Every Penny Feeds: Leith’s Utilita supports North East Foodbank

The Utilita Energy Hub team in Leith has donated £1,500 to Edinburgh North East Foodbank, as part of Utilita’s vital ‘Every Penny Feeds’ initiative.

The nationwide fundraiser saw Utilita donate a penny for every smart meter top-up made via the award-winning My Utilita app throughout December 2020, raising £17,000 in total for foodbank charities across the UK. The initiative is part of Utilita’s pledge for its customer-facing staff to deliver at least 10,000 hours’ worth of time supporting foodbanks across the UK in 2021. 

Charities receiving the donations include UK wide food charity FareShare, London-based The Felix Project, and six local foodbanks across the Utilita Energy Hub network. With around two million UK households having used a foodbank in the UK in 2020 – an extra 300,000 more than in 2019^[1] – the valuable donations will help to provide meals for families and individuals experiencing poverty during the pandemic.

Alison Roxburgh, Manager of Edinburgh North East Foodbank, commented on the donation: “Edinburgh North East Foodbank, which covers the Leith area, supported 4,159 individuals and families with emergency food parcels last year.

“As we continue to live in uncertain times, with the country still in lockdown, the furlough scheme coming to an end, and job security in the balance, we anticipate an increase in those seeking support from the foodbank. 

“It is thanks to the ongoing support and generosity of companies like Utilita that enables us to provide that much needed support to people within our community.”

Debra Clason, Hub Manager of the Utilita Energy Hub in Leith, commented: “As a Leither, born and bred, I know how proud people are in this community and how they pull together. 

“The fact that so many people have had to go to friends and family for support and rely on the foodbank shows how hard things are for people at the moment. The Utilita Energy Hub in Leith is proud to be able to support the most vulnerable in our community by supporting the foodbank and their sterling work.”

Donations from the ‘Every Penny Feeds’ initiative have gone to:

• FareShare – The UK’s national network of charitable food redistributors, made up of 18 independent organisations, which takes good quality surplus food from across the food industry and delivers it to almost 11,000 frontline charities and community groups – received £6,000
• The Felix Project (a member of the FareShare Network) – Delivers fresh, nutritious food that cannot be sold to charities and schools in London so they can provide healthy meals to help the vulnerable – received £2,000
• Southampton City Mission – A Christian charity which has five foodbanks and two clothes banks in locations throughout the city – received £1,500
• Friends of the Homeless – Provides short-term practical support to anyone in a crisis or an emergency situation in Fareham and Gosport – received £1,500
• Edinburgh North East Foodbank – A foodbank run in partnership with local churches in North East Edinburgh – received £1,500  
• Springwater Community Group – A local community group in Derby which delivers surplus food from supermarkets to people and families who are going through financial difficulties – received £1,500  
• Isle of Wight Foodbank – Helps those struggling with food poverty and short-term crisis on the Isle of Wight – received £1,500
• Salma Foodbank – An emergency foodbank that delivers food to the doors of individuals and families in the West Midlands – received £1,500

As a direct response to the Coronavirus pandemic, Utilita – the only energy company created to help households use less energy – introduced measures to reassure and promote a ‘worry-free’ experience for all customers, especially those experiencing hardship or vulnerability.

In 2020 alone, Utilita issued £8.5m in account credits at zero interest for customers facing financial difficulty through its ‘Power Up’ feature in the My Utilita app, or via a customer call. Utilita’s dedicated Extra Care Team has also called every customer aged 80 and over to advise them on all the ways to top-up and stay on supply.

Central to helping people save money is the Utilita Energy High 5 movement, which enables every household to use around £163 less energy each year by making five free and easy-to-follow changes at home.

More than two million households have engaged with the movement so far – every household can benefit – not just Utilita customers, to start saving today.

Find out more: www.utilita.co.uk/energyhigh5