Cadent Foundation extends Housing Plus Group partnership with £220k grant
Housing Plus Group has been awarded a grant worth over £220,000 from the Cadent Foundation to help low-income households across Telford and Wrekin, Shropshire and Staffordshire access vital energy support over the next two years.
The project will continue supporting vulnerable groups in the region, including pensioners affected by the changes to the Winter Fuel Allowance and single income households. Twenty new Community Energy Champions – from across the local area – will be trained to offer bespoke energy advice to those who need it, as well as providing items to help keep the cost of energy bills down, such as draught excluders, slow cookers and heated blankets.
With almost one in five people (17%) living in fuel poverty in Telford, and similar challenges affecting communities across Shropshire and Staffordshire, the core focus of the initiative will be to help households reduce both their energy consumption, increasing understanding of how to keep costs down, while maintaining a warm and safe property.
A dedicated Energy Advisor will work alongside the Money Matters team, to support people with expert welfare benefit advice, tenancy sustainment guidance and access to free, impartial regulated debt advice. It is expected that households eligible for the support will see energy debt reduce by at least £220, while positive financial outcomes from income maximisation advice should reach a minimum of £200.
Following the 2025 merger of The Wrekin Housing Group and Housing Plus Group, services are beginning to align across the new, combined organisation, creating opportunities to expand support for customers.
Since 2023, Cadent Foundation has been working in partnership with The Wrekin Housing Group, reaching over 1,000 people across Shropshire, Staffordshire, and Telford & Wrekin. The partnership has helped households improve energy efficiency, resulting in savings of more than £90,000. Alongside tailored financial guidance, this support has delivered positive outcomes worth over £205,000 and helped reduce debt by nearly £250,000.
Daniel Bebbington, Debt & Energy Manager of Housing Plus Group said: “Thanks to the generous funding from the Cadent Foundation, we’ve been able to make a real and lasting impact in the communities we serve. This support allows us to extend our reach and help even more people across Shropshire, Staffordshire, and Telford & Wrekin. The additional funding means we can expand our team, with plans to recruit another Energy Advisor to support Housing Plus Group customers. We hope to have the new advisor in place by late Autumn 2025, ready to make a difference ahead of the colder months.”
The service has helped reduce tenants energy debts by nearly £250,000
Ranjit Blythe, Managing Director of Cadent Foundation, said: “The impact we have been able to make to peoples’ lives with the Housing Plus Group has been significant so when we were presented with a plan on how we could extend the project to help more people, we were fully supportive. Its team continues to make such a big difference to the lives of people living in fuel poverty, who will be facing the challenges associated with colder weather once autumn arrives. We are proud to continue our partnership and look forward to collaborating further as we look to tackle fuel poverty across the region together.”
23rd July 2025