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Utility marketers and communicators play a crucial role in building our sustainable future. You’re motivating residential and business customers to participate in programs, sign up for services, and buy products that will facilitate a sustainable future.

But this responsibility comes with many challenges, such as:

• Keeping up with the constantly changing world of social media and growing your company’s brand
• Feeling uninspired and struggling to come up with clever and unique copy—especially when you’ve used all the energy-related puns you can think of
• Explaining your role to team members who might not understand your work as a marketer or communicator
• Not knowing where to start when planning new campaigns
• Wishing you could replicate the success of other utilities

Our team at E Source understands and has faced these challenges. And we’re here to help.

An E Source exchange is an online conversation where you can share ideas on specific topics with other utility professionals. In these monthly exchanges, we’ll bring together a community of marketing and communications practitioners, managers, and strategists from utilities across the US and Canada. These exchanges will be a chance to support and learn from one another.

At these exchanges, you will:

• Share ideas, discuss your struggles, and celebrate your wins
• Receive insights into campaigns from leading utility marketers and communicators
• Learn about the newest research, tools, and techniques to create campaigns

Moderators:

Hailey Gish, Product Strategist, Marketing and Communications, E Source


Angelica Pereira, Solution Director, Marketing, Communications, and Account Management, E Source

Questions about this event? Send us a message.

NOTE: This event has already taken place. See below for recording and event description.

Download the slides | Results from the 2022 Business Utility Marketing Survey (PDF)

Utility marketing teams are often spread across departments, and their efforts vary from utility to utility with differing degrees of success. The E Source Utility Marketing Survey is a pair of online surveys that focus on strategies, budgets, and metrics for utility residential and business marketing campaigns. In this exchange, we’ll share the results of the 2022 business survey, revealing any trends and insights that can help you improve the effectiveness of your utility’s business marketing efforts.

This is an E Source exchange. It’s an online conversation where you can share ideas on specific topics with other utility professionals. In this exchange, we’ll bring together utility peers to discuss utility business marketing efforts to drive engagement and program participation.

You’ll learn:

• Strategies—usage of, likelihood to use, and effectiveness of marketing channels
• Segmentation and retargeting—how utilities are segmenting business customers, which tools and vendors they’re using, and how they’re using retargeting
• Metrics—the metrics utilities track to gauge the success of marketing channels
• Challenges and opportunities—top challenges utilities are facing when marketing to small and midsize business customers and how they’re overcoming these challenges

Moderators:

Paige Martin Cox, Lead Analyst, Market Research, E Source

Angelica Pereira, Solution Director, Marketing and Communications, E Source

Questions about this event? Send us a message.

The Beyond the Meter (BTM) Working Group brings together more than 40 leading utilities and vendors to facilitate peer-to-peer networking and collaborative research to move the BTM market forward. The BTM category represents value-added services and products offered through the local utility that increase customer satisfaction and provide new sources of nonusage revenue for the utility. The BTM Working Group scope represents a full year of ongoing research designed specifically to help utilities and their vendor partners better understand the short- and long-term benefits of fast-tracking BTM roadmaps and mapping new or existing journeys.

The first BTM Working Group annual meeting will convene senior executives for two days of roundtable discussions, presentations of research findings, and in-person networking at the DoubleTree by Hilton in McLean, Virgina. The meeting is designed to be highly interactive and ensure a collegial environment in which participants can share freely. Alarm.com is our host sponsor, and attendees will get a tour of Alarm.com’s smart house demo facility. We’ll discuss ways to further develop the business and customer support model for renewables, EVs, smart homes, and more. View the agenda to learn more.

Interested in learning more about this event? Send us a message.

NOTE: This event has already taken place. See below for recording and event description.

Download the slides | Applying an Audience of One approach to better understand and serve LMI customers (PDF)

Using the E Source Audience of One approach, we recently completed a multiclient project in partnership with the Edison Electric Institute to help three utilities better understand their low- and moderate-income (LMI) customers’ challenges. The objective of this project was to reduce energy burden for LMI customers by developing programs that help them better afford, manage, and pay their energy bills.

During this webinar, you’ll learn how we integrated data science methodologies to segment LMI customers and correlate segment behaviors to impacts on key utility interactions like calls, arrears, and disconnects. You’ll also see how we conducted ethnographic research that highlighted customer needs and behaviors with recorded diaries of their energy use and billing experiences. Then, we’ll highlight how the utilities that participated in a three-day design-thinking workshop applied their newfound insights to develop LMI solution concepts, hearing firsthand from one of the utility participants. Finally, you’ll learn how to apply an equity lens when designing your own LMI programs.

You’ll learn:

• Important features of the cohorts that make up the LMI population
• Key challenges and struggles faced by LMI customers
• How to apply an equity lens when designing your LMI offerings

Speakers:

Melanie Wemple, Senior Managing Director, Management Consulting, E Source

Lisa Markus, Managing Director, Management Consulting, E Source

Jeffrey Daigle, Managing Director, Management Consulting, E Source



Sandra Alvarado, Lead Strategist, Market Segmentation & Growth, National Grid

Questions about this event? Send us a message.

