Green energy company ScottishPower has become the first British energy supplier to join forces with Plain Numbers as part of its ongoing commitment to ensuring its customer communications are clear, simple and easy to understand.
Plain Numbers – which is like Plain English, but for numbers – is a tried and tested approach to sharing numbers and financial information that has proven to double the number of customers who understand a communication.
With Government research finding around half the UK adult population have the maths skills equivalent to those expected of a primary school child*, understanding household bills can be a significant challenge.
The partnership with ScottishPower will establish accredited Plain Numbers Practitioners within the company and help ensure that customer billing information is clear, accessible, and can be easily read and understood.
Mark Bowen, ScottishPower’s Sales and Marketing Director said: “Making sure our customers can clearly understand our information and bills is a vital part of being a trusted and responsible energy supplier.
“This new partnership with Plain Numbers, which builds on our existing partnership with the Plain English campaign, will help us better communicate what can often be complex and detailed information in a clear and simple way.
“It’s the latest step in our ongoing efforts to improve the customer experience that we provide, and I’ve no doubt will make a real difference for our customers.””
Ben Perkins, Plain Numbers Director of Partnerships and Services said: ‘This partnership with ScottishPower marks an exciting step towards creating clearer communications for customers. Energy bills are an important part of people’s financial wellbeing so it’s crucial that communications are easy to understand.
“ScottishPower is leading the way by putting the needs of customers at the heart of their approach, and we’re thrilled to be working with their Plain Numbers Practitioners to drive meaningful change for customers.”
After having completed training in the Plain Numbers Method, Roz Rae, Senior Lead – Domestic Marketing Communications shared:
“As a Plain Numbers Practitioner, I’ve seen first-hand how our partnership with Plain Numbers is helping us make complex information clearer and easier for customers to understand. It’s already having a positive impact across our communications, and we’re now building on that progress as we work towards launching a Plain Numbers Certified bill. Clear, accessible communication is central to the experience we want to provide, and this partnership is helping us deliver that.”
