The energy burden in the US is an under-reported issue that affects a huge number of families - roughly 1 in 4, at an estimated count of 35 million. According to experts, energy bills shouldn’t exceed 6% of a US household’s income, but for the millions of families struggling with the energy burden, it’s more like 20-50%.

Beyond the strain on finances, the issue has a compounding effect. By not having enough money to pay energy bills, families are increasingly skipping meals and foregoing medical and dental treatments. The stress leads to a greater strain on public health - causing illnesses like asthma, and in the most dire situations, is a leading cause of homelessness.

The Power Project launched on Earth Day when people would be most receptive to an issue concerning energy and access. It came to market as an integrated campaign designed to educate people about of the issue and inspire them to act. This was done by appealing to the head - through a platform built on hyperlocal data that showed users the issue in their neighborhood. And by appealing to the heart - through emotional storytelling from the perspective of the real families affected. The Earth Day launch was accompanied by a full-page ad in the New York Times challenging viewers to reconsider what they think they know with a provocative headline: “Earth Day isn’t equally distributed.” The copy then went into the ways energy efficiency isn’t equally distributed, what Nest is doing about it and how readers can get involved.

The campaign was executed in three major ways. Firstly, through partnerships with an NGO, a government agency and energy providers across the US. This allowed the Power Project to achieve scale and help the families in need.

Secondly, through a robust platform that included over 20k data points to bring it to life neighborhood by neighborhood. It also showed users how to donate to their communities, with matching by Nest. And for those who needed help - it showed them where to find it nearby. Along the way, we realized there was no central source for energy assistance programs. So we built one, connecting those in need with places that provide aid.

Finally, we created content including a documentary created by award-winning filmmaker Sean Dunne, articles by experts, and engaging photo stories. This was done by design, in order to humanize the issue and make it difficult to ignore.

In the two weeks since launch, the campaign has delivered more than 2mm completed video views, 400+ press articles & syndications, and 150mm in media impressions. Currently, 750k will be donated towards organizations working towards democratizing energy efficiency. One million energy and money saving thermostats will be made available to homes in need. And every Habitat for Humanity home built in the US this year will include a money and energy saving thermostat. Beyond the early results, the Power Project has started a dialog about an underreported issue: energy bills that are excessively high and the uneven distribution of the energy efficiency.

To be effective, we needed to convince people that this wasn’t some far-off issue, it was happening in their community. That translated to a strategy that focused on localizing the issue and humanizing the struggle.

So we looked to the numbers, relying on a mass of data sources from energy and poverty organizations across the country, including the US Department of Energy and U.S Department of Health. In total, over 21,432 data points fed a user experience that provided a true picture of the issue in every neighborhood in America. Instead of just surfacing the numbers, we presented the data through humanizing portraits of the effect of the burden.

To take it further, we created content featuring real families describing energy poverty in their own words. The families represented a cross-section of Americans - challenging users to think about the energy burden’s affect on their neighbors.

Saving energy is core to Nest’s mission of creating a home that takes care of the people inside it - and the world around it. Because of this, Nest decided to take on energy poverty - the uneven distribution of energy efficiency; with a platform, storytelling campaign, and a five-year commitment to making real and meaningful change.

The Nest Power Project was launched to both raise awareness of the issue and to provide relief - through donations and aid. But the issue is too big to tackle alone. So Nest created partnerships with Fannie Mae, Habitat for Humanity, and energy providers nationwide to reach the families most affected. Additionally, an integrated campaign was launched to bring people in - making them aware of the issue and inspiring them to act.