A project to reduce energy poverty in the most vulnerable households wins first prize at the Naturgy Foundation’s 6th Best Social Energy Initiative Awards

The Provivienda Association’s “Home Energy Saving Solutions” project won the first-place prize of €100,000 in the Naturgy Foundation’s 6th Best Social Energy Initiative Awards.

This initiative aims to improve the most vulnerable households’ access to energy and reduce energy poverty by diagnosing the energy needs of homes and implementing measures to make them more efficient, as well as providing training on consumption habits, energy saving methods, how to increase comfort levels, how to understand and optimise utility bills, how to benefit from the subsidised electricity rate and legal advice regarding energy consumption. Since its beginnings in 2018, this project carried out in the Canary Islands has helped more than 2,300 people to obtain notable benefits in both the short and long term. It helps people reduce the amount of their bills by implementing saving measures and using efficient devices. In addition, they learn about energy-saving methods and good consumption habits, which create a lasting change in their daily habits and have an impact on the environment.

Upon receiving the award, Fernando Rodríguez García, the Provivienda Association’s regional director in the Canary Islands, said that “the award recognises the work of all the professionals involved in the project and the monetary prize will allow us to have an even bigger impact by carrying out new, additional actions such as macro-efficiency reforms in people’s homes”.

The Tomillo Foundation received the runners-up prize of €50,000 for the “Vulnerable Young People, Agents of Social Change” project. This initiative aims to increase young people’s employability and make homes more energy-efficient with networked solutions. The aim is to promote energy savings, provide training to increase employment opportunities and prevent electrical risks in vulnerable households. It involves theoretical and hands-on training for socially vulnerable young people who are completing basic vocational training courses in electricity and electronics, administration or computer science. Once they have completed the theory section of the course, the students take part in hands-on training that involves carrying out audits and awareness-raising activities with families suffering socio-economic difficulties.

In addition, the Naturgy Foundation has awarded €10,000 to each of the finalist projects: Socaire Association with the “Energy Window” project; Arquia Foundation with the “Arquia/Well-being” initiative; Konecta Foundation with the “Green Jobs Hub” project; Integra Pirineus Private Foundation with “Give Life to the Forest”; Habitatge Social Foundation with the “Prometheus Project”; Institut Metrópoli with “Heat Guardians”; Generamés with “Clean Energy and Social Inclusion”; and Mohammad Nazrul Chowdhury Begun as founder of the “Trust Project”.

In 2025, 84 organisations from all over Spain — a 13.5% increase compared to the previous year — presented their projects and initiatives for this award, which offered an even bigger cash prize this year. Overall, the proposals received have a positive impact on more than 260,000 people.

The Chairman & CEO of Naturgy, Francisco Reynés, congratulated the award winners and thanked all the entities for the great work they do. “This award has established itself as a recognition that confirms Naturgy’s commitment to society. The quality and content of the projects presented justify our decision to increase the cash prize given out in these awards”. Reynés took the opportunity to highlight the work carried out by the Naturgy Foundation, “of which Naturgy feels not only responsible but also very proud”.

The Chairman of the Naturgy Foundation, Rafael Villaseca, acknowledged that “in society as a whole, there are many initiatives carried out by people who do many things. The Foundation wants to recognise organisations that do outstanding work. That is the aim of these awards”. He also congratulated the ten finalists for their high-impact projects focused on serving groups in situations of energy vulnerability.

The award recognises energy-related projects with a clear social purpose

Prior to the awards ceremony, 36 social entities, including the 10 finalists, had the opportunity to present their projects to attendees with the aim of exchanging opinions and finding points of collaboration in their joint endeavour to fight against energy poverty.

The members of this year’s jury, which was led by Manuel Bretón, Chairman of Cáritas Spain, included Alberto Núñez, S.J., Professor in the Department of General Management and Strategy at ESADE; Llum Delàs, trustee of the Esperanza Foundation; Father Ángel García Rodríguez, founder and Chairman of Mensajeros de la Paz (Messengers of Peace); Josep María Coronas Guinart, Director General of the ‘La Caixa’ Banking Foundation; Josep Ramoneda, Director of the European School of Humanities in Barcelona; María del Mar Pageo, President of the Spanish Red Cross; Gustavo Suárez Pertierra, President of the UNICEF Spanish Committee; the Deputy Chairman of the Naturgy Foundation, Jordi Garcia Tabernero (who also acted as Vice Chair of the jury); and General Manager of the Naturgy Foundation, María Eugenia Coronado.

A total of 422 applications received over the 6 years of the awards

The 84 projects submitted in 2025 join the 338 submitted in the five previous years. Together, over the past six years all these initiatives have benefited over 1.2 million people.

The winning initiatives in previous years were the Responsible Energy Foundation for its nationwide initiative focused on guaranteeing vulnerable families’ access to energy with a programme to combat energy poverty; the Spanish Red Cross for its comprehensive project to help people at risk of extreme poverty and exclusion; the “Access to Energy” project from Energy without Borders; “Plugged into Employment”, from the Exit Foundation; “Fostering Social Improvement for the Most Vulnerable in Spain Through Education and Facilitating Access to Energy”; and “No Home Without Power” from the Ecology and Development Foundation (Ecodes).

In the runners-up category, Cáritas Diocesana de Madrid was recognised for its project involving actions to reduce the environmental impact of the organisation’s work with people in situations of exclusion; as well as CÍRVITE-Plena Inclusión’s “First Sustainable Shelter in Spain with Passivhaus Certification for People with Disabilities” project; “Generating the Future” from the Norte Joven Association; “Holistic Support for Energy Vulnerability” from the Roure Foundation; and the “Financial Literacy for Families and Energy Poverty” programmes from the Isadora Duncan Foundation for Single-Parent Families.

Over the past six years, the Naturgy Foundation has delivered a total of over €680,000 in prizes to these entities, which undertake to use it in new social projects.

Naturgy Foundation

The Naturgy Foundation’s lines of action include transferring specialised knowledge on new energy technologies and the keys of the transition towards a more sustainable energy system, as well as disseminating values to preserve the environment and responsible energy consumption. In addition, it has a leading educational programme in the field of energy and also offers vocational training courses to improve employability in the sector and help promote green employment.

Created by the energy company in 1992, it runs social action programmes, with a special emphasis on initiatives aimed at alleviating energy vulnerability. The Naturgy Foundation’s Energy Vulnerability Plan, which has benefited more than 304,000 people since its launch in 2017, is the Foundation’s main activity to support families living in energy poverty. This Plan includes the Energy Rehabilitation Solidarity Fund, which has a great impact on minimising the effects of energy poverty. Since its launch in 2018, it has carried out express refurbishments in nearly 5,200 vulnerable homes and residential facilities.

To complement this Plan, the Naturgy Foundation promotes social innovation linked to renewable energies, making them more accessible to vulnerable groups with a view to improving their living conditions. It works alongside social organisations that run residential and care centres to carry out this type of project in their establishments

It also offers a corporate volunteering programme that has an impact in different areas. In 2024 alone, more than 1,200 volunteers carried out activities that have benefited more than 85,000 people since its launch in 2018.

The work carried out by the Naturgy Foundation would not be possible without the third-sector entities, foundations, educational centres, companies, universities and government bodies with which it weaves partnerships to build a better future. The sum of everyone’s efforts enable it to continue adding value and help create a more humane and sustainable society.