Spreading the Word

As energy prices and customer bills rise, the pressure mounts on shareholder-owned utilities to help residential customers reduce energy use. One result is that today, bill inserts are giving way to paycheck inserts, and online efficiency tip sheets are joined by data-mining engines, psychometrics, and innovative human resource and technology approaches as vehicles for conveying vital information about new and existing energy efficiency (EE) programs.

The nexus of these efforts is where EE programming and customer service meet. Utilities increasingly prefer a more expansive definition of customer service, one that extends beyond the contact center and field service representatives to permeate the entire workforce.

"My ultimate intention is for every employee of KCP&L to become a sales person for our energy efficiency programs," notes Kevin Bryant, vice president of energy solutions for Kansas City Power & Light. "That requires educating our entire employee base on energy efficiency products and services so that when they’re in schools, churches, or homeowner association meetings, they can proactively tout the benefits of energy efficiency within their own spheres of influence."

Utilities have offered some sort of residential energy efficiency program for decades. "For more than 30 years we’ve offered energy conservation programs to both commercial/industrial and residential customers," observes Dominion Virginia Power’s director of energy conservation, Bob Burnette. "What’s different about energy conservation today is that climate change and energy security are getting layered over everything. And I think both of those issues give this topic longevity this time."

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© 2008 Edison Electric Institute