support several new programmes across the UK. These include:

• The launch of the Stay Warm in programme with Groundwork in Leigh, Willenhall, Wellingborough, Blackpool and Barnet. Here, Green Doctors are now situated in local community centres to not only provide support, but train volunteers to become energy champions to ensure a lasting legacy. 
• A new £1m Warm Fund was announced in January to provide emergency year-round support to vulnerable households, accessible by all of its charity partners.
• An extension of its award-winning partnership with Housing Plus Group. The Warmth Matters project provides joined-up energy and financial advice to low-income households across Shropshire, Staffordshire and Telford & Wrekin.

Ranjit Blythe, Managing Director of the Cadent Foundation, said: The last 12 months fill me with immense pride. Our team and charity partners have excelled in ensuring those who need it most are supported with help that genuinely has a life changing impact on households. However, our support mustn’t stop here, and we are already working on some powerful new initiatives which will help our ongoing ambitions.

Long term solutions to fuel poverty will remain a key priority for Cadent Foundation moving forward. So far, Cadent, the UK’s largest gas distribution network, has provided over £31m in funding for the Foundation to distribute, with that support continuing in 2026 and beyond.

Ranjit added: The focus of the Cadent Foundation has never solely been on providing instant support. While we do provide this as part of our £1m Warm Fund, our main objective is to ensure people living in vulnerable situations have support that helps them all year.

The uncomfortable truth is that fuel poverty continues to affect millions of people across the UK and we know the challenges aren’t going away. From meeting many of our wonderful beneficiaries this year, you can see how this long-term support helps transform peoples’ lives and their wellbeing – both physically and mentally. That’s why we are committed to building on what works, learning from our partners, and ensuring we provide the most targeted and impactful support possible.