Cadent has published its affordability and fuel poverty figures, stating they are correct as of 31 March 2026. The gas distribution network said it spent £60.03m on tackling fuel poverty during the RIIO-2 price control period, and reported a net social return on investment of £20.96m for every £1 invested in RIIO-21.
The company reported that 3.4m customers were provided with tools and advice to reduce their energy consumption and maximise their income, against a commitment to reach three million people, exceeding the target by 410,510. It also reported that over 1.39m customers received one-to-one energy and income advice, against a commitment of 250,000 customers living in fuel poverty, exceeding that target by 1,141,2231.
On its Centres for Warmth programme, Cadent said it had partnered with 71 organisations to open 424 centres, against a stated aim of having 375 centres across its network by 2026. The company said each centre welcomes thousands of people daily for guidance on matters including debt management and maximising income1.
"We've partnered with 71 organisations to open 424 Centres for Warmth"
Cadent also said it provided £1.7m of funding to Birmingham Community HealthCare (BCHC) NHS Foundation Trust Charity to set up a new team supporting the Direct Access to Wellbeing Services (DAWS) project. It said multiple referral pathways have been created within DAWS, so people can be supported by additional services from IE Hub, Citizens Advice and Act on Energy1.
| Commitment | Reported progress | Stated variance |
|---|---|---|
| Reach over three million customers with fuel poverty interventions | 3.4m customers given tools and advice | Exceeded by 410,510 |
| 250,000 customers in fuel poverty given free one-to-one advice | Over 1.39m customers received one-to-one advice | Exceeded by 1,141,223 |
| 375 Centres for Warmth by 2026 | 424 centres opened with 71 partners | Not stated |
Why it matters for households
The figures describe support delivered through a gas network's social obligations rather than changes to bills or tariffs. For a household, the practical relevance lies in the advice and tools on offer: help to reduce energy consumption and to maximise income, delivered both at scale and one to one1. The reported numbers indicate that advice reached well beyond the volumes originally committed to, which suggests wider availability of these routes than the targets implied.
The Centres for Warmth network is the physical end of that support, run with local partner organisations in areas the company identifies as having high deprivation, fuel poverty and risk from carbon monoxide poisoning1. For a home weighing up how to cut consumption or raise income, these are the kinds of local, in-person routes that exist alongside national market data on prices and consumption. The £60.03m spend and the reported social return figure are the company's own accounting of the value of that work during RIIO-2, not a measure of any individual household's costs1.
What happens next
Cadent states it will have 375 Centres for Warmth across its network by 2026, a figure the reported 424 already exceeds1. No further dated commitments beyond that are set out in the published figures.