The industry keeps getting smarter and smarter: Hot topics at DistribuTECH January 31, 2012
Posted by Dennis Smith in Utility Industry News.Tags: Chartwell, Chartwell Blog, customer engagement, Customer service automation, demand response, DistribuTECH, electric vehicle, electric vehicles, energy conservation, energy usage, meter data, mobile apps, online energy information, plug-in electric vehicle, smart grid, smart meter, smart meters, utilities, utility, utility communications
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Analytics, metrics, meters, home automation gadgets, bucket trucks, plug-in electric cars, dog bite repellent and some remote control vehicle that looked like the Mars lander. Even Hooter’s girls. Yes, the 2012 DistribuTECH had something for just about everyone last week in San Antonio.
Once again, the exhibit hall was extensive, or, as one attendee quipped, “big enough to land a [Boeing] 747 on.” We at Chartwell couldn’t cover it all. So we stayed focused. What was there to improve the utility customer experience? And the answer: still plenty. Here’s a recap (more…)
Do you live in a barn?! October 6, 2011
Posted by Stacey Bailey in Uncategorized.Tags: cfl, Chartwell, Chartwell research, customer engagement, energy, energy conservation, energy efficien, energy efficiency, energy usage, marketing, Residential Energy Efficiency, school-based programs, utility
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Last week I was sifting through 1500+ responses on one of Chartwell’s recent residential consumer surveys and laughed out loud at a response with which I strongly identified.
The question was “How likely are you to use the following tools to monitor and control your energy use in the future”. We gave respondents choices of website, programmable thermostat, smart phone app, etc. and also gave them an “other” field with a text box to see what they would come up with.
One respondent had written: “a way to get my kid to close the front door.” I can’t even imagine the ROI on that one.
Panelists share recipes for successful customer engagement with demand response October 3, 2011
Posted by Scott Johnson in Utility Industry News.Tags: Chartwell, Chartwell Blog, Chartwell research, customer engagement, demand response, energy efficiency, energy usage, market research, smart grid, smart meter, utilities, utility, utility customer engagement, utility customer service
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Consumers’ fears about smart meters have generated more than their share of headlines over the last few years. The resulting misinformation and noise has made it harder to hear the success stories that continue to define the majority of smart meter deployments. (more…)
Answering the $64,000 question: customer engagement in energy usage data July 14, 2011
Posted by Stacey Bailey in Utility Industry News.Tags: biggest energy saver, Chartwell, Chartwell Blog, EMACS, energy, energy efficiency, energy usage, Google PowerMeter, Grid 21, Microsoft Hohm, online energy information, smart grid, smart meter, utility customer engagement, Utility Market Research Summit
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The exit of Google and Microsoft from the smart meter arena a few weeks ago was big news in our industry. Citing “inability to scale” (Google) and “slow overall market adoption,” (Microsoft) these technology giants were unable to engage customers in sufficient numbers to justify continuing these projects.
The ongoing mission to discover what makes customers want to manage their energy usage continues…
An interesting approach to this mission was announced at the Grid Modernization event hosted by the White House in mid-June – the launch of Grid 21, a nonprofit off-shoot of GridWise Alliance. Founding Grid 21 partners are utilities Oncor, CenterPoint and San Diego Gas and Electric as well asIBM, Landis+Gyr, Itron and GE. Grid 21 states its purpose as, “engaging electricity customers in using a new generation of tools and technologies to better manage their electricity consumption.” (more…)
Home energy management and customer engagement: Sprinters should avoid this marathon July 12, 2011
Posted by Scott Johnson in Utility Industry News.Tags: Chartwell, Chartwell Blog, Chartwell research, customer service, energy conservation, energy usage, Google PowerMeter, market research, meter data, online energy information, smart grid, smart meter, utility customer engagement
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Google and Microsoft’s low-key exit from the home energy management market after just two years underscores what many electric utilities are learning and Chartwell research shows – convincing large numbers of consumers to pay more attention to their energy use and act on that information will be a long, uphill journey. (more…)
The energy industry is quite complex, as some of the customer-oriented tech companies are learning June 15, 2011
Posted by Darren Epps in Utility Industry News.Tags: Apple, Chartwell research, customer communications, demand response, EMACS, energy conservation, energy usage, Google PowerMeter, in-home displays, Microsoft Hohm, online energy information, Oracle, Siemens, smart meter, Tendril, utilities, utility communications
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San Diego Gas & Electric is running a pilot this summer that will include in-home displays like this one and programmable communicating thermostats.
Many people are conditioned to believe that, due to all their resources and innovations, giants like Google and Microsoft can immerse themselves into any industry, exploit the current products, improve them and cash the large check. It’s like the kids in high school who could effortlessly dominate every sport. That would be the script, some thought, for customer engagement in energy management. Here come the jocks. Everyone move aside. (more…)
When it comes to energy conservation, energy consumers consider their wallets first June 8, 2011
Posted by Dennis Smith in Uncategorized.Tags: Chartwell Blog, Chartwell research, energy conservation, energy efficiency, energy usage, market research, online energy information, smart grid, utilities, utility customer engagement, utility market research
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Chartwell’s Smart Grid Customer Engagement Council is well into its second year of studying the behaviors of North American consumers concerning their energy usage and attitudes. With a focus this year on energy usage tools and behaviors, the Council, which is made up of utility companies that work with Chartwell, has already made a couple of important findings. Among those:
- Consumers are interested in their energy usage and see the long-term need to stay abreast of it; but
- Engaging them with the right tools is the real challenge. In other words, utilities will have to offer energy monitoring products that are easy to use and which add value to their customers’ lives.
One thing is clear, however, from Chartwell’s years of research and thousands of consumer interviews: (more…)
Consumer advocate provides smart-meter reality check to utilities at Chartwell summit May 27, 2011
Posted by Scott Johnson in Utility Industry News.Tags: Chartwell, Chartwell Blog, Chartwell research, customer communications, energy usage, market research, meter data, privacy, security, smart grid, smart meter, utilities, utility communications, utility customer engagement, utility customer service, utility market research
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Arizona’s advocate for residential utility consumers delivered a clear message to industry leaders attending Chartwell’s Smart Grid Customer Education Summit in Phoenix late last month: Increased outreach and education can only improve customers’ perceptions of smart meters and smart grid.
Jodi Jerich, director of the state’s Residential Utility Consumer Office, which represents the interests of residential ratepayers before the Arizona Corporation Commission, noted that public understanding of smart grid technologies is low. She backed this up by citing research from several firms and as I noted previously on this blog, Chartwell research shows about 40% of consumers familiar with their home energy costs say they have not heard of smart meters; about three in four say they have not heard of smart grid. (more…)
One utility is getting the picture on customer engagement May 6, 2011
Posted by Darren Epps in Utility Industry News.Tags: CEIVO, Chartwell, customer communications, demand response, energy efficiency, energy usage, Glendale Water and Power, in-home display, marketing, online energy information, smart grid, smart meter, utility communications, utility customer engagement, utility customer service
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The effort to engage customers in their energy usage is prompting utilities to test web portals, direct mail inserts, in-home displays and other dashboards to determine the most effective strategies.
Glendale Water and Power, a California municipal serving 84,500 electric and 32,500 water customers, presented a different idea at Chartwell’s Smart Grid Customer Education Summit in Phoenix last week – coupling utility messaging with pictures of Mom. (more…)
