Utilities have a real challenge in succinctly communicating the benefits of smart meters. Some benefits are not easily distilled into sound-bites. However, utilities must improve their outreach to consumers to ensure that consumers understand the role of smart meters in helping them save money; helping utilities keep costs and electricity rates down; and reducing carbon emissions.
I surveyed several US-based utility websites to see how they answered a basic website query for smart meters. In my role play as a consumer seeking information about smart meters, my most basic question was “what’s in it for me”, also known as WIIFM. This is a basic lesson taught in Marketing 101 – always tell the consumer what benefits they receive from a new product or service. Lesson two is to make sure it happens early and often.
My survey revealed that while smart meter information is presented on each website, it requires some effort to find the WIIFM information and sometimes fails to connect a benefit to a feature. There are some interesting approaches that include the use of social media as new channels to deliver information, but these lack consistent messaging content. Communications plans that deliver consistent, multi-layered, multi-channel messaging are necessary to address consumer questions about the value that smart meters have for individuals and communities. None of the sites in my survey included any gamification elements – although these could have been embedded in pages that require a customer login.
Utility 1: The first two search results were useless. The third search result reported on their smart meter deployment and identified two changes consumers would see – remote reading and connect/disconnect capabilities. The WIIFM benefits were missing, and although they may be obvious to those of us in the business, we can’t assume that consumers will fill in those blanks.
The fourth result directed me to the FAQ page for Smart Grid topics. If I wasn’t already in search fatigue, I could find several questions and answers about smart meters, starting with the basic question: What is a smart meter? The answer to my WIIFM question was disappointing. Here’s what I would learn: “A smart meter – or digital meter – is just one part of a smart grid system. But the device is important in delivering nearly real-time information to our customers. With a digital meter on your home and supporting energy management programs, you can find out – at any time during the month – how much energy you’ve used from the previous day(s).”
This is not a compelling reason for a consumer. I’ve been told I have a capability to learn how much energy I’ve used the previous day. But there’s no connection to a consumer benefit here- such as being able to take actions that help me reduce my energy usage, and therefore my energy bills.
Utility 2: My search results started with a page on how to read smart electric meters. This page has a box on the right hand side of the page titled Smart Meter, and led to a new page that had a clear feature/benefit statement, “understand energy use to make money-saving and environmentally-friendly changes.” Clicking on other areas of that page provided information on why smart meters are important in terms of delivering, individual, community, and global benefit perspectives. The messaging about making choices to save money on energy bills was well-reinforced throughout the text, and ubiquity is important.
The fourth option down in the text box was titled Benefits. Here I learned that not only would I save energy and money, I’d gain privacy through the elimination of meter reading, find outage sources quickly, and reduce the need for power plants. The best statement I saw was embedded in a fact sheet linked to that benefits page. It stated that a smart meter will let you know exactly when you use energy and what it costs. Had the statement continued on with “and this information helps you make smart decisions to reduce energy use and your bills”, it would have been a fantastic benefits statement.
Consumers expect the Smart Grid to help them save money – connect the dots via multi-layered messaging to show how smart meters achieve that.
Test your website search results and make sure the pages you want to appear first will appear first.
Think about how social media channels and gamification techniques can deliver benefits messages about smart meters.
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What to look for in outsourced Facilities Management - SmartProcurement.co.za - FREE on-line newsletter for purchasing and supply management professionals
Managing an organisation’s operational environment normally involves an ‘unholy alliance’ between facilities management (FM), procurement and the users of the buildings, with pressure coming from finance to reduce costs.
A common comment from many of Purchasing Index’s (PI’s) clients is that FM is a thankless task – users never thank you for getting it right but are all too ready to complain, Alan Low of PI tells SmartProcurement.
Over the next few months PI will be publishing a series of articles based on the findings of their benchmarking services over the last 12 years within the South African corporate world.
