Banco dell’Energia is a non-profit organisation which works to support those in need socially and economically by both developing and supporting projects in collaboration with Fondazione Cariplo, a philanthropic organisation with a 25-year track-record. Founded in 2016, the work undertaken by Banco dell’Energia has thus far helped over 10,000 people through two editions of the ‘Let’s Donate Energy’ programme in collaboration with Fondazione Cariplo.

NextEnergy Foundation contributed to Banco dell’Energia’s project, Energia in Periferia (Energy in Periphery) in 2021-22. The project supported 104 households and individuals in vulnerable socio-economic situations in the periphery of Milan, specifically the area of Quarto Oggiaro, and in particular those adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In collaboration with Caritas and the Municipality of Milan, short- and long-term energy-related interventions were carried out. The short-term intervention involved paying 270 energy bills for the households. This was supplemented by a longer-term workstream undertaken with 81 representatives from across the households to breakdown their electricity usage and educate them on energy conservation so as to reduce energy bills in future. The majority of the attendees were elderly individuals and parents with young children. A third component of the project was to distribute LED lightbulbs to each family to maximise energy efficiency. This was carried out in partnership with Signify-Philips.