A force for social good
After almost three decades in the energy business, it was clear to me there’s a better way.
So we pulled together fresh minds and passionate experts to build a positive, ethical energy company. One that will stop people overpaying for their gas and electricity. And one that will invest profits back into our city.
Customers from the Shetlands to the Isles of Scilly have responded to our call. And every single one of them is helping us to make a positive difference.
Peter Haigh, Managing Director
We care
For us, giving great customer service is everything. So we’re proud to be rated “great” on Trust Pilot.
Our Bristol-based customer care team is packed full of helpful, passionate experts. And we know you’re busy, so we’ll help you in quick time too.
We answer the phone in 40 seconds. And can answer your questions in less than 10 minutes.
Or come and see us in person. We’re the only energy supplier to offer customer care in our Bristol city centre Hub and out in local communities.
We’re only two years old, but our great service has been recognised as better than most of our competitors:
- Trustpilot 4* Great
- uSwitch puts us 4th for customer care in 2018, out of 33 suppliers rated
- Citizens Advice rates us in their top 10
- Which? put us 11th in their annual customer satisfaction survey, ahead of household names like Good Energy, M&S Energy, Co-Op Energy and British Gas.
We've campaigned for what's right
We were among the first small suppliers to voluntarily give fuel-poor pensioners the Warm Home Discount: a £140 discount on their bills.
And we went to Westminster to campaign for a price cap on expensive standard variable prices, because no one should be overpaying to heat their homes or cook a hot meal. We’re pleased to see this becoming a reality this winter.
Our positive energy
We will reinvest our profits back into our founding city. And as we grow, we’ll use our energy to make a positive difference in local communities.
Fuel poverty is a serious issue in Bristol and nationwide.
We'd wrap ourselves in blankets and duvets day and night, but we couldn't keep warm.
We set up to the Fuel Good Fund to help keep local families warm and well in their homes. And we’ll donate up to £30 when people switch using the code FuelGood.
Our Fuel Good Fund will support a project called “Warmer Homes and Money”. This brings together energy advice, debt advice and simple home repairs, and is having life-changing results.
We’re also inspiring the city to act. Our No Cold Homes event in November last year brought together people from across health, charity, energy, housing and local authority sectors. We’re now a passionate group of people with one mission: No Cold Homes in Bristol by 2028.
We supported the Bristol Sport Foundation too. It sends high quality sports coaches into primary schools in Bristol, helping children to get active and find a sport they love.
This summer, we’ve launched a new partnership with FareShare to help fund 10,000 meals and fight hunger and food waste in the city.
When people switch their gas and electricity quoting FARESHARE we will donate £30. FareShareSW distributes surplus food to community groups, hostels, breakfast clubs and homeless shelters.
Our Energy
We believe in backing green energy, to build a sustainable future.
That’s why we purchase our renewable electricity directly from the people, businesses, charities and organisations that generate it. We’re also the only publicly-owned energy supplier to offer green energy, so you can go green and give back.
Our energy comes from people like Tim, who generates solar power on his factory roof, and David the farmer, who now farms wind as well as sheep.
I think there’s a fantastic opportunity for people wanting to generate power in this country. If we’re going to be cutting back on fossil fuels, we’re going to need a lot more renewable energy.
David Eyles, sheep farmer and one of our generators, Cornwall
We also work with charities like the National Trust, and community energy groups like Ynni Teg - whose profits will support their local school.
This year, we teamed up with local food waste and renewable energy company GENeco to turn the sewage waste from 1 million Bristol people into green gas for our customers. So no flush goes to waste.
Our My Green Plus customers get 100% green electricity and 15% green gas. And it’s only £5 month more than our standard (national) fixed deal
And it's only £5 per month more than our standard (national) fixed deal.
Our electricity is getting greener as we grow, and we're aiming for 60% renewable electricity in our fuel mix for this year.
This year, we teamed up with the WWF and the Big Clean Switch. To celebrate Earth Hour we gave their members the chance to go Super Green with 100% green electricity and 100% green gas.
Our People
It’s our team that makes us special: 180 talented and socially-minded folk, all passionate about giving something back to our city.
Bristol Energy colleagues spend one working day each year volunteering in our city.
Our mental health is as important as our physical health. That’s why we’ve trained eight colleagues to be ‘mental health first aiders’, to provide support across our teams.
Meet Charlotte, one of our mental health first aiders.
I think it’s fantastic that we’re investing time in doing the right thing... Sometimes, everyone needs to have a chat about how they’re feeling.
Charlotte, Bristol Energy mental health first-aider
We know that helping to improve someone’s mental health can be life-changing. But did you know it can also financially benefit a city? Our first aiders have helped five people so far this year. Using the mental health social value calculator, we’ve worked out the social value impact to the city in pounds and pence: £47,000.
What else do we do to support our team
- We’re a proud Living Wage Foundation employer.
- We have two apprentices, one in our customer care and one in IT.
- We were the first Bristol business to sign up as a Fostering Friendly employer.
- We’re also a proud Disability Confident Employer. This is helping us recruit and retain people with a disability. And helping us positively change attitudes to disability in the business sector.
The Future
We’ll spread more positive energy across our city. We’ll get greener. We’ll do more to tackle fuel poverty. And we’ll make a profit to invest back into Bristol.
According to a recent survey by think tank Legatum and Populus, 77% of the public back public ownership of energy.
We’re not surprised. People care about their community, about their well-being, and about keeping things local.
Energy suppliers can play a part in that. More companies should put people before profit.
