Exeter Community Energy wins Energy Efficiency Award in outstanding vulnerable customer support

Exeter Community Energy (ECOE) has won a South West Energy Efficiency Award 2020/21. The award recognises ECOE as a leading UK social enterprise for vulnerable customer support. The award comes thanks to ECOE’s outstanding work in the environmental sector and its clear impact in its local communities. Specifically, the award recognises outstanding work during 2020’s pandemic.

From September 2020-March 2021 ECOE’s Healthy Homes for Wellbeing anti-fuel poverty project helped 1145 households to save over £1m collectively. That's nearly £900 per household on average. During the first lockdown ECOE switched to a telephone-based service. It also proactively contacted people already on its database offering a new kind of support. Alongside our usual energy advice, its team also offered to shop and collect medical supplies. ECOE’s advisors also signposted key Covid support services For some people they became 'befrienders', making weekly or monthly telephone calls as needed, as another highlight.

Commenting on the award, Healthy Homes project manager Tara Bowers said:

“We’re delighted that this award has recognised our vital work in the community. Our team of advisors work tirelessly to find solutions to householder issues. Now that we are back out in the community and delivering home visits once again, we can see quite clearly that our support is needed more than ever.”

The latest award reflects ECOE’s position as a pioneer for community-owned renewable energy projects. The Healthy Homes for Wellbeing project provides free year-round energy and money-saving advice to vulnerable people in Exeter and surrounding districts. This keeps people warm and secure in their homes as the energy crisis grows.