How Ovo Energy recruited 37,000 households in two months

In 2023, the energy sector was characterised by high prices, low trust and consumers in a cost crisis. Against this backdrop, Ovo Energy had gone from challenger brand with 500,000 customers to 3.5 million customers, acquired following its takeover of SSE Energy Services. Contending with the lowest brand awareness in the category, Ovo needed to educate consumers about its goal to reach net zero by 2035.

The business knew there were greener, cheaper times to use energy customers were unaware of. So Ovo developed ‘Power Move’, offering customers credit off their monthly bills for shifting energy use from peak times when the National Grid relies on fossil fuels, to times the grid is fuelled by a higher proportion of renewable energy.

Working closely with agency partners Saatchi & Saatchi and Goodstuff, Ovo created the ‘Greener Grid’ platform, a programmatically traded digital out-of-home campaign connected to National Grid data, informing the nation in real-time when their energy use would be most sustainable.

Messages informing customers it was a ‘greener time to use energy’ were displayed on 2,600 digital screens nationwide. Ovo was also a launch partner for Euston Motion+, Europe’s largest indoor DOOH screen at London’s Euston Station, with generative AI and API data providing live insights into Britain’s energy habits.

More than 37,000 households singed up to Power Move during the two-month campaign period, representing 49% of yearly sign-ups. Customers earned more than £250,000 in credit over the course of the campaign. Ovo also notched up a 2% increase in spontaneous brand awareness – higher than any other energy brand – results which helped the energy company scoop the 2024 Marketing Week Award for Brand Innovation.