How we’re demonstrating social value at the Social Value Conference 2025

E.ON joined hundreds of professionals at the Social Value Conference 2025, hosted by the Social Value Portal. This year’s theme, Mission Critical, reflected how delivering social value has become essential to achieving lasting impact for people, places, and the planet.

Across the event, E.ON shared how we’re putting social value into practice, embedding Net Zero in procurement, advancing inclusion, and supporting communities through sport, skills, and partnerships.

We believe the transition to a cleaner, fairer energy system must work for every household, business, and community. This belief sits at the heart of our purpose: to make new energy work.

Embedding Net Zero at the heart of social value

E.ON’s PMO and Social Value Lead, Ben Tuck, chaired a panel that explored how procurement can evolve beyond transactional processes to deliver broader social and environmental benefits. The discussion highlighted how approaching Net Zero through a social value lens opens up opportunities that extend far beyond carbon reduction. It highlighted the importance of:

• Green skills: driving inclusive growth and meaningful work.
• Partnerships: collaborating with suppliers and communities.
• Transparency: building accountability and trust.
• Place-based approaches: tailoring solutions to local needs.

E.ON believes investing in green skills is not just good business but also a matter of social responsibility. As the energy sector grows, the need for a skilled, adaptable green workforce has never been greater - one that ensures the transition benefits everyone, not just a few.

As Ben explained: “Social value and Net Zero are inseparable. Together, they drive a fairer, cleaner, more sustainable future for everyone.”

Inclusion as a daily commitment

At another session, Rebecca Percy, E.ON UK’s Diversity and Inclusion Lead, shared her perspective on what lasting progress looks like: “Progress on diversity and inclusion is like staying fit. You have to stay consistent and put the work in.” Rebecca highlighted that social mobility is key to E.ON’s inclusion strategy and that continuous learning and reflection are vital to long-term change.

This aligns closely with E.ON UK’s broader people-culture philosophy: putting humanity at the heart of everything we do. We’re committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels they belong and can thrive. From flexible working and equal parental leave to our embRace Your Talent and Women in Leadership programmes, we’re breaking down barriers and helping colleagues reach their full potential.

We’re also proud to support people through every stage of life, from fertility and family to the menopause, and to be recognised as a Menopause Friendly Employer. Building an inclusive culture isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s how we make progress together and create a fairer, more human place to work.

Sport and partnership driving community change

E.ON’s Helen Sturt, Digital Content Manager, chaired a discussion on how sport can build stronger, fairer communities. Joined by representatives from Lincoln City Foundation, the Premier League Charitable Fund, Substance, the EFL in the Community, and the Nottingham Forest Community Trust, the group explored football’s power to boost confidence and open pathways into education and work.

Through our partnership with Nottingham Forest, E.ON is already seeing this impact first-hand and delivering social value in a place-based, people-first way. Together, we’ve driven social impact by combining sustainability with community action, such as building a climate-positive Fan Zone, planting thousands of trees, cutting single-use plastics, promoting low-carbon travel, and supporting women’s and community sport to advance inclusion and wellbeing.

This place-based, local-first approach sits at the core of E.ON’s social value ethos. Our 15-year Strategic Energy Partnership with Coventry City Council is a pioneering example, delivering not only sustainability outcomes but also creating local jobs, supporting small businesses, and improving community wellbeing.

A rallying call from the Boardroom

Vijay Tank, Chief Operating Officer at EIS and Board Member at E.ON UK, reminded us that social value isn’t a specialist function or a line in a job title, but a shared responsibility: “I may not have had social value in my job title, but it’s always been my responsibility.”

Vijay urged organisations to embed purpose into everyday decision-making, offering four key reflections:

• Lead with purpose. Be clear on the ‘why’ behind every decision and connect daily work to a mission people can believe in.
• Start where you are. Smaller and local teams are closest to community needs and can drive meaningful impact.
• Work beyond your walls. Collaborate with clients, suppliers and networks like the Social Value Portal to accelerate learning and progress.
• Go further together. Taking a place-based approach enables deeper partnerships and greater benefits for the communities we serve.

His message was clear: social value isn’t an add-on. It is how we build trust, strengthen our brand purpose, and lead a fair, inclusive transition to a cleaner energy future.

A shared mission

Reflecting on the event, Cayleigh Marshall, Social Value Manager, said: “There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to measuring social value. Combine data with stories, keep it personal, and keep it simple.”

For Stewart Hartshorne, Social Value Lead, the conference was a reminder of shared purpose: “The event made me feel part of a family, united by a mission to create meaningful, lasting outcomes for our communities.”

Through our partnership with Coventry, we’re demonstrating what a fair and practical energy transition looks like in real places and real communities. From this shared work comes innovation like our Home Age Model — a tool that helps identify housing needs and target support where it’s needed most.

Together, we’re showing that social value and Net Zero don’t just align, they accelerate each other.