• by Aaron Baar , June 2, 2011

People are interested in finding ways to lower their electricity bills, but they're still in the dark about how upgrading to a smart grid or other electricity management systems might help them do so.  

According to a Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) survey of more than 1,200 Americans, only about a third (34%) are aware of electricity management programs, while even fewer (27%) are familiar with the smart grid. And although 60% of consumers are concerned about the costs associated with their electric bills, only 24% are enrolled in some sort of electricity management program.

"At the core of this, it shows there are concerns about energy use," Ben Arnold, a senior research analyst at the CEA, tells Marketing Daily. "But they're not correlating that [concern] to the smart grid."

The key to spreading the word, according to Arnold, could come from more dedicated marketing about the smart grid from energy companies and utilities. According to the survey, 55% of respondents were interested in electricity management programs that would be sponsored by a utility or electric company.

"Utility companies are best suited for driving those efforts because they're already part of the consumer's mindset," he says. "Utilities are trusted by consumers to collect that [energy] data, and they're best suited to communicate the conservation efforts."

The message they should be communicating, Arnold says, should focus on the cost savings people will realize from switching to an energy management program. Including information about smart energy management and energy-efficient appliances and electronics, in monthly bill statements or electronic communications would be a good first step, he says.

"Cost is the top driver of motivations for [switching]," Arnold says. "But what gets lost is that we're actually saving by conserving energy. Everyone can see the savings on their bills."