To strengthen its support in the field, EDF works with many social conciliation structures throughout France, including around forty PIMMS (multiservice conciliation and information points). Under its partnership with the national conciliation network Pimms, EDF participates among others in the development of mobile Pimms (itinerant multiservice points), providing humane neighbourly responses to the everyday needs of rural inhabitants.
In conjunction with its partners, EDF is deploying strong efforts in the area of prevention, taking action either in housing or in energy efficiency.
EDF and the Abbé Pierre Foundation have signed a three-year extension to the “Toits d’abord” (“Roofs First”) programme, which aims to build and renovate housing for people on very low incomes. To this effort, EDF is contributing €6.3 million over the period 2021-2023.
This offer of support is for carrying out renovations that are likely to save energy. It is based on a public system, which has been enhanced under the Recovery Plan.
The “Mon chauffage Durable” (“My Sustainable Heating”) solution allows customers to replace a fossil-fuel-fired boiler with a heat pump, or to replace conventional electric radiators with smart, efficient radiators. This solution is part of the “Coup de Pouce Chauffage” (i.e. Heating boost) initiative launched by the French government in 2019. For heat pumps, EDF goes further than the state scheme, and offers additional bonuses for households facing energy insecurity.
In 2022, EDF added to its support offerings for energy renovation by launching its “Global Renovation” offer, affording for all individual-home owners scope for renovating their housing overall, in a secure framework, aiming at not less than 55% saving in home energy consumption compared with the situation prior to renovation works.
The issue of housing renovation for customers facing hardship has priority in combating energy insecurity and hence, the partnership agreement signed with Ashoka in 2021 arose from the ordinary will to provide innovative responses to energy insecurity through renovation. EDF, Réseau Eco-Habitat and Ashoka instituted a collaborative scheme to join forces in sharing their synergetic areas of expertise, and thus help promote sustainable solutions for people facing severe energy insecurity (1).
EDF and its partner Alogia are committed to helping senior citizens through the energy transition. This offer for social-housing landlords addresses two important societal challenges: helping seniors stay in their homes by improving comfort and security, and combating poverty.
EDF in the UK is the only supplier to have taken the decision to help its customers access the Green Homes Grant new government fund that finances households via a voucher system for insulation and low-carbon heating systems (UK Government programme “Energy Company Obligation” (ECO)). The latest scheme, “ECO4”, became effective on 1 April 2022. For the year as a whole, 8,110 vulnerable households were aided via the ECO3 and ECO4 programmes.
Awareness-raising of ecologically responsible habits was boosted during the winter with enhanced customer support for consuming less or more efficiently (#GestesUtiles “j’éteins, je baisse, je décale” – #UsefulPractices “I turn off, I lower, I defer energy use”). Numerous partnerships were set up, among them Unis- Cités.
Since 1 October 2022, for customers benefiting from energy vouchers, and equipped with a communicating meter, EDF proposes its “Info Watt” service. This is a free-of-charge service affording real-time display of electricity consumption, in euros and in KWh. This system identifies the most energy-consuming appliances and habits. Thus, each Info Watt beneficiary has no difficulty in being aware of his/ her consumption, adapting habits by means of eco-practices, controlling consumption and making savings on bills.
Under the new agreement “Des jeunes contre la précarité énergétique” (youth against energy poverty), Unis-Cité mobilises 300 young people performing civic service. Their mission consist of: raising awareness among the most vulnerable households of the challenges entailed in the energy transition; supporting them in controlling their energy consumption; helping to identify people experiencing energy insecurity; providing information on existing aid both preventive (Ma Prime Renov) and remedial (chèque énergie) by going out in the field to meet people, provide guidance and support eligible publics to approach the France Renov services.
On Reunion Island, EDF carries out awareness-raising and demand-side management (DSM) diagnosis actions for households facing hardship. These actions are carried out in partnership with regional government via the Local Intervention Services for Energy Management (SLIME in French).
The EDF group, through its employees, businesses, and Foundation, is working to bring out all forms of social innovation to promote a just, inclusive energy transition.
In 2022, Dalkia and Dynacité, the leading social-housing landlord in the Ain department, with a presence in 5 departments of the region, formed a partnership aiming to provide jobs for interested tenants by strengthening their employability in occupations with a future that have a secure foothold in the respective areas. Dynacité undertakes to facilitate identification of candidates residing within the properties it owns. Dalkia undertakes to incorporate the Dynacité tenants identified in a recruitment process that includes training in its business skills. This innovative scheme also involves a third partner, the work integration agencies, whose activities seek the return to work of people facing hardship.
Edison recently endowed a foundation, Edison Orizzonte Sociale (EOS), aimed at consolidating the Company’s societal commitment, developing social innovation, and promoting inclusive and sustainable development. In 2022, EOS focused on promoting the development and education of teenagers, through access to culture and sports practice (in Milan, Turin or Catania). At Palermo, under the auspices of the fund to combat poverty among schoolchildren, EOS steered a project, “Urban Trajectories”, with the support of sponsors such as Asvis and the Global Compact Foundation in Italy.
