The damage that hit the province of Valencia left a deep mark on the territory and on the lives of thousands of people. According to official reports, the episode affected more than 306,000 people in 130 municipalities, caused more than 220 fatalities and caused damage to more than 11,000 homes, many of them seriously deteriorated or uninhabitable.
Naturgy Foundation launched Sumando Energías for Valenciaa support plan for the reconstruction of the affected territory. With four axes of action (People, Employment, Education and Environment), the first of them carries out lines of action of its Energy Vulnerability Plan for the affected territory. The impact of this line of work not only seeks to collaborate in the repair of material damage, but also to contribute to rebuilding and improving the quality of life of those who need it most, through initiatives that combine sustainability, energy efficiency and savings. Key to this is collaboration with nearly 30 social entities that work in the territory, among which stand out Cáritas, Red Cross, Amigó Foundation, Felisa Foundation, Techo Foundation, Dasyc Foundation, Rotary Club Torrent and Nova Feina Foundation.
The “Adding Energy for People” axis focuses on improving the quality of life of the people most affected by damage. through different actions. The main initiative is the energy rehabilitation of homes to improve their insulation, ventilation, heating or energy efficiency. Training workshops are also organized through its Energy Schoolaimed at families and social services technicians from city councils, with the aim of promoting better use and management of energy in the home. Topics from the energy sector in general are discussed, such as understanding the bill, knowing energy efficiency tips or the social bonus. The School works mainly with town councils and is present in more than 900 municipalities, and more than 45,000 people have already been trained.
Besides, 15 solar panels will be donated and installed in care centers for vulnerable people, thus guaranteeing a clean, stable and economic supply that will benefit more than 1,000 people. And a call for aid was launched for the energy rehabilitation of buildings of social entities, many of which were also affected by the serious consequences of the catastrophe. The project will finance 7 rehabilitation projects for facilities located in areas affected by dana. The objective is to help social entities that have done so much for the recovery to also recover their spaces and improve their energy efficiency.
Express rehabilitation
The interventions include the insulation of doors, windows, walls and ceilings, as well as the repair or replacement of carpentry, blinds or awnings, air conditioning systems, appliances and electrical or gas installations. These actions are carried out in collaboration with municipal social services and social entities.
These rehabilitated homes will be habitable, safer and more sustainable spaces, after having suffered the effects of the catastrophe. The objective is to rehabilitate 600 homes before the end of 2026.
According to the words of Isabel Pérez-Cea, manager of Dasyc Foundation: “It is essential to have this type of aid that will do a lot of good for this area of Valencia.” Enrique Peña, an affected resident of Paiporta, states that “help of this type in my house managed to change everything. “We went from having nothing to, for example, having a refrigerator again.”
For its part, Araceli Albiol, technician at the Nova Feina Foundation, highlights that “energy efficiency is not a matter of luxury, but rather it makes a home decent through equipment, insulation and, ultimately, improving the well-being of those who live in it.”
Express rehabilitation has established itself as an effective tool to minimize the impact of energy poverty. Its effect on the habitability of homes, home comfort and savings on energy bills is immediate. Since 2018, it is estimated that the Naturgy Foundation has managed to rehabilitate nearly 6,000 homes in our country, helping people in vulnerable situations. As stated Francisco Carratalá, director of Fundación Amigó: “This type of express rehabilitation that we carry out returns the most important thing that was lost, along with the infrastructure: the dignity of people and the right to decent housing.”
VII edition Awards for best social initiative
The delivery of the Award for the best social initiative in the energy field will take place this year for the first time in Valencia (June 16), giving continuity to the Foundation’s commitment to the Valencian Community and to value the effort and daily work of social entities in the area.