First to offer financial reward to customers for reducing energy use

Scottish and Southern Energy (“SSE”) has today launched a unique green product that for the first time will provide financial rewards to customers for using less energy.  The company supplies energy through its brands: Southern Electric, Scottish Hydro Electric, and SWALEC.

Through ‘better plan’, customers will be able to make a positive difference to the environment by taking action to reduce their energy consumption. It offers a variety of incentives to help customers use less energy and earn cash credits. The credits are then applied as a reduction to the customers’ energy bills.

SSE has launched this product as part of its commitment to work in partnership with its customers to help them reduce their energy use and to create a more sustainable level of energy consumption across the country.

• The first energy supplier to provide cash rewards for consuming less energy: £15 for a 10% reduction in energy use in any one year (£25 for 20%). 
• A free ‘better plan’ monitor that displays energy use and costs in real time.
• Cash rewards for taking positive action to reduce energy consumption.
• 100% renewable electricity at no extra cost.
• Customers can join ‘better plan’ through www.southernelectric.co.uk or by calling 0800 980 0439.

Ian Marchant, Chief Executive of SSE, said:  “Through ‘better plan’ SSE wants to help its customers use less energy, save money and make a positive contribution to the environment.

Households account for a quarter of the UK’s carbon emissions, so encouraging customers to make even simple changes will help us move towards a lower carbon society.

“It may seem odd for a company to be encouraging customers to consume less of its core product, but we believe it is the only way forward that is sustainable for our business and for society as a whole.”

SSE’s ‘better plan’ is designed to encourage customers to take action to reduce their energy use and financially reward them for doing so.

The free ‘better plan’ monitor (worth £45) is a real-time display device which enables customers to understand how they are using electricity and highlights where they could be wasting it. With this understanding customers will be better placed to take action to reduce their energy use.

As well as the lower bills that result from using less energy, ‘better plan’ customers will receive a cash credit reward based on the scale of reduction they have achieved each year - £15 for a 10% reduction and £25 for a 20% reduction.

Other incentives are available to ‘better plan’ customers who want to take further action to become more energy efficient. By using any of a wide range of SSE’s services, customers will benefit from exclusive savings and earn further cash credits.  For example, ‘better plan’ customers can save up to £150 on the installation of cavity wall insulation and earn a £20 cash credit on their energy bill when they do so.

Cash credits can also be earned when customers sign up for other free services, such as paperless billing and wiring checks.