Vulnerable Customers
Rising energy prices can create serious financial difficulties for vulnerable customers, which is why we’ve developed strategies in a number of our markets to help meet their needs.
Discount for Vulnerable Customers in Germany
In 2007, E.ON Bayern, an E.ON regional utility in southeast Germany, joined with Diakonie and Caritas, two Christian charitable organizations, to offer the country’s first discount on the electricity bills of vulnerable customers. All seven of our regional utilities in Germany have had similar programs in place since January 1, 2008. The discount has been offered to a total of 32,000 vulnerable electricity customers, making us Germany’s first energy utility to offer such a discount nationwide.
E.ON UK supports Energy-Saving Measures
In February 2006, E.ON UK launched CaringEnergy. The program is targeted at residential customers on low incomes in danger of suffering from fuel poverty, and ranges from free energy-saving tips to discounts (in some cases up to 100 percent) on energy-efficiency measures such as home insulation. In 2007 we helped 20,000 customers through the CaringEnergy service, with around 450 people receiving support via the CaringEnergy fund. The three year EUR2.9 million fund from E.ON UK offers a range of measures aimed at helping customers who are facing particular hardship. For instance, we can help by paying for the cost of repairing or installing heating.
Savings for Older People
E.ON UK also has schemes designed with older people in mind. It offers StayWarm, a product exclusively designed for the over-60s which aims to offer customers complete peace of mind. Once joined, the price customers pay will be fixed for twelve months from when they sign up, ensuring there are no unpleasant surprises on their winter energy bills. We currently have almost 300,000 customers registered with StayWarm.
We also work with Age Concern, the U.K.'s largest charity dedicated to working with and for older people. Age Concern and E.ON have been working together for a number of years to provide an energy product tailored to the needs of older people. The benefits include a guaranteed cold weather payment for all gas customers, and those aged 60 or over may receive an additional amount based upon the number of days the temperature is below freezing. We have over 200,000 customers on our Age Concern product, all of whom are eligible for reduced energy efficiency measures.
Making Access to Energy Easier
We work with local governments in Central Eastern Europe to support the public’s access to power and gas service. For example, we’ve partnered local governments in Hungary since 2005 in installing 600 electricity meters at customer premises in a program under which the governments financed the cost of about half the meters.
More information about this topic on other E.ON websites:
