energy best deal - citizens advice energy best deal, the evaluation was carried out using paper...

f

Energy Best Deal Evaluation Report, 2014/2015

July 2015

Prepared by:

Centre for Sustainable Energy

3 St Peter’s Court

Bedminster Parade

Bristol BS3 4AQ

Tel: 0117 9341 400

Fax: 0117 9341 410

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.cse.org.uk

Registered charity no.298740

Contents

Contents

Summary of key findings

Methods

Consumers: questionnaire responses

Consumers: follow‐up interviews

Frontline workers: questionnaire responses

Frontline workers: follow‐up interviews

Quality of the presentation and materials

2013/2014 participant interviews – consumers

2013/2014 participant interviews – frontline workers

Case studies

Energy Best Deal Extra

Summary

Centre for Sustainable Energy | Contents 2

Summary of key findings

The Energy Best Deal programme seeks to inform domestic energy consumers about how they

could reduce their energy costs: by changing tariff, payment method and / or supplier and taking

up energy efficiency measures, and by providing debt advice. Run by Citizens Advice in England

and Wales and Citizens Advice Scotland in Scotland, the programme offers domestic energy

consumers and frontline workers (both paid workers and volunteers) the opportunity to attend an

information session on getting a better deal on their energy bills.

Between October 2014 and April 2015, 1,186 sessions were delivered by 94 delivery partners

across the 14 regions of the Citizens Advice Financial Capability Forums in England and Wales, and 1

184 sessions were delivered by 19 Citizens Advice Bureaux in Scotland. In total during 2014/2015,

the programme reached 9,068 consumers and 4,914 frontline workers. The programme will have

an ongoing impact through the consumer advice work of the frontline workers.

A second related programme run by Citizens Advice, Energy Best Deal Extra (EBDx), provides

one‐to‐one advice appointments to consumers, delivered by advisors in Citizens Advice Bureaux.

In 2014‐2015, 5,050 Energy Best Deal Extra advice appointments were delivered by 93 bureaux in

England and Wales, and 997 advice appointments were delivered by 19 bureaux in Scotland.

This report describes the results of evaluations of both the Energy Best Deal and the Energy Best

Deal Extra programmes, over 2014/2015.

For Energy Best Deal, the evaluation was carried out using paper questionnaires completed

immediately following the session, and follow‐up telephone interviews carried out an average of

three months after the session. A total of 9,388 questionnaires and 301 telephone interviews were

completed. The ongoing effect of the Energy Best Deal 2013/2014 programme was also

investigated, using a smaller sample of 50 interviews with people who attended Energy Best Deal

sessions in 2013/2014.

For Energy Best Deal Extra, consumers attending one to one advice appointments provided their

contact details if they were happy to be interviewed. In‐depth, semi‐structured telephone

interviews were carried out with 70 people who attended Energy Best Deal Extra one to one

advice appointments.

Impact of the 2014/2015 programme – consumers ● In total, 9,068 consumers attended the Energy Best Deal sessions, and questionnaire

responses were received from 6,015 consumers, 66% of all consumers who attended sessions.

1 The Financial Capability Forums are open to all organisations in a region with an interest in financial education.

They meet quarterly and provide a way for member organisations to share experiences and resources and to

develop new partnerships.


Of the consumer questionnaire respondents, 4,440 (74%) attended sessions in England, 732

(12%) in Scotland, and 843 (14%) in Wales.

● Almost all consumers (97%) who responded said they found the session useful.

● Eighty‐nine percent of consumers who responded to the questionnaire said they would

probably or definitely do something as a result of the session.

● One hundred and fifty consumers were interviewed by telephone an average of three months

after the session. Fifty‐one (33%) had looked for a better deal on their energy bills since the

session.

● Of these fifty‐one who looked for a better deal, 29 were offered a better deal (either by their

own supplier or a different supplier), with 28 of these (18% of all consumer interviewees)

switching or planning to switch to the better deal.

● Consumers were also asked about other actions relating to seeking further advice, energy

efficiency and applying for grants and other support. When these actions are also taken into

account, 57% of consumer interviewees had taken some kind of action following the session.

● Twenty‐six percent of consumer interviewees had taken some kind of action to save energy in

their home, as a result of the session.

● Since the session, 14 people (9%) had applied for the Warm Home Discount.

Impact of the 2014/2015 programme ‐ frontline workers ● In total, 4,914 frontline workers attended Energy Best Deal sessions, and questionnaire

responses were received from 3,373 frontline workers, 69% of all those who attended

sessions.

● Of the frontline worker questionnaire respondents, 2,634 attended sessions in England, 442 in

Scotland, and 297 in Wales.

● Ninety‐eight percent of frontline workers said they felt better informed following the session:

55% to a great extent and 43% to some extent.

● Eighty‐four percent of frontline workers said the session had changed their opinion on the

importance of fuel poverty to the people they work with.

● Thirty percent of frontline workers estimated that between 60% and 80% of their clients were

experiencing, or were at risk of, fuel poverty. A further 17% estimated this figure to be 80%‐

100% of their clients.

● Following the session, 3,162 frontline workers (94%) said they felt more confident advising on

at least one of the topics covered in the presentation, while only 170 (5%) felt less confident in

one or more topics.

● Of the 151 frontline workers who were interviewed three months after the session, 74% had

given advice on getting a better deal on energy supply, and 68% had advised on energy

efficiency.

● Where frontline workers had given advice on Energy Best Deal topics following the session, 87

(58%) said they would not have been able to provide as much information to clients if they

had not attended the session.


● On average, frontline workers interviewed rated their level of knowledge across all topics

covered in the presentation as higher after the presentation than before the presentation,

with the largest increase being in finding the best deal on energy and dealing with suppliers.

● In an average of three months since the session, frontline workers had passed on information

from the session to a median of seven clients. As a proportion of all clients seen in this time,

the clients advised on Energy Best Deal topics ranged from 1% to 100% of all clients.

Ongoing impact of the 2013/2014 programme ● Follow‐up telephone interviews were conducted with 25 consumers and 25 frontline workers

who attended Energy Best Deal sessions in the previous campaign, 2013/2014.

● There was evidence that the session had an ongoing impact for some of the consumers in

terms of making them aware of energy consumption and making the idea of switching less

intimidating.

● The majority of frontline workers interviewed said they had learnt something at the session

which had been useful to them in their work since then.

Energy Best Deal Extra ● One hundred and twelve Citizens Advice Bureaux were involved in delivering one‐to‐one

'Energy Best Deal Extra' advice appointments to a total of 6,047 clients to the end of April

2015.

● Seventy people who attended an Energy Best Deal Extra advice appointment were selected at

random and interviewed by telephone following the appointment.

● Sixty‐three people (90%) who were interviewed said that they found the advice appointments

useful.

● Participants received energy related advice on: high energy bills (24 people), tariff switching

(11 people), the Warm Home Discount (five people), reducing energy use (eight people) and

energy efficiency measures (three people).

● Five participants switched tariffs or providers during the advice appointment. Three people

were found to be eligible for the Warm Home Discount and had received the payment at the

time of interview. Seven participants were able to split energy debts into affordable

repayments following the contact made to energy suppliers during the appointments.


The Energy Best Deal programme

Energy Best Deal is a consumer campaign developed by Ofgem and run by Citizens Advice in

England and Wales and Citizens Advice Scotland in Scotland. For 2014/2015, Citizens Advice

secured funding of £1.235 million from British Gas, EDF Energy, First Utility, Scottish Power, SSE

and Utility Warehouse. This funding covers both the Energy Best Deal group sessions and the

Energy Best Deal Extra one to one advice appointments.

Energy Best Deal (the group sessions) provides trainer‐led group sessions to frontline workers and

consumers. Sessions 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 Energy Best Deal programme started with a pilot funded by Ofgem in 2008 and was then

rolled out across England and Wales; it has been running annually in England and Wales since

then. In Scotland, Energy Best Deal was first delivered in 2010/2011 by Consumer Focus Scotland

to frontline workers only, and since 2011/2012 has been delivered by Citizens Advice Scotland to

both frontline workers and consumers.

Between October 2014 and April 2015, 1,186 sessions were delivered by 94 delivery partners

across the 14 regions of the Citizens Advice Financial Capability Forums in England and Wales, and 2

184 sessions were delivered by 19 Citizens Advice Bureaux in Scotland. In total during 2014/2015,

the programme reached 9,068 consumers and 4,914 frontline workers.

In 2013, Citizens Advice obtained funding for 99 Bureaux to provide one‐to‐one follow‐up advice

appointments, called 'Energy Best Deal Extra'. These were offered to attendees of Energy Best

Deal sessions, as well as through other channels such as referral by a case worker or attendance at

a financial capability session. This ran from January 2013 to April 2013. The programme ran again

in winter 2013‐2014 and 2014‐2015. In 2014‐2015, 5,050 Energy Best Deal Extra advice

appointments were delivered by 94 bureaux in England and Wales, and 997 advice appointments

were delivered by 19 bureaux in Scotland.

2 The Financial Capability Forums are open to all organisations in a region with an interest in financial education.

They meet quarterly and provide a way for member organisations to share experiences and resources and to

develop new partnerships.


Methods

Energy Best Deal group sessions A survey of consumers was conducted at the end of each Energy Best Deal session using a

self‐completion questionnaire distributed by the trainer. The delivery partner then input this

information into an online form using the web tool ‘Survey Monkey’. The web tool collated the

responses into a spreadsheet format which was then passed to the evaluator. The total number of

valid responses from consumers was 6,015.

A survey of frontline workers was conducted in the same manner. The total number of valid

responses from frontline workers was 3,373.

In both the consumer and frontline worker questionnaires, some respondents omitted answers for

some questions, and so all the percentages given in this report are calculated as percentages of

the total number of respondents who gave answers to the relevant questions.

An average of three months after the session, a telephone survey of consumers (n=150) and

frontline workers (n=151) was carried out, using information provided on the self‐completion

questionnaires.

The ongoing effect of the 2013/2014 programme was also evaluated, using telephone interviews

with 25 consumers and 25 frontline workers who attended Energy Best Deal sessions in

2013/2014.

The questionnaires and interview questions were designed by the Centre for Sustainable Energy,

with input from Citizens Advice and Ofgem.

