Uswitch enters the cost of living debate with TV ad to break ‘high energy apathy’

Uswitch.com is returning to TV screens for the first time since 2012 with an advertising campaign featuring Life on Mars star Philip Glenister urging consumers to switch their bills as the company looks to break the ‘high energy apathy’ across the UK.

Video: uSwitch ’The Simple Way To Switch’ TV Advert

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvu7aAnMj-4

The price comparison site says the return to advertising after a two-year break aims to push the service into the rising cost of living debate and show struggling billpayers that switching energy suppliers is easier than they think.

Glenister is shown playing on his straight-talking persona from shows such as Life on Mars and Hustle in the Thinking Juice-created ad. It sees the actor delivering uSwitch’s “in just a few clicks you could save yourself a few hundred quid” message as he prepares breakfast, highlighting the simplicity of switching and the steps people can take from their own home to save on their energy bills.

The ad runs for nine weeks from the end of the month (25 August) and includes Facebook, Twitter, email and online activity.

Simon Hills, head of marketing at uSwitch.com, says despite customer confidence in the market plummeting amid recent price hikes to bills, most (90 per cent) homes have not switched suppliers in the past year.

“We wanted to give viewers a frank and straight-talking concept that cuts through the myths surrounding the perceived difficulty of switching”, adds Hills. “First-time switchers often tell us their experience was far easier than they had expected.  We hope our campaign encourages more people to review their energy needs and consider switching, so that an even greater number enjoy the benefits of lower energy bills.”

The campaign follows in the footsteps of energy regulator Ofgem’s PR and digital effort earlier this year to encourage Brits to go “energy shopping”. The watchdog wants more homeowners to prioritise energy comparisons as part of ongoing efforts to enforce a fairer energy market.

Energy companies have committed to slashing switching times by 50 per cent by the end of the year. This will reduce the time it takes to switch energy supplier from five weeks to around two and a half weeks.

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