Meet Fuel Bank

Previously Helen held safety, assurance and environment roles on the executive at National Grid Gas Transmission (now National Gas) and prior to that had a long career with one of the big 6 suppliers where she was responsible for the assurance of npower’s compliance with its obligations and licence conditions. This responsibility included supporting npower in its conduct towards customers in vulnerable situations – whether that was ensuring that standards were maintained when complying with obligations that support customers in payment difficulties or more generally supporting good outcomes for customers.

Helen is a long-term advocate for driving change across the energy industry to make life better for people living in Fuel Crisis and draws on her experience in the energy sector, in particular her experience of working with vulnerable customers, to help shape the strategic direction of the charity.

Laura brings over 20 years’ experience as a strategy consultant and advisor, solving problems for clients with a focus on social and business impact and innovation. Her valuable skill set in strategy and impact enables her to use simple logic models to create focus and deliver change.

She has been on the Fuel Bank journey since the outset, and is inspired to see how powerful and impactful it can be having a clear vision, combined with robust research and insight into the lives of our clients, to highlight the actions that are needed to drive change.

For Laura, Fuel Crisis is an issue that is close to home and family. She believes that we all deserve to be able to keep our homes warm, keep the hot water flowing and essential appliances running.

Laura is passionate about using her skills, enthusiasm and experience to help support and drive real impact for our client group. With her wealth of experience, she is focussed on ensuring that our clients remain at the heart of decision making to drive and deliver change with policy-makers and parliamentarians, and promote better standards of support from the energy sector.

Nikki was Executive Director HR for Watches of Switzerland Group plc for 5 years and prior to that served as Executive Director HR for Debenhams plc for 13 years. She began her career at Selfridges plc and also held executive roles with Revlon International and Polo Ralph Lauren.

Nikki is passionate about the purpose of the Fuel Bank Foundation and brings a valuable people and commercial focus to the Trustee board.

With a long-standing career in the energy sector, Matt has helped companies develop and implement innovative strategies to support vulnerable customers. Previously, he led npower’s home and small business response to evolving public policy plus defining and commissioning services to support npower customers most in need. A policy-geek at heart and a big fan of net zero Matt uses lived experience to influence and shape government strategies, and to drive a renewed focus on delivering great customer outcomes back across the energy and utilities sector, his passion being that all can and should benefit from the energy transition. Matt chairs the Scottish Fuel Poverty Advisory Panel, is a member of SP Energy Networks Independent Net Zero Advisory Council, and encourages incremental change to deliver better customer outcomes through membership of challenge and working groups across the wider sector.

A passionate story teller and a recognised expert on energy and fuel poverty, Matt frequently travels the country raising awareness of the issue of fuel crisis, campaigning for systemic change and securing advocacy for Fuel Bank. Matt is a regular guest on national and regional TV and radio, where he provides expert insights on the energy crisis, and practical solutions that households can adopt, whilst championing the need for urgent action to address the root cause of fuel crisis and fuel poverty.

Siobhan chose to work for Fuel Bank because she shares its ambition to tackle inequalities in the UK. It’s wrong that, in this day and age, some people regularly don’t have enough money to heat and light their homes – something that most of us just take for granted. She finds it incredibly rewarding to be playing a small part in changing that.

Siobhan has spent her career to date working in the energy industry. This is her first role in the charitable sector, so it’s been a bit of a steep learning curve! But she really loves blending her experience gained from working in a commercial organisation with charitable values and using the best aspects of each.

At Fuel Bank, Sarah plays a key role in how the charity is seen and heard. She works closely with partners, stakeholders, and internal teams to ensure the Foundation’s voice is consistent, authentic, and impactful.

Working to address fuel poverty is deeply important to Sarah because she believes that access to affordable and sustainable energy is a fundamental human right. No one should have to choose between heating their home and feeding their family, yet millions face that reality every day. She hopes to see a future energy industry that prioritises sustainability, affordability, and inclusivity. For Sarah, being part of Fuel Bank is incredibly rewarding. Every day brings new challenges and opportunities to learn, grow, and contribute to meaningful change and she’s proud to play a part in work that makes a real difference to people’s lives.

Looking back, Sarah says Fuel Crisis wasn’t a ‘thing’ back then, at least not that she was present to.  She was aware of pre-payment meters and commercial disconnections for non-payment but she could never have fathomed that vulnerable people would be sitting in the dark, freezing cold 25 years later.