Analysis of the 2014/2015 questionnaires and interviews was undertaken using the statistical

analysis software R. In order to assist statistical analysis, the questionnaires and interview

schedules consisted mostly of closed questions, with a limited number of open questions.

This report shows the results for England, Scotland and Wales combined.

Energy Best Deal Extra one‐to‐one advice appointments The Survey Monkey web tool was also used to collect contact details of people who had attended

Energy Best Deal Extra one to one advice appointments and were happy to be contacted for a

telephone interview. Telephone interviews were undertaken with seventy of these people, who

were selected at random. The advice appointments could cover a wide variety of topics and

situations and so the telephone interviews used very open questions in order to capture this.


Throughout this report, the main Energy Best Deal group sessions are referred to as 'sessions',

'presentations' and 'training', while the Energy Best Deal Extra one‐to‐one advice appointments

are referred to as 'appointments' and 'meetings'.


Consumers: questionnaire responses

Demographic information In total questionnaire responses were received from 6,015 consumers who attended the Energy

Best Deal sessions: 74% of these were from consumers in England, 12% in Scotland, and 14% in

Wales. This represents 66% of the 9,068 consumers who attended Energy Best Deal sessions (the

rest either were not submitted or a questionnaire was not completed). Figure 1 shows how the

questionnaire responses were divided between the three countries, while Figure 2 to Figure 4

show demographic characteristics of the consumer respondents . A breakdown of the 3

questionnaire results by country can be found in the Annex Report.

Figure 1: Country of respondents

3 Not all respondents answered all questions on the questionnaire forms. Throughout this report, the results are

shown as percentages of those that answered the specific question.


Figure 2: Age of respondents

Figure 3: Tenure of respondents


Figure 4: Occupation of respondents

Several respondents identified themselves as having more than one occupation (for example, a

student and a carer) and so the percentages in Figure 4 sum to more than 100.

Attitudes to bills To find out how consumers coped with heating their home in winter, they were asked two

questions. The first asked whether they were able to heat their home to a comfortable level

(Figure 5) and the second asked about their winter fuel bills (Figure 6). Thirty‐two percent of

respondents said they were not able to heat their home to a comfortable level, with the majority

(21%) saying they did not use the heating as much as they would like due to the cost, and the rest

(11%) saying that they could not heat their home sufficiently due to the quality of the building

fabric or the heating system. Thirty‐nine percent said that they had no concerns about their winter

fuel bills. Thirty‐nine percent said it was a worry, 18% said they found their winter bills a financial

strain, and a small minority (4%) said that their winter bills were impossible to manage and they

were in debt to their fuel supplier.


Figure 5: Can you heat your home to a comfortable level in winter?

Figure 6: Attitudes to winter fuel bills


Experience and knowledge of switching prior to the session Thirty percent of respondents had already switched suppliers once in the past, while a further 19%

had switched more than once, making a total of 39% who had switched in the past. Nearly three

quarters (74%) of those who had switched in the past were proactive switchers, having switched

of their own initiative to get a better deal; the rest were reactive switchers, switching in response

to an approach from a fuel company salesperson. Those switching as a result of an approach by an

energy supplier salesperson may not have considered the full range of tariffs available to them

before switching.

Fifty‐five percent of respondents said they had never switched to a different tariff with the same

supplier, while 28% had done so and the other 17% did not know whether they had or not.

In total 58% of respondents had switched either supplier or tariff on at least one occasion.

The impact of the session Ninety‐seven percent of those who answered said they found the session useful (this question was

left unanswered by 5% of all consumer questionnaire respondents). Figure 7 shows what

consumers said they found useful about the session. Information about how to find the best deal

was considered useful by the highest number of people (72%) and information about how to

switch was the second most useful (59%).

Figure 7: What did you find useful about the session?


Responses given under 'something else' included:

● Learning how others manage their heating

● Finding out that it is possible to switch to a better deal on a prepayment meter

● Information about switching supplier with a debt

● How much can be saved from turning off appliances

● Learning how to monitor energy use

● Finding out about collective oil buying schemes

● That private tenants can switch supplier

Planned follow‐up actions Forty‐two percent of people said they would definitely do something as a result of the session, as

illustrated in Figure 8.

Figure 8: Will you do anything as a result of the session today?

Consumers were asked what they planned to do as a result of the session. The responses are

shown in Figure 9. Looking for a better deal was the most popular planned action (67% of

respondents), whilst 50% or people planned to tell friends and family or do something to save

energy. Comments given under 'Other' included getting further advice from CAB and look into

draught proofing.


Figure 9: Planned actions following the session


Consumers: follow‐up interviews

From the set of consumers who had completed questionnaires with contact details, 150 were

selected at random to take part in a follow‐up interview, an average of three months after

attending a session. Seventy‐three percent (110) were from England, 17% (25) were from Scotland

and 10% (15) were from Wales.

Action taken since the session In the interview, consumers were asked whether following the session they did any of the

following:

● Found out about prices from suppliers;

● Changed payment method;

● Looked for more information about energy efficiency or improving their heating system;

● Applied for a grant, free or discounted insulation, or the Warm Home Discount;

● Sought advice on benefits, tax credits, debt or money management (specifically prompted

by the Energy Best Deal session);

● Asked to be placed on the Priority Services Register;

● Took any steps to save energy in their home (specifically prompted by the Energy Best

Deal session).

Each of these is discussed separately in the following sections. However, overall across all actions,

a total of 85 people (57%) had taken at least one of these actions. In addition, 82 people (55%) had

told friends and family about something they had learnt in the session.

Of those that had not taken any action as a result of the session, five people had taken energy

saving measures but did not attribute them to the session. Some had been prevented from taking

action by illness.

Looking for a better energy tariff Fifty‐one people (34% of all interviewees) had looked for a better energy tariff since the session.

Forty‐six (31%) people contacted their existing supplier, while 35 (23%) checked prices from

different suppliers: these groups overlapped, with 30 (20%) people checking prices from both their

existing supplier and others.

Sixteen of the people who looked for a better tariff had switched supplier once in the past.

Eighteen had switched more than once and the remaining 17 had never switched. Eight of these

had never even changed to a different tariff with the same supplier.

Figure 10 shows the number of interviewees who checked prices, the number who were offered a

better deal, and whether they switched or intended to switch to the better deal. They are

colour‐coded to show whether it was the current supplier, a new supplier, or both, that was


approached and which offered a better deal. The first column shows the numbers that checked

prices: those that checked only their existing supplier's prices (blue), those that checked other

suppliers' prices but did not contact their current supplier directly (red), and those that did both

(green). The second column shows where the better deals came from: blue shows the number

that were offered a better deal by their current supplier only, red shows those that were offered a

better deal by a different supplier, and green shows the number that were offered a better deal

by both. The next two columns show the deal that was actually taken up (or intended to take up

soon), split into red for a deal from a new supplier and blue for a deal from an existing supplier.

Figure 10: Looking for a better deal: results

Figure 10 shows that 29 of the 51 people who checked prices found a better deal (57% of those

who checked, 19% of all interviewees). Twenty‐six people had switched and two were about to

switch. One had decided not to switch.

Where interviewees checked prices from different suppliers, they were asked what sources of

information they used. Twenty‐two people (63% of all people who checked prices from a different

supplier) used a price comparison website, with one additional person using a price comparison

phone service. Six people phoned other energy suppliers directly, while two people looked at an

energy supplier's website. Three people were helped by an advisor from CAB or other advice

service, and one person asked a friend to phone the supplier for him.

How did interviewees satisfy themselves that the tariff offered really was a better deal? Of the 17

people who answered this question, 12 had used a price comparison website, four were informed


by the supplier and one respondent simply stated that the offered unit price was lower. For one

person it was a better deal because the new supplier was going to remove the prepayment meter

and replace with a credit meter.

Eighteen out of 35 people (51%) who checked prices from other suppliers were offered a better

deal, while 24 out of 46 (52%) who contacted their own supplier were offered a better deal, so

there was little difference in terms of whether existing or new suppliers could offer a better deal.

There was some overlap between these groups, with 13 consumers being offered a better deal

with both their own and another energy supplier. Of those that were offered a better deal by both

their current supplier and a different supplier, the different supplier offered the cheaper of the

two deals in seven cases. However, only three of these seven decided to go with the different

supplier, with the remainder preferring to move to the deal offered by their current supplier.

In total, 29 people were offered a better deal. Twenty‐six of these had already switched at the

time of the interview: 20 to a better tariff with their existing supplier, and six to a better deal with

a different supplier. Two further people were planning to switch to a better deal with a different

supplier soon, and one person had decided not to switch.

The 28 interviewees who switched or intended to switch to the better deals they found were

asked how much they expected to save. Eighteen people had an idea of how much they would

save. The largest amount saved was £1,040 per year while the smallest was £48 per year. On

average the expected saving was just over £200 per year.

Of the 28 people who switched or intended to switch, seven had never switched supplier before,

with three of these never even having switched to a different tariff with the same supplier. Twelve

had switched supplier once in the past and nine had switched more than once.

The process of switching supplier Of the 26 people who had already switched to a new deal at the time of interview, 14 found the

process ‘very easy’, nine found it 'fairly easy', and the three other people did not answer the

question.

When asked what they found helpful about the process of switching, seven people had positive

comments, including that they had help from the Council, it was easy switching to a different tariff

with the same company, the comparison service was useful, the process was clear and that it did

not take long.

Factors which discouraged people Ninety‐nine interviewees did not look for a better tariff. They were asked what put them off, and

the reasons they gave are shown in Figure 11. Some people gave more than one answer, and six

people gave no answer here.


Figure 11: Factors which put people off looking for a better deal

The most common answer (24 people) was that the interviewee had not yet had time to look for a

better deal. Two of these people specifically stated that they were caring for seriously ill family

members and so did not have time to think about switching. Fifteen people had switched recently,

with a further three stating that they were currently on a fixed deal. Nine people said that they

felt that prices were unpredictable so they did not want to fix their price. This perhaps indicates

that the sessions should emphasise more that consumers should avoid the standard variable rate,

which is generally the most expensive of all of a supplier's tariffs, and that not all fixed tariffs have

high exit penalties.

