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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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