ENERGY SPARKS

Registered charity 1189273 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

Energy Sparks offers an online energy analysis tool and energy education programme specifically designed to help schools reduce their electricity and gas usage through the analysis of half hourly smart meter data. Energy Sparks provides advice and activities to support pupils and the wider school community to reduce their school's carbon footprint.

Causes: Education/training · Environment/conservation/heritage · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£552k

Latest spending

£575k

Registered

2020

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that unrestricted reserves were £191,224, representing approximately 3.5 months of core running costs, which aligns with the trustees' policy target of maintaining 3-4 months of reserves. Although the charity reported a net movement in funds of -£22,771 for the year, the trustees confirm the organization remains a going concern with adequate resources for the next 12 months.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £80,000 - £89,999 — in the top quarter for charities its size (median £60k)

“£80,000 - £89,999 - 1 employee” — page 21

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Employees paid over £60,000: 2

“Two employees received employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) of more than £60,000 during the reporting period.” — page 21

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Largest income source: Drax Foundation (27% of income)

“The most significant grant income comprised £150,000 from the Drax Foundation”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Fundraising cost ratio: 1.5% of fundraised income, as disclosed

“In 2024/2025, 10% of CEO salary, pension and employers NI costs (£8,160) were allocated to Raising Funds.” — page 20

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves policy: 3-4 months' of core running costs (held: £191k)

“The Trustees have agreed to maintain 3-4 months' of core running costs as reserves” — page 11

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 6 of 6 completeness components.

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook · instagram

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/08/2025)

Total income

£552k

Total spending

£575k

Cost of raising funds

£8k

Reserves (reported)

£191k

Employees

10

Reported reserves equal ~4.0 months of spending — below the median for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (99% of income) — components as reported reconcile to the return’s total income; not from the accounts narrative.

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 1.5% of total income — below the median for charities its size (4.9%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

Helen Elizabeth Burgechair · trustee of 1 other charity
Andrew Clive Houston
Dr Robert Richard Cohen · trustee of 1 other charity
Edward William Moore · trustee of 1 other charity
Esther Griffin
Hazel Mallett · trustee of 1 other charity
PETER ANDREWS
Professor Ian Walker
Timothy Warnes

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Scotland · Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/08/2025	£552k	£575k
31/08/2024	£562k	£501k
31/08/2023	£465k	£499k
31/08/2022	£422k	£290k
31/08/2021	£221k	£162k

Common questions

Is ENERGY SPARKS financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that unrestricted reserves were £191,224, representing approximately 3.5 months of core running costs, which aligns with the trustees' policy target of maintaining 3-4 months of reserves. Although the charity reported a net movement in funds of -£22,771 for the year, the trustees confirm the organization remains a going concern with adequate resources for the next 12 months. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

What does the highest-paid employee of ENERGY SPARKS earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £80,000 - £89,999 band, and 2 employees earned over £60,000.

Who funds ENERGY SPARKS?

Funders whose own accounts filings name ENERGY SPARKS as a grant recipient include THE OVO CHARITABLE FOUNDATION, King Charles III Charitable Fund.

Known funders

Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE OVO CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	FY2022	£170k	Climate Changers
THE OVO CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	FY2023	£142k
THE OVO CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	FY2025	£121k
THE OVO CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	FY2024	£115k
THE OVO CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	FY2021	£114k	Energy Sparks
King Charles III Charitable Fund	FY2025	—	Small grants programme support for five schools in Bath and North East Somerset.

Government & lottery funding

Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
Postcode Lottery	30/06/2023	£25k	Project Funding

Funders of similar charities

Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.

Funder	Similar charities funded	Amount to them
THE CITY OF LONDON OCTOBER CLUB	1	£810k
BERNARD LEWIS FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£343k
THE DAWES TRUST	1	£228k
SOMERSET NHS FOUNDATION TRUST CHARITABLE FUNDS	1	£174k
THE BARROW CADBURY TRUST	1	£141k
THE PAYBACK TIME TRUST	1	£125k
THE AURUM CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£105k
THE TOLKIEN TRUST	1	£91k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with LITTLE SPARKS PRESCHOOL.

LITTLE SPARKS PRESCHOOL income £168k
BRIGHT SPARKS PRE SCHOOL income £267k
SPARK INSIDE income £1.5m
BRIGHT SPARKS KINDERGARTEN LTD income £210k
SPARK COMMUNITY SPACE income £162k
BLUESPARK FOUNDATION income £121k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
ENERGY SPARKS	£552k	£80,000 - £89,999	2	within	1.5%	no doubt
LITTLE SPARKS PRESCHOOL FY2025	£168k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
BRIGHT SPARKS PRE SCHOOL FY2025	£267k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
SPARK INSIDE FY2025	£1.5m	£80,001 - £90,000	—	within	—	no doubt
BRIGHT SPARKS KINDERGARTEN LTD FY2025	£210k	Under £50,000	0	unclear	—	no doubt
SPARK COMMUNITY SPACE FY2025	£162k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.