NOTE: This event has already taken place. See below for recording and event description.

Download the slides | Should you have a mobile app? (PDF)

As utilities drive customers toward self-service, it makes sense to consider creating a mobile app or adding new features to your existing app. Mobile apps provide added value for customers and can be a great channel to engage and communicate with customers about outages, billing and payment, and new programs. But building a responsive website with mobile functionality central to the design can also meet the needs of your mobile users. Join this utility exchange to discuss whether a mobile app is the right investment for your utility or if you can achieve your goals with a well-designed responsive website.

This is an E Source exchange. It’s an online conversation where you can share ideas on specific topics with other utility professionals. In this exchange, we’ll bring together utility peers to debate the pros and cons of mobile apps and discuss if investing in a mobile app is the right decision.

Potential topics include:

• Reviewing findings from the E Source 2022 mobile app scan
• Looking at common utility mobile app features and use cases
• Deciding whether to build an app or rely on a responsive website for mobile users
• Building a mobile-first website
• Using mobile apps and responsive websites to create a great self-service experience for mobile users

Moderators:

Laurie Day, Director, Customer Engagement Solutions, E Source

Lisa Schulte, Product Strategist, Customer Experience, E Source

Who should attend:

Members of the E Source E-Channel Service who are interested in learning if a mobile app is a good self-service channel or if a responsive website is enough.

Questions about this event? Send us a message.

NOTE: This event has already taken place. See below for recording and event description.

Download the slides | Can behavioral programs keep delivering for DSM? (PDF)

Behavioral program managers from around the US and Canada to discuss the topics that matter most to you. Home energy report (HER) programs continue to be a leading source of demand-side management (DSM) savings, but some programs consistently deliver on goals while others struggle. E Source will present our latest data on trends in HER program spending and savings. Then we’ll moderate a conversation with you and your utility peers to tackle how your program is achieving and what your future pathways in behavioral DSM could include.

This is an E Source exchange. It’s an online conversation where you can share ideas on specific topics with other utility professionals. In this exchange, we’ll bring together utility peers to discuss behavioral programs and help you get advice on challenges you face.

Potential topics include:

• Updates on how other utilities are planning, spending, and performing in their HER programs
• Candid discussion around what’s next in HERs or other behavioral programs
• Business energy reports and if they’re still worth considering
• Questions or ideas you bring for the group!

Moderator:

Beth Fitzjarrald, Director, Customer Energy Solutions, E Source

Who should attend:

Members of the E Source Demand Side Management Service who are interested in HERs or behavioral programs.

Questions about this event? Send us a message.

NOTE: This event has already taken place. See below for event description.

Utility marketers and communicators play a crucial role in building our sustainable future. You’re motivating residents and businesses to participate in programs, sign up for services, and buy products to make a sustainable future a reality.

But this responsibility comes with many challenges like:

• Keeping up with the constantly changing world of social media and growing your company’s brand
• Feeling uninspired and struggling to come up with clever and unique copy—especially when you’ve used all the energy-related puns related you can think of
• Explaining your role to team members who might not understand your work as a marketer or communicator
• Not knowing where to start when planning new campaigns
• Wishing you could replicate the success of other utilities

Our team at E Source understands and has faced these challenges. And we’re here to help.

An E Source exchange is an online conversation where you can share ideas on specific topics with other utility professionals. In these monthly exchanges, we’ll bring together a community of marketing and communications practitioners, managers, and strategists from utilities across the US and Canada. These exchanges will be a chance to support and learn from one another.

At these exchanges, you will:

• Share ideas, discuss your struggles, and celebrate your wins
• Receive insights into campaigns from leading utility marketers and communicators
• Learn about the newest research, tools, and techniques to create campaigns

Moderators:

Hailey Gish, Product Strategist, Marketing and Communications, E Source


Angelica Pereira, Solution Director, Marketing, Communications, and Account Management, E Source

Questions about this event? Send us a message.

Utility Customer Research Consortium (UCRC) is a blue-ribbon panel of executives working together to identify opportunities for improvement and innovation in customer service and care. UCRC members represent many of the largest US energy utilities.

Every year, we convene senior utility executives for two days of roundtable discussions, presentations of research findings, and in-person networking. This year, we’re meeting at the Westin Kierland Resort &amp Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona. We’ve designed the agenda to be highly interactive and ensure a collegial environment in which participants can share freely. We’ll focus on the future of utility customer experience and strategy as part of our Utility Forward 2025 series. View the agenda to learn more.

Interested in learning more about this event? Send us a message.

NOTE: This event has already taken place. See below for recording and event description.

Download the slides | Key learnings from the E Source Forum 2022 (PDF)

The content and conversations during the E Source Forum 2022, held September 13–16, focused on how utilities can take the important steps needed to meet the seemingly competing priorities of the Sustainable Utility:

• Honoring a commitment to environmental responsibility
• Ensuring safety and reliability
• Serving all customers equitably
• Maintaining a bottom line that enables innovation and community support

With utility speakers sharing their case studies, each session provided actionable recommendations for peer utilities to implement.

