Utility of the Future Conference Highlights New Roles for Leading Change

Discussions on industry change, such as customers’ demand for more control and transparency, the rise of nontraditional competitors, and regulatory practices and policies, are stifling industry progress. This issue permeated the 4th Annual KEMA Utility of the Future Conference Leadership Series. Utility executives discussed industry issues and opportunities in a manner which would ensure their involvement in shaping the future, whereas they presently only participate in it.

The need to move faster toward more customer-centric realities punctuated this year’s event.  Opening remarks noted that the customers will reign supreme in their demand to control information.  This will require a major energy communications shift from simply presenting information to telling customers what they can accomplish with it. Continue reading

Tags: David Eves, Energy, John Somerhalder, KEMA, smart meter, utilities, utility

2011 U.S. Electricity Consumer Survey Results

Electric utilities and retail suppliers are just starting to realize that a more customer-centric approach can help them build a stronger and more differentiated organization. Indeed, the customer-centric evolution can’t come soon enough. CBD took the pulse of the average U.S. residential electricity consumer with a national survey in March 2011.

Our major findings indicate that consumers want more from providers…a lot more. Continue reading

Tags: electricity, energy industry research, energy marketing, residential electricity consumer, retail suppliers, utilities, utility companies, utility suppliers

2011 Year of the Smart Grid Consumer

Going in to this year’s Distributech, it was clear that there would be a strong consumer focus. With some high-profile consumer flops, utilities and smart grid companies knew that communications and consumer relevance would be key to easy adoption and active consumer participation in managing energy usage.

“We have to start thinking like Best Buy,” said one utility executive. Very true. And the market is starting to respond. From a noticeable presence at this year’s CES to product roll-outs at Distributech, consumers will have more ability to monitor and control their energy usage.

In short, consumers need to know what is plugged in where, how much power it is using—in lay terms, not kilowatt hours—and have an easy way to dial it down or turn it off. And yes, there should be an app for that.

SafePlug is the “smart outlet” that allows the individual connection to be read. If power becomes too expensive, it can automatically shut off the Xbox.

Continue reading

Tags: CES, Distributech, Honeywell, Intel, OPower, Safeplug, utilities