This blog was written in January 2022. As of 1 July 2023, energy prices are being set by Ofgem’s price cap. Annual energy bills for a typical household will be around £2,074, down from £2,500.
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Your customers’ energy bills could rise by around £240 per household this year, as more than 25 energy firms have gone bust since the wholesale gas price rise.
The best advice so far has been for households to stick with their current energy supplier, as many suppliers are not taking on new customers and may in fact be offering more expensive tariffs. With the price cap set to rise again in April 2022, there’s now an even greater need for advice and support.
Giving simple and easy-to-implement energy advice to your customers could help offset some of this cost increase on energy bills. In addition, having resources on hand which can answer your customers’ questions on energy efficiency, along with information on sustainable behavioural change, could increase customer loyalty.
Follow the steps below to get started with an effective energy advice campaign for your customers.
When giving or talking about energy saving advice, it’s important to ensure the savings and facts are up-to-date, accurate and easy to understand.
To ensure what you’re saying is impartial, correct and helpful to your customers, we recommend contacting our energy insight consultants to get the messaging, statistics and facts you need.
The first thing you’ll want to do is understand your customers, their homes and what their needs and expectations are.
Providing energy advice could help bolster your organisation’s objectives or improve your corporate social responsibility (CSR). With more and more consumers choosing to support ethical and sustainable business practices, you’ll want to invest in achieving customer expectations.
When it comes to implementing your energy advice, it might be worth cross-referencing customer geographic data with home Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) data. Comparing datasets can help distinguish which areas might need your support, allowing you to target your energy efficiency campaign to the relevant audience. Using digital communications can help you target any area in the UK that fits your campaign objectives.
You’ll also want to consider implementing energy efficiency in your own organisation so you can prove to customers that you mean what you say. Download our guide to get started.
Digital marketing is usually more cost-effective than traditional marketing and allows you to connect with your ideal target audience. Leveraging your online channels also allows you to increase customer engagement by segmenting your audience.
That isn’t to say that offline marketing doesn’t have its benefits – connecting with certain audiences, such as elderly or disabled customers, through offline methods can be an overlooked strategy. For example, leaflet printing or community engagement may seem like old tactics, but it can be very effective if you’re trying to gain some visibility in your local area.
Social media best practice – Having some energy saving quick-wins targeted and scheduled on key dates in your social media calendar can be a great way to get the attention of your customers. We suggest simple advice that can easily be implemented into your customers’ everyday lives, or links to more in-depth advice on your website.
You should also circle some key sustainability social media dates this year:
Email – Use email newsletters or e-shots to easily provide energy advice. It can act as a way for customers to get quick tips even when they’re not actively searching for them. We have our Energywire newsletter dedicated to this, but many other outlets have their own sustainability newsletter, such as the Guardian’s Down to Earth newsletter.
Website – Create your own energy efficiency or sustainability hub with consumer tips or online tools to help your customers lead more sustainable lives. For example, we helped Halifax create its ‘green living hub’. Adding a blog post or introduction to home energy, such as Compare the Market’s ‘guide to eco technology and renewable energy’, can go a long way to supporting consumers.
Digital resources – Developing resources and tools which can be used by everyone is another good option. We recommend putting information on your website so it’s easy to find and printable for those unable to access it digitally. Take a look at the accessible resources created by Energy Redress Scheme projects, such as energy saving videos for hard-of-hearing, heating control guides for the visually impaired, and a podcast that engages young adults with energy.
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Last updated: 13 June 2023