Energy Saving Trust is becoming a social enterprise!

2 Jun, 2011

The Energy Saving Trust is to become a social enterprise, and will seek charitable status.

The new charitable parent company, together with a trading subsidiary, will enable the Trust to expand its activities, while continuing to manage substantial government-funded activity.

Any profits made by business activities will be invested in our core aim of helping people to use less energy and reduce their carbon emissions.

The Energy Saving Trust is well placed to work with companies and providers along the supply chain, to deliver the government�s Green Deal programme, with existing contracts and networks in all sectors. While in recent years we have received substantial public subsidy, our income has always come from a multitude of sources. The bottom line is that we will only take on projects that support our longstanding mission of cutting domestic carbon emissions and helping reduce householders� fuel bills.

CEO Philip Sellwood says:
\\\"With Green Deal on the horizon the private sector will have a huge role to play, and we have modified the way we work to reflect this by providing quality assurance for goods, services and installers. We continue our work on the most ambitious portfolio of technology field trials in the UK. Our Energy Saving Trust Recommended scheme goes from strength to strength, with 245 members across manufacturers, suppliers and retailers, and the logo on more than 3000 products.

\\\"We continue our important grant programme work for the Scottish and Welsh Governments on energy efficiency advice, transport advice, renewable community projects, and micro-generation advice. In terms of our delivery for the public sector in England, DECC have clearly stated that the functions required to support the Green Deal Programme will be put out to competitive tender. We are confident that our market-leading position as the go-to body for independent and trusted advice, make us well placed to secure ongoing contracts from the public sector both centrally and regionally.\\\"

Under our new status, we will continue to provide the services we always have done, based on our experience, knowledge and expertise. Our offerings have evolved with the market, and fit into four categories. These are:
* Accreditation and certification
* Testing, verification and technical services
* Knowledge, data, insight and modelling
* In-depth project management and consultancy

We work in a variety of ways to support projects for clients across the sectors. We can verify ideas and approaches, analyse energy-saving impact and cost, conduct feasibility studies, prepare business cases or evaluate results. We will independently assess a delivery agent or methodology; and of course we can deliver a project.

We have developed a unique bank of knowledge, publications and research about the technical issues around low-carbon housing, and experience in explaining and promoting that guidance to home builders, refurbishment companies, retailers and manufacturers of carbon-saving products.

Our product testing and certification covers heating controls, utility meters, cavity and solid wall insulation, domestic hot water, condensing boilers, micro-wind, heat pumps, solar photovoltaic panels, LED lighting, advanced heating controls, and solar thermal heating, and our micro-generation field trials are helping to drive market developments.

For more information contact fraser.winterbottom@est.org.uk