Winter is coming

That the high cost of energy is quickly becoming an actual threat for many European households, is no longer news. It’s enough to look at the current market prices from EPEX SPOT for electricity across the continent, or at the TTF gas prices in the Netherlands. Households are already struggling, and the winter is not even here yet.

Many reasons for the high cost of energy are out of the control of the average homeowner or tenant. Such as the high and volatile wholesale prices in the common market and the insecure geopolitical situation in Europe. And as if that wasn’t enough, rising inflation that is partly fueled (no pun intended) by the energy crisis. 

You don’t need a calculator to realise that the coming winter will be tough for a lot of us across Europe. Customer’s ability to pay bills will be increasingly challenged and more people will end up in fuel poverty and have to experience the knock-on impact that has.

However, next to all the aspects that an individual cannot influence, let’s not forget the ones that are actually within control: the amount of energy used in your home.

“Energy savings are the quickest and cheapest way to address the current energy crisis, and reduce bills. Saving energy now will help us to prepare for the potential challenges of next winter” (European Commission, REPowerEU)
What can the average consumer do to save on their electricity bill? Quite a bit, probably, but an even more important question right now is
‘What does the average consumer need from their energy provider to enable these savings?’

???? Consumers require engagement where they are. Be proactive in your dialogue with them – this means a multi-channel approach – using all the tools available; mobile apps, web portals, chatbots & letters. Be Prepared for a lot more inbound contact, and prepare in good time so that your contact centre is not overwhelmed and your already frustrated customers are not met with a ‘You are nr 462 in line, but your call is important to us’.

???? Provide simple digital tools. Help customers understand where and how they use energy. If they have a smart meter, that’s great, but think about what can be provided if they don’t – is there something else that can be shown based on a persona or some basic home information? Get creative.

???? Provide targeted energy-saving advice. Based on how they use home energy, make it personal, not generic & include a savings estimate. Given where energy prices are right now and likely will be in the future, smaller actions will now have a bigger financial impact on savings, and it will add up. 

At Eliq we have more than 10 years of experience in providing customers of our clients with comprehensive insights. Spot-on forecasts and accurate disaggregation of energy usage categories gives a full 360 energy consumption and generation view.