Fourteen people mentioned something else as being a reason why they did not check prices. The

most interesting of these reasons are ones that indicate a misunderstanding about something

that should have been covered in the EBD group session. One person said they had been with

their supplier for 50 years and did not want to change now. The EBD group session should have

made it clear that loyalty does not pay in the energy market. (In addition, no supplier has actually

been in existence for 50 years, due to privatisation, although this is perhaps not something the

EBD group session needs to cover.) Another person said that she is living in rented

accommodation and although she pays the energy bills directly she doesn't think she is allowed to

change. This is not correct and should have been covered in the session.

The remaining 12 of the 14 people who mentioned something else as being a reason why they had

not checked prices gave the following responses (each given by one person):


● Has debt with current supplier (which is too high to be able to switch)

● Worried about something going wrong

● Language barrier makes it difficult

● Plans to move house soon

● Is owed money by the current supplier

● Gets Warm Home Discount with the current supplier

● Partner is against switching

● Awaiting Energy Best Deal Extra appointment before taking action

● Doesn't like change

● Has issues with current prepayment arrangements (and needs to resolve these before

switching)

● Has not thought about it

● Awaiting collective switch offer before deciding (this person did not identify herself as

having checked prices, although signing up for a collective switch could be defined as

checking prices)

Trustworthiness of energy companies Interviewees were asked how trustworthy they perceived energy companies to be, in general.

They were given the options: very trustworthy, fairly trustworthy, not trustworthy, and 'I think

mine is ok, but not all of them are trustworthy'. The responses are shown in Figure 12. Slightly

more than half of respondents believed that energy suppliers are either very or fairly trustworthy.

Around a third (31%) believe they are untrustworthy and the remainder believe their supplier is

trustworthy but that not all suppliers are.


Figure 12: How do you rate the trustworthiness of suppliers?

Payment method Nine people (6%) had changed the way they paid for their energy since the session. The majority

changed from paying when the bill arrives to direct debit. Two consumers had switched from a

pre‐payment meter to another payment method, one to direct debit and another to monthly bills.

Those who had not changed payment method were asked why they had not done so. The reasons

are shown in Figure 13.


Figure 13: Reasons for not changing payment method

The majority (71%) said they are happy with their current payment method, while 14% stated that

they liked their pre‐payment meter (four people were included within both of these categories).

Reasons given by only one person each were:

● Not having access to the internet to find out more information

● That they are moving house soon

● Not wanting a sudden change

● That they are a lodger with no control of payment method

Energy efficiency actions Interviewees were asked if they had looked for any more information on improving their home

energy efficiency or heating system since the session, and whether they had done so as a direct

result of the session. Twenty‐eight people had done so (17%), with a further three saying they had

looked for information but not as a result of the Energy Best Deal session. Figure 14 shows the

sources of information that were used (only covering those who had looked for information as a result of the session). Some people gave more than one answer. The internet was by far the most

popular source of information, with ten people naming it as a source.


Figure 14: Sources used to find further information on energy efficiency and heating improvements

Interviewees were asked if they had taken any steps to save energy in their homes since the

session, and whether this was prompted by the Energy Best Deal session. Thirty‐nine people (26%)

said that they had done something as a result of the session, with a further ten saying they had

done something, but not as a direct result of the Energy Best Deal session. Figure 15 shows the


actions of those who said they did something as a direct result of the session.

Figure 15: Energy efficiency actions taken

Identifying consumers qualifying for ECO Home Heating Cost Reduction Obligation 4

Consumers were asked two basic questions about benefits and income, which were designed to

identify most people who would be eligible for ECO HHCRO funding for heating measures for their

homes.

● Does anyone in your household receive either Pension Credit or Child Tax Credit?

● If the latter, is your household income under £15,860?

There are other qualifying criteria for HHCRO, and so people who answer no to these questions

could still be eligible if they claim certain other benefits; however, there was a need to strike a

balance between getting useful information and asking so many questions that interviewees

would be reluctant to answer, which is a risk when asking what benefits are claimed.

4 Under the Home Heating Cost Reduction Obligation, "suppliers must deliver measures which result in cost

savings and which improve the ability of a householder to affordably heat their home. HHCRO (also known as ECO

Affordable Warmth) focuses on low income and vulnerable householders, living in private housing (generally),

where residents are in receipt of specific benefits and meet other related conditions (the affordable warmth

group‘ or AWG‘)." (p.55, ECO Guidance for Suppliers, Ofgem, 13 March 2013). See

(http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Sustainability/Environment/ECO/guidance/Documents1/Energy%20Companies%20O

bligation%20(ECO)%20Guidance%20for%20Suppliers%20‐%2015%20March.pdf)


Thirteen interviewees (9%) receive Pension Credit, while 31 (21%) receive Child Tax Credit and

have a household income under £15,860, making a total of 44 interviewees (29%) who meet the

above criteria. However, for HHCRO, people living in social housing are not eligible . Applying this 5

further criteria leaves nine Pension Credit recipients (6% of all interviewees) eligible and 18 Child

Tax Credit recipients under the income threshold eligible (12% of all interviewees), making a total

of 21% of interviewees likely to qualify for HHCRO.

Further actions Interviewees were asked about a set of other actions, relating to seeking advice or applying for

heating grants, that they had taken since the session. The actions covered and the number of

interviewees taking each action are shown in Figure 16 below. Thirty‐one people (21%) had taken

at least one of these actions, with six taking two or more actions. The most common action was

applying for the Warm Home Discount (14 people), followed by seeking advice on benefits and tax

credits and applying for free or discounted insulation.

Figure 16: Further actions taken by interviewees

5 However, the Carbon Saving Communities Obligation, which is another part of the ECO, is targeted at specific

deprived areas, and in these areas social housing tenants will be eligible.


Information passed on to friends and family Eighty‐two people (55% of consumer interviewees) had passed on something that they had learnt

at the Energy Best Deal session to friends and family. The median number of people told was four

(in an average space of three months between the Energy Best Deal session and the interview).


Frontline workers: questionnaire responses

Profile In total, 4,919 frontline workers attended Energy Best Deal sessions. Questionnaires were

received from 3,373 frontline workers, equal to 69% of all attendees . Figure 17 shows how this 6

breaks down between countries.

Figure 17: Frontline worker questionnaire respondents by country

Figure 18 shows the organisations represented by the frontline workers. The largest group was

advisors from Citizens Advice Bureaux, with the second largest being local authority or other

public sector organisations.

6 Not all respondents answered all questions on the questionnaire forms. Throughout this report, the results are

shown as percentages of those that answered the specific question.


Figure 18: Frontline worker organisation types

Frontline workers were also asked if their organisation specialises in supporting specific groups or

advising on specific topics. These are shown in Figure 19, as a percentage of the total number of

frontline workers who attended sessions (many people chose more than one option and so the

total sums to more than 100%). The topics that frontline workers' organisations most commonly

specialise in are housing (55% of frontline workers) and debt and money management (49%).


Figure 19: Frontline worker organisation: specialisms

Previous advice‐giving Frontline workers were asked about topics they had previously given advice on. Figure 20 shows

the topics which frontline workers had given advice on prior to the session, as a proportion of the

2,600 frontline workers who identified giving advice as part of their job. The response on NEST /

Home Energy Efficiency Programmes is shown as a percentage of frontline workers from Wales

and Scotland, as this responses is only relevant to those people.

Seventy‐three percent had given advice on 'benefits and tax credits' and 66% on 'debt and money

management'. The least commonly advised‐on topics were ECO and the Green Deal.


Figure 20: Previous advice‐giving

The impact of the session Eighty‐four percent of frontline workers said that the session had changed their opinion on the

importance of fuel poverty to their clients. Frontline workers were asked to estimate the

proportion of their clients who were in fuel poverty or at risk of fuel poverty. The results are

shown in Figure 21. Thirty percent of frontline workers estimated that 40‐60% of their clients were

fuel poor, and another 30% thought that 60‐80% of their clients were fuel poor, while 17%

estimated this figure to be between 80% and 100%.


Figure 21: Estimated number of clients in fuel poverty

Frontline workers were asked if they felt better informed as a result of the session. Ninety‐eight

percent said they did; 55% to a great extent and 43% to some extent. This is illustrated in Figure

22. In addition, 78% of frontline workers said they intended to look for a better deal on their own

energy as a result of the session.


Figure 22: Do you feel better informed as a result of the session?

Frontline workers were asked if they now felt more or less confident in advising clients about the

topics covered in the presentation. The answers are illustrated in Figure 23. The columns showing

NEST and HEEPI programmes show the responses as a percentage of those located in Scotland and

Wales, as this question is not relevant to those working in England. In total, 94% of frontline

workers felt more confident in one or more topics following the session, while 5% felt less

confident on one or more topics.


Figure 23: Increases and decreases in confidence after the session

For most topics, a large proportion of frontline workers felt more confident following the session.

This was highest for 'Finding the best deal on energy costs' (93%) 'Different ways of paying for

energy' (85%) and the Warm Home Discount (80%). For each topic, a very small number of

frontline workers felt less confident following the session.

Those that said they felt less confident on any topics were asked why. In some cases this was

because the topic was not discussed in the session, but the most common response was that the

frontline worker was new to a specific topic that they felt was quite large and they needed to

learn more about it before they felt more confident. This response was most common for benefits,

ECO, and the Green Deal.


Passing on information Frontline workers were asked to estimate the number of clients to whom they would pass on

information learnt at the session. The distribution is shown in Figure 24. The answers ranged from

0 to 10,000 (with the higher numbers likely to be reached through newsletters, for example to

housing association tenants), with a median of 20. The question was left unanswered by 29% of all

those frontline workers who returned a questionnaire.

Figure 24: Number of clients information will be passed on to

Frontline workers were then asked if they thought they would pass on information from the

session to colleagues, and if so, approximately how many they would pass information on to.

Ninety‐four percent said they would pass on information (64% definitely and 30% probably). The

distribution of number of colleagues the information would be passed on to is shown in Figure 25.

The answers ranged from 0 to 2000. The answer given here reflects the number of colleagues each

frontline worker would usually work with, with the majority belonging to small organisations or

working with a few people within a larger organisation. The larger estimates are cases where

frontline workers can communicate information to many people via a newsletter or other media.

The median number of colleagues was five.

The quality of dissemination is likely to be uneven across the estimated numbers of clients and

colleagues: for example information communicated in a newsletter may not be read by the


recipient, or if it is read, the reader cannot ask clarifying questions as they would be able to do in

the case of face to face dissemination.

Figure 25: Estimated number of colleagues information will be passed on to


Frontline workers: follow‐up interviews

A total of 151 frontline workers were contacted an average of three months after the session for a

follow‐up interview. Their distribution between the three countries is shown in Figure 26.

Figure 26: Frontline worker interviews ‐ country

The organisation type of the frontline worker interviewees is shown in Figure 27.


Figure 27: Frontline worker interviews ‐ organisation type

The specialisms of the frontline workers' organisations are shown in Figure 28. These are almost

the same as those for the wider group of frontline workers represented in the questionnaire

results.


Figure 28: Frontline worker interviews ‐ organisation specialisms

Advice‐giving on Energy Best Deal topics Frontline worker interviewees were asked to rate each of the five main Energy Best Deal topics in

terms of their own level of knowledge before and after the presentation, using a scale of one to

five where one is no knowledge and five is highly knowledgeable. Figure 29 shows the average

score for levels of knowledge before and after the presentation. Those categories only relevant to

Scotland or Wales are given as a proportion of only the interviewees from those countries. The

largest increase in average score was in the topic 'Nest or Arbed programmes’, followed by 'Green

Deal' and ‘Warm Home Discount’.


Figure 29: Levels of knowledge in topics covered in the session: average scores before and after

Interviewees were asked to rate the main Energy Best Deal topics in terms of importance to their

job role, with one being 'not important' and five being 'highly important'. The responses are

shown in Figure 30. For each topic, 'highly important' was the most chosen option.


Figure 30: Importance of session topics in terms of interviewees' job roles

To get more detail on the previous question, interviewees were also asked whether any part of

the presentation was particularly useful in helping them do their job. The responses are shown in

Figure 31. Forty‐two percent said all of the presentation was useful, with the next biggest category

being 'finding a better deal on energy supply' at 25%, 'debt and money management' and

'switching supplier with a debt' equal at 13%, and 'the Warm Home Discount' at 12%.

Sixty‐seven people (44%) also mentioned something else they found useful (this is not included in

Figure 31 for reasons of scale). Aspects of the presentation that interviewees mentioned here

included:

● Useful materials provided

● Useful websites to signpost people to

● A reminder of what's available

● Information about bailiffs and legal rights

● Information about the local affordable warmth network

● Information about the standing charge

● Finding out that it is still to switch with a prepayment meter

● Information about income maximisation


Figure 31: Did you find any part of the presentation particularly useful in helping you do your job?

Interviewees were given a set of statements about the effect of the presentation on the advice

they were able to give to clients. They were asked to say whether the statements were applicable

to them 'to a great extent', 'to some extent', or not at all. These are shown in Figure 32.


Figure 32: Effect of session in terms of advice giving

The majority of interviewees found that the session helped them to a great extent in terms of

allowing them to provide more accurate or detailed advice, expanding the range of help and

advice that they were able to give to clients, and giving them more confidence in dealing with

energy‐related topics.

Five percent (8 people) found that the session did not increase their knowledge of topics that they

were already advising on; however, half of these people found that the session did give them

knowledge of new topics. Thirteen percent of interviewees (19 people) found that the session did

not give them knowledge of new topics that they were not previously advising on; however, 15 of

these people found that the session did increase their knowledge of topics they were previously

advising on.

Interviewees were asked which topics they had given advice on since the presentation. The

answers are shown in Figure 33. For the question about NEST and Arbed, and the Home Energy

Efficiency Programmes Initiative, the result is shown only as a percentage of those frontline

workers located in Scotland or Wales, as the question is not relevant to those working in England.


Figure 33: Topics advised on since the presentation

Seventy‐eight percent of interviewees had given advice on benefits and tax credits, while 77

percent had given advice on debt and money management. Eighty‐three percent had given advice

on at least one Energy Best Deal topic since the session, and 58% of these said they would not

have been able to provide as much information if they had not attended the session.

Interviewees were asked to estimate how many clients they had provided information to since the

session. The total number across interviewees was 1,727. Twenty‐eight people had not passed

information on to anyone. The median number of clients that information was passed on to was

seven people per frontline worker. The distribution is shown in Figure 34.


Figure 34: Number of clients information has been passed on to since the session

One hundred and ten frontline workers had passed information from the presentation on to

clients on a one‐to‐one basis, either in person or over the phone. Information had been passed on

to 1,405 clients in this way since the session. This represented between 1% and 100% of clients

seen in that time. A further 228 clients had received information from the sessions in a group

setting. Two frontline workers had put information in a newsletter, with both newsletters each

circulated to around 1,000 people. One frontline worker who works in a library had been able to

provide information to people who came in to the library to find information about tariffs.

Sixty‐four percent of the interviewees said that they would not have provided the information to

as many clients without attending the session, while 24% said they would have provided the

information to the same number of clients even if they had not attended the session, and 5% were

not sure. However, ten (28%) of those who said they would have provided the information to the

same number of clients said that the session either gave them more confidence, made it easier for

them to find the information, or allowed them to provide information in more detail than if they

had not attended the presentation.

Ninety‐three percent of interviewees said that they would use information from the presentation

to help clients in the future.

Twelve people had said on their questionnaire responses that they felt less confident on one or

more topics following the session. Two of these said in the interview that they could not

remember the reason. Four of the interviewees suggested that they struggled with the volume of


information or felt that there was not enough detail for their needs: two of these suggested that

some material (benefits and Green Deal) would be better in a separate session. Others said that

the issues for being less confident related to the specific needs of their clients being complex.

Frontline workers were asked what the most common energy‐related issue was that their clients

seek help with. By far the most common answers were affordability of energy and dealing with

energy debt.

Interviewees were also asked if there were any energy‐related issues that their clients seek help

with which were not covered in the presentation. Most said that all issues were dealt with, while

24 people thought of specific issues. Some of these were things which should have been covered

in the presentation but were not covered in enough detail for that individual frontline worker's

needs:

● Negotiating a change of meter with supplier

● More detail on dealing with debt

● More information on how to use different heating systems

● Issues relating to private tenants

Other things which frontline workers identified as energy related issues which were not covered in

the presentation were much more specific:

● More information about solar power, such as tariffs and 'rent a roof' schemes

● Information about water bills/rates

● Wood burning stoves

● Cost of contacting suppliers by phone

Passing information on to colleagues One hundred and three frontline workers (68%) said that they had passed some information from

the Energy Best Deal session on to their colleagues. Seven more people (6%) said that all of their

colleagues had been at the presentation or had attended previous Energy Best Deal sessions, so

they had no opportunity to pass on information.

The mean number of colleagues the information was passed on to was six, and the median was

four (if those who did not pass on information are included). If those who did not pass on

information are excluded the mean rises to seven and the median to five.

In addition, 77% of frontline workers had passed on information from the Energy Best Deal session

to friends and family.

Frontline workers' own energy use Since the session, 50% of frontline workers had looked for a better deal on their own energy

supply. Of these, 32 people (21% of all frontline workers interviewed) had switched either tariff or


supplier, or were in the process of doing so. This figure was not very different to the figure for

consumers (28 consumers, 19% of all those interviewed, had switched or were about to).

Frontline workers were asked if the presentation had prompted them to save energy in their

home. Ninety‐nine people (75%) said that it had. These people were mainly taking small actions to

reduce electricity consumption from appliances and to reduce heating use, such as draught

proofing, buying energy saving bulbs, insulating the hot water tank, and not over‐filling the kettle.

In terms of larger‐scale actions, two people had insulated their loft and four were looking into

solar PV. The majority of people who said they had not taken action said they were already saving

energy at home before the session.


Quality of the presentation and materials

Immediately following the session, participants were asked to rate the presentation skills of the

trainer, the quality of the materials used during the session (which consisted of a PowerPoint

presentation and any handouts provided by the individual presenters), and the quality of the

material provided to take away. The material provided to take away was a booklet produced by

Citizens Advice and Ofgem, with useful information such as how to deal with problems with

suppliers, details of grant schemes, and telephone and website details of further sources of

information. Individual trainers also often added their own additional materials. The responses to

these three questions are shown in Figure 35 to Figure 37.

Consumers and frontline workers both gave very similar answers. In terms of the presentation

skills of the trainer (Figure 35), the majority found these to be excellent, with most of the

remainder rating them as good. Comments included:

● "Fabulous! Really held my concentration. Brilliant delivery", “Trainer is clearly passionate

about EBD.”

● “Very clear and competent. Managed group of people well”

● “Very engaged, knowledgeable and helpful”

● “Trainer is clearly passionate about EBD”.


Figure 35: Ratings of the presentation skills of the trainer

The majority of attendees rated the materials used during the session (Figure 36) as good, with

most others rating them as excellent. Six percent of consumers and five percent of frontline

workers rated them as acceptable. One consumer attendee who was from China suggested more

use of pictures to help explain terminology that non‐native speakers of English might struggle

with.

Figure 36: Ratings of the quality of the materials used during the session

The majority of consumer attendees rated the material provided to take away (Figure 37) as

'good', with most others rating it as 'excellent'. The majority of frontline workers rated the

material as 'excellent' with almost all others rating them as 'good'. Five percent of consumers and

four percent of frontline workers rated it as 'acceptable'. The wide range of ability and confidence

among consumers was evident, with some saying it was useful and others saying they would need

more help to take the actions discussed at the presentation (which is why Energy Best Deal Extra

has been developed; see p.).


Figure 37: Ratings of the material provided to take away.


2013/2014 participant interviews – consumers

In order to look at the ongoing impact of the Energy Best Deal session, twenty‐five consumers who

had attended Energy Best Deal sessions in 2013/2014 were contacted by telephone for an

interview. They were randomly selected from the consumers who were interviewed for the

2013/2014 Energy Best Deal evaluation. The second interview took place an average of fourteen

months after the first interview and an average of eighteen months after the session.

