Emily Berry, Partnerships Manager at Utility Aid, reflects on gofod3 and the challenges facing organisations in Wales in managing their energy prices.
Utility Aid proudly supports gofod3, the biggest voluntary sector event of its kind in Wales. I had the privilege of attending gofod3 2024, it was fantastic to see charities, commercial organisations, leaders, and council representatives in one room.
For me, events like Gofod3 are crucial in giving trustees, staff members, and volunteers a space to reflect, learn, and plan for the future. I had the opportunity to speak with delegates and understand their pain points and, it’s clear that running a successful charity has never been an easy task but, in recent years the challenges have increased.
YOUR CHALLENGES
At gofod3 we heard directly from voluntary organisations in Wales about some of your challenges including:
- Reaching Net Zero with limited time and budget.
- Managing rising energy costs and budget security.
- Managing and resolving supplier billing inaccuracies.
RISING COSTS
Results of a new survey estimate that a third of local charities in the UK are seeing utility costs rise by over 60%. I have personally witnessed a significant number of organisations experiencing seismic fluctuations in their running costs.
At the same time, we have seen an increased focus on reducing our carbon footprint. Following on from COP26, and the climate emergency we face, the carbon footprint of all organisations is rightly under scrutiny.
This presents a rigid dichotomy between reaching Net Zero and battling increasing running costs. It has never been more important for charities to consider collaborating with others and commercial organisations to establish longevity and budget security to achieve their mission.
HOW WE CAN HELP
A WCVA Trusted Supplier, Utility Aid is the UK’s largest energy broker and consultancy for the not-for-profit sector. Our dedicated team provides a high-level service to manage and maintain your portfolio, covering procurement, Bureau services, full account management, historical audits, carbon reporting, and net zero planning. Our invoice validation services have saved our charity customers over £6.7million.
Please get in touch with me if you’d like to find out more.
- Call 0808 178 2021
- Email eberry@utility-aid.com
Or alternatively send us an enquiry by visiting www.utility-aid.co.uk/contactform/WCVAGofod3.