Energy security secretary, Grant Shapps, has entered into a partnership with ride-hailing app, Uber, which will allow the UK government to use ‘Uber Journey Ads’ to pass on low- or no-cost energy saving solutions to Uber customers.
At the beginning of this year, research by the charity Nesta and the Behavioural Insights Team found that despite 98% of people in the UK taking energy-saving measures, there is still obscurity around how to most effectively reduce the cost of energy bills.
To help raise public awareness, the UK government launched the £18 million ‘It All Adds Up’ campaign, to alert people of simple adjustments they can make to save on their energy bills.
Energy saving recommendations include:
- Reducing the temperature a combi boiler to 60⁰C – potentially saving £100 per year
- Turn appliances off at the plug – potentially saving £70 per year
- putting draught excluders around doors or adding clear film across window to fix draughts – potentially saving £60 per year
These tips will be shared across the Uber app for the next two weeks reaching many of the app’s estimated five million users.
“Uber is in a unique position to be supporting the government’s ‘It All Adds Up’ energy saving campaign as we can reach many of our 5 million active users as they take a ride,” said Paul Wright, head of Uber advertising, Uber UK.
“The partnership will enable the government to use ‘Uber Journey Ads’ to provide consumers with essential information to help them easily reduce their energy spend.”
Grant Shapps added: “We’re already covering around half of a typical household’s energy bill this winter – but we want people to accelerate savings with simple steps and this new partnership with Uber will allow riders to take the high road towards lower bills.”