Energy One Stop Shop - Crisis, Prevention and Retrofit Readiness

Procurement reference

WWU1581

Procurement description

PEC's Energy One Stop Shop project will provide comprehensive, person-centred support to households across Plymouth who are facing, or are at risk of, fuel poverty, cold homes and energy insecurity. In line with the challenges highlighted in the problem statement, the project brings together crisis support, preventative advice, in-depth casework and community-focused energy awareness to address both immediate hardship and the structural issues that place vulnerable residents at risk.

The delivery approach will address the key drivers of fuel poverty: low-income, high-energy costs and poor energy efficiency, while ensuring residents receive coordinated and holistic support. This includes on-site advice through the PEC Home Hub, structured casework, targeted home visits and drop-ins across health and community venues, alongside campaigns focused on cold, damp and mould.

Through this programme, PEC will:

•Support individuals to reduces expenditure, strengthens income and help households manage energy bills, arrears and affordability challenges.

•Advise communities on energy efficiency

•Raise awareness on CO safety and the Priority Services Register

•Provide interventions that reduce cold, damp and unhealthy housing conditions

•Deliver structured casework and advocacy

•Strengthen early prevention, through proactive outreach, citywide energy awareness and training for frontline workers so more professionals can recognise and respond to signs of fuel poverty earlier.

The project will deliver clear and meaningful benefits for residents across Plymouth, with impacts that extend far beyond immediate energy support. By combining crisis intervention, tailored advice, structured casework and community engagement, the programme strengthens both household resilience and the wider system's ability to respond to fuel poverty effectively.

Key benefits include:

•Improved financial stability for vulnerable households

•Greater confidence and understanding of energy use

•Healthier, safer living conditions,

•Increased awareness of CO safety and the Priority Services Register

•Reduced crisis escalation

•Stronger community resilience

•Greater reach and inclusion

•Long-term improvements in wellbeing

Wales & West Utilities Limited

PEC TRUST

Procedure type

Direct award

Description of how these justifications apply

Plymouth Energy Community (PEC) is a highly established, place-based organisation with specialist expertise in delivering fuel poverty, energy advice and vulnerability support through its integrated Energy One Stop Shop model. PEC provides coordinated, person-centred support that addresses the interconnected challenges of energy affordability, poor housing, health inequalities and carbon monoxide risk.

PEC is uniquely positioned within Plymouth, with deep-rooted partnerships across Adult Social Care, health services, local authorities and over 140 community organisations. Its delivery model centres on a visible, trusted Energy Hub alongside outreach, home visits and structured casework, creating a single, accessible route for residents to receive coordinated, practical support for complex needs.

This combination of embedded local infrastructure, trusted relationships and integrated delivery cannot be readily replicated without disrupting established referral pathways, reducing accessibility for vulnerable households and weakening the effectiveness of support. PEC is widely recognised as essential local infrastructure, providing a consistent, trusted point of access that prevents residents being passed between services and enables earlier, more effective intervention.

The proposed investment represents a continuation and targeted evolution of this proven model, enabling PEC to respond to sustained and growing demand while maintaining core services such as the Energy Hub, casework, embedded health support and outreach. This ensures continuity for households with complex needs and avoids fragmentation across Plymouth's support landscape.

Direct award justification

Single suppliers technical reasons

Is this procurement under a special regime?

Light touch

Sustainability

Voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSE)