E.ON UK has developed a range of programmes, based around the key themes of Acting Responsibly, Meeting Customer Needs, Low Carbon Society and Valuing their People, that have led to the energy provider being awarded the CommunityMark by Business in the Community. Most importantly, E.ON has demonstrated that its community activities are addressing social issues most pressing to the communities where employees live and work.
The E.ON Sustainable Energy Fund is just one of E.ON’s community funding schemes set up to help reduce the carbon footprint of community buildings. Community groups, including schools, community halls and charities, applied to E.ON for up to £20,000 to help them fund energy efficiency measures or renewable energy technologies for their facilities.
The Energy for Children Centres programme is an E.ON group-wide initiative which offers an enhanced provision of community programmes to three local schools and demonstrates E.ON’s commitment to supporting education. The schools are all primary schools, located close to E.ON’s main sites and located in disadvantaged communities.
Caring Energy summarises the activities within E.ON’s commitment to assist vulnerable customers or those in, or facing, fuel poverty. There are a wide range of measures offered, from discounts and rebates specifically developed to assist disadvantaged customers to help for individuals to ensure they are receiving the right government benefits and advice on reducing their fuel bills by making their homes more energy efficient.
E.ON has committed to spend £59m on tariffs and services between April 2008 and March 2011 to help customers affordably heat their homes. E.ON also conducted the Challenge 100 project, working with 100 families across the country to see a positive change in fuel poverty levels within 100 days. This project was focused on helping families in Birmingham, Luton, Manchester, County Durham and South Staffordshire.
The Employee Community Fund invites applications from employees for funding of up to £2,000 for charities and community organisations that support educational projects or vulnerable people. This directs E.ON charitable giving to the charities and community groups close to the hearts of E.ON colleagues.
E.ON also has a number of volunteering schemes for colleagues. These include supporting educational projects, programmes that provide support for vulnerable people, and working within the community as teams on a community challenge. E.ON works with community partners such as BITC through the CARES programme to ensure that colleagues’ efforts are targeted in the most effective way.
In addition, the E.ON Energy Experience has been created to support teachers to educate pupils aged 5-16 about energy. The resources help young people to understand about the different sources of energy, the options for future energy production and what their choices will mean locally, nationally and globally. E.ON has worked closely with the education community to ensure that the programme offers an exciting interactive resource.
For details on other projects and community initiatives that led to E.ON UK achieving the CommunityMark, please visit www.eon-uk.com/community.