Many of the larger organisations have or are looking to outsource to a single contractor, who then uses sub-contractors to do the specific work. PI is aware of several organisations that are currently reviewing these existing, single-outsource arrangements.
Does the organisation actually measure and manage the service level agreements (SLAs) that are in force?
Are the SLA measurements still relevant? What other measurements, key performance indicators (KPIs), should be included?
Does the contractor apply the same SLAs to their sub-contractors? Does it measure and manage the subs?
Do the service providers suggest and initiate innovative practices? How does the approval process work? Are these projects managed to see what benefits they provide?
FM staff often end up micro-managing specific issues (particularly when complaints have been raised by management) – reacting to problems, rather than looking pro-actively at improving the service, instituting innovations and ensuring that there is an accord between the services delivered and their internal customers’ needs.
KPIs and information needs to be shared with contractors and sub-contractors – everyone needs to see the same, reliable data. Time is essential here: late service is poor service. Does your organisation share data with service providers seamlessly and do they share information with you? Do you have a control centre in place? Does it measure and manage what is relevant and important (not necessarily ‘urgent’)?
Building occupiers are under constant pressure to contain costs and initiate new (green and energy efficient) measures. Do your service providers regularly bring new initiatives to your attention? Do they suggest how these could be implemented in your environment?
Most contractual arrangements have a finite life. But putting large outsourcing agreements out to tender is expensive and time consuming. How can you use external benchmarks to prove that the current arrangements are efficient and cost effective and so justify a continuation of the current contracts?
It is PI’s view that customers and service providers need to share information – successful outsourcing arrangements are partnerships where the outsourcer is an extension of the organisation it serves. Relevant and timely information needs to be collected and shared (both ways); service providers must understand the organisation’s ever-changing strategy and requirements.
Too often service levels are high just after contracts have been implemented and just before they are due to be renewed; in between the service performance is unsatisfactory.
SmartWatches4U Ltd ("us", "we", or "our") operates the www.smartwatches4u.com website (the "Service").
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We are very delighted that you have shown interest in our enterprise. Data protection is of a particularly high priority for the management of the SmartWatches4U. The use of the Internet pages of the SmartWatches4U is possible without any indication of personal data; however, if a data subject wants to use special enterprise services via our website, processing of personal data could become necessary. If the processing of personal data is necessary and there is no statutory basis for such processing, we generally obtain consent from the data subject.
The processing of personal data, such as the name, address, e-mail address, or telephone number of a data subject shall always be in line with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and in accordance with the country-specific data protection regulations applicable to the SmartWatches4U. By means of this data protection declaration, our enterprise would like to inform the general public of the nature, scope, and purpose of the personal data we collect, use and process. Furthermore, data subjects are informed, by means of this data protection declaration, of the rights to which they are entitled.
As the controller, the SmartWatches4U has implemented numerous technical and organizational measures to ensure the most complete protection of personal data processed through this website. However, Internet-based data transmissions may in principle have security gaps, so absolute protection may not be guaranteed. For this reason, every data subject is free to transfer personal data to us via alternative means, e.g. by telephone.
The data protection declaration of the SmartWatches4U is based on the terms used by the European legislator for the adoption of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Our data protection declaration should be legible and understandable for the general public, as well as our customers and business partners. To ensure this, we would like to first explain the terminology used.
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Through the use of cookies, the SmartWatches4U can provide the users of this website with more user-friendly services that would not be possible without the cookie setting.
The website of the SmartWatches4U collects a series of general data and information when a data subject or automated system calls up the website. This general data and information are stored in the server log files. Collected may be (1) the browser types and versions used, (2) the operating system used by the accessing system, (3) the website from which an accessing system reaches our website (so-called referrers), (4) the sub-websites, (5) the date and time of access to the Internet site, (6) an Internet protocol address (IP address), (7) the Internet service provider of the accessing system, and (8) any other similar data and information that may be used in the event of attacks on our information technology systems.