Looking for a better deal Of this group of 25 consumers, when they were first interviewed a year and two months ago:

● Seven had looked into getting a better deal. Of these:

o Four had switched tariff or supplier (group A)

o Three had looked into getting a better deal but did not end up switching (group B)

● Eighteen had not looked into getting a better deal (group C)

Group A

A year and two months later, all consumers who had switched at the time of the first interview are

all still happy with that decision and have saved money. Two consumers knew how much they had

saved; they had annual savings of £312, and £350.

None of these four consumers had switched again, or checked to see if there is now a better tariff.

All of the consumers planned to check prices again in the future.

Group B

Of the three who had looked into getting a better deal but did not end up switching at the time of

the first interview, two had since checked prices again. Both of these had done so because they

remembered something from the Energy Best Deal session. Both of these people checked with a

new supplier, while one of them also checked prices with their existing supplier. One ended up

switching to a new tariff with their existing supplier, but the other did not find a better deal.

Group C

Of the 18 people who had not looked into getting a better deal at the time of the first interview,

12 had not done anything further since then to look for a better deal on their energy. Six people

had done something; for five of them it was because they remembered something from the

Energy Best Deal session, and one person heard something from another source that prompted

them to take action. Two people had contacted their existing supplier and checked prices from

other suppliers, two had contacted only their existing supplier and two contacted only other

suppliers. Three of the four consumers who checked with other suppliers had used a price

comparison website. Three consumers found a better deal. Of these, one switched to a different

tariff with the same supplier and one switched to a new supplier, while the third plans to switch to


a new deal with a new supplier. All of these people found it 'fairly easy' to work out if they would

save money by switching, and all of the people who switched to a new supplier found the process

‘very easy’.

Payment method Last time we spoke to this group of 25 consumers, two had changed their payment method as a

result of the Energy Best Deal session. A year and two months later, both were still happy with

that decision and one estimated that he had saved £350. All but one of the remaining 23 people

that had not changed their payment method between the session and the first interview had still

not changed payment method. The one consumer who switched had gone from paying when the

bill arrives to a pre‐payment meter. Fifteen of these believed they were already using the best

payment method, while seven liked using a prepayment meter and did not want to change.

Other actions At the time of the previous interview, eight of the 25 interviewees had taken other actions, such

as applying for the Warm Home Discount, since the session. When we spoke to them a year and

two months later, three had received the Warm Home Discount and one had had their loft

insulation topped up.

Further comments Other comments from these interviewees, more than a year after the session, included:

● One person said the session was brilliant and it helped a lot of her friends who have

switched

● One said that it was very informative and that it made them think more about energy

● Another said that the session provided good sound and honest advice

● One person said that the session was an eye opener


2013/2014 participant interviews – frontline workers

Twenty five frontline workers who attended the Energy Best Deal sessions in 2013/14 were

contacted by telephone, an average of 15 months after they attended a session. They were first

asked what they remembered most clearly from the Energy Best Deal session. The answers given

were:

● Learning about switching supplier and looking for a better deal (11 people)

● Information about the grants and schemes available to vulnerable clients (4 people)

● Finding out about resources available to them to help them support clients (2 people)

● General information about energy use in the home (1 person)

In addition, four people could not remember much about the session and one person's main

memory of the session was that the presenter had stepped in at the last minute and just read

from a sheet.

Interviewees were asked if there was anything in particular they learnt at the session that has

been useful to them in their work since the session. Responses were:

● Information about finding a better deal on energy supply (5 people)

● Information about switching energy supplier with a debt (5 people)

● Everything (4 people)

● Information about energy efficiency (1 person)

● Information about changing payment method (1 person)

● Information about the Warm Home Discount (1 person)

In addition, one interviewee could not remember enough about the session to give an answer

here, while four people said that the session was not directly relevant to their job (although one of

these subsequently said she had advised 20 people using information from the presentation,

another said that it was useful for his previous job role but he has changed jobs since the

presentation and it is now no longer useful, and a third person said they refer on to another

organisation). One other person said that none of the material covered was useful as they already

knew it.

Twenty‐three interviewees said that the session had given them more confidence in dealing with

topics that they would not have been able to advise on previously. Two people said it did not, both

stating that they already felt confident.

Seventeen people said the presentation enabled them to help clients with issues which they were

not advising on previously, while eight said it did not. New issues the presentation helped them

with included:


● Switching and how to get the best deal (three people)

● Signposting clients, for example to energy efficiency programmes (three people)

● Knowing where to look for further information (one person)

Twenty‐two people said they have continued to use information from the presentation (including

three of the people who said the information was not directly relevant to their job). Two people

said they had not, but in the case of one of these people it was due to moving into a new job role.

Of those that are continuing to use information from the presentation, five people are using it

more frequently than they did following the session, eight people are using it less frequently, and

eleven people are using it with about the same frequency. One other person is still using it but she

said that it was now not as fresh in her mind and so she found it harder to use than she did

immediately following the session.

Interviewees were asked to give the most common energy‐related issue that their clients had

encountered since the session. Responses were:

● Struggling to pay bills (9 people)

● How to find the best deal on energy bills (6 people)

● Debt (5 people)

● Pre‐payment meters (3 people)

● Funding energy efficiency measures (1 person)

● Energy problems for private tenants (1 person)

● Accessing the Warm Home Discount (1 person)

Interviewees were asked if their clients had sought help with any energy‐related issues which

were not covered in the presentation. Three people identified topics: two said that there was a

problem with clients not taking action despite the information presented, the other replied that

disputed debts were not covered.

Interviewees were asked to think about how they had used the information from the presentation

since the session and in light of that think of any ways in which the presentation could be

improved. Those who could think of improvements gave the following answers (one person said

each of the following):

● Alternatives to the internet for finding information should be considered more, as many

clients do not have access to the internet or do not have computer literacy skills

● More information about fuel debt and how to deal with it

● Information could be provided on a business card, so people could carry them around and

refer to them in particular cases e.g. with info about WHD

● It was quite long, and hard to stay focused on everything, and so it could be better to

focus on one thing in more detail

● Less focus on switching supplier for elderly groups, who often find this difficult

● Updated information should be sent as a refresher via email


● Include information about saving money on the water bill by installing a water meter

Frontline workers were asked to estimate the number of clients that they had provided

information on Energy Best Deal topics to since the session. This is illustrated in Figure 38. The

median estimate was 20. The highest number was 700, which the interviewee said was mostly

through giving presentations to large groups.

Figure 38: Estimated number of clients information has been provided to since 2013/14 session

No frontline workers said they had not passed on the information to anyone. However, four

people were unable to give an estimate. Figure 40 shows the proportion of clients that frontline

workers have passed information on to. The median proportion told was 50%, with four

interviewees telling 100% of the clients they have dealt with. Eight of the frontline workers either

did not answer the question or were unable to provide an estimate.


Figure 39: Estimated proportion of clients that have been provided with information since 2013/2014

Twenty‐four of the interviewees said that they would continue to use information from the

presentation in the future.

When asked whether they thought they would benefit from a refresher session on the same

topics, seven people said no, 12 said yes, and two said probably or possibly.

Interviewees were also asked if they thought they would benefit from another session taking

some of the Energy Best Deal topics into more detail. Twelve people said no, with five of these

commenting that it was the right level of detail. Ten people said yes, and two said possibly. Topics

that people specified were: fuel debt and how to deal with it, handling complaints to energy

suppliers, the Green Deal, supporting vulnerable clients and more information about tariffs.


Case studies

This section provides some brief case studies drawn from the interviews with frontline workers

and consumers.

Help with a large energy bill Frontline worker A had a client who came in with a very large energy bill. It took some time to

figure out why this was. It emerged that her supplier had moved her to a different, higher tariff

but that the client was unaware that this had happened. The frontline worker contacted the

supplier and negotiated a reduction in the outstanding balance. She also helped the client to

switch to a better tariff and get a payment plan set up to pay off the outstanding amount.

Dealing with a previous tenant's debts Frontline worker B had a client who was feeling threatened by her energy supplier. The client had

moved into a new property, where the previous tenant had run up a debt to the supplier. The

supplier wanted to install a prepayment meter in the property to recover the debt. The frontline

worker contacted the supplier to explain the situation and made sure that the debt was not

attributed to the client.

Debt advice led to insulation schemes Frontline worker C had a client who sought advice about a debt. The frontline worker used what

she had learnt in the Energy Best Deal session to help maximise the client's income. She also

found out that the client did not have loft insulation and signposted her to insulation schemes.

Helping relatives Mrs E used information from the session to help her father in law to switch energy providers, which has helped him to save money.

Saving energy Mr F has started saving energy already from the measures suggested in the session. He has

switched to energy saving light bulbs and changed the timing of the heating.


Energy Best Deal Extra

Energy Best Deal Extra (EBDx) provides one‐to‐one advice appointments to consumers, delivered

by advisors in Citizens Advice Bureaux. In 2014‐2015, 5,050 Energy Best Deal Extra advice

appointments were delivered by 93 bureaux in England and Wales, and 997 advice appointments

were delivered by 19 bureaux in Scotland.

Energy Best Deal Extra appointments are an energy‐focused advice appointment offered to

attendees of Energy Best Deal sessions, as well as via other channels such as referral by a case

worker or attendance at a Financial Capability session. Unlike the Energy Best Deal group sessions,

which take place in a variety of locations and are delivered by a range of organisations, the Energy

Best Deal Extra advice appointments are only provided by Citizens Advice Bureaux.

For this evaluation, seventy telephone interviews were held in April and May 2015 to find out

about participant experiences of EBDx appointments. Of the 70 interview participants, 68 were

consumers and two were frontline workers. Frontline workers were not a target group of Energy

Best Deal Extra this year, but they were allowed to attend an appointment if requested.

Consumers offered Energy Best Deal Extra appointments normally had a range of issues which

they required advice on, and so tended to include a mixture of energy related and non‐energy

related advice. As the Energy Best Deal Extra advice appointments could cover a very wide mixture

of topics and outcomes, the evaluation interviews were semi‐structured, allowing participants to

describe their expectations and experience.

How participants found out about the Energy Best Deal Extra sessions Participants were asked how they found out about the Energy Best Deal Extra one‐to‐one advice

appointments. The responses fall into four categories, which are shown in Figure 40 (four

participants mentioned two different categories, and one did not remember how they found out,

so the total sums to 73).


