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Customer Engagement

A Five-Point Plan For The Next Wave Of Electricity Restructuring

The monopoly utility model was once expansive and revolutionary. Now, it is contracting and preservationist.

A plan for restructuring: Delivery service pricing reform; devolution of generation and re-allocating risk; stranded cost recovery; distributed resources neutrality; optimization of service offerings.
Byline: 

Philip O’Connor, Wayne Olson, and Robert Bussa

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Consumers Want What?

Rather than accept the rhetoric, let’s find out.

What’s missing is asking consumers to consider realistic tradeoffs between two characteristics of electricity rather than the desirability of a single characteristic in isolation.
Byline: 

Steve Mitnick

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No Consumer Advocates! 50 Years Ago

PUF editorial in 1966 shows what a dramatically different culture it was then.

Check out this editorial from 50 years ago, in the April 14, 1966 issue of Public Utilities Fortnightly. In this criticism of the notion of a utility consumer advocate, the rhetoric reveals a gigantic gulf between American society of then and of now.

Byline: 

Steve Mitnick

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Illicit Marketing Practices

State PUCs take aim at unscrupulous electric and gas suppliers.

We’ll cover state PUC rulings from New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Ohio, dealing with 1) billing overcharges, 2) deceptive promises of savings, 3) faulty enrollment practices, 4) “slamming,” 5) misleading sales scripts used in telemarketing, 6) hidden fixed charges, and 7) concealed pass-through clauses.
Byline: 

Phillip Cross

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Today's NASUCA

To ensure reliable and affordable service remains a primary focus.

NASUCA continues to bring the consumer advocate message to Washington D.C. Most recently it filed a letter in opposition to a U.S. Senate energy bill (S. 2012) amendment, King-Reid #3120. The letter voiced concerns about a move to federally institutionalize full net metering.
Byline: 

Sheri Givens

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Musk and Me

I signed up for a free quote on line.

With all the talk of the “existential threat” to traditional utilities from solar and other disruptive technologies (and the blowback against net metering in various states), I thought I’d check out SolarCity first hand.
Byline: 

Steve Huntoon

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Action by Choice

Time-varying rates is an effective way to satisfy customer demands.

In the 21st century economy pivoted on customer choice, opt-in is the path to tread in the provision of time varying rates to electricity customers.
Byline: 

Chris King & Bonnie Datta

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Georgia: On Becoming a Social Media Junkie

2015 Regulators Forum

Being in the “energy” business as a commissioner, staff, lobbyist or industry leader is hard enough without social media, right? When you add Twitter and Facebook to the mix, it is enough to drive one crazy. Who needs it? Well, we all do, really.
Byline: 

Tim Echols, Georgia PSC

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Rethink Your Marketing

Your customers are going mobile. So should your ad dollars.

Just how are utilities getting out the word? Legacy media is important but the use mobile devices are gaining ground.
Byline: 

Cavan Chasan

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Becoming Customer-Centric

Two utilities embrace technology and innovation.

Today the rise of customer-centric technology and innovation has created a whole new set of challenges. Advances have occurred in energy efficiency, demand response, distributed solar, energy storage, and electric vehicles, as well as smart grid infrastructure and analytics. Electric utilities have two basic choices: react to the agendas of the special interests or chart a path forward to create the most value for stakeholders and customers.
Byline: 

Matt Mooren, David Cherney, and David Groarke

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