See how we’re addressing the climate emergency with the public sector, governments, businesses and communities.
Powering change, transforming lives
Our year in numbers
Foreword
Delivering the biggest impact
As the climate emergency deepens, we must not stand still. Instead, we’ll maximise our reach and impact to change lives, address the crisis and protect our future.
Barbara Anderson, chair, Energy Saving Trust
Led by our chair, Barbara Anderson, we’re committed to accelerating progress towards net zero. We’re providing targeted advice that’s built on evidence and expertise so everyone can act on the climate emergency. Read Barbara’s take on how our 2023/24 impact is giving the UK a greener future.
Going for growth
We’re embracing emerging technology and developing innovative digital products that draw on our knowledge and data to offer tailored information and advice.
Mike Thornton, chief executive, Energy Saving Trust
Expanding our digital services is just one way we’re delivering growth at scale to address the climate emergency. Our chief executive, Mike Thornton, reflects on how our growth is helping the UK reach net zero by 2050.
Our vision
We want everyone to benefit from a net zero future.
We’re a passionate team, dedicated to making change happen. We work with the public sector, governments, businesses and communities to help the UK save energy and reduce carbon emissions.
We want everyone to have healthier homes, cleaner air, and a greener future.
If you want to work with us, talk to us today.
Our work with public sector
Expert delivery
The public sector plays a vital role in addressing the climate emergency with funding, legislation, advice and infrastructure.
We help governments and statutory bodies lower their carbon emissions, grow the green economy and reduce fuel poverty. We do this by using our in-depth energy efficiency knowledge and our extensive experience of managing grants.
Distributing project funding
In 2023/24 we changed lives in 222,500 homes across Great Britain by delivering a record-breaking £34 million of grants through Ofgem’s Energy Redress Scheme. The scheme’s priority is helping those most at risk from high energy bills.
Last year, its grants supported projects including the award-winning Energise Barnsley, which helps older people on low incomes save money through solar panel power and battery storage.
Our expert sector knowledge has helped us design a fair, transparent scheme. When Redress funding increased by £28 million in 2023/24, we responded by expanding our team and refining our operations. Since 2018, we’ve allocated £117 million to 536 energy projects via Redress.
Energy Saving Trust’s experts helped a lot in shaping and delivering our Redress Innovation grant. Our tenants benefitted from electricity bill savings and we’d happily work together again to deliver more impact for our residents in Barnsley.
Energise Barnsley
Helping Northern Ireland’s households
We distributed £7.4 million last year through the Northern Ireland Sustainable Energy Programme to help people make energy upgrades to their homes. We also partnered with the Northern Ireland Housing Executive to launch an online home energy saving tool.
Supporting the electric vehicle switch
Electric vehicle owners in England will soon access 3,400 extra public charge points. That’s because in 2023/24 we administered £57 million to local authorities by approving public and private sector funding for this critical infrastructure through our work with the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund.
Streamlining loans with EY
In partnership with this global consultancy, we introduced the EY grants and loans accelerator. This digital platform streamlines processes across five Scottish Government sustainable energy loan schemes. People can now apply for and get funding more quickly, and access online updates on the progress of their loans.
One-stop energy shops
Our one-stop energy shops give people access to tailored advice and information on home energy improvements and sources of funding.
Our flagship service, Home Energy Scotland, is funded by the Scottish Government. Last year, it gave free energy advice to 128,791 people and generated an estimated £4.7 million lifetime saving on energy bills for low-income, potentially fuel poor households.
So helpful and endless supply of useful tips. Professional, understanding and so approachable.
In 2023/24 we continued delivering Energy Advice London, funded by the Mayor of London. In total, 16,000 householders received online advice and 3,500 talked to a specialist advisor by phone or email.
We helped manage the Welsh Government warm homes Nest scheme, providing energy advice and referrals for energy efficiency home improvements to people across Wales. Our contract for this work has been extended for seven more years.
Our work with business
Helping you help your customers
Last year our trusted experts delivered training, webinars and online information to help SMEs with their net zero plans. These free resources were used more than 28,000 times last year.
We help businesses of all sizes and from a range of sectors. Our proven carbon reduction strategies and digital tools save them money and enhance their environmental, social and governance credentials.
Supporting Scottish SMEs
Last year, we provided 1,384 bespoke energy saving improvement reports to 969 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). SMEs went on to make these improvements because we also helped them access £5.5 million in interest free loans and £2.4 million in cashback grants.
We achieved this by running Business Energy Scotland for the Scottish Government. It provides free, impartial advice to help SMEs save energy, carbon and money.
Without the help of Business Energy Scotland experts, we would have made some of the changes but it would have taken us three or four years. Business Energy Scotland has supercharged the transformation.
Company Bakery
Our experts have advised one Edinburgh bakery on how it could make its premises and operations more energy efficient and cut carbon emissions by 66%. And the owners of a Victorian holiday let can now cut their energy bills by £9,500 and lower their CO2e by 70% annually.
Tailored home energy advice
Homewise helps the public and private sectors save their customers energy. This easy-to-use tool analyses the impact of energy efficiency improvements on people’s homes and offers a tailored action plan. See how Waltham Forest Council used Homewise.