Figure 40. How participants found out about EBDx appointments

The participants who sought advice directly from Citizens Advice were recommended by a Citizens

Advice employee during a visit to the Bureau (11 people), recommended by a Citizens Advice

employee over the phone (two people), through the Citizens Advice website (two people), or saw

an advert for one‐to‐one advice appointments in the local Bureau (one person). Some did not

specify, simply saying “through Citizens Advice”.

Where people were referred/recommended by another service to EBDx, the referral services

were: the local Council (five people), a medical practitioner (two people), a Citizens Advice advert

on a bill (two people), their housing association (two people), their energy supplier (one person),

an advert in another service (one person) and one participant was referred but was unsure who

referred him.

Five out of 70 interview participants found out about the EBDx appointments during the EBD

group sessions. Fifty‐five participants had not attended an EBDG session at all. This could highlight

a missed opportunity in promoting the EBD group sessions, in addition to EBDx appointments

during the group sessions.

The rest of this section presents findings in the following order: participants' expectations; what

happened in the appointment: energy advice, non‐energy related advice; and outcomes of the

appointments; and overall, whether the participants found the appointment useful.


What the participants expected to get out of the one‐to‐one appointments This first section deals with what expectations participants had before attending the appointment,

in terms of the topics they wanted help or advice on . 7

The responses given by participants have been categorised under different headings, shown in

Figure 41 below. Some participants sought advice on more than one issue within the EBDx

appointment, and these people are counted within more than one category in the chart.

Figure 41. Participants' expectations of the appointments

Twenty‐five people wanted advice on benefits. These can be further broken down into general

benefits advice (seven people), Personal Independence Payment (four people), Employment

Support Allowance (ESA) (three people), ESA appeal (three people), housing support (three

people), maternity payments (1 person), UK pensions and disability support (1 person), Income

Support (1 person), carers benefit (1 person), Child Tax Credit (1 person) and council tax (1

person).

Twenty‐two participants went into the appointment specifically wanting energy related advice

(some of these also hoped to get non‐energy related advice). These people wanted help with: high

bills (12 people), energy tariff checks (six people), high bills which accumulated for a property that

was empty while the normal occupant was in hospital (3 people), and energy efficiency measures

advice (one person).

7 Many were also provided with further information, advice or help in additional to what they expected to

receive, but these are covered in subsequent sections.


The fourteen participants who sought debt‐related advice wanted help with: general debt advice

(eight people), debt on energy bills (four people), parking ticket debt (one person) and credit card

debt (one person).

The eight participants who sought financial advice were looking for: general financial advice (five

people), and advice on managing money after losing a partner (three people).

The five participants who sought tax advice were categorised under council tax (three people),

bedroom tax (one person) and income tax (one person).

One person sought information on workplace pensions, and one person was not willing to share

further details beyond ‘general advice’.

What happened during the appointments: energy related advice This section looks specifically at the energy‐related advice that participants received. Most

participants received a mixture of energy‐related and non‐energy related advice, but for the

purposes of getting a clear idea of what participants were getting out of the appointments, it is

useful to look at these separately.

It should be noted that many interviewees were highly focused on one most pressing issue and

were much more keen to speak about this than the energy part of the session. Twenty‐five people

spoke about the energy‐related part of the session. Figure 42 shows the information and advice

these people received. Twenty‐two people identified energy advice as being their primary reason

for attending the session, while three other people identified a different primary reason for

attending. All of these 25 people did one or more of three things: discussed fuel bills with the

advisor, had a Warm Home Discount eligibility check, and / or discussed energy use in the home

with the advisor. For the first two of these categories, actions are broken down into more detail.

For those participants who discussed fuel bills with the advisor, one or more of the following

things happened: the advisor signposted to sources of further advice about switching, the advisor

used an online took to check tariffs, and / or the advisor contacted the current supplier. Outcomes

are shown on the right hand side of the figure. Where the advisor had used an online switching

service or the advisor had contacted the supplier, in five cases this lead to the participant

switching supplier or tariff during the appointment. In seven cases where the advisor had

contacted suppliers, affordable debt repayments were organised during the appointment. In the

case of the Warm Home Discount, the three people who were found to be eligible in the eligibility

check were given help to apply for the Warm Home Discount, and all three of these people

received the Warm Home Discount subsequent to the appointment.


Figure 42. What happened during the appointments: energy‐related advice


Those who discussed energy use and energy saving in the home received advice relating to

energy‐saving behaviour such as turning off lights, using the heating efficiently and preventing

energy waste, as well as energy efficiency measures including grants available for external wall

insulation and boiler replacements.

What happened during the appointments: non‐ energy‐related advice While energy would have been covered in all appointments, many interviewees focused on the

non‐energy related advice and help they received. This section covers non‐energy related actions

that took place during the appointments. They have been divided into categories, shown in Figure

43. Many participants are included in more than one category.

Figure 43. What happened during the appointment: non‐energy related advice

Twenty‐one participants said that the adviser contacted non‐energy organisations during the

appointment to help resolve their query. Fourteen of these were phone calls relating to benefits

or pensions, and seven were contacts with creditor organisations to organise manageable

payments.

Eleven participants received assistance in filling out a form; the forms highlighted were an

application for Employment Support Allowance (four people), Personal Independence Payment

(four people), general benefits (two people) and no further detail was provided for one

participant. Eight participants said they went through bills and debts with the adviser, which could

have included energy bills, however this was not explicitly stated. Seven participants were

directed to more specialist advice services. Five participants went through spending and

budgeting. Five were offered a follow‐up appointment where spending and budgeting would be

covered, which usually includes going through energy bills. Two participants received help writing

an appeal. Two received a benefits entitlement check.


What was the outcome of the appointment? Previous sections have covered what happened in the appointment, and some outcomes have

already been mentioned. This section details all of the outcomes that were achieved as a result of

what happened in the appointment. Both energy‐related and non‐energy related topics are

considered together here.

It should be noted that these are the outcomes that interviewees identified themselves. For

example, 25 people spoke about energy advice, but all participants would have received some

kind of advice related to their energy bills. The outcomes have been categorised into themes,

shown in Figure 44 below. Some participants gained more than one outcome.

Figure 44. Outcomes identified by interviewees

Thirty‐three participants reported saving money, both from energy savings and other sources.

They can be broken down into the following categories (some participants saved money on more

than one thing):

● More affordable debt repayments (11 people, seven of whom had specific energy debts,

three of which also had non‐energy debts, the rest only had non‐energy debts)

● Debt written off (one person)

● Reduction in energy bills through costs of tariffs (five people)

● Received the Warm Home Discount (three people)

● Reduction in energy bills due to energy saving behaviour (three people)

● Received money from an Energy trust fund (one person)

● Received a reduction in water bills (three people)

● Received grants to buy white goods ( two people)

● Received reductions on Council Tax (two people)

● State pension increase (one person)


● Improved savings planning (one person)

● Road tax reduction (one person)

● Cheaper TV licence (one person)

● Food parcel voucher (two people)

● Shopping donation (one person)

In terms of debt repayments, savings of: £100 and £90 per month, £10 per week, and “a lot” were

made. Other participants spoke about debt reductions achieved in terms of the amounts they now

needed to pay: £5 and £6 per week, and £50 over eight months, while others said that they had

reduced their debt but did not specify the amount. One participant owed money to HMRC and

stated that the adviser was able to negotiate the debt being "written‐off". (This is probably an

incorrect turn of phrase from the interviewee and most likely means that the advisor was able to

get the tax code corrected).

For those who reported savings on their energy bills through tariff costs, three switched energy

providers and two switched tariffs with the same provider. Further participants were aware they

may save money but were yet to go through the switching process. Three participants received

the Warm Home Discount. In addition, three participants highlighted savings on their energy bills

as a result of energy saving behaviour interventions they made following the advice received

during the EBDx appointments. An application was made to an energy supplier fund on behalf of

one participant, to pay for rent arrears. He was waiting to hear whether he would be granted

funds at the time of interview.

In terms of water bills, three participants received help installing a water meter and two noticed

this halved their water bills, with one participant saving £15‐25 per month. Two participants

received grants for white goods. One of these grants was for £600 and the other was not

specified. One participant saved £30 per week on council tax and one reduced their council tax

repayments to £25 per month. Two participants received income tax refunds: one person received

£100 and another £300, which is likely to result from the correcting of incorrect tax codes.

One participant received an increase to their State Pension, one received the Employment Support

Allowance benefit, one received a cheaper TV licence fee and one received a 50% reduction on

road tax. Food parcel vouchers were highlighted by two participants and a shopping voucher by

one participant. One participant learnt that if they left work to care for their partner full‐time they

would receive £15 a week less, and was relieved to learn this as it enabled this person to take

peace of mind in being able to make the decision to become a full time carer.

Nineteen participants reported a stress reduction or ‘peace of mind’ following the one‐to‐one

advice appointment. Of those, three reported an increase in confidence when dealing with the

issues. Seventeen participants felt they gained an increased knowledge of managing money in

general. Examples include better management of bill payments, improved budgeting skills,

awareness of available assistance and knowledge of the process of paying bills for two participants

who faced that for the first time after losing partners.


Eight participants of the eleven who received assistance filling out a form highlighted this as a key

outcome as they felt otherwise unable to complete it adequately. Seven people gained legal

advice, and six had at the time of the interview received the benefits they applied for during the

session. These were: Personal Independence Payment (two people), Income Support (one person),

Child Tax Credits (two people), Employment Support Allowance (one person), Disability Living

Allowance (one person), and Discretionary Housing Payment (one person). Two people received

more than one benefit.

Did participants find the appointment useful? Participants were asked whether they found the appointment useful. Yes and no responses are

shown in Figure 45 below. Participants were then asked to give more detail.

Figure 45: Did participants find the appointment useful?

Of the 63 participants who said that the appointment was useful, their reasons were categorised

as follows (some people gave more than one response):

● Advice was useful (45 people)

● Advisers were good (11 people)

● Positive progress has been made on the issue they sought advice on (five people)

● Received the necessary help filling in forms (five people)

● Saved money (three people)

● Felt better after the appointment (two people)

● The issue they sought advice on is now resolved (one person)

Seven participants within this 63 said although the appointment was useful they did not receive

the expected outcome. Of those, four participants found out they were not eligible for support,


however they still felt that the advisers were helpful and it was useful to gain the information they

received during the EBDx appointment.

