The campaign is set to end on June 19.<\/p>\n
Details have been provided in response to an Official Information Act request by Newstalk ZB.<\/p>\n
Energy Minister Simeon Brown recently wrote to the agency with a reminder about the importance of prudent spending.<\/p>\n
EECA said the spend was planned to be reduced \u201csubstantially\u201d in later weeks of the campaign, as it \u201cfrontloaded\u201d spending to \u201cachieve rapid reach\u201d.<\/p>\n
At seven weeks in, based on weekly sampling, EECA said 2.9 million drivers could recall the campaign to date, and 2.6 million had found it relevant.<\/p>\n
Of this, EECA said 1.3 million people had taken at least one fuel-saving action, which it estimates showed an average fuel reduction of more than two million litres a week.<\/p>\n
\u201cTotal estimated savings over seven weeks is almost 15 million litres and $50 million,\u201d the agency said.<\/p>\n
EECA added further information seeking \u201cremains strong\u201d as its web content on fuel-saving tips has had more than 355,000 visits.<\/p>\n
In an interview with Newstalk ZB, chief executive Dr Marcos Pelenur added the agency would count it as a \u201cstrong success\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would call that a very good return on investment. It\u2019s also why it\u2019s important to evaluate these types of initiatives, which is what we always do at EECA,\u201d Pelenur said.<\/p>\n
The agency\u2019s boss said all of the advice put together could drop fuel use by 20% and save Kiwis money.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the moment, we know that prices are tough. We want to help New Zealanders save every dollar they can on their fuel,\u201d Pelenur told Newstalk ZB.<\/p>\n
Minister for Energy Simeon Brown separately wrote to EECA chair Elena Trout on May 13 with a \u201creminder\u201d about spending on information campaigns. Pelenur was CC\u2019d in the memo.<\/p>\n
Brown called for all proposed expenditure to be subject to a \u201crigorous assessment of value for money\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery dollar EECA spends is a dollar of taxpayers\u2019 money, and New Zealanders rightly expect it to be used responsibly,\u201d Brown wrote, stating the importance of campaigns being \u201cof an appropriate nature and are delivered efficiently and at minimal cost\u201d.<\/p>\n
Simeon Brown reminded EECA to have campaigns “delivered efficiently and at minimal cost”.<\/p>\n
Brown said the country is paying $9 billion a year in interest on Government debt, which tripled in real terms under the previous Government.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt a time when businesses and households are being very careful with their spending, every government department and agency needs to be doing the same,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI acknowledge the importance of people receiving good advice about how to conserve fuel to lower their bills and expect EECA to deliver this information as cost-effectively as possible,\u201d Brown added.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is always an appropriate balance to be found and I am sure EECA understands that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pelenur said the letter was clear around value for money: \u201cWe support it, and that is what we\u2019re doing with this [fuel-saving tips] campaign\u201d.<\/p>\n
The Government\u2019s Ministerial Economic Security and Supply Chains Group agreed to EECA running a public information campaign on March 25 – to run for 12 weeks to June 19, according to the OIA response.<\/p>\n