Smart Energy GB wins Gold at the 2017 Digital Impact Award

Smart Energy GB have struck award gold again after their ‘Gaz & Leccys’ digital campaign to raise awareness of energy wasting behaviour topped the best use of digital in the Energy & Utilities sector category at the 2017 Digital Impact Awards.

From whacking up the heating to almighty levels, to leaving the lights on in every room in the house, everyone knows at least one person who has a habit of wasting energy. By providing a platform where people could call out an ‘energy-offender’ by nominating them for awards across four categories - ‘Shower Hogger’, ‘Wattage Waster’, ‘Heating Hooligan’ and ‘Bulb Burner’ - the campaign aimed to get people talking about energy waste.

Running for three weeks in October 2016, the campaign engaged more than 3 million people on Facebook, 250,000 on Twitter and increased conversations online in Great Britain about energy wasting behaviour by 600%.

Smart meters are being offered to every home and microbusiness in Great Britain. 7.7 million of the new gas and electricity smart meters have already been installed and are transforming the way that homes and small businesses across Great Britain are buying and using energy.

The campaign was developed and implemented with Smart Energy GB’s agency partners PHD and AMV BBDO.

Gavin Sheppard, Marketing Director of Smart Energy GB, said:

“To be recognised by our peers for the second year running at the Digital Impact Awards is a huge achievement. Energy waste is not a subject that usually ignites the imagination in social media channels, so the bar was high. The team created a highly engaging and fun way to call out the energy guzzlers in our lives and gently shame them into changing their habits! They created thousands of new conversations, making energy waste in the home a social media talking point and reaching new audiences with our smart meter messages.”

The Digital Impact Awards celebrate the best in digital communications. The awards were announced at a ceremony on Tuesday 17^th October at The Brewery in London.

This adds to the haul of other awards won by Smart Energy GB for its creative and effective campaigning, including two Campaign Big Awards, a Digital Cinema Media Award, 5 British Arrows Awards, and an IDEAS award.

-ENDS-

Notes to editors

GiF files of the Gaz & Leccys can be accessed and downloaded here. 

About Smart Energy GB

Smart Energy GB is the voice of the smart meter rollout. It’s our task to help everyone in Great Britain understand smart meters, the national rollout and how to use their new meters to get their gas and electricity under control. Our national campaign is reaching households and microbusinesses in England, Scotland and Wales. 

About smart meters and the rollout

Smart meters replace the traditional meters we currently have in our homes. They enable accurate bills, near real time information on energy use in pounds and pence, and greater control over the way we buy and use energy. The smart meter rollout is an essential technology upgrade, unprecedented in its scale, to improve Great Britain’s energy infrastructure.

There are already 7.7 million smart meters installed in homes and microbusinesses across Great Britain. Every household in England, Scotland and Wales will be offered one at no additional cost. Contact your energy supplier today about installing your smart meter.

Smart Energy GB media contacts

For more information including interview requests, case studies of smart meter users, infographics, photography and video content please contact the Smart Energy GB media team:

Robbie Hurley: [email protected]; 0203 019 1062