The Wise Group collaborates with E.ON Next and Glasgow City Council to help families cut energy bills and prevent child poverty
The Wise Group has come together with E.ON Next and Glasgow City Council on a pioneering new project that will help families across Glasgow reduce energy bills, tackle fuel poverty and build longer-term household stability.
The initiative brings together smart home battery technology, data-led targeting and trusted, whole-household mentoring to support families most at risk of fuel poverty and child poverty.
Up to 100 households will benefit in the first phase, with the ambition to scale the approach to reach many more families across the city in future.
Turning energy support into lasting change
Fuel poverty rarely exists in isolation. Families struggling with energy costs are often also dealing with debt, health pressures and wider financial insecurity.
This project moves beyond short-term bill relief by combining:
•Free home battery installations, helping households store electricity when it’s cheapest and use it when prices are higher
•Improved tariffs and debt support, reducing ongoing pressure from energy bills
•Relational Mentoring from the Wise Group, providing one trusted point of contact to support families before, during and after installation
By pairing technology with human support, the project is designed to deliver sustained savings, increased confidence and reduced crisis, not just lower bills for one winter.
Families supported through the pilot could see electricity bill savings of up to 30%, alongside improvements in energy confidence, financial resilience and wellbeing.
A whole-household, prevention-first approach
The Wise Group plays a central role in the collaboration, delivering Relational Mentoring to:
•build trust and engagement with families
•support households to understand and use new technology confidently
•address energy debt and wider financial pressures
•help families hold onto savings and stabilise their lives over time
This mentoring model ensures the technology delivers real, lasting impact – protecting public investment and reducing pressure on public services.
Learning for scale
The pilot will generate evidence on how combining home energy investment with relational support can reduce fuel poverty, energy debt and child poverty at scale.
Learning from the project will inform future approaches to:
•investment-led energy affordability
•reform of energy support schemes
•place-based delivery linking net zero and social justice
Sean Duffy, Chief Executive of the Wise Group, said:
“Fuel poverty doesn’t exist in isolation – it’s part of a wider cycle of hardship. This project shows how we can break that cycle. By combining smart battery technology with trusted, whole-household mentoring, we’re not just managing bills – we’re unlocking stability, wellbeing and economic participation for families.”
“Glasgow is leading by example, showing how data, trust and targeted support can come together to reduce pressure on families and public services alike. This is a powerful demonstration of how local government, industry and the third sector can integrate delivery to prevent child poverty and accelerate a just transition.”
Looking ahead
The initial phase will support up to 100 households, with a focus on families facing the greatest pressures. Partners will work together to explore opportunities to expand the model and reach many more households in the years ahead.
At the Wise Group, we believe preventing poverty requires long-term solutions – delivered by people, backed by data. This collaboration shows what’s possible when technology and relationships work together.
