The British Gas Energy Trust is an independent charitable trust, established in 2004 and solely funded by British Gas. Its mission is to alleviate the detrimental impact of poverty, with a focus on fuel poverty. Support is available to all individuals and households, regardless of their energy supplier.
Assistance is delivered through four principal programmes: debt relief grants direct to households with up to £2,000 in energy debt; a small grants scheme, delivered through a network of trusted partners, which provides emergency energy vouchers and essential white goods; funding for over 40 money and energy advice projects across Britain; and an outreach programme that brings expert money and energy advice directly into the heart of communities.
Since its launch, the British Gas Energy Trust has provided consistent, financial help for vulnerable households and remains one of the largest, grant giving energy Trusts in the UK – since 2004 over £220 million has been invested to help over 760,000* people manage their household budgets and energy costs.
The Trust is governed by an independent Board of voluntary Trustees and lead by the Chief Executive, who runs the Trust with a dedicated team, who bring with them a range of relevant experience from within the money advice, energy, charitable and financial sectors.
“I can attest to the transformative impact of [the Trust’s] funding. A key strength lies in their collaborative approach, respecting the expertise of funded organisations to address local needs effectively. This autonomy has led to diverse and impact responses across different organisations.”
Martin Lord, Consortium Director, Citizens Advice Essex
*Figures are based on historic records and sources, some of which are not audited accounts.