The Gas Natural Fenosa Foundation in Santiago organises a training session from it Energy School.
The pioneer programme in Spain aims to train over 2000 professionals from the tertiary sector in good practices in saving and efficiency.
The initiative forms part of the Gas Natural Fenosa Energy Vulnerability Plan, a series of measures aimed at improving the management of vulnerable households and helping social services and third sector entities in their work with the most vulnerable people.
The Gas Natural Fenosa Foundation has organised a training session in Santiago de Compostela, in collaboration with the Social Workers’ Association of Galicia, within the framework of its Energy School. The aim of the session was to provide advice and training to those in a position of vulnerability in towns throughout Galicia.
The programme aims to train over 2000 social workers from the tertiary sector each year, in saving and energy efficiency practices, so that they can pass on this knowledge to people in need. The Energy School, which will be organising over 40 sessions in Galicia, will provide the instruments and materials to make the implementation of efficient practices viable in the homes of those most in need, and promote the understanding and follow-up of energy consumption in homes, as well as raise awareness on the programmes and actions of the Gas Natural Fenosa Foundation around energy poverty.
Furthermore, the School will publish informative guides and create a website to offer advice and measures for households to apply to reduce their energy bills and minimise the impact of energy vulnerability.
"This project is inspired by the model of solutions that is currently being introduced in countries such as Austria, Belgium and Hungary to alleviate energy poverty, and which comprises training programmes for professionals who work on a daily basis with those in a position of vulnerability. In these countries, the model has been a success and we hope that it will be the case here too,” says Martí Solà, General Manager of Fundación Gas Natural Fenosa.
Energy Vulnerability Plan
The GAS NATURAL FENOSA Energy Vulnerability Plan is the first such plan to be developed by a Spanish power company. The programme, which has already been implemented throughout Spain, contains over 20 measures of both operational and social characteristics aimed at strengthening and systemising the management of vulnerable customers and enhancing collaboration with third sector entities and communication with social services. In all, it represents an investment of €4.5 million per year.
Gas Natural Fenosa has already signed over 400 agreements with the authorities to protect vulnerable customers, covering over 95% of the population. These agreements and the Energy Vulnerability Plan have avoided power supplies being cut off to 24,000 people.
Furthermore, the operational measures already launched by the company include the creation of a Vulnerability Services Unit specifically aimed at responding to all those cases in which customers may find themselves in a situation of vulnerability. This unit is responsible for answering any call to the new 24/7 freephone number that the company has set up for vulnerable customers (900 724 900). The company has also increased the flexibility of its debt repayment system, offering customers the option to pay their bills in instalments that best suit their situation, with no down payment and no interest.
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