British Gas raises awareness of energy debt with the story of a struggling single dad

British Gas has launched an emotive campaign featuring a single dad to raise awareness of the support available for ​​energy debt.

Four in 10 households will struggle to pay their next energy bill, yet 61% of people are unaware that financial support services exist for household debt. The "Stop the silence" campaign by Nucleus aims to make people aware of the help available through the British Gas Energy Trust – an independent charitable organisation founded by British Gas to support those facing financial hardship and energy debt.

Creative team Helen Rogerson and Owen Hunter Jenkins based the campaign on real conversations that the British Gas Energy Trust has with the people it supports, daily.

Directed by Geej Ower through Stink, the film features a single dad called Rob who is silently struggling with the emotional impact of not being able to pay his bills. He chooses not to share his problems with his loved ones and instead puts on a brave face. We see Rob go from a life full of noise and activity to one that is much quieter, duller and more subdued, as he switches off lights and appliances in an attempt to save energy until he's finally sitting alone in complete silence.

In the final scene, Rob receives a call back from the British Gas Energy Trust offering him support. This is echoed in the final narration, voiced by Professor Green, encouraging the viewer not to suffer in silence.

Americo Lenza, customer experience and marketing director, British Gas Energy, said: "As more people face the struggles of fuel poverty for the first time, it is essential for us to not only fund the amazing work of the British Gas Energy Trust, but also bring it to the attention of a wider audience who may not know support is available.

"Too often we've found that people who are struggling don't know the resources out there, which is why this poignant film and the other elements of the campaign are so important to raise awareness."

As well as lending his voice to the film, the campaign spokesperson, Professor Green, shares his own experience of growing up in Hackney with his grandmother who regularly had to make the difficult choice between paying the bills and eating a hot meal.

Micky Tudor, chief creative officer, Nucleus, said: "We wanted to capture in a nuanced way, the all too common situation of a man struggling to cope with rising energy bills. It was important to us that the film portrays the situation many people are currently going through, without ratifying the stereotypes attached with financial hardship.

"The film does so in two ways: first by acknowledging the sacrifices and isolation individuals facing fuel poverty can experience, and second by showcasing that the first step to help is to talk about it."

The campaign will run across cinema, radio and digital.

It marks the second large-scale campaign highlighting the British Gas Energy Trust following its "You're not alone" campaign delivered late last year by Nucleus.