Energy supply companies vary widely from staid monopolistic utilities to scrappy gas & electricity resellers, but they have in common the requirement to have their email marketing campaigns be both relevant and engaging. Examining your email campaign through this quality control gauntlet will help you to adhere to the highest email practice, ethics and efficiency standards.

  1. Does the email offer too many confusing choices in energy supply choices, packages or pricing?
  2. Are the benefits of the offer coherent with the customer’s desire to economize?
  3. Are the green aspects of the energy supply system adequately explained?
  4. Has the email been checked through emulators on the largest possible range of web/mobile browsers?
  5. Does the email have an easily accessible plain text version?
  6. Are recipients with images off able to make sense of the alt image tags?
  7. Does the email speak to the customer’s interests and needs, such as the cost of a home electric car recharging station?
  8. Have energy conservation issues such as weatherization, home audits and high efficiency HVAC been addressed?
  9. Has the content addressed environmental conservation issues to minimize the family’s carbon footprint?
  10. Has the proportion of green power from solar, wind and wave been adequately explained?
  11. Is the most pertinent information about the energy supply offer above the fold?
  12. Is the call to action clear, unmistakable and prominent?
  13. Have the subject line and preheader received 50% of the creative time as befits their importance?
  14. Has the customer been asked to whitelist the sending email address?
  15. Should this message be automatically cross-posted to our company’s social networking presences?
  16. Has the text been proofread for typos, spelling and grammar mistakes as well as for factual inaccuracies?
  17. Do all the links work as they are designed to?
  18. Do all of the promotional and pricing structures adhere to industry legislated restrictions?
  19. Is every aspect of the email compliant with the Federal CAN-SPAM Act?
  20. Has the consumer been adequately informed of how to shift loads to lower cost periods to save money?
  21. Are prospective customers being made amply aware of their legal right to shift their service from their current utility?
  22. Has the nature and impact on the consumer of the deregulated energy market been adequately explained?
  23. Does the email further the goal of customer retention and satisfaction?
  24. Has a vector been provided for the customer to comment or complain about the service being received?
  25. Are the customers being asked for ways to improve the service, add capabilities and offer new products?
  26. Has the email assuaged any fears of negative health effects from the placement of smart meters in the home?
  27. Have the benefits of the smart grid been properly explained from the standpoint of the advantages to the consumer?
  28. Does the email contain links to informative material educating the customer of what to do in an emergency to safely shut off electric & gas supply?
  29. Has the customer been made aware of the ongoing electrical draw of electronic equipment on standby and instructed on using power bars with off switches?
  30. Have online calculators been provided to assist customers in conducting their own energy supply cost comparisons?
  31. Has the subscription list been thoroughly segmented, including geographically to address the energy needs of the nation’s varied climate zones?
  32. Can the customer easily access a glossary of energy supply terms?
  33. Is the customer aware of the variance between cost of service and market-based pricing?
  34. Has the role of the federal and state government in energy supply rates been properly explained?
  35. Does the customer understand bundled vs. unbundled rates?
  36. Have resources been provided for the customer to calculate the geothermal, solar and wind potentials at their location?
  37. Has solar thermal vs. photovoltaic electricity been explained?
  38. Does the email include dynamic content for different email segments?
  39. Will user behavior be tracked beyond the click-through?
  40. Has A/B split and/or multivariate testing been employed?

A well-informed and ethically treated email newsletter subscriber is a satisfied energy supply consumer!