Looking Closely At Potential Behaviors Around Smart Meters

As we prepare for the evolution of smart grid technology and its impact on energy delivery, it behooves us to ask the question: "once we build it, will they use it?" Connecticut Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative (CMEEC), based in Norwich , CT asked the behavioral pr & management consulting firm Jackson Jackson & Wagner to conduct a series of focus groups in 3 pilot communities – Wallingford, Groton & Norwich – to shed some light on this very question.

A series of 12 focus residential and Commercial & Industrial (C&I) groups explored just some of the following questions related to smart meter use and energy management:

How technologically-savvy are customers? How "green" do they consider themselves to be?
How willing are customers to change their energy use behaviors in order to save money?
To what degree do the customers trust their utility to control their energy use?
How much do our customers know about the subject of smart meters and smart grid technologies – and what communication methods are best for educating them?

We learned a tremendous amount of valuable information from the focus group conversations and it gave us the opportunity to test-drive a variety of informational presentations on the subject of smart meters and smart grid technologies. Most customers walked away with positive perceptions of smart grid capabilities and we got them thinking about how they could positively impact their utility expenses.

These municipal utilities have relatively high trust levels and satisfaction with consistent service ("we hardly ever lose power!") in their favor...but the jury is out as to whether residential customers see changing their behaviors as worth their financial while, once they get the information on their energy use patterns.

Commercial and Industrial customers see more opportunities, as they are always looking for anything that can impact the bottom line. Many simply may not have the ability to shift usage elsewhere to avoid peak times.
As for how to reach them with the information ...don’t put all your eggs in the bill stuffer basket!

For more information, contact Robin Schell (603) 770-3607 or Stacey Smith (603) 964-6302 at Jackson Jackson & Wagner.