The latest iteration of the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative’s consumer segmentation details opportunities for improving utility-customer relationships

About one-in-three Americans (34 percent) who are responsible for household energy decisions fall into the Informed and Engaged consumer segment, a cohort that is knowledgeable about their electricity providers and makes every effort to be more energy efficient at home, according to a new report from the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative (SECC), a nonprofit organization that studies Americans’ energy-related behaviors, interests and values.

The “Consumer Pulse and Market Segmentation - Wave 9” report – which is based on a nationally representative online survey conducted by The Harris Poll of 2,000 Americans over 18 years old – introduces the ninth update to SECC’s consumer segmentation framework, which was first developed nearly 15 years ago as smart grid technologies were beginning to be deployed and new opportunities opened up for the relationships between electricity providers and consumers.

In addition to the Informed and Engaged segment, the new report identified three other segments of American consumers over 18 years old based on their technology attitudes, electricity attitudes and concerns, and opinions on what electricity providers should be prioritizing today:

• Curious and Capable (28 percent of the general population): These consumers – who tend to be younger and are more likely to be renters with roommates – prioritize saving money on electricity but don't have significant affordability challenges. They are very open to using technology to improve their lives but aren’t yet using it for energy management.
• Tech-Cautious Savers (25 percent of the general population): More likely to include older women with lower incomes, this segment prioritizes saving money and keeping electricity rates low. However, these consumers don't want to be uncomfortable or use technology.
• Turnkey Comfort (13 percent of the general population): This smallest segment, many of whom could be characterized as retirees “living the good life”, prioritizes reliability and resiliency but want their electricity providers to do the work. They have affordable electricity bills and are unlikely to engage in energy efficiency or clean energy programs.

For each of the four segments, the report walks through their distinct technology and electricity attitudes, including how they view the connection between their home energy usage and the environment and what they see as the role of technology in their daily lives. Each section also includes details on how each segment has typically engaged with their electricity providers in the past year and provides recommended next steps for electricity providers and other industry stakeholders that are looking to further develop relationships with these consumers.

The “Consumer Pulse and Market Segmentation – Wave 9” report can be accessed here by member organizations and is available to the media on request. In addition, a one-hour webinar on the key survey findings will be held on Thursday, August 28 at 1 p.m. (ET) with SECC’s Deputy Director Jason McGrade and guest speakers from Cobb EMC, The Harris Poll and CPS Energy.