Transcription

• Speaker #0

  So the one thing that I would like our viewers, listeners, readers to take away with them from this campaign is confidence.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah.

• Speaker #0

  Confidence and knowledge that you have a right. Yeah. Confidence that if needed, you are supported and you are protected. Confidence to take an active part in the energy market.

• Speaker #1

  We all have energy rights, but most of us never think about them. Until the day something goes totally wrong. The bill that doesn't add up, the supplier who gets it wrong. That's the day you find out whether those rights mean anything in real life. I spent a very, very good part of my career on that day. You know, working with energy ombudsman and on the redress side of things or... what it truly means to make energy a right and not a commodity. So the conversation we're going to have today is very, very, very close to home. Because today at the European Sustainable Energy Week, the European Commission is launching Unlock Your Power. It's a campaign that doesn't start from the law, but it starts from people's lives. My first flight... new baby, a home that you finally feel settled in. And also a simple idea that the power to understand, choose and act is already yours. My guest today is Kasia Wolos from DigiEnergy, who helped build this campaign. So we are recording on launch day. So this is really an on-the-go conversation. Kasia, welcome to Energetic. How are you today? Thank you very much,

• Speaker #0

  Marine. Thank you for having me. I'm very happy and very excited. We are towards the end of our biggest annual event, EU Sustainable Energy Week. I have the immense pleasure of leading the team that organizes this amazing event, that also manages initiatives like Young Energy Ambassadors that help amplify our messages. And also now develops the first ever awareness raising campaign on consumer energy rights in the commission in our energy department. So I feel very happy,

• Speaker #1

  a bit tired.

• Speaker #0

  I have to be honest. But I'm very glad also to be with you and to talk about the campaign. This is possibly the best moment. We are just launching it.

• Speaker #1

  Thank you so much, Kesha. So unlock your power. As I just said, I really like the name. Why has TG Energy decided to launch an awareness-raising campaign for citizens on energy consumer rights? And why now?

• Speaker #0

  I would say on a more general level, we know that the energy transition can only succeed if people are on board, if they understand and are aware of the benefits of this transition and the opportunities that it creates. For them. And consumer rights are among those opportunities. But at the same time, we know also from our studies, our surveys like Eurobarometer and other sources, that the general level of awareness about those rights is rather low across Europe. For example, around a third of Europeans, only around a third of Europeans, admit that they fully understand their bill. So there is a significant gap there. And these are the main reasons why we decided to act. I'm sure you know, we have recently adopted Citizens Energy Package that focuses precisely on that, empowering citizens in the energy market, in the energy transition. And with this campaign, we hope to reach out to as many citizens as possible to inform them about those rights, how to execute them, and how to...

• Speaker #1

  really benefit from the energy market. Absolutely. So this is a campaign, also a video campaign. I haven't seen it yet, right? Because it's launch day, but I've seen a few things. And it's mostly a video campaign, right? And a website. And it features various situations, from moving into your first flat, a single mom struggling financially, a family making long-term decisions about you their energy consumption, the choices they make in their home. So tell me about the choice. What's the story you most want a person to walk away with than really to feel?

• Speaker #0

  You are very correct and very well informed already about our campaign. Indeed, the main assets of the campaign VGO is built around Life stages that almost all of us go through. So they are very relatable to all of us. Moving into the first flat, it comes with lots of challenges. But understanding a bill should not be one of them. Transparency of information, clarity of information should not be a luxury. This is among the rights that were granted to citizens through EU legislation. Then, as you mentioned, we have another scene and situation where... We see a single parent struggling to pay her bill on time. And here our message is very clear. If you are vulnerable, if you struggle financially, you are not alone. There are protective measures across Europe and you have a right to be supported, to be protected also from disconnection. And finally, we see a family. deciding about their long-term investments and management of their energy. And this is also a reflection of a reality. More and more people are actually producing, sharing, storing and managing their own energy. So a right to become part of an energy community is among those rights that we are talking about. So the one thing that I would like... our viewers, listeners, readers to take away with them from this campaign is confidence.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah.

• Speaker #0

  Confidence and knowledge that you have a right. Yeah. Confidence that if needed, you are supported and you are protected.

• Speaker #1

  Confidence to take an active part in the energy market. That's great because last episode I recorded with Evelina. My boss. And she said something that... I honestly wasn't expecting, but that truly was music to my ears. She said that energy is a right and not a commodity. And now it's really something that the European Union believes in and tries to implement at many different levels. She also announced the campaign, but not the name. So it's all very, very, very new to me as well. But I must say that this approach is very comforting. It also shows that the European Union is listening to what people at Yousef and people like me who work a lot on researching and trying to connect dots and helping the Commission produce better policy. So it's very encouraging, very empowering also for people on my side of things that tend to sometimes be a little critical.

• Speaker #0

  I'm very happy to hear that, yes. And this was exactly our intention, to address the concerns, to reassure, to empower citizens. And to, well, of course, the first step is to know. See you later. share this knowledge about the rise and those opportunities.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah. So one of the also interesting aspects is that you're telling the story across three very different places. Greece for cooling. I worked very extensively for your colleague at DigiEnergy on summer energy poverty. So having this angle on cooling, I mean, that's exactly what we need. Tresha on heating. which is, of course, the second part of the puzzle, and also a Spanish neighborhood already sharing its solar. So Spain as, you know, the flagship for solar integration, etc. So it's this specific choice, like going into three different scenes and scenarios. Yes. Right. So how do you make the same message feel local and true and trustworthy, right? So... that a family in Prague and a family in Seville each recognize their own life in. Absolutely. We have selected these countries because our campaign is a piloting campaign.

