Alchemy Media has been tasked with helping to raise awareness of the support available to households in need due to the cost-of-living crisis and fuel poverty through an out-of-home and digital media campaign with power network operator Electricity North West.
Agent, which has offices in Liverpool and Manchester, was behind the creative.
Electricity North West is committing £8m to support more than 125k customers over the next five years, working alongside Energy Saving Trust and Citizen’s Advice North West.
The ‘Take Charge’ advice service is aimed at benefiting 25,000 homes per year across the region and will run for six months from October 2023, complementing the wider marketing mix which includes radio, web and direct mail, targeting a broad audience including fuel poor households in the region.
The Take Charge service will offer a wide range of support including income maximisation, fuel and food vouchers, access to government support initiatives, energy and debt advice, energy saving behaviours as well as supported applications for grant funding to improve the efficiency of customer properties to help lower their energy bills.
The service is free, and easily accessible to anyone in the North West who needs it through a bespoke telephone and WhatsApp service.
The service will be provided by Citizens Advice North West, while Energy Saving Trust will manage delivery of the awareness campaign, drawing on both agencies’ experience of delivering consumer advice and public engagement.
Stephanie Trubshaw, Electricity North West’s customer and connections director said: “As the cost-of-living crisis continues to impact households across the region, we are committed to providing help to families struggling to pay their energy bills. Our ‘Take Charge’ programme will offer immediate support to households in crisis as well as providing longer term measures for grant funding to improve the efficiency of their properties which will help lower energy bills. This new partnership provides free expert advice and tailored support to help consumers take charge of their energy bills.”
Karen Light, managing partner at Alchemy, added: “We know there are many individuals and families out there who desperately need help to keep their homes warm and comfortable whilst managing their bills and keeping themselves out of debt. This campaign delivers a crucial message to those in need, that there is support out there to help them take control and reduce the associated anxiety of not knowing where to turn to for practical aid and solutions. We’re delighted to play a part in raising awareness of such an important issue.”
Ellie Abernethy, communications and partnerships manager at Energy Saving Trust said: “We’ve got more than 30 years’ experience supporting people to reduce energy bills and create warmer homes. Through this project we’ll be sharing our expertise and working collaboratively to help people access the support they need. We look forward to delivering a high performing campaign together with Alchemy and the other stakeholders, and achieving a positive outcome for people in the North West.”
