Energy efficiency shouldn’t be a maze of confusing information or jargon. Yet, for many people, unclear details and technical language create real barriers.
If you want community members to get involved, the message should feel clear, relevant and easy to grasp. Here’s how we help everyone make sense of these programs, and help them take part.
Identify Where the Confusion Begins
Complicated terms and abstract benefits often leave people lost before they start. Phrases like “weatherization” or “demand-side management” don’t mean much to most folks. If someone doesn’t see what’s in it for them or can’t figure out the basics, they won’t move forward. Unfamiliar concepts immediately turn away would-be participants.
Our first step is to review every piece of outreach, brochures, forms and website text. We zero in on anywhere the message gets weighed down by technical details or fails to clarify what’s in it for the audience. Once we see the sticking points, we focus on making them simpler and more welcoming.
Research commissioned by Natural Resources Canada identified awareness gaps, limited understanding and complicated application processes as major barriers to participation in energy efficiency programs.
Speak to Daily Life, Not Just the Tech
Many programs open with a list of features. That might excite an engineer, but it isn’t enough for most people deciding whether to join. Instead, reframe every technical detail in terms of what actually improves their routine, like more comfort, real savings or a sense of helping the neighbourhood.
Let’s rethink how we describe common upgrades:
- Use plain language for insulation: Swap “high-efficiency insulation” for “a warmer home with lower heating costs.”
- Describe lighting benefits clearly: Use “better lighting that lowers your power bill” instead of “LED lighting retrofits.”
- Explain weatherization simply: Describe “weatherization” as “simple upgrades that block drafts and reduce heating costs.”
We focus on these kinds of honest, everyday stories when explaining complex programs. When the message centres on relatable benefits, it’s much easier for people to move from thinking to doing.
Make Programs Feel Real With Stories
What really gets people on board? Not spreadsheets or technical diagrams, but the real experiences of others like them. Guide people through the journey. A family gets tired of high bills, hears about a program, joins and finds their home is more comfortable and affordable.
Structure your stories simply:
- Open with a real challenge: Start with a relatable problem or frustration
- Show program discovery: Explain how they find and join the program
- Highlight tangible outcomes: Show the real-life improvements they experience
- Invite personal connection: Help people recognize their own experiences in the story
Participation grows whenever programs come across as easy to approach and stories are front and centre. Real testimonials, step-by-step guides and influencer partnerships turn complex details into clear, relatable motivations. People need to feel programs are meant for them, not just for energy insiders and policymakers.
Change the Message for Every Audience
Not everyone is moved by the same example. The message you share with homeowners shouldn’t look like the one businesses or community leaders get. Tuning your material so it fits each audience’s concerns, language and priorities means you’ll reach more people.
A good example comes from Powertec’s outreach across Manitoba, Nunavut and Northwestern Ontario. When demand for solar installations suddenly jumped, Powertec and UpHouse didn’t settle for blanket advertising. Instead, they created messages specifically for farmers, industries, First Nations and local organizations. For instance, news stories focused on solar-powered schools and greenhouses in northern communities or spotlighted new “firsts” in the region.
The results? In three months, they landed a dozen earned media stories, reaching nearly 1.8 million people. Stories that tied to real places and achievements made a lasting impression. By highlighting Powertec as an expert voice, the campaign built both trust and authority.
Getting specific and local makes it easier for every group to picture themselves as part of the energy transition.
Build a Thoughtful, Multi-Channel Presence
We know a single channel isn’t enough. Our aim is to show up where people already spend time, whether that’s scrolling online, driving past a billboard, checking the mailbox or talking with neighbours at local events. Consistent messaging across all these spaces carries more weight.
Just look at Efficiency Manitoba’s story. Since 2022, UpHouse has managed their outreach and quickly raised brand awareness by nearly forty per cent, reaching a long-range target far ahead of schedule. The secret was running about twenty campaigns each year, using everything from social media and TV to direct mail, transit ads and in-person guides, in both English and French.
Efficiency Manitoba reached residential, commercial and community audiences, all supported by social media content, explainer videos and even live shoots. Everything worked together to present the organization as open, inclusive and easy to work with.
Of course, every region and organization is unique. Still, the principle stands: deliver a steady, consistent message across formats and meet people where they are.
Remove Friction From Start to Finish
Few things stop people faster than a confusing process. We make every step simple and predictable, from the very first question to signing up. That means clear calls to action, guides that spell everything out and forms that make sense.
For Efficiency Manitoba, we designed easy application forms, targeted handouts, helpful checklists and straightforward FAQs. With these supports in place, people felt prepared to start, not overwhelmed. Every audience had somewhere to turn if they got stuck.
By smoothing the process and making instructions clear, more people decide to join in.
Set the Stage for Real Change
Translating complicated energy efficiency programs into stories and actions that actually stick takes effort. Yet, the payoff is worth it. By focusing on real-world impacts, plain language and messages crafted for specific groups, we make these programs easier to understand and more likely to succeed.
Use this checklist to strengthen your outreach:
- Cut confusing language: Replace technical jargon with plain, accessible wording
- Lead with real-life benefits: Show how each feature improves daily life
- Tell relatable stories: Use examples people can recognize themselves in
- Tailor messages by audience: Speak to each group’s priorities and concerns
- Show up across channels: Reinforce your message wherever people already engage
- Make participation simple: Remove friction at every step of the process
Wrapping Up
Energy efficiency programs are only effective when people understand them well enough to act. Clear language, relatable messaging and straightforward guidance help turn awareness into participation. When organizations focus on making programs feel practical and accessible, they build stronger trust, engagement and long-term impact.
FAQ
Why do people find energy efficiency programs confusing?
Programs often lean on words and phrases that most people don’t recognize. Without familiar terms or a clear link to personal benefits, people end up lost and unmotivated to learn more.
How can we make energy efficiency offerings easier for everyone to understand?
Translate the technical features into real-life outcomes, such as daily comfort, lower bills or more convenience. Telling genuine stories and sharing testimonials bridges the gap.
What’s the best way to talk about energy efficiency benefits?
Focus less on the technology and more on how it changes day-to-day living. For example, swap out “high-efficiency insulation” for “a warmer house in winter, plus lower heating costs.”
Why bother tailoring messages to different groups?
Each group brings its own priorities and concerns to the table. When we customize our communication and pick examples that fit, it’s easier for every audience to see the value and feel included.
How does using lots of platforms help boost participation?
Sharing your story on multiple fronts such as social media, print, events and digital spaces means your message is more likely to get noticed and remembered. Consistency across channels increases impact.
What steps help make taking part feel straightforward?
Provide easy-to-follow guides, checklists and friendly forms. The simpler the journey from information to enrolment, the more likely people are to jump in.
