President's Posts Archives | Page 3 of 4 | Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative

What Have We Learned About Today’s Consumers?

April 6, 2021

Over the past year, which has been filled with unprecedented challenges for consumers, the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative (SECC) has continued to research what consumers want from energy...

Three Notable Racial Disparities Among Lower-Income Consumers

March 8, 2021

For the final publication in a series on lower-income energy consumers, the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative (SECC) recently delved into survey responses from 1,000...

A Letter from SECC’s President Patty Durand

January 29, 2021

Much has changed in the energy industry in my 10 years as president of the SECC. As I step down from leadership, I would like to share my thoughts about the past decade and...

Three Obstacles for Lower-Income Energy Consumers

December 10, 2020

Clean and smart energy technologies, such as rooftop solar, smart thermostats and electric vehicles (EVs), have weathered the COVID-19 pandemic relatively well. Despite a tumultuous...

The Value of Online Marketplaces During COVID-19

October 27, 2020

Online marketplaces are uniquely positioned to combat many of the challenges from COVID-19 and help consumers save energy during this difficult time.

Five Insights on Energy Consumers for 2020

September 25, 2020

While many electricity providers have become significantly more customer-centric in recent years, how receptive have consumers in the United States and Canada been to this evolution?

Helping Consumers Save Energy During COVID-19

August 19, 2020

As we enter the sixth month of the COVID-19 pandemic, many Americans are still un- or underemployed, and many financial assistance programs due to expire this summer – if they haven’t...

How Utilities Can Assist Small Businesses During COVID-19

July 20, 2020

Small-and-medium businesses (SMBs) employ about half of all Americans and account for 44 percent of U.S. economic activity. However, when it comes to utility programs and services, SMBs are often considered to be the “forgotten middle” between...

The EV Revolution Can Get a Boost from Utilities

July 10, 2020

Electric vehicles – their widespread adoption has seemed almost inevitable, but adoption has been slower than many anticipated. Now, utilities are laying the groundwork to expedite that adoption. On their own, EVs are driving the creation...

What Do Consumers Think About Beneficial Electrification?

June 19, 2020

As electric utilities and policymakers look for ways to address climate change and decarbonize the economy, electrification is one emerging strategy that is increasingly gaining attention in the industry. With the emissions rate of electricity...

Engaging Lower-Income Consumers in Smart Energy

May 20, 2020

When we talk about smart energy, thoughts often veer toward rooftop solar panels, the latest smart thermostat models, home energy storage or a Tesla Model S electric vehicle – all of which require substantial investments. This has led some...

Three Utility Programs That Are Empowering Consumers

April 27, 2020

The past decade has seen the proliferation of a number of technologies with the potential to help residential consumers engage in their energy use: smart meters, rooftop solar, electric vehicles, home battery storage, smart thermostats...

Community-Centered Strategies for Engaging Consumers

March 16, 2020

SECC’s “2020 State of the Consumer” report points to education as a requirement to increase energy engagement and address the needs of today's consumers. Whether it’s research into rate design, distributed...

Three Themes on Energy Consumers’ Needs for 2020

February 14, 2020

A decade ago, when SECC was founded, electricity providers typically viewed customers on the other end of the meter simply as “bill payers,” “ratepayers” or even “load.” While the energy industry has made progress in becoming more...

Speaking Up on Climate Change and Smart Energy

January 14, 2020

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Ten years ago, I was asked not to talk about energy and climate change. I had just been hired to lead a new nonprofit created to represent consumer interests in smart grid deployments.

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