Customer advice and guidance
Energy and property-sector companies participating in the Energy Efficiency Agreements committed not only to improving their own energy use but also to advising their customers on energy efficiency. The parties to the oil sector’s HÖYLÄ IV agreement also committed to multi-channel communications and advice in accordance with the agreement obligations.
Energy companies actively communicated with and advised their customers via websites, social media, various events and customer gatherings, and stakeholder publications. Targeted energy efficiency advice was made available to customers. In addition, the companies lent out consumption meters and funded educational materials on energy efficiency for schools. Efficient energy use by customers was also promoted through energy services related, for example, to demand response and the operation and maintenance of heating systems and district heating equipment.
Companies distributing heating fuels under the HÖYLÄ IV agreement provided guidance to residents of properties with oil heating on how to use their systems more energy-efficiently. A key channel for this was the ‘Lämmöllä’ magazine, aimed at all users of oil heating. It provided information on the best measures to improve energy efficiency and ways to save energy.
Customer advisory services in the energy and oil sectors are estimated to generate annual energy savings of approximately one terawatt hour.
Measures were also implemented under the Rental Housing Properties Action Plan to increase residents’ awareness of the opportunities to improve energy efficiency and of its importance. Under the Commercial Properties Action Plan, similar advice was provided to tenants. In addition, participants in the Property Sector agreement were required to include energy efficiency targets when defining the duties of property maintenance service providers, tendering services and drawing up property maintenance agreements.