Activism

Bristol Energy customers raise £30,000 for The Big Issue through green tariff

The national 100 per cent green electricity and lower carbon gas provider joined forces with The Big Issue one year ago to help readers save cash and the planet.

Bristol Energy customers have raised over £30,000 for the street paper and social enterprise The Big Issue, after switching to The Big Issue Super Green Tariff.

The energy provider and The Big Issue embarked on a mission to tackle fuel poverty, support local communities and advocate for renewable energy back in May 2019.

The partnership gave readers the chance to power their homes with the special Big Issue Tariff while raising vital funds to support the most vulnerable people in society at the same time.

Every time a customer switches to Bristol Energy’s two-year fixed Big Issue Super Green Tariff, Bristol Energy donates up to £30 to The Big Issue (£15 per fuel).

Switching to The Big Issue Super Green Tariff is one easy way to support The Big Issue’s work and make a difference

Now, a year on, the proceeds from the partnership have generated more than £30,000 for The Big Issue, which will go towards The Big Issue’s mission to dismantle poverty at one of the most crucial times in its history as vendors — including Bristol’s Jeff Knight (pictured) — are temporarily moved off the streets because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Allan Booth, Managing Director at Bristol Energy, said: “Bristol Energy and The Big Issue are two very different organisations, but together, we’re celebrating a partnership of shared values. We strive to support our local communities and eliminate social injustice. By switching to the Big Issue Super Green Tariff, people are helping us help The Big Issue thrive, and the timing couldn’t be more vital, amid this national emergency.

“Inevitably, Covid-19 has resulted in the friendly Big Issue faces and voices we’re used to interacting with absent from the public eye. While it’s great news The Big Issue is being sold in stores for the very first time, more needs to be done to keep this momentous newspaper movement alive. Switching to The Big Issue Super Green Tariff is one easy way to support The Big Issue’s work and make a difference.

“We’re delighted that our partnership has raised over £30,000 since launch last year and hope this makes a significant impact on The Big Issue, its street vendors and our local community.”

Russell Blackman, Managing Director at The Big Issue, said: “The Big Issue is one of the UK’s most trusted brands and this campaign, built on the principles of authenticity and impact created through partnership, is exactly the kind of initiative that we are seeking to develop in the future at The Big Issue.

“By creating a Big Community with progressive organisations like Bristol Energy, we can respond to pressing social and environmental needs through the power of collaboration and communication.”

In the year since Bristol Energy teamed up with The Big Issue, they have become a vital part of the street paper’s Big Community. The initiative sees The Big Issue create genuinely impactful partnerships that positively affect the lives of individuals and communities, while also creating wide reaching campaigns designed to raise the profile of issues and celebrate the solutions.

By working together, The Big Issue aims to extend its impact to help tackle the societal and environmental challenges of our time.

Bristol Energy fit that mould because they are different to your average energy company. The energy supplier is helping Bristol tackle social and environmental challenges, such as fuel poverty and climate change. Bristol Energy has raised over £50,000 to date through its Fuel Good Fund, set up to help households in fuel poverty. In January, they launched three new green energy tariffs, in a bid to help Bristol meet its 2030 carbon neutral target.

That green approach is also evident in The Big Issue Super Green Tariff, which offers customers a greener energy supply; containing 100 per cent green electricity, sourced directly from UK generators, and 100 per cent gas carbon offsets.*

Find out about The Big Issue Super Green Tariff here.

*The former Big Issue Tariff contained 15% green gas. From January (2020) the tariff was renamed Big Issue Super Green Tariff, now containing 100% gas carbon offsets.

Support the Big Issue

For over 30 years, the Big Issue has been committed to ending poverty in the UK. In 2024, our work is needed more than ever. Find out how you can support the Big Issue today.
Vendor martin Hawes

Recommended for you

View all
This man let 12 strangers give £100,000 of his money away. Governments should follow suit
Philanthropy

This man let 12 strangers give £100,000 of his money away. Governments should follow suit

Housing estate plagued by mould, damp and dire conditions. Now, residents are fighting back
tower hamlets
Housing

Housing estate plagued by mould, damp and dire conditions. Now, residents are fighting back

'He's like a caged animal in the flat': Meet the parents fighting for an adult social care revolution
Parents and children take part in a sensory parachute exercise at Linden Farm
Social care

'He's like a caged animal in the flat': Meet the parents fighting for an adult social care revolution

Big Issue founder John Bird celebrates vendors at House of Lords – and vows to help end destitution
National Vendor Week

Big Issue founder John Bird celebrates vendors at House of Lords – and vows to help end destitution

Most Popular

Read All
Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits
Renters: A mortgage lender's window advertising buy-to-let products
1.

Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal
Pound coins on a piece of paper with disability living allowancve
2.

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal

Here's when UK households to start receiving last cost of living payments
next dwp cost of living payment 2023
3.

Here's when UK households to start receiving last cost of living payments

Strike dates 2023: From train drivers to NHS doctors, here are the dates to know
4.

Strike dates 2023: From train drivers to NHS doctors, here are the dates to know