Simply Switch and City of Westminster - Campaign to encourage householders to switch energy suppliers to renewable energy and cheaper energy sources
Louise Pinkney worked with Simply Switch, the UK's leading energy switching companies, to help them deliver a number of campaigns tackling fuel poverty and increasing the uptake of renewable energy tariffs.
One such campaign was with Westminster Council to tackle fuel poverty and encourage residents to switch to renewable energy. It took a difficult message and communicated it in a simple, cost effective manner, to a diverse audience, whilst delivering benefits to Simply Switch and Westminster Council.
The campaign aligned to the Council's Affordable Warmth Strategy. It was positioned as a promotion, offering free fuel tariff advice to City of Westminster residents, as well as information about renewable energy options. Consumer inertia is the biggest barrier to switching energy suppliers so the primary aim was to increase calls. Once a consumer has made the decision to call the freephone number, approx 80% switch tariffs and saved money.
Promotional leaflets were included in the annual Council Tax billing, demonstrating the potential savings to residents of switching fuel tariffs, at a time when they would naturally wish to lower household bills. This was backed up with a series of timed promotions within the borough, targeting different sectors of the community. This included bus stop posters, articles in Council newsletters, bookmarks given out at local libraries and Take-Me packs at Citizens Advice Bureaux. Partnerships were set up with local Housing Associations, Organic Box schemes and community groups.
Rather than communicate the more complex message of switching tariffs or renewable energy options, residents were encouraged to simply pick up the phone and make a free call to find out more,. This was done in a variety of ways such; as encouraging consumers to make the call before winter, before BST ends, before their next bus is due, before they finish reading a book etc.
A pay-back scheme was set up between Simply Switch and the City of Westminster, whereby Simply Switch gave a % commission to the Council for every resident who switched. This created a fund that administered grants for energy efficiency measures to residents on low income.
The campaign was promoted to 113,000 residents, resulted in over 6000 phone calls and achieved over 600 residents switching energy suppliers.