smart meter backlash for the aclara client conference by melanie wemple
DESCRIPTION
Melanie Wemple, research associate at E Source, presented at the Aclara Client Conference in April, 2012 about Smart Meter Backlash. Her presentation includes detailed information on what leads to customer backlash from AMI deployment (a/k/a smart meters) by electric utilities and how utilities deal with this backlash. For more information: http://www.esource.com/public/products/frs_tas.asp More about Melanie: http://www.esource.com/staff_bio/melanie_wempleTRANSCRIPT
© Aclara Technologies LLC, 2012
Smart Meter Backlash
Melanie WempleAssociate, E Source
© Aclara Technologies LLC, 2012
By The Numbers
50 Million $337 – 476 Billion $3.4 Billion 8.4 % 2.8-6.0
Sources: EnergyBiz magazine, February 2012 EPRI, Estimating the Costs and Benefits of the Smart Grid, 2011
Image source: epb.net
© Aclara Technologies LLC, 2012
Source: Utility-Scale Smart Meter Deployments, Plans, & Proposals, IEE
© Aclara Technologies LLC, 2012
Challenges for the Smart Grid
TechnologyInnovationStandards
Interoperability
Policy Rate Structures
Program IncentivesRegulatory Responses
Customer Privacy Safety Value
© Aclara Technologies LLC, 2012
Customer Sentiment Cycle
Model adopted from: http://changingminds.org/disciplines/change_management/psychology_change/positive_change.htm
Technical, Policy and Consumer Challenges
Positive
Negative
Senti
men
t
Time
Uninformed Optimism
Informed Pessimism
Informed Optimism
Completion
Excitement & intrigue More realistic planning
Steady Deployment Activity
© Aclara Technologies LLC, 2012
A Little Education Goes a Long Way
Little Basic Complete
46%
72%
61%
Percentage of People with Positive “Smart Meter” Favorability Rating
Level of Consumer UnderstandingData source: 2012 State of the Consumer Report, Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative
© Aclara Technologies LLC, 2012
What Leads to Customer Backlash?
Who Pays and How Much?
Higher Bills
Technologies That Fail
Associative Blame
Privacy and Security
Health and Safety
Perceived Loss of Control
Commission/ Legislative
Intervention
Lack of Customer
Benefit/Value
© Aclara Technologies LLC, 2012
What Leads to Customer Backlash?
Who Pays and How Much?
Higher Bills
Technologies That Fail
Associative Blame
Privacy and Security
Health and Safety
Lack of Customer
Benefit/Value
Perceived Loss of Control
Commission/ Legislative
Intervention
© Aclara Technologies LLC, 2012
What Leads to Customer Backlash?
Who Pays and How Much?
Higher Bills
Technologies That Fail
Associative Blame
Privacy and Security
Health and Safety
Lack of Customer
Benefit/Value
Perceived Loss of Control
Commission/ Legislative
Intervention
© Aclara Technologies LLC, 2012
What Leads to Customer Backlash?
Who Pays and How Much?
Higher Bills
Technologies That Fail
Associative Blame
Privacy and Security
Health and Safety
Lack of Customer
Benefit/Value
Perceived Loss of Control
Commission/ Legislative
Intervention
© Aclara Technologies LLC, 2012
What Leads to Customer Backlash?
Who Pays and How Much?
Higher Bills
Technologies That Fail
Associative Blame
Privacy and Security
Health and Safety
Lack of Customer
Benefit/Value
Perceived Loss of Control
Commission/ Legislative
Intervention
© Aclara Technologies LLC, 2012
Perceived Loss of Control
Source: digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
© Aclara Technologies LLC, 2012
What Leads to Customer Backlash?
Who Pays and How Much?
Higher Bills
Technologies That Fail
Associative Blame
Privacy and Security
Health and Safety
Lack of Customer
Benefit/Value
Perceived Loss of Control
Commission/ Legislative
Intervention
© Aclara Technologies LLC, 2012
What Leads to Customer Backlash?
Who Pays and How Much?
Higher Bills
Technologies That Fail
Associative Blame
Privacy and Security
Health and Safety
Lack of Customer
Benefit/Value
Perceived Loss of Control
Commission/ Legislative
Intervention
© Aclara Technologies LLC, 2012
What Leads to Customer Backlash?
Who Pays and How Much?
Higher Bills
Technologies That Fail
Associative Blame
Privacy and Security
Health and Safety
Lack of Customer
Benefit/Value
Perceived Loss of Control
Commission/ Legislative
Intervention
© Aclara Technologies LLC, 2012
Privacy
What customers want to know:• What happens to my usage data
collected from the smart meter?• Who owns my usage data?• Who has access to my usage data?• What are your privacy policies and
how are you protecting my personal energy information?
What the customer hears:• “Your smart meter shows… if you
were home on the night of the murder.”
• “This is a search without a warrant everyday.”
• “This is your personal private life going… to your power company, to your government, to the police, to the insurance company…to anyone who cuts a deal with you power company to look at your life under a microscope.”
Source: AMI Misinformation, Cleveland Utilities AMI Implementation
© Aclara Technologies LLC, 2012
Security
© Aclara Technologies LLC, 2012
What Leads to Customer Backlash?
Who Pays and How Much?
Higher Bills
Technologies That Fail
Associative Blame
Privacy and Security
Health and Safety
Lack of Customer
Benefit/Value
Perceived Loss of Control
Commission/ Legislative
Intervention
© Aclara Technologies LLC, 2012
Health & Safety
Courtesy: sfcitizen.com/blog
© Aclara Technologies LLC, 2012
Health & Safety
Source: Is smart meter RF exposure safe? Yes., Central Maine Power
© Aclara Technologies LLC, 2012
What Leads to Customer Backlash?
Who Pays and How Much?
Higher Bills
Technologies That Fail
Associative Blame
Privacy and Security
Health and Safety
Lack of Customer
Benefit/Value
Perceived Loss of Control
Commission/ Legislative
Intervention
© Aclara Technologies LLC, 2012
Customer Benefit/Value
SO WHAT IS THE SMART GRID ANYWAY AND WHY SHOULD I
CARE?
© Aclara Technologies LLC, 2012
How Utilities Deal with Backlash
Show Value
Dedicated Community Engagement
One-on-one Discussions
Transparency
AMI Opt-Out
Proactive & Multi-channel
Communication
© Aclara Technologies LLC, 2012
How Utilities Deal with Backlash
Show Value
Dedicated Community Engagement
One-on-one Discussions
Transparency
AMI Opt-Out
Proactive & Multi-channel
Communication
© Aclara Technologies LLC, 2012
Dealing with Backlash: Opt-Out
© Aclara Technologies LLC, 2012
MELANIE WEMPLERESEARCH ASSOCIATEE [email protected]