2022
With COVID-19 cancelling in-person outreach, the Nicor Gas Energy Efficiency Program pivoted its strategy to ensure that income-eligible customers were reached. We recognized that low-income customers needed assistance with basic needs, such as groceries and toiletries, before making energy efficiency a priority. Collaborating with several local suppliers, we delivered basic needs care packages to low-income, food-insecure customers. We wanted to empathize with them and support them as more than just a utility. The care packages, which included educational inserts on energy efficiency, increased customer interest in the program immediately. Helping to fulfill our customers’ basic needs eliminated the credibility issues typically overcome through in-person outreach. We built positive relationships with customers who had never participated in the program and launched their energy efficiency journey.