National Grid and Eversource Focus on Inclusivity in a Virtual World

Challenge

As many Americans struggled to make utility payments during the pandemic, Eversource and National Grid partnered to get the word out about their available financial assistance programs. The energy utilities looked to build upon National Grid’s successful customer webinar series, launched earlier in summer 2020, to reach multiple communities and new audiences.

Solution

The energy utilities partnered with Questline Digital to produce the first four in an ongoing series of educational webinars. To accommodate the varying needs of customers, webinars were produced with closed captioning and broadcast separately in Spanish and Portuguese. The webinars also included a video of an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter. These webinars were the first time video and closed captioning were incorporated into the live broadcasts.

Results

Over 9,770 total customers registered for the four events to learn about solutions for their energy bills, with nearly 1,000 attending the ASL broadcast. The language accommodations were met with such positivity that National Grid and Eversource permanently changed how they promote services, ensuring information is available to those with varying needs.

About National Grid

National Grid is an international energy and gas company and one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the world. The utility plays a vital role in delivering gas and energy to millions of people across Great Britain and the northeastern U.S.

About Eversource

Eversource transmits and delivers electricity and natural gas for more than 3.6 million electric and natural gas customers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

Over 9,770 total customers registered for the four events to learn about solutions for their energy bills, with nearly 1,000 attending the ASL broadcast.

“Creating an inclusive environment is essential for every industry, every company, every person. National Grid and Eversource understand this importance, both from the logistical side of reaching their energy utility’s customers and from the emotional side of it being the right thing to do. These things matter, and people notice. Much of the success of these webinars came simply from understanding their utility’s audience and meeting their needs.”
—Joshua Platt, Account Director, Questline Digital