2023 Community Relations Annual Report
Since the company’s founding in 1882, UGI has been committed to supporting the communities it serves across Pennsylvania. The company and its employees have continued to work with partner organizations to find innovative ways to deliver services to those who need it most.
In 2023, nearly 700 UGI employees provided over 42,000 hours of volunteer service in our communities. Those efforts supported four key focus areas: Improving Literacy, Inspiring Future STEM Professionals, Building Future Leaders, and Supporting Safe and Sustainable Communities. By focusing on these four areas, UGI can make a concentrated, impactful investment today, for the next generation and future potential workforce.
Improving Literacy
Literacy skills are a critical foundation for success in school and life. UGI is dedicated to improving literacy and providing greater access to books to students across our territory.
Reading is Fundamental
Through our partnership with Reading is Fundamental (RIF), 14,000 first-grade students received more than 32,000 books during the 2022-2023 school year. UGI Utilities has been partnering with RIF to distribute books to local students for 33 years, making us their longest partner.
Inspiring Future STEM Professionals
As an energy provider, UGI Utilities relies on professionals with STEM skills to deliver safe and reliable energy to our customers. It is vitally important for UGI to continue to pursue innovation and ensure there are talented people to drive that innovation. We are committed to inspiring future STEM professionals by supporting programs that teach students the necessary skills to enter the workforce.
S.P.A.R.K.S. Foundation
The S.P.A.R.K.S. Foundation delivers hands-on science experiments and demonstrations to schools across our service area. During the 2022-2023 school year, over 8,000 students participated in fun and engaging STEM programming thanks to UGI’s partnership with the S.P.A.R.K.S. Foundation.
Building Future Leaders
UGI is dedicated to supporting mentorship, leadership, and skill building programs. In 2023, we supported 45 programs that build future leaders, including Girl Scouts, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and Junior Achievement.
Big Brothers Big Sisters
Mentoring programs have been proven to improve academic performance, reduce risky behaviors, and improve social-emotional competencies. Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) helps children realize their potential and build their futures by matching adult mentors with children ages 5 through young adulthood. UGI employees are proud to support BBBS through mentoring local youth and supporting fundraising events, such as Bowl for Kids’ Sake.
Supporting Safe and Sustainable Communities
The foundation of a strong community rests on the ability of people to have stable access to affordable housing, food, and safe and healthy environments.
American Red Cross
UGI is proud to support the American Red Cross’s “Sound the Alarm” campaign, which has saved more than 2,063 lives and installed over 2.7 million smoke alarms nationwide. In 2023, our support helped to install 9,335 smoke detectors across our service territory through the Sound the Alarm campaign.
Habitat for Humanity
UGI is proud to support Habitat for Humanity’s efforts to create safe and affordable housing in our communities. UGI Utilities employees spent approximately 240 hours at Habitat for Humanity Home Builds in 2023.
Food Security
UGI employees spent 250 hours supporting food security last year by packing food boxes, distributing groceries, and serving meals at community kitchens.
Additional Community Relations Initiatives
Honoring Our Heroes
UGI and its employees honored those who have protected our freedom by participating in Wreaths Across America in December. Employees and their families participated in events at 12 cemeteries across our service territory.
Employee Giving Campaign
Our annual Employee Giving Campaign solicited the highest percentage of employee participation in our history with more than 65.7% of employees making a contribution. Employees generously pledged over $334,000 during the 2023 Employee Giving Campaign.
Donation Drives
Throughout 2023, UGI employees participated in 20 on-site donation drives to support causes such as food banks, holiday gift drives, school supply drives and more.
Education Improvement Tax Credit Program
In addition to the continued support of our signature educational partnerships, UGI supported more than 90 education-related organizations through its ongoing participation in Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit program. Over $1 million were invested in high-quality Pre-K programming, career exploration activities, STEM learning, summer reading programs, and more.
Customer Programs
At UGI, we are committed to helping our customers manage their utility bills by providing information on a variety of assistance programs and energy efficiency rebates.
Customer Assistance Program (CAP)
The Customer Assistance Program (CAP) offers special reduced payment plans and debt forgiveness based on a customer’s income and usage. UGI worked with 25 community agencies on behalf of more than 26,500 customers in 2023.
Low-Income Usage Reduction Program (LIURP)
UGI partnered with 16 community agencies and contractors through the Low-Income Usage Reduction Program (LIURP). This program provides home improvement energy savings initiatives to over 550 natural gas and electric customers.
Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
In the 2022-2023 season of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), almost 51,000 customers received $15 million in LIHEAP grants with the assistance of UGI’s Customer Outreach team.
Operation Share Energy Fund
In 2023, 189 UGI Utilities employees generously donated $13,874 to the Operation Share Energy Fund, which provides financial assistance to families unable to pay their natural gas or electric bill due to unemployment, disability, significant medical expenses, or other hardships. Operation Share donations totaled $127,592 and helped 5,702 households last year.
Energy Efficiency & Conservation
UGI’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Program, also known as Save Smart, provides rebates to both residential and commercial customers who installed energy efficient equipment and technology. The Save Smart Program has reduced carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 133,087 metric tons and has issued more than $50 million in rebates.