Naturgy Foundation Strengthens its Partnership with the Red Cross, Becoming a Benchmark in Energy Vulnerability
For yet another year, the Naturgy Foundation and the Red Cross have renewed the agreement they have maintained since 2017 to drive initiatives combating energy vulnerability. Over the course of this partnership, more than 20,600 families have been supported.
The Naturgy Foundation and the Red Cross have renewed their partnership for the eighth consecutive year, working together through various social programmes to address energy vulnerability. Over the course of this collaboration, the two organisations have supported more than 20,600 families, including 1,850 families in the past year alone.
The Naturgy Foundation is the energy organisation that has maintained the longest and most committed partnership with the Red Cross, becoming a benchmark in tackling energy vulnerability. This achievement is thanks to initiatives such as the Energy Rehabilitation Solidarity Fund, the Energy School, and the volunteering programme. These projects are complemented by more recent efforts, such as rural information points aimed at helping families in areas far from major cities.
Volunteering has been one of the pillars of this alliance, with mixed volunteer teams sharing their expertise and enhancing the support provided to families.
Next year, the Naturgy Foundation and the Red Cross are set to continue focusing on their current programmes, doubling their efforts with on-site volunteer support in vulnerable households and increasing assistance in provinces identified as having the greatest need for energy poverty intervention. The aim is to amplify the impact of the programme.
The renewal of the agreement was signed by Jordi Garcia Tabernero, Vice President of the Naturgy Foundation; María Eugenia Coronado, General Director of the foundation; and María del Mar Pageo Giménez, President of the Spanish Red Cross. Through this agreement, the Naturgy Foundation commits to maintaining its contribution of resources to provide comprehensive energy-related support.
Garcia Tabernero highlighted the importance of the long-standing relationship between the two organisations, emphasising that their collaboration is essential for improving the quality of life of those most in need. “This alliance demonstrates that when we work together with social organisations, the results are clear, amplified, and highlight the value of the social programmes we drive from the private sector, which generate a significant social impact.”
For her part, María del Mar Pageo Giménez stated, “For the Red Cross, it is a privilege to work for and with people alongside the Naturgy Foundation on the issue of energy vulnerability, using all the tools at our disposal and supported by the crucial work carried out by our volunteers.” She also remarked that “having a partner like the Naturgy Foundation strengthens all the work we do at the Red Cross to improve people’s quality of life and allows us to expand its reach and, in turn, its impact.”
Similarly, Coronado stated that “collaborations like this enable us to connect with the most vulnerable families, understand their needs, and assist them through training, guidance, and interventions in their homes. That is why the Foundation’s commitment is aimed at ensuring people’s well-being, which is also the progress of society.”
Comprehensive Plan to Combat Energy Poverty
The collaboration initiated in 2017 has enabled the Naturgy Foundation and the Red Cross to manage the rehabilitation of 1,636 homes belonging to vulnerable families. These families have benefited from improved energy efficiency in their homes and savings on utility expenses. These efforts are made possible with the backing of the Energy Rehabilitation Solidarity Fund established by the energy company’s foundation.
Additionally, under this agreement, hundreds of people benefited last year from energy training sessions provided by the Naturgy Foundation’s Energy School, as well as by Naturgy and the Red Cross volunteers. These sessions, attended by vulnerable families, the Red Cross technicians, and volunteers, covered basic concepts related to contracts, bills, and updates to regulations, as well as tips for optimising energy use at home. To date, more than 1,200 training sessions and workshops have been carried out.
None of this would be possible without the volunteers from both organisations. They will continue their efforts by conducting audits in these homes and offering guidance to vulnerable families regarding energy consumption and service payments. To date, the Naturgy Foundation has distributed over 15,700 micro-efficiency kits to Red Cross beneficiaries.
In addition, the two organisations also have the ‘Mobile Energy Information Points’ project, which aims to expand awareness and information activities on energy-related topics to other groups across different parts of the country, assisting a total of 6,826 people during 2024. These mobile units visited a total of 74 municipalities in sparsely populated areas of Spain over the past year: 19 in Barcelona, 12 in Murcia, 15 in Huelva, 11 in Sevilla, and 17 in Valencia. Their objective is to provide information on the subsidised rate, energy rates, and home efficiency measures, among other topics of interest. Going forward, the Naturgy Foundation and the Red Cross aim to cover all of Spain, aligning with heatwaves and cold spells, to educate and raise awareness among the population regarding energy savings.
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