Report Reveals What Consumers Want from Energy in 2020

ATLANTA, Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Residential consumers in the United States and Canada are more ready than ever to engage in smart energy programs, if their most pressing needs are adequately addressed by industry stakeholders, according to the latest report from the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative (SECC).

Based on insights from over 7,500 survey responses in 2019, SECC's "2020 State of the Consumer" report found that many consumers are ready to engage with renewable energy, home energy management and other smart energy programs. For example, the majority (57 percent) of consumers prefer a time-varying rate, and almost one-third (31 percent) are likely to buy a smart thermostat in the next 12 months. However, there exist major hurdles for many consumers, especially around upfront costs and a lack of clear information.

The new report synthesizes the findings from SECC's 2019 research, case studies on consumer programs and a U.S. Department of Energy report on how electricity providers are leveraging smart meters. SECC's 2019 research included a new market segmentation report, "Consumer Pulse and Market Segmentation – Wave 7"; an in-depth look at selectively engaged consumers; and deep dives into two key topics in today's energy industry: time-varying rates and distributed energy resources.

From these inputs, SECC developed five key themes on the needs and wants of today's energy consumers and how they can be better served by industry stakeholders:

1. Consumers are more ready than ever to engage on energy.
2. Segmentation remains essential in a digital world.
3. Energy engagement is fundamentally a journey for both society and individuals.
4. Consumer expectations are shaping the future.
5. Education remains a clear, strategic opportunity to increase energy engagement.

The new report is designed to help industry stakeholders better understand today's energy consumers – their perceptions, attitudes and needs – and develop programs and services to effectively meet these needs.

The "2020 State of the Consumer" report can be downloaded by SECC members here and is available to the media on request. A webinar on the main findings will be held today – Wednesday, Jan. 22 – at 1 p.m. (ET).

To learn more about SECC, visit www.smartenergycc.org or follow @seconsumer on Twitter.

Jonathan Field
Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative
404-348-8015
[email protected]

SOURCE Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative