Organisations from across Dorset have been brought together by gas distribution network SGN to unite in helping over 102,000 households living in fuel poverty.
Representatives from 11 vulnerability partnerships working across the county came together to share ideas and opportunities for collaboration and cross-referrals at the SGN Safe & Warm Partnership Network event. It provided a chance for partners to network, share what has been working well and highlight opportunities for further development.
The organisations and charities that attended all support a wide range of people such as families with young children, those with acute health conditions, the bereaved and terminally ill, and carers. Our event brought together local councils, the health sector and social housing providers alongside organisations that work with our targeted fuel poverty programmes to introduce energy safeguards that help those most vulnerable maintain a safe and warm home. This included Action Hampshire, Citizens Advice East Dorset and Purbeck, Cruse Bereavement, Dorset Fire and Rescue Service, Home-Start Wessex and Blackmore Vale, Kidney Care UK, National Energy Foundation and Sue Ryder.
Research from National Energy Action shows that 5.6m households in England are living in fuel poverty*, driven by energy efficiency challenges, energy costs and household income. Nearly half of low-income households are living in hard to heat homes, and the rate of improving homes to an acceptable standard is well below what is needed to lift people out of fuel poverty by a target date of 2030.
SGN’s Safe & Warm Partnership Network event was targeted at our partners working in Dorset, both locally and as part of national programmes. We invited organisations to join together and draw on each other’s expertise and specialist services, with the hope of increasing cross-referrals for vulnerable customers to receive tailored support based on their needs.
The event also launched a new partnership with Ridgewater Energy, providing 1,200 home visits to Dorset households to offer practical ways to reduce energy costs and increase energy efficiency. The new service will also help eligible households sign up to the Priority Services Register, deliver energy workshops, distribute carbon monoxide (CO) alarms and offer energy crisis support by providing heated throw blankets, winter warmth packs and water saving devices.
Peter Bywater, Managing Director at Ridgewater Energy, said: “It’s been a great opportunity to network with the other local and national partners, to explore how we can work together, support and collaborate throughout our project period. By working together and sharing best practice, we can demonstrate how the partnership has positively impacted on people who are in fuel poverty, living with a health condition or need additional support to stay safe and warm at home. Huge thanks to SGN for partnering with a wide range of organisations and providing support that makes a real difference.”
Kerry Potter, Group Social Impact and Vulnerability Manager at SGN, said: “Bringing together our regional partners plays a vital role in supporting vulnerable customers in their own homes – it enables opportunities for shared learning, networking, collaboration and exploring ways of joined up working, so we’re delighted to have hosted so many of our partners in Dorset. We work with an extensive network of around 120 community partners across our southern England and Scotland networks, all with the shared ambition of supporting households who are struggling to maintain a safe and warm home.”
* This is based on the definition of low-income households spending more than 10% of their income on their energy bills. Data correct as of July 2024.
