Ofgem/Citizens Advice Energy Best Deal & Energy Best Deal Extra

1. Description of the programme
2. The study
3. Key findings
4. Points to consider

• Description of the programme
• The study
• Key findings
• Points to consider
• Full report

Description of the programme

Energy Best Deal

The Energy Best Deal programme aims to support energy consumers to reduce their energy costs. It is delivered to consumers directly, as well as to frontline workers in order to improve the assistance they provide their clients with on energy-related matters. The programme involves face-to-face group information sessions to raise awareness on how to:

• reduce energy costs by switching tariff, payment method and/or supplier;
• get help from suppliers and government if paying energy bills is a struggle; and
• save money by being more energy efficient at home.

The programme was developed by Ofgem as a pilot in 2008 and was subsequently rolled-out across England and Wales. It is still being delivered by Citizens Advice (CAB) and a range of partner organisations through the regional CAB Financial Capability Forums.

The programme also runs in Scotland where it was first delivered in 2010/2011 to frontline workers only, following which it was extended to both consumers and frontline workers. Here it is delivered by Citizens Advice Scotland.

Funding for the Energy Best Deal programme is provided by a number of energy companies via Ofgem (British Gas, EDF Energy, First Utility, ScottishPower and SSE).

During 2013/2014 the programme reached 10,349 consumers and 5,408 frontline workers.

Energy Best Deal Extra

Energy Best Deal Extra was developed from Energy Best Deal and was delivered through 99 Citizens Advice Bureaux. It involved one-to-one advice appointments directly to consumers.

It ran between October 2013 and April 2014, with 4,318 appointments taking place in this period. Appointments were offered to attendees of Energy Best Deal Sessions, as well as to individuals referred by a Citizens Advice Bureau case worker, or following attendance at a Financial Capability session.

The study

One independent impact evaluation of the 2013/2014 Energy Best Deal programme has been published (following evaluations of the programme’s performance from preceding years) by the Centre for Sustainable Energy, with the same report also containing a small-scale qualitative evaluation of Energy Best Deal Extra.

The study involved a post-session survey completed by both consumers and front line workers after the sessions (6,086 and 3,337 surveys were assessed for consumers and frontline workers respectively) follow-up interviews conducted with consumers and frontline workers, undertaken on average three months after the sessions (150 consumers and 150 frontline workers were interviewed), and 25 interviews with both consumers and frontline workers involved in the 2012/2013 programme, to test for on-going effect. The small-scale Energy Best Deal Extra evaluation involved 52 interviews with programme participants.

While the data does suggest that the programme impacts positively for both consumers and frontline workers, no comparison group against which outcomes can be compared was used in the evaluation.

Key findings

Energy Best Deal

The evaluation of Energy Best Deal (which involved surveys and interviews among both 2013/14 programme participants and frontline workers with the interviews taking place on average three months after the information sessions, as well as 25 interviews with both consumers and frontline workers involved in the 2012/2013 programme, to explore longer-term effects) found positive impacts in relation to the following outcomes:

For consumers:

• Financial behaviour:
  • 75% of consumers who completed the post-session questionnaire stated an intention to probably or definitely do something as a result of the session.
  • 75% of consumers who took part in the follow-up interviews around three months later said they had taken at least one action following the sessions (e.g. looking for a better energy tariff).
  • 63% of participants had told friends and family about something they had learnt at the session.
  • Some evidence of the on-going impact of the programme on consumers’ behaviour is provided through the 25 interviews conducted with consumers who took part in the 2012/2013 programme. When first interviewed, ten of this group had looked into getting an improved deal (with five switching tariff and five investigating but not switching). Of the fifteen people who had not looked into getting an improved deal, four had contacted their existing supplier and checked prices from other suppliers. Four of the five who had earlier looked into getting a better deal but did not, had since checked prices again.

For frontline workers:

• Confidence to support clients:
  • The majority (97%) of interviewees thought participation had increased their confidence in dealing with energy-related topics, and helped them to provide more accurate or detailed advice.
  • 61% of frontline staff interviewed stated they would not have provided as much information to clients without attending the session.
  • 81% of frontline workers who completed the post-session questionnaire stated that it had changed their opinion of the importance of fuel poverty, as an issue for their clients.
  • 22 of the interviewees who participated in the 2012/2013 programme stated that the session had given them more confidence in dealing with topics that they were already advising on and sixteen stated that it enabled them to help clients with issues which they were not advising on previously, with nine stating it did not.

Energy Best Deal Extra

The small-scale qualtitative evaluation of Energy Best Deal Extra involved 52 interviews with people who had attended the programme’s advice sessions.

For consumers:

• Financial wellbeing: Six participants received the Warm Home Discount as a result of their appointment, with a further person waiting to hear back on their application and another about to apply.
• Financial behaviour: Twelve participants switched supplier or tariff as a result of their Energy Best Deal Extra appointment. Two participants switched from prepayment meters to credit meters.

Points to consider

All the findings of this study should be interpreted with care, due to the small sample sizes involved and the lack of a comparison group.

Full report

Full research report