Parsley Box
Raising PSR awareness among digitally excluded older households
Our project at a glance
- Participating GDNs: Cadent, Northern Gas Networks, SGN and Wales & West Utilities
- Strategic priority area: Fuel poverty and energy affordability
- Support target: 22,000 households over four months
- Duration: October 2023 to January 2024
- Investment: £20,452 over four months
- Forecast SROI: £20.90
Why we’re working together
The Ageing Better State of Ageing 2022 report identified over 3 million people aged 55 and over have never been online, with people aged over 75 the most likely to be digitally excluded. Exclusion was also almost twice as high among disabled people aged 64 to 75 than among their non-disabled peers.
We find digitally excluded households are less aware of the Priority Services Register than other customer groups, and so we’ve come together with our fellow gas networks to partner with meal box service Parsley Box to raise awareness of the PSR among its customers.
Parsley Box delivers easy-to-store microwave meals across the UK with a primary customer base of older people over 65 who are living alone. This demographic is more likely to be digitally excluded and may not be aware that they are eligible for the PSR and other extra help services we can provide.
Through targeted leaflets within the meal boxes, we aim to raise awareness of the PSR, CO awareness and energy efficiency among at least 22,000 older and digitally excluded households every month.
Project objective
- Reaching 22,000 digitally excluded households with energy safeguarding information
How we’re working together
Energy safeguarding for older and digitally excluded households
We created a series of information leaflets that were delivered to households along with their meal box over a three-month period. All three leaflets were designed to help older and digitally excluded households maintain a safe and warm home.
Each leaflet covered a different topic, including energy efficiency, the PSR and carbon monoxide safety. As well as explaining the support available from the gas networks, we also provided information about our community partners, so households were aware of the wider support available to help them keep safe, warm and well at home.