Big Energy Vision: Nationwide campaign launched to encourage greener thinking

Kingfisher, Global Action Plan and the National Trust are among a host of big businesses and charities that have united to launch a major campaign which encourages UK households to control rising energy bills and reduce emissions.


‘The Big Energy Vision’ has been set up to coincide with Big Energy Week – running all of this week – following new research from YouGov, which revealed that energy bills are the top financial concern for households but two-thirds of people say there’s nothing they can do about them. 

The partnership has been coordinated by not-for-profit organisations Forum for the Future and Behaviour Change, with members including John Lewis, Home Retail Group, Citizens Advice, Calor, uSwitch, Energy Saving Trust, TrustMark, Energy UK, UK Green Building Council, Willmott Dixon and Groundwork.

The organisations in the partnership will be working together to highlight existing solutions to control energy bills (through government policy, technology, products, services and behaviour) and incorporate new solutions as they arrive. New messages will be created about the things people can do to control their bills. This will include clear, simple and consistent messaging about smart meters, digital technology, buying efficient appliances, washing at 30°C and switching tariffs; all under the banner of how households can ‘use less, waste less and pay less’.

 

Bold vision

Kingfisher’s group chief executive Sir Ian Cheshire said: “Now is the time to take control of rising home energy costs. We need to move from a place where people are frustrated about their bills and feel there’s nothing they can do, to one where they feel that help is available to stop wasting energy and control their bills. 

“We’re committing to a bold vision, working collaboratively to make it easier for everyone to use less, waste less and pay less for their energy.”

The organisations will now start to seed the positive narrative across a broad range of channels including websites, guides, social media, marketing materials, advertising, helplines and other customer communications.

Behaviour Change executive director David Hall added: “We know that changing consumer behaviour takes time but our partners are taking a long term view. Our aim is to reach every home in the UK with empowering and positive messages, establishing energy control as the logical response to rising bills.”

The campaign will be updating on progress in spring 2015 and the partners behind the Big Energy Vision are keen for more organisations to join. For more information, visit www.energycontrol.co.uk.

Luke Nicholls

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