Dive Brief:
- Promotional marketing firm Parago has found only 14% of U.S. consumers currently engage in demand response programs today, but 87% would do so given the right incentives, according to its survey "Turn Up Demand Response: Educate and Incentivize Energy Consumers," which looked at the attitudes of utility customers towards demand response.
- 50% of those surveyed did not know if their utility had a demand response initiative and 25% said their utility does not offer such a program.
- Two-thirds of those who participate in demand response programs said they were not happy with -- or at least unsure of -- the program's incentives and messaging.
Dive Insight:
The biggest incentive Parago identified was a lower monthly bill, which 70% of respondents said would be a key motivator to participate in demand response programs. The survey also highlighted how big of a problem lack of awareness is for demand response.
“In order to increase participation, providers would be wise to begin educating their communities differently about demand response, and roll out incentive-based strategies that reward consumers in new ways for participation in these programs," said Parago's Jay Grinde.
