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From 'Ratepayer' to 'Customer': Best Practices in Customer Engagement
An Intelligent Utility Reality Webcast
February 2, 2012
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From 'Ratepayer' to 'Customer': Best Practices in Customer Engagement
Anita Moreno Manager of Member Services Flint Energies
Angie Thoma, PMP Smart Grid Project Manager Colorado Springs Utilities
Todd Kowalczyk Manager of CVPS’s Project Management Office Central Vermont Public Service
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From 'Ratepayer' to 'Customer': Best Practices in Customer Engagement
Phil Carson Editor-in-Chief Intelligent Utility Daily Follow Phil on Twitter @smartgrid_phil
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Capital Deferment Project
Appaloosa Pilot Program
Angie Thoma
January 2012
Colorado Springs Utilities
Service territory = approximately 491 square miles
All four services are fully automated meters- AMR
implementation completed in 2010
• 212,966 electric meter accounts
• 189,111 gas meter accounts
• 135,019 water meters accounts
“Appaloosa” Initiative
Deferring the investment by:
• modifying existing engineering planning design
• incorporating new and existing DSM programs and
rates options
• leveraging current and new technology-AMI
• allowing customers to understand usage data
Appaloosa Demographics
43.7%
29.3%
47.6%
53.9%
69.0%
-10.0%
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
Don't know 3%
Wanted any % Discount
2%
$10 per month
6%
$20 per month 13%
$30 per month 18%
$40 per month 34%
$40 or higher
8%
Other 16%
Appaloosa Pilot Solutions
Circuit ECO Premium
• Forecast circuit load
• Call event - no override
Circuit Time of Day
• Reduce circuit peak
• Summer/winter peak
• Provide customer with
usage data (manually)
CFL Bulb Exchange
• Marketing- schools and
community centers
• DSM staff manned booth
• Up to 15 per customer
Commercial Audits
• 8 commercial customers
• CSU commercial audit
• Provide costing
Appaloosa Goal
0.11
0.66 0.71
0.76 0.80 0.85
7.50
8.00
8.50
9.00
9.50
10.00
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
MW
Circuit 12AP-3: MW Savings Required
2010 Expected Circuit Forecast
Circuit Design Capacity
High Circuit Forecast
Low Circuit Forecast
Appaloosa Pilot Results
Circuit ECO Premium
• 36 participated
• 18 events
• 4° temperature setback
• Avg. 3.2 kW savings
• 11 regular ECO
Circuit Time of Day
• 5 participated
• Avg. 1.6 kW savings
• $41.71 avg. savings
CFL Bulb Exchange
• Marketing- schools and
community centers
• DSM staff manned booth
• Up to 15 per customer
• 472 total exchanged
Commercial Audits
• 8 commercial customers
• CSU commercial audit
• Provide costing
• Zero implementations
Time of Day Rate Savings
Model Customer
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
7.0
8.0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
15 M
inu
te K
W
Hour of Day
Event
TOU
KW
Sample Survey Results
Lessons Learned
Process-Technology
2-way meter
technology
Collecting load profile
data
Strong upfront
marketing campaign
Reliable load cycling
vendor
Customer
Customers want
consumption data
Customers can
change behavior
Customers want to
save money
Monthly incentive
may not be needed
Contact Information
Angie Thoma, PMP
Energy Services
Colorado Springs Utilities
Work: (719) 668-7482
Cell: (719) 491-8434
athoma@csu.org
From 'Ratepayer' to 'Customer': Best Practices in Customer Engagement
Todd Kowalczyk Manager of CVPS’s Project Management Office Central Vermont Public Service
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26
Customer Engagement
Approach & Lessons Learned
27
CVPS Overview
Vision: CVPS - The best small utility in
America
Largest utility in Vermont
CVPS serves over 159,000 customers in
163 communities
10 district offices located across the state
Rural service territory with an average of
19 Customers per line mile
Strong customer service and reliability
orientation
28
Program Scope
CVPS
SmartPower
Peak Time
Rebate
Advanced
Metering
Infrastructure
Customer
Web
Presentment
Dynamic
Rate Pilot
Time of Use
In-Home
Display Beta
Test
Critical
Peak
Pricing
Heat Pump
Pilot
Upgrade of
Direct Load
Control
Program
Todd Kowalczyk
Grid
Automation
2/2/2012
CVPS Brand:
• Care about Customers
• Reliable
• Environmentally Conscious
• Community Focused
29
2/2/2012
Early Focus Groups and Surveys Helped Us
Understand Our Customers
30
Early Adopters Majority Laggards
2/2/2012
The path to informed, engaged consumers
31
Awareness Desire Acceptance Engagement
Introduce
Smart Grid /
CVPS
SmartPower®
Seed Benefits
Answer
Questions /
Dispel
Concerns
Invitation
To Do &
Know More
2/2/2012
Engagement Methods
• Customer Surveys
• Newspaper Ads
• Radio
• Employee Outreach
• CVPS SmartPower Micro-site
• Partnerships with Regulators & Other Stakeholders
• Customer feedback from calls to customer
service, online feedback forms, and community
forums helps to inform further outreach efforts
32
2/2/2012
Engagement will build awareness over time
33
2/2/2012
34
Two Year Pilot of PTR/CPP rates to begin in 2012
PTR
Time
Peak
Event
$Rate 1
Re
bate
Po
ten
tia
l
CPP
$
Time
Rate 1
CPP
Peak
Event
2/2/2012
35
Learning the importance of consumer
interactions from others
“Pacific Gas & Electric apologized to customers this week
for lousy customer service related to its smart meter rollouts.”
- SmartGridNews.com
“Study: Smart Grid Aware Customers More Satisfied with Utilities
(But There Aren’t Many of Them).”
- JD Power study
“Consumer Engagement seen as key to the Smart Grid’s success.”
- greentechmedia.com
2/2/2012
Other Lessons Learned To Date
• Plan ahead and build customer communication
into your project
• Keep messages simple and emphasize what’s in it
for the customer
• Build trust by being transparent
• Listen to customer feedback and enlist the help of
community groups and others
• Be patient – the typical customer doesn’t think
about a utility like they do many other businesses
36
Q&A
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to the right of your screen.
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