Partnering with Airbnb
With Airbnb we developed an online hub offering ‘hosts’ a home energy efficiency assessment. Hosts can also access AI-powered tools to find local grants, installers and financing options from NatWest. We distributed grant funding to Airbnb hosts, delivering an estimated lifetime savings of 3,320 tonnes of CO2e.
A new green toolkit
As part of the Green Home Finance Accelerator, we’re working with TrustMark and the Residential Logbook Association to pilot a toolkit for financial service companies. This helps lenders create an energy improvement package for homebuyers and integrate other advice into their green finance offers.
Policy
Energy policy expertise
In 2023 it looked increasingly likely many of the UK’s net zero targets would be missed. The UK Government rolled back its ambition in key areas, but our evidence showed that the right policies could cut carbon and cost at the same time.
With its ambitions for achieving clean power by 2030, the new UK Government has goals in areas that overlap with our significant expertise and experience. In 2024/25, we’ll continue to press for impartial home energy advice and low-cost green finance for everyone.
If you want to know about our work with governments, nationally and locally, then talk to us today.
Influencing climate policy
As a trusted authority on energy policy, we were commissioned by the Climate Change Committee to analyse countries’ responses to the energy crisis and define lessons for the UK, working with the Green Alliance. Our in-depth research highlighted 12 initiatives that could address gaps in UK climate policy.
Giving expert evidence
We gave evidence to three parliamentary select committees in 2023/24, drawing on our energy expertise on energy bills, preparing for winter and home heating. We were asked to present evidence on domestic energy bills to the Energy Security and Net Zero Commons select committee and our responses were included in select committee reports.
Champions of equal access
We brought together home energy improvement experts to discuss a free, impartial advice service for England and produced a report for policy makers. In Northern Ireland, we advocated for a national one-stop energy shop and outlined this proposal in evidence to the Department for Economy’s energy strategy consultation.
People and communities
It’s amazing when like-minded people collaborate on something they’re truly passionate about. For us, this is especially true when it comes to addressing the climate emergency. We support communities to develop renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.
We also support people by running energy savings campaigns so they can lower their energy bills and reduce their carbon footprint.
Community renewable energy
In 2023/24, we supported 288 community organisations in Scotland and offered over £5 million in funding for renewable energy plans as part of the delivery team for the Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES).
CARES provides free expert advice to help charities and other local organisations benefit from the energy transition to net zero. It also offers funding and support to make it easier for communities to get renewables projects off the ground.
Among the projects supported last year, CARES helped Duns Swimming Pool to install saving solar panels and enabled Acharacle Community Centre to fit an air source heat pump.
The centre is generally warmer and more pleasant to be in as the heat pump keeps all the rooms at a constant warm temperature. The loft insulation is also helping to keep the heat in.
Acharacle Community Centre
Our crucial campaigns
We reached over 10 million people last year by creating and sharing free, myth-busting guides on topics including solar panels and heat pumps. Through Heat Pump Heroes, we shared people’s experiences of installing heat pumps. And with Take Charge, we helped vulnerable people reduce their energy bills.
Collaboration in Europe
Working with European partners on Demo-Blog we made plans to develop a digital building logbook that gives people advice on how to improve the energy efficiency of their home. We will pilot the tool with people in Scotland to assess how effective it is at delivering impactful advice.
Low energy appliances
Under the Low Energy Inclusive Appliances (LEIA) programme, we’re accelerating clean energy access for people in the Global South. Successes include a battery-powered baby monitor for hospitals and a solar-powered egg incubator for farmers. Last year, LEIA awarded £970,000 in follow-up funding to projects with high market potential.
Our operations
Walking the walk
We’re committed to leading by example. Last year, we honed our strategy and hit key milestones on our own path to net zero.
We continued to lower the carbon emissions from our day-to-day operations.
Our net zero strategy
In 2023/24, our target was to reduce direct emissions from sources we own or control (scope one emissions) and indirect emissions from energy we buy (scope two emissions) by 42% by 2030 (from a 2020/21 base year). Last year we exceeded this goal, achieving a 74% decrease.
We moved our Edinburgh office to an EPC A rated building with better support for low emissions travel and we committed to switching to a greener pension fund.
We’re addressing the climate emergency through our day-to-day work and reducing our own greenhouse gas emissions as an organisation. We’re encouraged by our progress last year and we’re confident the next batch of measures will take us even further.
Energy Saving Trust
Supporting our colleagues
We’re committed to creating a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace. As a Disability Confident Committed employer, we support disabled employees and applicants to thrive.
The Foundation
Through the Youth Action Climate Fund, the Energy Saving Trust Foundation is empowering young people to act on climate issues. Last year, the Foundation committed £669,559 in grants to 18 organisations, funding projects like the Green Influencers initiative in Birmingham and a climate change festival in Morecambe.
Creating social value
As a mission driven business, we create social value through our public sector portfolio, demonstrating economic, social and environmental impact for local communities. In 2023/24 we celebrated a contribution equivalent to £1.75 million of social value across four areas: protecting the environment, creating new jobs, promoting equal opportunities and wellbeing.
Previous impact reports
- Impact report 2022/23 (PDF 4MB)
- Impact report 2021/22 (PDF 7MB)
- Impact report 2020/21 (PDF 1MB)
Last updated: 3 September 2024