About the event

Habits and behaviours can be hard to change, but they can have a huge impact on how much a household spends on energy. Energy advisers need to be able to provide guidance around habits and behaviours when talking to householders.

The course will look at of some of the theories and findings in the field of decision making, focusing specifically on simple practical things they can do to encourage people to act on the energy-related advice they receive.

What you will gain from attending?

The course aims to make delegates aware of some of the theories and findings in the field of decision making, focusing specifically on simple practical things they can do to encourage people to act on the energy-related advice they receive.

By the end of the event attendees will have gained:

• A CPD accreditation
• A chance to learn more about the value of Money Guidance
• Sharing details on your services and support tools
• Peer to peer support as well as a Q&A at the end
• Facilitated networking with a range of NI organisations
• Free refreshments and lunch will be provided.

Objectives:

• Explain the barriers/ cognitive biases discouraging householders from acting on energy advice
• Be aware of some of the key factors influencing decision making
• What actions can you as a practitioner take to encourage householders to act on energy-related advice

Content

• The main barriers explaining why householders do not always act on energy advice.
• Key factors influencing decision making including significant cognitive biases (for example, loss aversion and social norms).
• Actions to help overcome the key biases and encourage people to act on the advice they are given. This includes framing the message – making it personal, relevant and engaging.
• The EAST (make the advice/ intervention Easy, Attractive, Social and Timely) model can be used to increase the likelihood of advice being acted on.

About the organisation: National Energy Action NI

National Energy Action (NEA) is one of the leading providers of domestic energy and fuel poverty training services for over 30 years. We are delighted to offer both face-to-face and online tuition across the UK. Our aim is to enhance the quality of energy advice services provided by local, regional and national organisations across various sectors.

Fuel poverty remains a sadly prevalent issue around the UK, and the net zero target means that energy efficiency and heating decarbonisation is high on the agenda, with a large-scale retrofit programme of the UK's housing stock required if net zero is to be achieved by 2050. This means that households of all kinds will need high-quality and up-to-date energy advice services and fuel poverty training.

Who should attend?

This course is designed for frontline staff working in a range of organisations who are in a position to provide energy-related advice directly to householders either face-to-face or via the telephone.

All money guidance practitioners are welcome to attend this free event. This could include staff in Northern Ireland who are supporting service users with difficult conversations about energy and anyone offering guidance to improve the financial wellbeing of their service users.

Accessibility & other details

The event is in person and will be hosted in the NICVA building at 61 Duncairn Gardens Belfast BT15 2GB. We will be providing refreshments and lunch for the event too. Directions and public transport information will be provided once you register to the event.

If you have accessibility requirements, please inform us when you register by emailing moneyguidersni@reed.com and we will do our best to meet them. Practitioners should always remember to keep their own client and customer details confidential.

Participants should always remember to keep their own client and customer details confidential and not disclose personal information about them.

The Money Guidance Competency Framework

This event is designed to help you improve your money guidance practice, developing skills, confidence and knowledge around credit unions. Everything that the Money Guiders programme offers centres around the Money Guidance Competency Framework - it's there to help you better understand the full breadth and depth of money related issues that fall outside of the regulated financial advice service sector - the things you talk to your customers about.

Which part of the competency framework applies to the event?

Foundation Level - Signposting customers and Safeguarding: all practitioners – no matter their job role – must be able to elicit simple, factual information from the customer in order to signpost them to appropriate sources of further support, advice or information.

Technical Domain 5 Budgeting and cashflow - Tier 1:Awareness of methods for reducing household outgoings.

Technical Domain 10 Households - Tier 1:Awareness of ways to save energy around the house

Before attending this session, you could spend some time considering the challenges you face in your work, specifically when you provide help and guidance to your clients or service users around money issues.

Have your say!

If you find yourself talking about money with your clients or service users, we’d like to hear from you. Money and Pensions Service is keen to ensure we are doing all we can to support you and others in similar roles. To do this we need to learn more about YOU!

Please click on the link to complete a short (5 min) survey and share with your networks. Click here: https://harlowconsulting.welcomesyourfeedback.net/MaPSPractitionerSurvey2023

Join the Money Guiders Network

Become part of a national community of practice, with priority notice of learning events and workshops, regular newsletters and networking opportunities. In partnership with the Money and Pensions Service.

Register here and pick which nation(s) you represent across the UK: Money Guiders Community Registration Form (office.com)