Setting expectations on energy efficiency savings can win customer hearts

Setting expectations on energy efficiency savings can win customer hearts

Consumers want to save on their power bills, but they need to know how much.

Our Utility Pulse™ 2013 survey shows that 42 percent of utility customers are less than satisfied with their electric utilities.

Previous Daily Insights have noted that utilities can improve that number by connecting customers with energy efficiency rebates they might have previously left on the table.

Today, we touch on the importance of managing the expectations of savings they’ll get by investing in energy efficiency improvements.

One of the most common reasons Utility Pulse participants give for not achieving the savings they expected was, “The promised savings were exaggerated.”

When we tell Americans they’ll save money on their power bills but not how much, it creates an information vacuum that consumers will fill with unreasonable expectations – and they’ll end up disappointed.

When asked in Energy Pulse 2012™, “How much would you expect to save each month on your utility bill in order to justify spending $4,000 on energy efficiency products or improvements?” the average answer was $139 (which is 85 percent of the average reported monthly bill).

On the other hand, when we tell them they’ll save 10 percent on their bills, they will likely be satisfied and tend to think better of their power company.

Skills

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Posted on

August 30, 2013

About the Author

Suzanne Shelton

Where Suzanne sees opportunity, you can bet results will follow. Drawing on her extensive knowledge of both the advertising world and the energy and environment arena, Suzanne provides unparalleled strategic insights to our clients and to audiences around North America. Suzanne is a guest columnist in multiple publications and websites, such as GreenBiz, and she speaks at around 20 conferences a year, including Sustainable Brands, Fortune Brainstorm E and Green Build.

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