Over the past 12 months we have increased the number of our fixed Centres for Warmth from 200 to over 350.
Unfortunately, while the cost-of-living crisis may be receiving less focus in the news, it is estimated that more than three million households within our network are living in, or close to, fuel poverty. Our Centres for Warmth initiative utilises existing community centres that have built up a comprehensive understanding of the needs of their local communities and established trust within them.
Every day, they welcome members of their communities, offering an increasing range of products and services to help them to stay safe, warm and independent in their homes.
The primary focus of our centres remains on supporting customers living in fuel poverty and through them we’ve provided more than 75,000 free income maximisation consultations (including debt consolidation) and directly improved the energy efficiency of more than 79,000 homes, including conversations to remove damp from homes.
This year, we’ve expanded the services offered by our centres, with increased focus on carbon monoxide safety, providing more than 36,000 free carbon monoxide alarms to homes unable to afford them. We’ve also focused on healthy eating initiatives, providing slow-cooking classes to around 55,000 members of our communities and distributing more than 10,000 free slow cookers – allowing families to cook healthy and cheap meals together.
Our centres have become pillars of communities, allowing local people to play a vital role in supporting their neighbours.
It is important that we are seen as a force for good, for our customers, colleagues, and in the communities that we serve.
We do this by focusing on three key outcomes: easier warmth, fairer opportunities and a greener society.
We are uniquely positioned to support those living in vulnerable situations. Like other gas distribution businesses, we directly engage with more consumers, often in their own homes than almost any other organisation across the country.
We’ve taken this natural opportunity to do good and amplified it by investing in cutting edge data to target our support to the communities that need it most. We continue to partner with over 185 leading charities and expert organisations to maximise our reach and build trust with those we are helping. And we have built a truly expert in-house delivery capability, including training all 4,000 front line colleagues how to identify and support customers living in vulnerable situations.
Our dedicated and expert Customer Safeguarding team oversee more than 100 separate initiatives each year to raise awareness of the Priority Services Register, keep communities safe from the potential dangers associated with gas (in particular carbon monoxide), help them to afford to keep their homes warm and go beyond the meter to fund a range of in-home interventions designed to increase energy efficiency and save consumers collectively over £102 million on their bills
Recognising the scale of the challenges consumers in vulnerable situations find themselves in, especially with energy prices remaining high and the general cost of living continuing to impact so many, we continue to invest over 1% of our profits to support customers living in fuel poverty, via the Cadent Foundation.
Over the last 12-months 155,811 customers have received free, energy and income consultations, plus direct, hands-on support to claim benefits, seek grants, consolidate debt and make their homes more energy efficient.
£2,500: The average household is over £2,500 better off following these consultations, meaning that we’ve helped put over £190 million back in the pockets of some of the customers in the most vulnerable situations we serve, from this one initiative alone.
