Do you need customer insights to help you develop more-effective distributed energy resource (DER) programs and services?

In 2018, we asked residential customers in the US and Canada what DER technologies they currently have and what they’re interested in or likely to purchase in the next few years. From this E Source Residential DER Customer Market Research, we developed 12 DER technology customer personas to help you design your DER portfolio.

According to the 2018 E Source Social Media Survey, Twitter is still the social media channel utilities use most often to connect with their customers. Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube aren’t far behind in popularity. We also asked utilities about successful techniques they’ve developed for boosting engagement on social media. Many utilities use videos and images of two topics—puppies and linemen—to increase organic, nonpaid engagement.

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We’re now fielding the 2021 E Source Contact Center Performance survey. Download the questionnaire to participate.

Download the questionnaire (XLSX)

The survey results will help you better understand your utility’s contact center performance in these key areas:

Utilities attempting to focus more on their customers and their customers’ needs frequently ask what it takes to transform their company culture. In this excerpt from the 2018 E Source Forum session Customer-Centric Culture: From Buy-In to Booyah, you’ll learn the critical value of leadership support. Key takeaways include:

E Source is pleased to announce the addition of Roger Woodworth, principal of Mindset Matters and former vice president and chief strategy officer at Avista Corp., to its advisory board. The E Source advisory board provides strategic guidance on the company’s corporate vision, partnering strategy, and technology innovations.

Q:How can we show our support for solar while communicating with customers about its real costs to the utility?

A:To communicate your support for solar without ignoring its implications for overall system costs, it’s critical to first understand how your customers perceive your utility and its support for solar. It’s also important to understand what messages customers find favorable. To answer your question, we provide:

Q:Should we start accepting cryptocurrency for customer bill payment?

A:Investment in cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum has grown considerably in recent years, but not many people use cryptocurrencies to complete their everyday financial transactions. Most cryptocurrencies use a cryptographic verification technology referred to as a blockchain—a distributed public digital ledger that serves as the immutable record for all prior financial transactions.