The Challenge
Since 2008, BC Hydro’s residential electricity rate structure has remained largely unchanged, emphasizing energy conservation through a tiered system.
In summer 2024, BC Hydro introduced a new optional add-on: time-of-day pricing. This innovative structure encourages customers to shift their electricity usage to off-peak hours by offering financial incentives—specifically, a 5 cent/kWh discount for overnight usage (11pm–7am) and a 5 cent/kWh surcharge during on-peak hours (4–9pm).
To support this rollout, BC Hydro partnered with St Bernadine to develop a creative paid media campaign that would drive awareness, encourage rate estimator tool usage, and prompt customer opt-in.
Communicating the value and mechanics of time-of-day pricing presented a significant behavioural and educational challenge. The concept was new, optional, and nuanced—requiring customers to understand not only how much electricity they use, but when they use it. The primary goal was to target households that stood to benefit most, while also aligning with broader smart energy initiatives like Peak Saver and Peak Rewards.
The campaign needed to simplify a complex offering and motivate engagement through clear, accessible messaging across diverse media channels.
The Solution
St Bernadine developed a series of digital-first creative assets tailored to each platform’s strengths, with a unified message strategy that demystified time-of-day pricing and emphasized personal benefits. The campaign ran across a mix of high-impact and high-intent channels:
Each asset directed customers to BC Hydro’s online rate estimator tool—helping them visualize potential savings based on their own usage patterns.
The Results
The campaign was highly successful in driving awareness and engagement.
If you’d like more detailed results, please reach out.
