Electric Ireland launches Brighter Energy Programme

Electric Ireland has launched its Brighter Energy Programme to drive awareness and empower customers to maximise energy efficiency. The programme will be supported by the release of new products and services, including a 100% Green Electricity Price Plan. The announcement came at the launch of ‘We’re Brighter Together’, Electric Ireland’s new brand campaign which features Astronaut Colonel Chris Hadfield. The campaign is designed to empower customers to make small changes which reduce their energy usage, and, in turn, deliver a brighter energy future.

Electric Ireland commissioned extensive research, designed to address customer wishes and needs, and identified an opportunity to play a leading advisory role in helping business and residential energy users become more efficient in their energy consumption. Some of the survey results include:

— 73% of those surveyed say they ‘would be willing to change their energy usage behaviours a little to reduce their own carbon footprint’.

— 81% said that they ‘believe energy providers should help people lower their carbon footprint by offering new products and services to help customers use their energy in a more sustainable way’.

— In considering the role that energy companies might play in helping people transition to a greener, lower-carbon future, 58% of those surveyed think energy companies should ‘advise on how to reduce the carbon footprint and increase the energy efficiency of the home’.

In response to this research, the Electric Ireland Brighter Energy Programme will offer customers practical advice, tips and ‘how-to’ videos which will be released throughout the year and available online at the new ‘We’re Brighter Together Hub’ on ElectricIreland.ie/brightertogether. The Electric Ireland Brighter Energy Research Tracker will also monitor, track, and publish bi-annually, on Ireland’s energy literacy. Through education, Electric Ireland aims to enable its customers to make the changes needed to have the biggest collective impact on society. And with the largest customer base in Ireland, over 1.1million, Electric Ireland is in a unique position to help customers have the biggest collective impact.

As part of the Electric Ireland Brighter Energy Programme, Electric Ireland is launching its all-new 100% Green Electricity Price Plan – available to new and existing residential Electric Ireland customers later this month. This affordable plan underpins existing products and services, enabling Electric Ireland customers to make a positive change while retaining great value. Small and medium business customers will also be given the option to move to a Green Price Plan later this month as well.

Speaking at the launch of ‘We’re Brighter Together’, Marguerite Sayers, Executive Director, Electric Ireland said: “We’re acutely aware of what is happening in the world in which we live, and we’ve also listened to our customers. We’re committed to providing them, not only the best value offerings on an ongoing basis, but also an opportunity to contribute to combating climate change. We understand and acknowledge that many customers want to make a difference with their energy decisions.”

She continued: “Our Brighter Energy Programme, along with our 100% Green Electricity Price Plan, is another facet of our company-wide ambition to help Ireland transition to a low carbon future. We believe that change is easy when you know-how. We want to facilitate and accelerate that change by sharing information and practical help, empowering our customers to make more informed decisions on their energy usage. The ‘We’re Brighter Together’ campaign is an expression of our collective ambition, and actions, for a brighter energy future.”

Colonel Chris Hadfield, the iconic astronaut who was the first Canadian to walk in space, is central to the new ‘We’re Brighter Together’ television commercial, which was launched on December 25th. Hadfield features in the campaign having had the opportunity of seeing Ireland from the International Space Station, experiencing first-hand what the power of collective action can truly achieve.

Electric Ireland’s Energy Awareness Programme puts power and knowledge directly into people’s hands

Speaking at the launch of the campaign, he said; “I’ve flown three space missions, commanded the International Space Station, completed two spacewalks, and served as a fighter/engineering test pilot. Throughout my career, there has been one constant – collaboration always results in advancement. Electric Ireland’s Energy Awareness Programme puts power and knowledge directly into people’s hands so that together with family, friends, colleagues and communities, they can collaborate to make a positive impact. Truly we are brighter together.”

Electric Ireland offers a host of products that can help home and business owners lower their energy usage – 100% Green Electricity Price Plans, installation of EV chargers for electric vehicles (the only large supplier offering this service), smart heating control systems, solar PV panels and battery storage solutions – as well as continuing with its long-standing discount rate that doesn’t disappear after a year. Electric Ireland also rewards customers with special price plans for those with electric heat pumps, the home heating solution for most new homes. Finally, for those homes that may experience fuel poverty, Electric Ireland’s innovative ‘Energy Saving Scheme’ will make €1.2m available in 2020 to ensure those customers can also be part of the energy revolution.

To be part of the change and to find out more visit www.electricireland.ie/brightertogether