The British Gas Energy Trust has reported that THAW Orkney, a Scottish charity, saved its clients a collective £50,000 in energy payments in the last year and helped maximise income by more than £116,0001. The figures were published by the Trust, which part-funds the charity's work, on 19 August 20251.
THAW Orkney provides independent, free energy advice for households struggling to heat their homes across Orkney, one of the most remote areas of Britain, and aims to reduce levels of fuel poverty and achieve affordable warmth within its community1. In the last year it helped 317 households, with 272 of them requiring in-depth support1. That work produced more than £116,000 of financial gains, including £50,000 worth of refunds or bill corrections from energy suppliers1.
Michael Butler, Innovation and Development Lead at THAW Orkney, said most clients the charity supports receive home visits so the team can get under the skin of the issues people are facing1. He reported an increase in the number of single people, especially single parent families, seeking support1.
"There have been meter issues around the RTS switch off, including issues around new smart meters being fitted. There also continue to be issues around incorrect electricity billing as well as inefficient housing and heating systems"
The charity has also been trialling cash-based crisis support for households on low incomes through a local partnership1. Butler said the Orkney Money Matters partnership had developed a financial insecurity pathway and a related referral partnership across multiple Orkney-based support agencies1. The Trust's account describes one couple caring for three children who were not using their heating after a house move; an advisor visit found their bills had been over-estimated and that future bills could be reduced by sending regular meter readings, and the couple were supported through cash grants for debts, bills and unexpected expenses1.
Butler also called for more work on property efficiency, saying gaps remain in national provision of energy efficiency upgrades, especially property repair for households with limited funds, and that many facing fuel poverty cannot access the whole-house improvements required to reduce their costs and improve their wellbeing1.
Why it matters for households
The reported figures show the scale of what advice and casework can recover for households in a remote area: refunds and bill corrections from suppliers made up £50,000 of the £116,000 total, meaning a substantial share came from challenging billing rather than from new grants1. For a household, that distinction matters because a corrected bill or a refund changes what is owed on an account, while income maximisation changes what comes in. Both affect how far a home's energy costs can be covered without cutting back on heating.
The issues Butler describes are ones households elsewhere in the UK also face: metering problems around the radio teleswitch (RTS) switch off, incorrect electricity billing, and housing and heating systems that are inefficient to run1. Where a home cannot be improved physically, the scope for reducing bills through behaviour or tariff choice is limited, which is why the charity frames property repair and whole-house improvement as part of the picture1. Households in Scotland can find routes to help with energy bills and debt in Scotland, and the Trust's own grant scheme is set out in The British Gas Energy Trust: Grants for Energy Debt. The wider relationship between bill levels and a household's control over its own supply is covered in Energy Bills and Energy Independence.
What happens next
The Trust's post carries a note that it has not been updated in a while and that some details may no longer be accurate1. No further funding round, expansion or target date for THAW Orkney's work is given in the announcement1.
Sources1 cited
- Scottish charity saves clients thousands in energy bills - British Gas Energy Trust, britishgasenergytrust.org.uk