In 2024, British Gas Energy Trust marks 20 years since its establishment as a charitable trust, funded solely by British Gas. Over the past two decades, the Trust has invested nearly £200 million to combat fuel poverty, providing support to around 170,000 individuals in the last four years alone.
This report conducts social return on investment (SROI) analysis of the Trust’s operations from April 2020 to March 2024, and is preceded by a 2015 report looking at the social return on investment in the Trust since its creation.
The report finds that, in the latest financial year, every £1 spent by the Trust yielded £5.50 in social value. Grants to organisations offering money and energy advice services boasted the highest SROI ratio of £6.50, meaning every £1 of BGET’s funding to partner organisations generated £6.50 in social value. This was followed by direct grants to clear fuel debt arrears, for which the Individuals & Families (I&F) fund had an SROI of £2.60, and the Energy Support Fund (ESF) an SROI of £2.30, and lastly fuel vouchers (Financial Assistance Payments) had an SROI of £1.10. The relatively high SROI ratio for grants to organisations highlights the importance of combining energy debt relief with more holistic support.
British Gas Energy Trust- Alleviating the Impact of Fuel Poverty