Shadow Minister praises Eaga staff
Shadow Environment Secretary Peter Ainsworth took time out from the Conservative’s Tyneside Spring Conference today to meet front-line staff at green support services provider Eaga.
The MP for East Surrey was keen to see how energy efficiency schemes managed by Eaga, such as Warm Front, are making home heating greener and more affordable for some of the most vulnerable in society.
Warm Front provides grants of up to £2,700 for insulation and heating to households on qualifying benefits. Since 2000 it has assisted more than 1.6 million homes.
The first point of contact for most of these households are the 270 staff based in Eaga’s customer service centre in Gateshead – all of whom have undergone intensive training before qualifying with Eaga graduation certificates.
On average they handle between 25,000 and 32,000 calls each week and more than a million a year.
Following an initial phone contact Eaga can organise a home energy survey and where appropriate provide a range of heating, insulation and other energy efficiency improvements.
Mr Ainsworth said: “If we are serious about protecting the environment we must deliver solutions that reduce carbon emissions and at the same time address social issues such as fuel poverty. Energy efficiency must be accessible to all, and I was very impressed to see how passionate the call handling staff at Eaga are at putting this into practice by reaching out to those most in need.”
John Clough MBE, Eaga plc Chief Executive, said: “This is not a normal customer service centre. We measure our people on quality rather than quantity and we are extremely proud of their professionalism, compassion and commitment to our customers. It’s all about being able to help people who may be living in cold, damp homes and being ready to respond to their needs immediately with their first call.”
Since 1990 Eaga’s activities have helped make more than 5 million homes more energy efficient. Typically, work carried out by Eaga can cut CO2 emissions from an average home by up to a tonne.
Homeowners, or those renting from private landlords, who are on qualifying benefits can apply for Warm Front grants of up to £2,700.
For more information contact 0800 316 6007 and quote MK858.
Notes to Editors
- Eaga plc is the UK’s largest residential energy efficiency provider. The company is a leader in the provision of innovative and sustainable services, products and solutions that address the environmental, social and energy efficiency objectives of Government and the private sector both nationally and internationally.
- Working in partnership with central and local government Eaga is positioned at the heart of policy-making and front-end delivery of social and environmental improvement programmes. Eaga operates across the UK and in the Republic of Ireland, India and Canada employing over 3,500 people.
- Eaga was established in Newcastle in 1990 to lead government funded efforts to improve the living conditions of vulnerable people living in cold, damp and energy inefficient homes across England. Since its inception, Eaga has made a positive difference to over 5 million disadvantaged households across the UK, by installing energy efficiency measures and central heating.
- Eaga holds the contract to deliver the £1.5 billion Warm Front programme in England, the cornerstone of government's target to eliminate fuel poverty by installing energy efficiency measures in vulnerable homes by 2010. Eaga also works with devolved nation governments to deliver similar schemes across the UK.
- As a co-owned business, Eaga is one of only a handful of UK organisations where every employee with over a year’s service is entitled to a share in the success of the business. Eaga’s commitment to co-ownership is an integral part of the values that define the ethos of the business and what it means to be an Eaga employee.
- The Government has set targets for all local authorities to have all social rented homes meeting Decent Homes standards by 2010. This requires homes to be fit for habitation, in a reasonable state of repair, with reasonably modern facilities and services and a reasonable degree of thermal comfort.
- Since 2000, Eaga has invested over £3 million in the independent Eaga Partnership Charitable Trust which funds research into solutions to fuel poverty.
Media Contact
Rik Kendall
Group Media Relations Manager
Eaga plc
07852 134 154
0191 245 8342