GGovernment officials debating whether to launch a public campaign to reduce energy use this winter may want to avert their eyes from the backlash to last week’s heat wave advisory. As temperatures soared, government and health agencies advised Britons on how to stay safe in the heat. Twitter users’ response? A wave of harsh comments. “The nanny state has spoken,” read one. “Most normal adults already know this,” said another.
As the country struggles with extreme heat, the debate in Westminster surrounds how to keep people warm this winter. The twin issues of rising energy bills, which could reach £3,000 by October, and the prospect of supply shortages caused by the invasion of Ukraine, underpin the discussion. Industry watchers have called for government intervention, including more financial support, following Rishi Sunak’s £15bn package presented in May and official consumer advice this winter.
However, the government seems not to be sure that the latter will happen. Asked about possible messages to consumers this winter, a senior official at an energy industry conference told leaders this month that the issue was being discussed in Westminster. But she argued that “people are tired of being told what to do. With Partygate it was clear that we were saying one thing and doing another and that feeling is still there.”
On Thursday, National Grid is expected to release its initial outlook, which will detail its expectations for energy supply and demand this winter.
The reality of Europe’s winter energy outlook rests in the hands of Vladimir Putin, who may decide to suffocate economies by cutting off gas supplies. Although Britain is not dependent on Russian gas, any shutdown could push energy prices even higher or divert Britain’s planned supplies elsewhere. Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has sought to conserve coal and gas supplies for the winter, while Shell boss Ben van Beurden has warned gas rationing could be ahead.
The government may decide to call into action its own behavioral intelligence team – known as the ‘push unit’. Established by David Cameron’s government, the unit aims to apply behavioral science to public policy. The government sold a third of its stake for £15.4m last year to Nesta, the UK innovation foundation.
In Germany, the authorities are already mobilizing. Motorists have been warned that speed limits may be in place on the motorway to reduce fuel use and reduce hot water.
Influencing public behavior on energy use is a delicate task. Supplier websites are full of practical tips to save energy, including turning down your room heating to a steady 21C, filling your dishwasher and washing machine and leaving them on at night to use cheaper energy; unplug appliances you are not using and drain radiators. However, these efforts may fail. Last year a series of ill-judged tips backfired for supplier Ovo. She was forced to apologize after advising customers to hug their pets, eat porridge and do star jumps to warm up.
Suppliers have also been asked not to use strong tactics to push consumers who cannot afford direct debits onto prepaid meters, which are more expensive. The British Gas Energy Trust, which is funded by Centrica and offers fuel debt advice, ran a campaign called Stop the Silence to raise awareness of the help available with rapper Professor Green earlier this year.
Angela Terry, an environmental scientist and founder of the climate change action group One Home, argues that any widespread campaign should focus on insulation. She says: “Elderly and vulnerable people will freeze in their homes because they can’t afford the heating. They have to literally insulate themselves from these extraordinary price increases.
“Telling people to fill their cistern properly can save them £20, but proper insulation will save thousands within months. Getting the public to love the loft to save money and get rid of Putin’s gas would be a great campaign.” The UK has the worst insulated housing stock in Europe and only 58% of homes in Britain meet 1970s insulation standards.
The International Energy Agency urged consumers to lower their thermostats by 1C to reduce the need for Russian gas.
Stew Horne, head of policy at the Energy Saving Trust, says advice needs to be impartial and tailored. “There is a lot of interest in how you retrofit your home to make it more efficient and a lot of government support out there – but people don’t know where to start. To drive behavior change, help needs to be personalised,” he says.
Horne cites schemes in Bristol and Scotland that offer free advice on how to make homes more efficient. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme offers consumers £5,000 to install air source heat pumps, while the Home Improvement Grant aims to support low-income families to improve energy efficiency at home.
A government service, Simple Energy Advice, offers free help on home energy performance and low carbon heating.
Sarah Baumann is managing director of advertising agency VaynerMedia and has worked on numerous public information campaigns throughout her career, including Think! Road safety campaign and an adult literacy and numeracy drive entitled “Our future. It is in our hands.”
She says that “carrot and stick” approaches are important for such campaigns. “There always has to be a deterrent or an enabler underneath the marketing. With energy – do you go with the cost of living angle, potential gas shortages – which could panic people – or the climate crisis? All three can be equally motivating,” she says.
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The price for an agency that has such a contract can be lucrative. The government has previously handed out similar briefs to established agencies such as Freuds, the agency behind Live Aid and Comic Relief, and M&C Saatchi, which has been the subject of a bidding war this year. London agency MullenLowe was among the winners in the Covid information drive, including work on the NHS vaccination programme.
Baumann says: “It would have to be more subtle than the general Covid campaigns. People’s situations are very different. If you have a conservative leader living on a comfort level preaching austerity and giving the message of rationing, you have to think very carefully about what you’re communicating.”
A spokesman for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said: “The UK has no problems with either gas or electricity supplies and the government is fully prepared for any scenario, even the extreme and highly unlikely. to happen”.
