28 July 2011 13:14
E.ON receives CommunityMark award from Business in the Community

E.ON has become one of only a handful of UK companies to be given a CommunityMark award from Business in the Community (BITC) in recognition for the company's investment in local communities.

E.ON has become one of only three companies to be awarded the CommunityMark this year, alongside Boots UK and Lloyds Banking Group. In total, just 41 companies have received the award since it was launched in 2008.

Fiona Stark, Director of Corporate Affairs at E.ON, said: "We're absolutely thrilled to achieve the CommunityMark in recognition of the work we do in the communities where we operate.

"E.ON's programmes are targeted at the areas where we feel we can make the most difference to people's lives, and our initiatives range from those which help educate the next generation about energy issues to those that help our most vulnerable customers.

"This is a great achievement for us and is testament to all the hard work our employees and partners have put in over the years."

Stephen Howard, Chief Executive at Business in the Community, said: "E.ON's CommunityMark recognition is a fantastic achievement. Their diverse programme of work to support those communities in most need should be applauded. The CommunityMark recognises excellent practice in community investment and BITC are delighted that E.ON have achieved this unique award."

E.ON is committed to helping the community in many ways and has developed a range of programmes based around the key themes of Acting Responsibly, Meeting Customer Needs, Low Carbon Society and Valuing People, all which have led to the energy company being awarded the CommunityMark by BITC.

As part of this work, between 2008 and 2011, E.ON invested around £59m to help customers affordably heat their homes, and, since 2007, the company has spent over £1.8 million on educational energy programmes, reaching over 1.4 million school children.

In addition, almost 1,300 E.ON employees have donated over 8,900 hours to the value of over £140,500 on volunteering projects with schools, older people and other vulnerable groups as part of the company's wider community relations programme over the last year.

 

Ends

 

Notes to editors:

• Across Europe, E.ON's employees are supporting the European Commission and UN 2011 European Year of Volunteering through the company's volunteering programmes;
• E.ON is one of the UK's leading power and gas companies - generating electricity, and retailing power and gas - and is part of the E.ON group, one of the world's largest investor-owned power and gas companies. We employ around 12,000 people in the UK and over 85,000 worldwide;
• Business in the Community (BITC) was set up in 1982 and now has over 830 members. They are the largest and one of the oldest national business-led coalitions dedicated to corporate responsibility;
• E.ON's Community Relations celebrated further success across the Midlands by receiving three Big Tick re-accreditations for their Challenge 100, Energy Experience and Green Travel programmes. The East Midlands Community Impact Champion of the Year 2011 was also won by E.ON Employee Involvement Officer Naomi Webb.

 

For more information contact:

Victoria Blake on 02476 181304