Three people (again, within the 63) felt they did not receive the advice they needed but still found

the appointment useful. In the case of one participant, the adviser he was booked in to speak with

was sick so he had an appointment covering a related issue, meaning the advice received was

perhaps less detailed than it could have been. Another participant felt the adviser had not come

across their issue before and was therefore unable to offer the most useful advice; one participant

was in the wrong local authority area and so did not qualify for an appointment. This person

received a shortened appointment and emailed advice, which was not as expected. This person

was also a frontline worker and had attended the EBD group session as such, where she was told

she could have an EBDx appointment, but the refusal may have been due to the bureaux

prioritising appointments for consumers.

Seven participants said that they did not find the EBDx advice appointment helpful. Of those, six

did not receive the advice they sought. One participant requested information on energy tariffs

but was told it was not possible to say which option is cheaper without seeing the energy bills.

This is correct, because personalised advice cannot easily be given without seeing the bill.

However, it is not clear whether this person was informed prior to the appointment to bring a bill

with them.

Two participants felt the advisers were not as helpful as they expected. One lady felt she was left

to face her problems on her home as the adviser recommended moving out of her house to a

more efficient house, which was not a feasible option for her. This lady was born abroad and

would have ideally moved back to her home country, but was unable to afford this which may

have contributed to her negative feelings. One participant felt there was a lack of funding, for

Citizens Advice and disability support, and appeared generally unhappy with the current level of

assistance for disabled people in the UK. She felt that nobody really cared about her issues,

including Citizens Advice advisers. Whilst seven participants commented on the value of the

appointments even when the outcome was not as hoped, others sounded very negative about the

level of funding available to help them which may have led to a negative feeling towards the

service or the advisor, without this being a fault in the service provided by the EBDx programme.

The participants were asked whether the appointment met their expectations. Fifty‐six said yes it

did, 11 said no and three had no specific expectations. Of the 11 who said no, ten made comments

which highlighted that they expected to gain further advice and information during the

appointments.


Figure 46: Did the appointment meet participants' expectations?

Of the participants who said yes, 19 expanded on the reasons, with nine saying they received

more than expected, nine saying it was helpful, and one participant saying it did meet

expectations yet they still need to gain further clarity on details.

Final comments Participants were asked whether they had any final comments relating to the EBDx appointment.

Of the positive comments, participants remarked on the benefits of having Citizens Advice

available for much needed advice and helpful adviser. Comments such as the following were

made:

● CAB... wonderful, brilliant staff, he credits them with his life.

● Regarding the services ‐ can't fault them. Any problem he's had they've managed to sort it out and find a solution. They always say it's nice to see him.

● She was just wonderful. Put him at ease from the second he walked in. Helped him no end.

Some comments were made from which suggestions for improvement can be made:

a. Home visits could be helpful for those who are disabled or who cannot afford travel costs;

one participant was particularly concerned about travel costs incurred for the

appointment, in addition to the time it took her to prepare for the visit as a person with

limited mobility. She felt home visits would be easier for some people and would allow

additional benefits during discussions as clients would have direct access to bills and

information in the home.


b. More help for tenants; whilst this participant was pleased with the service provided she

was going through a legal issue and needed advice from a housing solicitor under legal aid.

She would have liked to receive more assistance from the CAB with the legal process as

she believed this may have saved her waiting six months to find an available professional.

c. Adapt the appointment timing and duration to suit the client. One participant had a

positive experience with one adviser but felt the second was a little hurried. Conversely,

another participant had a two hour appointment that they felt was too long. Another

participant felt overwhelmed by discussing more than one issue during one appointment,

and so this person would have found it easier to have several shorter appointments. In

contrast, people with limited mobility would find it easier to only have one appointment, if

they have to go to the bureau rather than have a home visit.

d. Explanations of appeal reports; one participant received a report of her Employment

Support Allowance appeal but found it very complex and would have benefitted from a

summary letter to explain the key points.

Four participants made comments relating to feelings that Citizens Advice were not equipped to

help with individual issues which appeared to be very specific such as the ACAS early conciliation

process, which are beyond the scope of a generalist advisor. It should be noted that these would

not be expected within the Energy Best Deal Extra appointment, being additional areas that the

advisor will help with if possible.

One participant commented that she felt trapped by energy debts and was unable to switch

providers due to debts on her prepayment meter. She felt that nobody has the power to speak up

for the consumer's interests where energy is concerned. The adviser to this participant did carry

out a tariff check but found she was already on the cheapest tariff. In addition, an eligibility check

was carried out for the Warm Home Discount, however as she was not in receipt of the qualifying

benefits she was not eligible. She had debts to a previous supplier which she was unable to pay,

and during the appointment an arrangement was made for this company to provide her with a

grant but she had not received it at the time of interview and felt very negatively about this.

Overall, the negative experiences of these participants appeared to be a reflection for a lack of

Government support for those who are disabled, or on low incomes. Whilst this is beyond the

power of Citizens Advice, it is likely to be a reflection of Citizens Advice's current challenges in

assisting clients. This challenge is also evident in the broad scope of assistance covered within the

Energy Best Deal Extra appointments, which aimed to help consumers reduce energy costs yet

included benefits eligibility checks, housing, tax, pensions and non‐energy debts.

Further suggestions to Citizens Advice may be to ensure all participants receiving broader advice

within such sessions receive the booklets on saving energy which some participants highlighted. In

addition, a checklist of energy saving behaviours and measures they have previously adopted may

lead to further discussions regarding further potential to reduce energy costs.


In relation to increasing awareness of services such as EBDx appointments, further engagement

strategies could be piloted. Many participants found out about the EBDx sessions during visits to

Citizens Advice branches which may highlight a local lack of public awareness of both the EBDx

appointment sessions and EBD group sessions.

In terms of the provision of appointments, home visits as suggested by some participants due to

mobility and financial challenges, could present the opportunity for energy efficiency surveys to be

carried out within client homes. This could lead to better tailored advice for clients.

Case studies This section presents some case studies drawn from the Energy Best Deal Extra interviews.

Mr A contacted Citizens Advice as he had received advice from them previously and found the

advisers very helpful. He returned to discuss his energy issues which he had attempted to gain

information on from his local authority but felt they were unhelpful. During the EBDx appointment

he discussed his high bills and money owed to British Gas. During the appointment he switched to

a cheaper tariff with British Gas and saved £200 a year on bills. Following the appointment he

arranged to pay £50 a month for eight months to repay his debt. He also received additional

energy saving advice such as switching off lights and energy saving behaviour.

Mrs B attended an Energy Best Deal group session and was offered the opportunity to have an

Energy Best Deal Extra appointment. She was keen to find out whether she could get a better deal

on her energy bills and whether she was eligible for a grant for external wall insulation. Whilst she

was in the appointment, the adviser found a cheaper energy deal and she switched. The adviser

also found information relating to external wall insulation grants, however, the funding only

covered 50% of the installation costs so she opted against this.

Mr C was referred for an Energy Best Deal Extra appointment by a Citizen’s Advice outreach

service. He sought information regarding his options for changing energy providers. He took his

bills, log book and all relevant information to the appointment and was able to discuss energy use

in detail, along with historical debts. He found the depth of advice very useful and as he does not

have personal access to the internet the online searches were a real bonus. The adviser found

cheaper energy tariffs available, however he has not yet switched as he has some banking issues

to resolve. Following the appointment he attended a debt course to help resolve his financial

issues, as suggested by the adviser. He also found out about the Energy Best Deal group sessions

during the one‐to‐one appointment and attended this. He gained energy‐saving information for

the home and was provided with a booklet on saving energy. He felt that the advisers showed him

what he could achieve and overall sounded very positive about the service.

Mrs D saw a leaflet for the Energy Best Deal Extra appointments in the Citizens Advice reception

area. She booked an appointment to find out whether she could get a better deal on her

electricity bills. The adviser found that there was a cheaper tariff option available, which she

moved to and reduced her monthly bill from £80 to £29. In addition, she had overpaid previously


and received a rebate of £100. She was due to attend another appointment at the end of her tariff

period to see whether switching providers could lead to further savings.

Mr E went to his local Citizens Advice Bureau to receive help with filling out an Employment

Support Allowance (ESA) form. This help was provided by the EBDx adviser, and the application for

ESA was successful. In addition he received advice on the Warm Home Discount, which he applied

for following the session and has been granted. During the appointment the adviser carried out a

full budgeting assessment and checked he was on the best energy tariff. She also helped him

through the application for a water meter which saved him a further 50% on his bills. He had a

follow‐up appointment lined up to assist him with an application for the Personal Independence

Payment. He came away feeling that he had received much more advice than expected and was

very grateful for the service provided.

Mr F attended a Citizens Advice drop‐in session and was referred for an EBDx appointment. He

had returned home after a long period in hospital to a backlog of bills and said he was on the brink

of a nervous breakdown, and struggled to think clearly due to the amount of medication he

needed to take. In addition, he had been heating the house for longer periods due to his illness,

leading to increased energy costs. He took his bills to the appointment. The adviser was able to

call the utility companies and organise payment plans for the bills he could not afford to pay

immediately. In addition, she checked energy tariffs and found he was with the cheapest provider

but could save money by moving to a cheaper tariff, so he switched. She also helped him through

the application process for the Warm Home Discount which he received, which covered his

outstanding electricity bill. Other payments the advisor helped with included spreading the cost of

water bills and a cheaper TV licence option. He felt he gained much more than he expected and

came away feeling that the adviser had taken a weight off of his shoulders. He was extremely

grateful for the service and said the adviser was “an absolute gem... she really did help”.


Summary

Consumers: 2014/2015 sessions Consumers were asked to complete a questionnaire following the session, and responses were

received from 6,015 people, 66% of all consumers who attended sessions.

Half (50%) of questionnaire respondents were aged 60 or over, and 45% of respondents were

retired. Thirty‐two percent of respondents said they were not able to heat their home to a

comfortable level in winter. Twenty‐two percent found their winter fuel bills to be a financial

strain or impossible to manage. A further 39% said that they worried or were concerned about

winter fuel bills, even though they were able to manage them without skimping on other

important household bills, meaning that 61% of respondents had worries about their fuel bills.

