Energywatch
Watchdog energywatch appoints Wolfstar for public relations programme
energywatch, the UK’s gas and electricity watchdog, has appointed Wolfstar to develop an interactive web campaign. energywatch has hired public relations and social media specialist Wolfstar to deliver an online stakeholder relations campaign.
Since 2000 energywatch, the gas and electricity watchdog has provided help to millions of consumers to resolve difficulties with their gas and electricity suppliers.
In the past year alone 720,000 consumers received help and energywatch secured £7.4 million pounds in respect of compensation and reduction in their energy bills.
As from 1st October 2008 energywatch will cease to exist and will be merged along with Postwatch and the National Consumer Council to form a new powerful consumer organisation. The new body will provide comprehensive advice to consumers, however it will not provide the independent complaint handling support that energywatch provides currently.
Wolfstar has been appointed to help raise awareness of the implications of the merger, particularly for organisations across the UK and the people they represent. Recent research indicates consumers with billing problems contact their supplier on average 7 times. If the problem remains unresolved they will seek help elsewhere, usually from people and organisations they trust.
This could mean that charities are inundated with queries and complaints about energy problems.
The account will be lead by Wolfstar managing director Stuart Bruce, who commented: “We are delighted to be working for energywatch, due to the upcoming changes it is vital that energywatch engages with consumers and organisations to raise awareness of the issues and understand their major concerns in relation to all energy matters.”
Wolfstar is a new consultancy, based in Leeds, which offers its clients multiple way communications solutions combining traditional public relations with social media and word of mouth communication techniques.
Carlene Golightly, national priority consumer manager at energywatch comments: “With the help of Wolfstar, we will be able to reach many organisations and the people they represent to find out what their energy issues and what support is this feedback will be prove invaluable to the new body in helping to understand what support and services ”