If you have time to read but one report on consumer behavior and energy efficiency this year, the recent report from Accenture should be it.
The global business consultancy surveyed more than 9,000 consumers in 17 countries in January 2010 and produced a 36-page summary of its findings, "Understanding Consumer Preferences in Energy Efficiency" (http://bit.ly/9zMTSh). It's must-reading for energy efficiency marketers at utilities and energy efficiency implementation companies.
The report identifies five key findings, as follows:
- There is a significant contradiction between consumer perceptions and their actual knowledge of energy efficiency.
- Consumers' first instinct is to contact utilities/electricity providers for energy-efficiency activities, but providers still need to build trust and credibility.
- While prices remain a key factor to adoption, the extent of the utilities'/providers' control over energy use has emerged as a potential barrier.
- Channels and contact points for utilities/electricity providers to communicate with consumers are diverse.
- Adoption of electricity management programs is influenced by fragmented and nontraditional consumer preferences.
I'll dig into each of these in future posts. If you have a point of view about Accenture's findings, based on your energy efficiency marketing experiences, share it.