Working for Fuel Bank has opened Sarah’s eyes to how awful living day to day is for some people in the UK. She is so proud to have managed projects which have enabled Fuel Bank to extend the support they give to people in Fuel Crisis and she hopes to work on many more. Particularly those which focus on developing longer-term solutions, with both the support and energy sectors, so that Fuel Crisis becomes a thing of the past.

Collaborating with passionate individuals across the Fuel Bank network who share a common goal of alleviating fuel crisis-related hardships, Ruth is inspired by our collective dedication to creating sustainable solutions.

One of her proudest achievements is being honoured with the ‘Customer Focus’ award at the Young Energy Professional awards in 2021. This recognition reflects her firm commitment to ensuring the needs and well-being of our clients remain at the forefront of everything we do. Ruth believes that by maintaining a strong focus on delivering tailored support, we can effectively address the challenges faced by individuals experiencing Fuel Crisis.

Ruth says she feels honoured to be a part of the Fuel Bank Foundation, an organization that shares her values and commitment to improving lives. She is excited to continue working with the team and our partners towards a future where no one experiences the burden of Fuel Crisis.

Before joining Fuel Bank, Chris was Head of Data and Analytics at a marketing agency, where he led customer analysis, campaign targeting, and data modelling. He built a bespoke direct mail database with over 20 million mailable UK addresses giving marketers unprecedented reach and targeting capabilities.

At Fuel Bank, Chris leads all things data. From managing voucher data from partners like Auriga to exploring emerging datasets such as those from heat funds and heated throws, he ensures the organisation has the insights it needs to make a difference. Whether you’re after the number of vouchers issued in Scotland this year or trends in repeat clients, Chris is the go-to person for turning numbers into actionable understanding.

He’s also focused on making data come alive, combining internal information (like household composition) with external datasets (such as EPC ratings, council tax bands, or even political voting patterns) to help Fuel Bank better understand the communities it serves and where support is needed most.

When it comes to Excel, Chris is your secret weapon. If you’re stuck with a spreadsheet that’s taking too long or doing something you think is impossible chances are, Chris knows the answer (or will figure it out fast).

With 11 years of experience at Npower across events, HR, and executive support, Holly joined Fuel Bank initially on a part-time basis to help get things off the ground. It quickly became clear how vital she was to the charity’s development, and she now leads all aspects of our partner network from initial outreach and legal onboarding, to quality assurance, training, and ongoing support. For many organisations joining Fuel Bank, Holly is the first face they see and often, the person they trust to guide them through the process.

Her responsibilities go far beyond network management. Holly oversees our Central Support function, which includes supplier relationships, office management, stock control, contract oversight, IT coordination, and internal operations. She manages a growing team and plays a key role in maintaining the systems and culture that help Fuel Bank function day to day.

Holly’s experience working with senior leaders and across all levels of an organisation has shaped her into a trusted, empathetic voice within the team. As a qualified RSPH Level 3 Mental Health First Aider, she champions wellbeing across the charity aligning with our values and ensuring our team feel supported and heard.

Holly is deeply passionate about building strong, meaningful partnerships not just growing the network in numbers, but ensuring the right partners are in the right places to reach the people who need support the most.

Holly often says “Without our partners and without our team, there wouldn’t be a Fuel Bank.” That mindset drives everything she does, from onboarding and training to long-term relationship management. Holly takes real pride in helping each partner succeed, because she knows their success means real, life-changing help for someone in crisis.

Before joining Fuel Bank, Nicola worked at Npower for six years in the very same department as several of her current colleagues, beginning as a senior administrator in domestic energy and eventually managing major office expansions for Powershop, an ambitious project to replicate an Australian energy model in the UK. Following the Npower/E.ON merger, she took on a role at Fuel Bank, gradually transitioning into full-time and ultimately becoming Customer Support Manager.

Nicola is passionate about making the customer journey as smooth and helpful as possible. She’s constantly reviewing internal processes, refining referral systems, and looking for ways to better support her team as they deliver vital advice especially during peak winter periods. She believes strongly in a people-first, flexible culture, and brings a supportive, coaching-based approach to managing her team.

Nicola takes great pride in the work Fuel Bank does, describing it as a unique organisation that makes a national difference, despite its small size. For her, it’s about doing the right thing for people and making sure her team has the space, support and tools to do just that.