Ebico teams up with Groundwork to tackle fuel poverty
Howard Lake | 15 April 2009 | News
Ebico commits £120,000 to save over 1,000 UK homes from fuel poverty
The UK’s only not-for-profit energy company, Ebico, has committed £120,000 to UK environmental charity Groundwork, to help 1,250 households out of fuel poverty and save £100,000 per year on their fuel bills. The funds will support the implementation of the ‘Green Doctor’ programme in fuel poor homes around the southeast of England and South Wales.
The Green Doctor programme is the first initiative to be funded by the Ebico Trust, which was set up to combat fuel poverty in the UK and promote sustainable development.
“Ten years ago we set up Ebico because we could see that the so-called ‘liberalisation’ of the market would result in losers as well as winners, and the success of Ebico is living proof that there is market solution that works for everyone. As a result of our success in growing Ebico over the last decade, we are in a position to put what surplus income we have into The Ebico Trust, which has been set up with the same vision and mission as Ebico, to eradicate fuel poverty in the UK,” says Phil Levermore, co-founder and managing director of Ebico.
With the economy in turmoil and high gas and electricity prices continuing, the Green Doctor programme will be on-call to help cash-strapped householders by giving them advice and assistance that will improve the energy efficiency of their homes and save them money. The ‘Green Doctors’ will be targeting homes in North London, Reading/Slough and South Wales.
The scheme will see fully trained experts make free house calls to conduct energy use audits. Using a combination of technical and non-technical measures, from fitting draught excluders to topping up loft insulation, the two-year programme will help 1,250 households save £100,000 per year while reducing CO2 emissions by up to 680 tonnes each year.
“We are extremely proud to be part of the Groundwork ‘Green Doctor’ programme which not only delivers social benefits but environmental ones too,” continues Phil Levermore.
Groundwork Chief Executive, Tony Hawkhead, agrees the Green Doctors will have a massive impact on low-income households, adding, “Tenants of rented accommodation can be at the mercy of their landlords when it comes to energy performance.
“They also tend to be poorer than those who own their own homes and less able to cope with the financial consequences of fuel poverty caused by badly insulated or draughty accommodation.
“The Green Doctor is not just about handing out light-bulbs and loft insulation. It’s also about helping them to apply for grant aid for home improvements, as well as helping them gear up for climate change.”
ENDS
For further information contact:
Kim Hawke, Senior Consultant, Futerra
T: 079 848 02435, 0207 549 4707
E: ki*@fu*****.uk
NOTES TO EDITORS
The Green Doctor
· Green Doctors work to improve the environmental performance of homes by offering specialist and personalised advice and support while conducting energy use audits. Green Doctors are also able to direct householders towards subsidised grants and services.
· In a three-year period Green Doctors in Leicestershire visited 265 low-income homes each year and reduced carbon emissions by 68.15 tonnes with financial savings of £9,971.
· Green Doctors in Leeds visited 200 low-income homes in one year and reduced carbon emissions by 188.7 tonnes with financial savings on average of £110 per household
About Ebico
· Ebico Ltd was founded in 1998 and is the UK’s only not-for-profit gas and electricity company aiming to offer a better, fairer deal for domestic energy to British households.
· Ebico’s tariff’s work by using the combined purchasing power of all their customers to achieve ethical results that benefit everybody – while putting first those who are on low incomes. Ebico charges a single flat rate and has no standing charge, so customers only pay for what they use.
· Ebico is at the forefront of fair energy pricing, with over 50,000 UK homes already supplied with Ebico’s fair tariffs.
· For more information about the Ebico Fuel Poverty Challenge and to get some ideas on saving energy and reducing your fuel bills, please visit www.ebico.co.uk.
Advertisement
Groundwork
· Groundwork supports communities in need, working with partners to help improve the quality of people’s lives, their prospects and potential and the places where they live, work and play.
· Our vision is of a society of sustainable communities which are vibrant, healthy and safe, which respect the local and global environment and where individuals and enterprise prosper. www.groundwork.org.uk
Related posts
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.