Projects

Depher CIC

Location: UK

Depher CIC is UK-based social enterprise which provides free or heavily subsidised emergency plumbing and heating services to vulnerable older and disabled people. Depher stands for Disability and Elderly Plumbing and Heating Emergency Repair. The social enterprise was established in 2017 and has since supported over 17,000 people.

Depher relies significantly on public donations to cover all labour and materials, provides free services during winter months, and discounted during summer, on a range of emergency works including gas leaks, lack of heating and running hot water.

The NextEnergy Foundation supported Depher to address rising levels of poverty, particularly fuel-related poverty, across the UK. Together, we provided gas and electric support, as well as support in the form of food vouchers and school supplies, to low-income and single-parent families.

April 2022 Update: As at 21st April, 26 individuals and families have been supported through the payment of gas and electric bills and with the distribution of food vouchers. Depher is seeing the greatest need coming from people having to choose between heating and eating. Beneficiaries have included a single father struggling to buy food who recently got full custody for 2 boys; elderly individuals and couples; and, families referred to Depher by neighbours who recognised their struggles.

June 2022 Update: As at 27th June, 51 individuals and families have been supported. The beneficiaries extend across the UK, from Burnley to Barnsley, London to Liverpool.

September 2022 Update: As at 23rd September, 138 individuals and their families have been supported through the payment of gas and electric bills and with the provision of food vouchers. This map illustrates the distribution of the recipients across the UK with an enlarged section for the London postcodes. Although NEF agreed to provide support through the payment of bills and the provision of both food vouchers and school supplies, Depher is seeing the greatest need coming from people affected by rising fuel costs.

January 2023 Update: At the end of January, the Foundation’s donation had reached 427 individuals and families across the UK.

Location: UK

In 2022, NextEnergy Foundation (“NEF”) supported 450 vulnerable individuals and families by paying their gas and electric bills and distributing food vouchers together with Depher. Part of NEF’s donation was also allocated towards buying school uniform and supplies for children.

For more information about how NEF has responded to fuel poverty in Italy, please visit the Banco dell’Energia project page on our website. You can also see how our Early Careers Programme participants made their own contribution to fuel poverty alleviation in the UK here: NextEnergy Group Tackles Fuel Poverty with National Energy Action – NextEnergy Foundation.

July 2023 Update: Since March, we have reached 109 vulnerable individuals and families. With the warmer weather, most of the donation has been allocated to food shops instead of paying for gas and electricity bills.

September 2023 Update: Between March and August, we reached 179 vulnerable individuals and families. With the start of the new school term, support with school supplies expected to increase. This map illustrates the UK coverage.

November 2023 Update: Between March and November we reached 219 vulnerable individuals and families. In the last 10 days of November alone, 32 e-vouchers to cover bills were distributed.

January 2024 Update: Between March and the end of December 2023, we reached 359 vulnerable individuals and families. 61% of these received support since the last update in November 2023.

During the summer months, most of the donation was allocated to food shops instead of paying for gas and electricity bills. With the colder weather, Depher has been distributing e-vouchers which are mostly being used to cover gas and electricity bills.