The encyclopedia · Finance & Accounting · Financial decision · 2025
Consul let poor families pay for a new fridge with the energy it saved
Brazil's low-income families couldn't afford efficient appliances, so Consul let them pay in installments equal to the savings on their electric bill.
Consul Appliances
the move
In Brazil, 65% of households still use appliances more than 25 years old, and those aging machines can push electricity bills up by as much as 160%. For low-income families, efficiency wasn't a luxury — it was unaffordable.
The barrier wasn't just price. High credit costs, limited access to financing, and bureaucratic processes kept poor families locked into inefficient equipment. Consul made the upgrade itself the payment plan.
A family could try a modern appliance free for a month and see its actual bill drop. Once the saving was confirmed, they kept the appliance by making monthly interest-free installments equal to the energy they were no longer paying for.
The model was data-targeted and launched in São Paulo communities, minimizing friction with transparent communication and a smooth onboarding. It won the Creative Data Grand Prix at Cannes Lions 2025, with reporters noting new appliances plus up to 48% lower bills for participating households.
why it works
- The family's own bill drop made the payment affordable and self-evident
- No upfront cost removed the main obstacle for low-income buyers
- Interest-free installments tied the payment to the value created
- The one-month trial let the saving prove itself before any commitment
what transfers
When a customer can't afford the fix, price it against the money the fix frees up, and the deal becomes self-funding.
what came after
The win later became entangled in a dispute: Consul parted ways with DM9 after the agency was reported to have manipulated an award entry with AI. The underlying financing model — paying for efficient equipment out of the energy savings it generates — remained a reference idea for appliance financing in emerging markets.
references
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