Customers increasingly expect their electric companies to provide the kind of personalized customer service they are experiencing from big technology and other companies. How can electric companies deliver? Customers have evolved from being ratepayers transacting over a commodity, to becoming prosumers in smart homes engaged in a bi-directional flow of energy and data with their electric company. Companies can deliver elevated human experiences by connecting energy attributes, such as time of use and "greenness," to reflect individual customers' preferences and needs, creating new ways to engage. For example, an electric company might serve as an advisor to a customer who is considering the purchase of an electric vehicle (EV), potentially offering a regulator-approved EV-specific rate, automated charging that maximizes energy consumption from the customer's private or rooftop solar panels, or billing rebates in exchange for EV enrollment in a customized demand response program.
展开▼