If you couldn’t attend this year or if you attended but had to choose between several excellent concurent sessions, this webinar is for you. E Source thought leaders will share key takeaways from each track and industry trends you should be aware of on your path to becoming a Sustainable Utility.

You will learn:

• What utility executives perceive as their biggest challenges right now
• How leading utilities are improving equity
• Why the latest marketing and communications strategies are using data in new ways
• How innovative customer-facing programs are helping utilities manage the grid and boost customer satisfaction
• How to set your utility up for success with electric transportation initiatives
• How to call on E Source for help with your biggest challenges

Speakers:

Rachel Buckley, Vice President, Enterprise Strategy and Product Development, E Source

Jesse Hitchcock, Senior Analyst, Customer Energy Solutions, E Source

Ben Nathan, Lead Analyst, Customer Energy Solutions, E Source

Angelica Pereira, Solution Director, Marketing, Communications & Account Management, E Source

Lisa Schulte, Product Strategist, Customer Experience, E Source

Questions about this event? Send us a message.

NOTE: This event has already taken place. See below for recording and event description.

Download the slides | The future of Canadian demand response: A collaboration with Efficiency Canada (PDF)

Join us for a Canadian-specific conversation on the future of demand-response (DR) and load management programs. A collaboration with Efficiency Canada, this exchange will include an overview of active DR programs across the country, regulatory barriers and opportunities for DR, and strategic planning ideas.

This is an E Source exchange. It’s an online conversation where you can share ideas on specific topics with other utility professionals. In this exchange, we’ll bring together utility peers to discuss the status of DR in Canada and provide a venue to get advice on challenges you face.

Topics include:

• Results from active Canadian DR programs and pilots
• Regulatory considerations for DR by province
• The benefits of DR programs across utility divisions
• Best and next practices for DR

Come prepared to brainstorm with your peers!

Moderator:

Amy Schmidt, Senior Analyst, Customer Energy Solutions, E Source

Questions about this event? Send us a message.

NOTE: This event has already taken place. See below for recording and event description.

Download the slides | Get to know your customers with new data from the Residential Customer Insights Center (PDF)

The E Source US Residential Customer Insights Center is an easy-to-use online analysis tool that helps utilities gather information about residential customers’ energy-use patterns and trends, behavior, attitudes toward conservation, program needs, and channel preferences.

The data are drawn from the Claritas Energy Behavior Track, an annual online survey conducted in partnership with E Source of about 32,000 residential customers in the US on a variety of energy-related topics.

For this year’s survey, we included several new questions to gather:

• Information about whether customers follow their utilities on social media
• Customer opinions on the ease of doing business with their utility
• Customer thoughts on their utility’s budget-billing practices
• Understandings of the connections between customer purchasing preferences, a company’s culture, and sustainability goals

Using the data and insights from this study, we want to help utility marketing and communications teams target your customers with the right utility programs using the most appropriate messages delivered via the most effective communication channels.

This is an E Source exchange. It’s an online conversation where you can share ideas on specific topics with other utility professionals. In this exchange, we’ll share the results from the 2022 Claritas Energy Behavior Track study. We’ll also bring together utility peers to talk about how they use this data and why the data is valuable to them.

This exchange will cover:

• New questions asked in the 2022 survey
• Key takeaways from the 2022 survey
• Recommendations to improve marketing using data from the US Residential Customer Insights Center

Moderators:

Angelica Pereira, Solution Director, Marketing and Communications, E Source

Paige Martin Cox, Lead Analyst, Market Research, E Source

Questions about this event? Send us a message.

NOTE: This event has already taken place. See below for recording and event description.

Download the slides | Fall 2022 tech roundup (PDF)

The E Source tech roundup keeps you up to date on the latest developments in the world of efficiency, load management, electrification, and decarbonization technologies. In this interactive, rapid-fire webinar, we’ll discuss the technologies, concepts, and trends our tech researchers have followed over the past six months that have the most potential for utility pilots and programs. This is a must-attend event!

Topics include:

• 120-volt (low-voltage) air-source heat pumps
• Residential HVAC fault detection and diagnostic systems
• Food waste digesters
• Heat pumps as replacements for air conditioners
• Smart panel and load control technologies
• AI-enabled HVAC controls in commercial buildings
• Telematics for EV load management
• Real-time pricing and transactive energy
• Showers that use recycled water
• Steam-trap monitoring systems

Speakers:

Barend Dronkers, Product Strategist, Customer Energy Solutions, E Source
Michael Hartnack, Senior Solution Director, Customer Energy Solutions, E Source
Jesse Hitchcock, Senior Analyst, Customer Energy Solutions, E Source
Bryan Jungers, Director of Mobility, Customer Energy Solutions, E Source
Rachel Leo, Analyst, Customer Energy Solutions, E Source
Rajeev Kotha, Lead Analyst, Customer Energy Solutions, E Source
Spencer Sator, Contractor, E Source
Jay Stein, Senior Fellow Emeritus, E Source

Questions about this event? Send us a message.