E.ON and The Purpose Coalition launch report charting path to a fairer, cleaner energy future
E.ON and The Purpose Coalition have unveiled “Place, Partners, Progress: The Breaking Down Barriers Impact Report 2025” in Parliament this week — outlining how purpose-led business and strategic partnerships can accelerate the UK’s transition to a cleaner, fairer and more affordable energy future for all.
The report highlights how E.ON, E.ON Next, Energy Infrastructure Solutions and npower Business Solutions are working together to deliver social impact at scale, combining immediate support for customers with long-term investment in clean energy, skills and local opportunity. Over the past year, E.ON has delivered £73 million of affordability support for 80,000 households, committed £2 billion to UK clean energy infrastructure through 2028, and strengthened partnerships with cities such as Coventry and Sheffield, and charities including Mind, to build social value alongside meaningful climate action.
These figures represent more than statistics — they show real progress in tackling the structural barriers that limit opportunity. E.ON’s advocacy for a permanent social tariff, its campaign to end prepayment meter penalties, and its push to recognise energy efficiency as national infrastructure underline how business can drive systemic change by putting purpose into practice.
Rt Hon Justine Greening, Chair of The Purpose Coalition, said:
“The energy transition is not just about technology or policy; it’s fundamentally about places and the people who call them home. From Coventry to the Port of Liverpool, E.ON is showing that clean energy must work for every postcode, not just the privileged few. This report demonstrates how purpose-led businesses can drive systemic change – turning commercial success and social progress into two sides of the same coin.”
Chris Norbury, Chief Executive Officer at E.ON UK, said:
“The transition to a cleaner, fairer and more affordable energy system must work for every household, business and community. Over the past year, we’ve focused on delivering both immediate support and long-term change — from helping customers with their bills through our Winter Affordability Scheme to investing in low-carbon infrastructure with partners such as Coventry City Council. The Place, Partners, Progress report shows how business value and social impact can drive meaningful change when purpose is at the core of decision-making. We’re proud of our progress and focused on the challenge of making new energy work for everyone.”
Helen Bradbury, Chief People Officer at E.ON UK, said:
“People power the energy transition. Our role is to build the capability, culture and partnerships that let colleagues thrive while supporting our customers and communities. The Purpose Goals give us a shared language to connect colleague experience with community impact — and we’re proud that recognition as one of the UK’s Top 10 Best Places to Work directly reflects that connection. Embedding inclusion, wellbeing and digital confidence across our workforce is how we turn purpose into everyday progress.”
Nick Forbes CBE, Chair of the Breaking Down Barriers Commission, added:
“Inequality is not inevitable; it stems from systems that can be changed. Change depends on evidence — and E.ON is providing exactly that. Businesses that remove barriers to opportunity build stronger markets and more resilient communities. E.ON’s leadership shows that investing in equality isn’t a cost, but a competitive advantage.”
Driving impact through partnership
The report demonstrates how E.ON’s purpose-led model delivers both social and commercial impact:
£73m invested in the Winter Affordability Scheme, supporting nearly 80,000 households
£10m committed to grants and energy debt relief
5 million smart meters installed, plus the Next Gen Home initiative bundling solar, heat pumps, batteries and EV charging with no upfront cost
A 15-year Strategic Energy Partnership with Coventry City Council, including home battery installations to cut energy bills, AI thermal imaging to analyse the energy efficiency of thousands of homes and school literacy and sustainability programmes inspiring over 2,000 young people
£2bn committed to UK clean energy investment through 2028, enabling thousands of new green jobs and training opportunities
Rt Hon Justine Greening added:
“E.ON’s leadership shows how a major corporation can use the Purpose Goals to measure impact, guide investment, and deliver accountability. It’s a practical example of what breaking down barriers looks like in action.”
About the Report
Place, Partners, Progress: The Purpose Coalition & E.ON Breaking Down Barriers Impact Report 2025 is the second joint publication between The Purpose Coalition and E.ON. It builds on 2024’s People, Power and Purpose, mapping how the company continues to align its commercial strategy with fairness, inclusion and social value in every community it serves.
The report focuses on six priorities for tackling inequality – from debt forgiveness and vulnerability training to place-based clean energy projects – showing how business strategy can double as social infrastructure.