• Speaker #0

  I mentioned we are doing it for the first time. And we have selected countries with very different realities precisely to see how our messages would resonate when we talk about different aspects of consumer rights. belonging to an energy community, right, information and this and that. And for that reason also, because of those various differences, those various realities, we have worked very closely with consumer organizations in those countries, consumer regulators, national regulators, with stakeholders, with our colleagues working in those countries. So we made sure. to translate those general messages into the specific circumstances of these countries. Okay. So all these messages will be translated and not only translated, but also adapted.

• Speaker #1

  Ah, yeah. It's localization. Absolutely.

• Speaker #0

  So for media, video, the website, and so on and so forth. At the same time, I have to say that there is a common thread, if you wish. Yeah, of course. Because consumers everywhere, be it Czechia or Spain or another country, Deserve to be protected, deserve to know what options do they have and how to find help if there is an issue with the contract or with the bill, etc. So we basically build on one of the strengths of the EU energy policy that offers a common framework, but is applicable to local conditions at the same time.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah, so it's the kind of blueprint or blue line connecting everyone. So there is one part, one angle of this campaign that is extremely close to my own work. This part is redress. It's the part trying to get your rights enforced when they've been broken, right? So the thing is... Redress is invisible until the day something goes wrong, when it becomes the thing that matters most. I even did some years of research on energy poverty and the fact that energy poor don't manage to access their rights to an ombudsman or an alternative dispute resolution body, right? And in this campaign, you actually point exactly towards uh, People and organizations somewhere. So Eru in the Czech Republic, Mayre, the single point of contact in Spain, and also a stakeholder in Greece as well. So what does it change for someone to simply kind of know there is a door to knock on? Because, yeah,

• Speaker #0

  I think it changes more than we think.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah.

• Speaker #0

  Because when there is an issue, with a contract, a supplier, a bill, it's not only about this problem, but then also with the uncertainty that comes with this, with the lack of confidence. And then knowing about the consumer organizations, ombudsmen, other bodies that can help and address those issues can mean that we know how to address this problem and we don't have to worry about it. We know that there is somebody... who is there to inform us how to deal with that. So I think this is a very significant change, a very significant aspect. And we spoke about the confidence before. So I think this is the difference between lack of confidence and ability to address the various challenges that of course come when it comes to energy management. They are part of daily life often. into a more confident actor.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah, exactly. Like trust is a confident relationship with the unknown. Yes,

• Speaker #0

  I like a lot this phrase.

• Speaker #1

  Exactly. I don't know if you knew it. It's from someone I really admire. Her name is Rachel Botsman, and she works extensively on trust. And her work has inspired me a lot. And, you know, the fact that you mentioned this aspect, The fact that you mentioned that... People will engage if they know that there is someone they can trust is absolutely fundamental. And, you know, even today in some projects I work on, we can see that there are gaps, that there are gaps in where people can, what door can people knock on. And of course, it depends a lot on the member states level. But yeah, I'm quite curious to see how, you know. The hope that we find in this campaign, which is profoundly hopeful, will also trickle down to people. So the campaign feels and looks extremely bright and hopeful, and I like it a lot. But how would you reply to people who struggle at the end of the month and still don't feel that it is for them?

• Speaker #0

  The campaign is... Fully acknowledging the various affordability challenges that many Europeans face. But at the same time, there are some answers that can help address specific problems and then can help manage the energy consumption better. So for some, these will be protective measures. For others, it will be a knowledge how to join, how to build, create or join energy community. For others, yet it will be a clarity on how to address issues with the supplier, with the contractors. Yet another aspect will be, you know, how to choose the right options, how to decide, to take informed decisions about those things. So these are the... elements that are very much linked also to management of our energy consumption and paired with other actions like energy savings, energy efficiency can truly help address the many challenges that Europeans face in this area.

• Speaker #1

  We are approaching the end of this recording. You still have like a lot of things to do because again we are on the launch day so Oh, yeah. there might be something somewhere a commissioner maybe who is expecting you but so but I think we didn't discuss the point, which is what's the story? I mean, what were some of the challenges along the way? And what gives you the greatest sense of satisfaction now it's out?

• Speaker #0

  Well, thank you for this opportunity to share about the campaign. And when it comes to looking behind the scenes, I have to say that this was a very... ambitious project and one that brought together dozens and dozens of experts, both in the communication and in the policy field. We have worked jointly, but also with colleagues in countries like Czechia, Spain, etc., with consumer organizations, with citizens, of course, with the agency that is working with us. So numerous, numerous partners. And it all started almost a year ago when we... knew that citizens energy package will soon be adopted and we really wanted to support this initiative with concrete practical information and and advice for citizens so this was it was a challenge it was very intense but at the same time this brought the greatest satisfaction because this teamwork was full of, well, Power and energy, fully intended. And I hope we somehow manage to translate this positive approach and optimism into the campaign messages and style and tonality. So for me personally, this has been a great adventure. Well, actually, it starts today. Exactly. And I'm very, very, very happy that I have this opportunity to illustrate the EU added value. to citizens in this important area, energy.

• Speaker #1

  It can make a very, very big difference in people's lives. Absolutely.

• Speaker #0

  The difference and impact and this confidence is something that we would love to apply and to share with citizens and to achieve, of course. Thank you so much, Kesha.

• Speaker #1

  Energetic explores the people, policies and institutions shaping Europe's and the world's energy transition. I am Marine Cornelis. If you found this conversation valuable, you can share it with colleagues working on housing, governance and consumer protection. You will find references and further reading in the show notes. Until next time.