There are two types of energy consumers’ electricity providers serve each day: the “energy literate” and the “energy agnostic.” These two groups may be of equal importance to energy providers, but require drastically different approaches in marketing the value of your service to them.
Let’s start with the “energy literate.” According to an Accenture report, The New Energy Consumer: Architecting for the Future, the “energy literate” customers are ready to engage at a high level with their electricity providers. They want to know more about how they are consuming energy and expect more in return. “As consumers become more energy literate,” the report states, “utilities need to continue tapping into new value levers and targeting specific consumers with appropriate value-added products and services.”
Take smart thermostats. As more people purchase these devices, there will be a growing amount of customers that need help from their electricity provider to effectively use their smart thermostats to reduce costs. The “energy literate” will want more information and education in addition to watching their electricity bill price tag go down.
The “Energy agnostic” customers, on the other hand, are a tougher crowd. These customers care more about the price than energy savings. However, according to Accenture, 53 percent of these consumers would take simple actions to decrease their energy usage if the value is simply stated. “They want predictable pricing that is easy to understand,” the report states.
These customers also do not trust their energy providers or their offerings though. “Energy agnostic” customers are less like to rely on new technology compared to their “energy literate” counterparts.
These two types of customers need you to engage with them personally and require specific plans within your customer engagement strategy.
For more tips and help on keeping your customers engaged, check out the MeterGenius blog.