When using these general data and information, the SmartWatches4U does not draw any conclusions about the data subject. Rather, this information is needed to (1) deliver the content of our website correctly, (2) optimize the content of our website as well as its advertisement, (3) ensure the long-term viability of our information technology systems and website technology, and (4) provide law enforcement authorities with the information necessary for criminal prosecution in case of a cyber-attack. Therefore, the SmartWatches4U analyzes anonymously collected data and information statistically, with the aim of increasing the data protection and data security of our enterprise, and to ensure an optimal level of protection for the personal data we process. The anonymous data of the server log files are stored separately from all personal data provided by a data subject.
The website of the SmartWatches4U contains information that enables a quick electronic contact to our enterprise, as well as direct communication with us, which also includes a general address of the so-called electronic mail (e-mail address). If a data subject contacts the controller by e-mail or via a contact form, the personal data transmitted by the data subject are automatically stored. Such personal data transmitted on a voluntary basis by a data subject to the data controller are stored for the purpose of processing or contacting the data subject. There is no transfer of this personal data to third parties.
If one of the aforementioned reasons applies, and a data subject wishes to request the erasure of personal data stored by the SmartWatches4U, he or she may, at any time, contact any employee of the controller. An employee of SmartWatches4U shall promptly ensure that the erasure request is complied with immediately.
Where the controller has made personal data public and is obliged pursuant to Article 17(1) to erase the personal data, the controller, taking account of available technology and the cost of implementation, shall take reasonable steps, including technical measures, to inform other controllers processing the personal data that the data subject has requested erasure by such controllers of any links to, or copy or replication of, those personal data, as far as processing is not required. An employees of the SmartWatches4U will arrange the necessary measures in individual cases.
If one of the aforementioned conditions is met, and a data subject wishes to request the restriction of the processing of personal data stored by the SmartWatches4U, he or she may at any time contact any employee of the controller. The employee of the SmartWatches4U will arrange the restriction of the processing.
In order to assert the right to data portability, the data subject may at any time contact any employee of the SmartWatches4U.
The SmartWatches4U shall no longer process the personal data in the event of the objection, unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing which override the interests, rights and freedoms of the data subject, or for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.
If the SmartWatches4U processes personal data for direct marketing purposes, the data subject shall have the right to object at any time to processing of personal data concerning him or her for such marketing. This applies to profiling to the extent that it is related to such direct marketing. If the data subject objects to the SmartWatches4U to the processing for direct marketing purposes, the SmartWatches4U will no longer process the personal data for these purposes.
In addition, the data subject has the right, on grounds relating to his or her particular situation, to object to processing of personal data concerning him or her by the SmartWatches4U for scientific or historical research purposes, or for statistical purposes pursuant to Article 89(1) of the GDPR, unless the processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out for reasons of public interest.
In order to exercise the right to object, the data subject may contact any employee of the SmartWatches4U. In addition, the data subject is free in the context of the use of information society services, and notwithstanding Directive 2002/58/EC, to use his or her right to object by automated means using technical specifications.
If the decision (1) is necessary for entering into, or the performance of, a contract between the data subject and a data controller, or (2) it is based on the data subject's explicit consent, the SmartWatches4U shall implement suitable measures to safeguard the data subject's rights and freedoms and legitimate interests, at least the right to obtain human intervention on the part of the controller, to express his or her point of view and contest the decision.
If the data subject wishes to exercise the rights concerning automated individual decision-making, he or she may, at any time, contact any employee of the SmartWatches4U.
If the data subject wishes to exercise the right to withdraw the consent, he or she may, at any time, contact any employee of the SmartWatches4U.
On this website, the controller has integrated Amazon components as a participant in the Amazon partner program. The Amazon components were created by Amazon with the aim to mediate customers through advertisements on various websites of the Amazon group, in particular Amazon.co.uk, Local.Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com and Amazon.ca in return for the payment of a commission. By using the Amazon components, the controller may generate advertising revenue.