Thirty percent of consumer questionnaire respondents had switched supplier in the past. Nearly

three‐quarters of those who had switched supplier in the past were proactive switchers, having

switched on their own initiative to get a better deal, while just over a quarter of those who had

switched in the past were reactive switchers, switching in response to an approach from a fuel

company salesperson.

Ninety‐seven percent of those who answered the question said that they found the session useful.

Information about how to find the best deal was found to be useful by the largest proportion of

respondents (72%), followed by information about how to switch (59%) and information about

energy efficiency (50%).

Eighty‐nine percent of respondents said they would probably or definitely do something as a

result of the session, with the most popular planned actions being related to finding a better tariff,

doing something to save energy at home, and telling other people what they had learnt at the

session. Twenty seven percent planned to apply for the Warm Home Discount, 18% planned to

apply for a grant for insulation or heating, and 17% intended to get more advice or information

about something covered in the presentation.

Follow up interviews took place with 150 consumers who had returned questionnaires, an average

of three months after the session. Interviewees were asked about different actions that they may

have taken following the session. Fifty‐seven percent had taken at least one kind of action

following the session, and fifty‐five percent had told friends and family about something they had

learnt at the session.

Thirty‐four percent of interviewees (51 people) had looked for a better energy tariff following the

session. A third of the people who looked for a better tariff had never switched supplier before. Of

the 51 people who looked for a better tariff, 29 were offered a better deal, and 28 had switched

or planned to switch tariff or supplier, with the majority choosing a different tariff with their


current supplier. The average expected saving across those who had switched was just over £200

per year, although only 18 people were able to estimate how much they would save.

Of those who did not look for a better deal, the most common reasons were that they had not had

time (24 people), that they felt they would not save enough (15 people), that they had already

switched before the session (12 people) or that they felt it was too much hassle (12 people).

Nine people (6%) had changed payment method since the session. Most switched from paying

when the bill arrives to direct debit, while one switched from prepayment meter to direct debit

and another switched from prepayment meter to paying when the bill arrives.

Twenty‐eight people (17%) had looked for more information on improving their home energy

efficiency or heating system as a result of the Energy Best Deal session. Twenty‐six percent of

interviewees had taken steps to save energy in their homes since the session; the majority had

started researching getting insulation or a heating upgrade.

Interviewees were asked some basic questions about the benefits that they receive, and based on

this it is estimated that 21% of interviewees are likely to qualify for the ECO funding for heating

measures.

Fourteen people (9%) had applied for the Warm Home Discount since the session.

Fifty‐five percent of interviewees had passed on something they had learned at the session to

friends and family.

Frontline workers: 2014/2015 sessions Frontline workers were asked to complete a questionnaire following the session, and responses

were received from 3,373 people, 69% of all frontline workers who attended sessions. The largest

proportion of frontline workers were from Citizens Advice Bureaux (44%).

Eighty‐four percent of frontline workers said that the session had changed their opinion of the

importance of fuel poverty to their clients. Forty‐seven percent of frontline workers estimated

that 60% or more of their clients were in fuel poverty.

Ninety‐four percent of frontline workers said they felt more confident on advising on one or more

specific topics as a result of the session. The most common topic that frontline workers felt more

confident about was 'finding the best deal on energy costs' (93%) followed by 'different ways of

paying for energy (85%) and 'the Warm Home Discount' (80%). Some frontline workers also felt

less confident about giving advice on some topics, particularly the Green Deal (2%) and the Energy

Company Obligation (2%), due to the complexity of these topics. Generally across all topics, a very

low percentage of frontline workers said that they felt less confident following the session.

Follow up interviews took place with 151 frontline workers who had returned questionnaires, an

average of three months after the session. Interviewees were asked to rate their level of

knowledge of specific topics before and after the session. Overall knowledge had increased across


all topics as a result of the session, with the greatest increase occurring in the topics 'Nest or

Arbed programmes’, followed by 'Green Deal' and ‘Warm Home Discount’.

When asked if any part of the presentation was particularly useful in helping them do their job,

42% said all of the presentation was useful, and 25% said that information on finding a better deal

on energy supply was most useful.

A large majority of interviewees thought that the session helped them to a great extent in terms

of providing more accurate or detailed advice, expanding the range of help and advice that they

were able to give to clients, giving them knowledge of new topics that they had not previously

been advising on, increasing knowledge of topics they were already advising on, and having more

confidence in dealing with energy‐related topics. However, 13% found that the session did not

give them knowledge of new topics that they were not previously advising on.

Since the session, information from the presentation had been provided to 1,727 clients across all

frontline workers (including speaking to groups and sending out newsletters). The median number

of clients reached per frontline worker was seven.

Sixty‐four percent of interviewees said they would not have provided as much information to

clients without attending the session.

Eighty‐three percent of interviewees had passed on information from the presentation to their

colleagues.

Quality of the presentation and materials: 2014/2015 sessions Fifty‐eight percent of consumers and 60% of frontline workers rated the presentation skills of the

trainer as excellent with most of the remainder rating them as good. Consumer interviewees

praised the presenters of their session, with comments such as "Fabulous! Really held my

concentration. Brilliant delivery.", “Trainer is clearly passionate about EBD”, “Very clear and

competent. Managed group of people well”, “Very engaged, knowledgeable and helpful”, “Trainer

is clearly passionate about EBD”.

The majority of consumers (53%) rated the materials used during the session as good, with 46%

rating them excellent. Forty‐nine percent of consumers rated these materials as good, with 41%

rating them as excellent.

Fifty percent of consumer attendees rated the materials provided to take away as good, with 44%

rating them as excellent. Fifty percent of frontline workers rated the materials to take away as

excellent, with 45% rating them good.


Consumers: 2013/2014 sessions In order to look at the ongoing impact of the Energy Best Deal session, twenty‐five consumers who

had attended Energy Best Deal sessions in 2013/2014 were contacted by telephone for an

interview. They were randomly selected from the consumers who were interviewed for that year's

Energy Best Deal evaluation. The second interview took place an average of 14 months after the

first interview and an average of 18 months after the session.

Of this group of 25 consumers, when they were first interviewed 14 months ago:

● Seven had looked into getting a better deal. Of these:

o Four had switched tariff or supplier (group A)

o Three had looked into getting a better deal but did not end up switching (group B)

● Eighteen had not looked into getting a better deal (group C)

A year and two months later, all four consumers who had switched (group A) are all still happy

with that decision. None of these four consumers had switched again, or checked to see if there is

now a better tariff. All of the consumers planned to check prices again in the future.

Of the three who had looked into getting a better deal but did not end up switching at the time of

the first interview (group B), two had since checked prices again. Both of these had done so

because they remembered something from the Energy Best Deal session. One ended up switching

to a new tariff with their existing supplier, but the other did not find a better deal.

Of the eighteen people who had not looked into getting a better deal at the time of the first

interview (group C), 12 had not done anything further since then to look for a better deal on their

energy. The other six had done something further; five because they remembered something from

the Energy Best Deal session, and one because they had heard something from another source.

At the time of the previous interview, eight of the 25 interviewees had taken other actions, such

as applying for the Warm Home Discount, since the session. When we spoke to them a year and

two months later, three had received the Warm Home Discount and one had had their loft

insulation topped up.

Frontline workers: 2013/2014 sessions Twenty‐five frontline workers who attended sessions in 2013/14 were contacted by telephone for

a follow‐up interview, an average of 15 months after attending a session. When asked what they

remembered most clearly from the session, 11 people said information about switching supplier

and looking for a better deal, four people said information about grants and schemes available to

vulnerable clients, two people said finding out about resources to help them support clients, and

one person said general information about energy use in the home.

When asked if there was anything they learnt at the session that had been particularly useful to

them since the session, five people said information about getting a better deal on their energy

supply, five people said information about switching energy supplier with a debt, four people said


'everything' and one person each said the following: information about energy efficiency,

information about the Warm Home Discount, and information about changing payment method.

Twenty‐three interviewees said that the presentation had given them more confidence in dealing

with topics which they were already advising on, while seventeen said it had enabled them to help

clients with issues which they were not previously advising on. Twenty‐two people said they had

continued to use information from the presentation in their work.

Energy Best Deal Extra Seventy people who had attended an Energy Best Deal Extra one‐to‐one advice appointment were

selected at random and interviewed by telephone about their experience of the advice

appointment.

Five participants had found out about the Energy Best Deal Extra (EBDx) advice appointments

through the Energy Best Deal Group (EBDG) sessions. Fifty‐five participants had not attended an

EBDG session.

Participants received energy‐related advice on: high energy bills (24 people), tariff switching (11

people), the Warm Home Discount (five people), reducing energy use (eight people) and energy

efficiency measures (three people). Five participants switched tariffs or providers during the

advice appointment. Three people were found to be eligible for the Warm Home Discount and had

received the payment at the time of interview. Seven participants were able to split energy debts

into affordable repayments following the contact made to energy suppliers during the

appointments.

The sessions also had the flexibility to go beyond energy issues, and so advice was also provided

on non‐energy matters including other debts, benefits, tax issues and budgeting. Overall, including

non‐energy advice, 33 participants benefitted financially as a result of the appointments; 24

highlighted the energy advice as a key gain. Nineteen participants highlighted the value of the

appointment in reducing stress in their lives. Seventeen benefitted from improved knowledge of

money management. At the time of the interview, six participants received benefits they applied

for during the appointment.

Sixty‐three out of 70 participants said they found the appointment useful. Of these, 56 said the

appointment met their expectations, nine of whom said that their expectations were exceeded.

Eleven said the appointment did not meet their expectations. Of those, ten made comments

which highlighted that they expected to gain further advice and information during the

appointments. Three said they had no expectations for the appointment.

The majority of participants made positive comments in relation to the quality of advice received,

the helpfulness of Citizens Advice staff and general satisfaction with the service provided. Nine

participants made suggestions to improve the service, largely relating to appointment duration,


convenience of appointments and information delivery. The few people who were less happy with

the service tended to have come with very specific issues beyond energy.

Overall, there was a sense that Citizens Advice EBDx appointments are highly valued. Energy

advice was only one benefit of the appointments, with many participants having complex needs

which required advice across a range of financial and legal topics.
