British Gas gives £20 million funding boost to the British Gas Energy Trust

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• British Gas has announced it will donate a further £20 million to the British Gas Energy Trust as the organisation marks 20 years of providing essential support to those in fuel poverty.
• The energy provider has contributed over £200 million since the launch of the Trust in 2004, helping more than 2.2 million people across the UK.
• British Gas is the only supplier who supports the customers of other energy suppliers, and this donation will ensure help is available in the years to come.
• The British Gas Energy Support Fund is open and now providing grants up to £2,000

British Gas has announced a £20 million donation to the British Gas Energy Trust as the organisation marks twenty years of tackling fuel poverty across the UK. The British Gas Energy Trust is an independent charity solely funded by British Gas and, as well as directly helping all consumers with grants, it also works with and provides funding to other money and energy advice projects.

The average energy bill was £522 in January 2004 with wholesale costs rising which prompted British Gas to set up the British Gas Energy Trust to help those struggling to afford their energy bills. British Gas has now donated over £200 million to the charity since then, helping more than 2.2 million people across the UK. With the average bill now at £1,928 under the price cap the Trust will continue to support people in the years to come.

The Trust’s work has been especially instrumental during the energy crisis and in the last 12 months,  writing off £5.2 million worth of energy debts and providing £20.5 million in grants to help those struggling with energy costs. The families supported are in, or at risk of, fuel poverty – in addition to this 30% of clients supported are single parent families, 61% are living with a disability and 20% are food bank users.

In 2021, a specific British Gas Energy Support Fund was also set up by the Trust in response to the cost-of-living crisis to support British Gas customers. This fund is open for applications via the British Gas Energy Trust website as well as the Individual and Families Fund which offers grants up to £2,000 to all consumers. The grant size has been increased for 2024 (up from £1,500 maximum grant size last year) to acknowledge that some need extra help.  

Chris O’Shea, Chief Executive of Centrica, said: “We know that many people across the UK are still struggling with the cost of living and need support with their energy bills, and we want to make sure we’re doing everything we can to help. That’s why we have a £100 million support package in place and have committed £20 million to enable the Trust to continue to support people in financial hardship - through grants, energy and advice services.

“The work of the British Gas Energy Trust for the last twenty years is something I’m especially proud of and it has helped us reach those who need it most during the energy crisis. We’ve also been able to introduce new initiatives like our Post Office Pop Ups to provide face to face support to all consumers. Even when living costs ease, there will always be people that need this help, and we will continue to work with the Trust.”

Jessica Taplin, CEO of the British Gas Energy Trust, said: “Since the Trust was founded 20 years ago, it has made significant difference to the lives of the most financially vulnerable people in communities across Britain.

“The ongoing cost of living crisis will continue to hit the poorest people the hardest and, as an organisation, our ambition is to deliver the help and support needed to break the cycle of energy deprivation and help people avoid the burden of energy debt.

“We are forever grateful for the support we receive from British Gas as their funding makes all of our work possible. The £20 million donation will allow us to continue to help people in financial hardship meet their energy needs and improve their money management skills.”