Experience. Innovation. Results. Presented by: Jill Schaefer WECC Marketing Services March 1, 2012 Energy Pulse™ Motivating customers to complete the energy-efficiency journey
Experience. Innovation. Results.
Presented by:
Jill SchaeferWECC Marketing Services
March 1, 2012
Energy Pulse™ Motivating customers to complete the energy-
efficiency journey
Experience. Innovation. Results.
FINDINGS PREVIEW…
“Americans aren’t making the right number of improvements to make their homes energy efficient.”
“Home energy audits continue to be the colonoscopy of energy efficiency.”
“LOWER-INCOME AMERICANS CAN’T AFFORD TO LOWER THEIR UTILITY BILLS.”
There is a “significant amount of energy-efficient improvement activity despite the recession.”
Experience. Innovation. Results.
Agenda• Energy Pulse defined• Homes & Energy• Renewables• Audience
Characteristics• Other Facts (to impress
people)• Takeaways• Questions/Discussion• Resources
Experience. Innovation. Results.
About the Energy Pulse Report
• Released in 2011• Residential • Polled 1,502 Americans (1,000 online, 502 by telephone)
• Provides insights into:– No./type of energy-efficiency improvements people complete– How incentives/energy messaging impacts spending– How demographic factors influence energy decisions– Views on traditional vs. alternative energy sources
• Conducted by Shelton Group, advertising agency based in Knoxville, TN
Experience. Innovation. Results.
HOMES & ENERGY
Experience. Innovation. Results.
Home Improvement Priorities
Remodel Kitchen/ Bathroom
Replace windows
Replace flooring
Get high-efficiency HVAC
Buy energy-efficient appliances
0% 10% 20% 30% 40%
35%
30%
29%
22%
19%
If given $10,000, customers would…
Experience. Innovation. Results.
If you had to pick one…
54%
34%
12%
Would you make your home…
More energy efficientMore comfortableMore beautiful
Experience. Innovation. Results.
Home Energy Use
Bottom Line: Most people think their homes are energy efficient.
Efficient Neutral Inefficient0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%49%
28%23%
Home Efficiency
Experience. Innovation. Results.
Experience. Innovation. Results.
Breaking Point
$76-100 $100+ $26-50 $51-750%5%
10%15%20%25%30%35%
35%
24% 22%
12%
How much would your utility bill have to go up BEFORE you spent money on energy efficiency?
Experience. Innovation. Results.
Magic Number of Energy-Related Home Improvements
4
Experience. Innovation. Results.
Energy Saving Actions--BASIC
Changed Behaviors
Use CFLs/LEDs
Caulking
Bought ENERGY STAR appliance
Unplug Things
Install Programmable Thermostat
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
79%
74%
60%
55%
55%
48%
What do you do to save energy?
Experience. Innovation. Results.
Energy Saving Actions--ADVANCED
What energy efficiency improvements did you do? What order did you do them in?1. Installed new windows (23%)2. Purchased ENERGY STAR appliance
(19%)3. Added caulk/weather stripping
(21%)Bottom Line: Homeowners don’t do improvements in the order that makes the most
sense in terms of cost and energy use.
Experience. Innovation. Results.
RENEWABLES
Experience. Innovation. Results.
Renewable Energy Attitudes• 56% couldn’t name one form of renewable
energy.• 53% said they are “unlikely” to buy a solar
electricity system for their home.• 46% rated messages that manufacturers
either buy renewable energy credits OR installed solar panels/wind turbines as “equally good” for positively influencing their opinion of a company or its products.
Experience. Innovation. Results.
AUDIENCE CHARACTERISTICS
Experience. Innovation. Results.
Demographics• True Believers: – 35-44 and 55–64 age groups. Homeowners.– Educated; driven by environmentalism– 91% rate energy conservation as important
• Cautious Conservatives: – 45–64 age group. Homeowners.–Mostly men; educated, wealthy– Informed about energy. Not driven by
environmental issues.
Experience. Innovation. Results.
Demographics…continued• Concerned Moms:– 18–34 age group. Homeowners (29%).– Married or widowed women; lower income– Driven by saving money and controlling energy
costs. Fall into low (0-2) efficiency activity range.
• Working Class Realists: – Younger; 25% age 18-24. Renters.– Men; lower income, less educated– Purchased few energy-efficient products; have
few conservation habits
Experience. Innovation. Results.
OTHER FACTS (Impress your friends)
Experience. Innovation. Results.
Food for Thought• People think they use less energy than
they really do.• Only 15% of people have had an energy
audit.• BARIERS = Cost (43%)• BENEFITS = Reduce utility bill (28%);
avoid wasting energy (15%)• 65-79% rate energy conservation as
important or very important.
Experience. Innovation. Results.
Food for Thought…continued
• Most respondents (29%) said developing more oil and natural gas production was the most important energy issue.
• 55% “believe” human activity is causing global warming.
• Only 4% of respondents knew electric generation is the main cause of global warming.
• Most (33%) don’t know how electricity is generated.
Experience. Innovation. Results.
TAKEAWAYS
Experience. Innovation. Results.
WECC’s RoleHousing Stock• Target homes between 11 and 30 years old; 45% of these
homes have done < 3 energy-efficient improvements.Getting to 4 (Magic number for real results)• Increase follow-through/incentive levels to encourage
customers to do 4 measures, go from 3 measures to 4, etc. • Prioritize the 4 most important measures customers should do.• Offer packaged incentive programs to sweeten the deal for
every action completed.• Increase reward amounts.Educate• Consider increasing awareness-building efforts.
Experience. Innovation. Results.
We’ve got work to do…
Experience. Innovation. Results.
Questions?Discussion…
Experience. Innovation. Results.
Resources>> Complete Energy Pulse report:S:\Marketing\Marketing Articles\Energy Pulse Report\EnergyPulse2011.pdf
>> This presentation:S:\Marketing_Staff\JillS\Lunch and Learn ENERGY PULSE.pptx
>> Shelton Group:sheltongrp.com