SDG&E Smart Meter Customer Experience Overview

Transcription

1 SDG&E Smart Meter Customer Experience Overview

2 San Diego Gas & Electric Service area 4,100 square miles, covering two counties and 25 cities 1,835 miles of electric transmission lines and 21,601 miles of electric distribution lines Operates two compressor stations, 166 miles of natural gas transmission pipelines, 8,100 miles of distribution pipelines, and 6,197 miles of service lines 4,500 employees Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) ranked SDG&E #4 among U.S. utilities for installed solar power and power capacity

3 Smart Meter Program $572MM Capital/O&M approved by CPUC April 2007 Install 1.4 million smart/ami electric meters for all customers Solid-state electric meter technology with ZigBee Chip 2-way communications 4 Channels Electric interval data reads Residential: hourly, Commercial/Industrial: 15-minutes Remote disconnect/connect integrated within 200 amp meter Programmable load limiting switch On demand reads, demand reset Adding module to existing 865,000 gas meters Daily gas reads ZigBee; talks via electric meters

4 Levels of Customer Response Customer Engagement Curve: Delivering On-going Value to Customers Refer a Friend Create advocates for conservation, EE, DR and other SDG&E energy objectives Participation Engagement Awareness Key First Impression: Installation Opportunity Drive customers to online presentment/my Account; peak notification; enabling technology to engage with energy consumption, start tier/rate education Communicate Smart Meter basics, installation experience, energy use/savings/education; EE program offer; sign up for My Account today Promote programs, rates and enabling technologies through segment-specific communications and incentives Before/During Installation Time

5 SDG&E s Guiding Principles Be Proactive Be Collaborative Anticipate stakeholder needs and develop solutions to meet those needs. Work with stakeholders to design and improve the customer experience, products and services. Work Toward Mutually Beneficial Outcomes Be Responsive Be Nimble Continually seek and incorporate feedback from all stakeholders. Respond promptly and transparently to all inquiries. Expect and accommodate continual process and communication improvements. 5

6 A Multi-Faceted Approach Outbound Dialer Mail Community Events Customer Presentations & Briefings SDGE.com Green Partners Program 6

7 Planning and Customer Feedback Co-design panel to develop communications materials prior to deployment Proactively working with customers before and after the meters are installed Updated materials based on customer input Installation letter, revised eight times Frequently Asked Questions Outbound phone call system added May 2010 Pre- and Post Installation Surveys

8 Collaborating with Stakeholders Local and National Media Outlets Community Organizations and Local Leaders Energy Industry and Utilities Technical Advisory Panel California Public Utilities Commission Consumer Advocate Group California Energy Commission Technology advocates

9 Processes to Help Deliver a Positive Customer Experience 1) Focus on Quality Every Step of the Way The Meter Meter manufacturer performs 100% quality assurance testing SDG&E performs accuracy testing on random sample of meters prior to releasing to the field (to date no shipment has been rejected) Meter installer performs validation testing at time of field installation The Installation Extensive training and retraining of installers Claims are expeditiously investigated and resolved The Data Perform parallel manual reads for one more cycle (30-day test) Perform a 7-day test, actual to historical average comparison Research outliers in high/low check 9

10 Processes to Help Deliver a Positive Customer Experience 2) Always Take a Customer-Centric View Consider seasonal timing when scheduling deployment avoid deploying meters in hot zones during summer months Improve communications from customer feedback (notification letter revised 8 times) SDG&E subject experts available throughout the process to answer questions and educate customers about smart meters and other SDG&E programs and services Every touch point is an opportunity to build trust with customers; every complaint is addressed at the highest level of program management 3) Coordinate with Other SDG&E Initiatives Summer preparedness campaign proactive communication with customers in Tiers 3 and 4 Outreach to Energy Efficiency, Demand Response, and Low-Income Programs 10

11 Media Our strategy is to respond to every query we get negative or positive SDG&E is proactive and engages with community newspapers and speaks with them about Smart Meter Our coverage tends to be positive when SDG&E is talking about technology and what the Program is doing for the future. Articles on how Smart meters are a foundational technology for the smart grid tend to be neutral to positive. Escondido Replacement

12 Customer Engagement Learnings CSR Empowerment Enhanced Smart Meter training Dedicated Escalated Desk New tools and processes Complaints Personal response as soon as notified of issue Not business as usual In Field Liaison Team Personal contact following meter installation High Bill Mitigation Proactive customer contact on high bills Customer Feedback Use feedback as learning and modify processes and communications as appropriate

13 The Installation Experience Days: Presentations Days: Events 30 Days: Mail Letter 3 Days: Phone Call Installation Day 7-Day Comparison 14 days: Survey 1-3 months: Data Accuracy Presentation Map SDG&E.com Notifications Information Sheets Energy Audit Quality Assurance Community Presentations Weekly presentations at town councils, business, and community groups prior to deployment Provides us the opportunity to learn community concerns Lets SDG&E share our talking points on sensitive topics Information Security Customer Privacy High Bill Issues Meter Accuracy Radio Frequency / EMF My Account/ PowerMeter

14 The Installation Experience Days: Presentations Days: Events 30 Days: Mail Letter 3 Days: Phone Call Installation Day 7-Day Comparison 14 days: Survey 1-3 months: Data Accuracy Presentation Map SDG&E.com Notifications Community Events Sponsorship and participation in region and community-wide festivals and events Outreach coordinated with SDG&E s Energy Efficiency, Demand Response, and Low-Income Programs Information Sheets Energy Audit Quality Assurance My Account/ PowerMeter

15 Click to add text YouTube

16 When do I get a smart meter? Click to add text

17 The Installation Experience Days: Presentations Days: Events 30 Days: Mail Letter 3 Days: Phone Call Installation Day 7-Day Comparison 14 days: Survey 1-3 months: Data Accuracy Presentation Map SDG&E.com Mail Letters to residential and commercial customers Notifications Information Sheets Energy Audit Quality Assurance My Account/ PowerMeter

18 The Installation Experience Days: Presentations Days: Events 30 Days: Mail Letter 3 Days: Phone Call Installation Day 7-Day Comparison 14 days: Survey 1-3 months: Data Accuracy Presentation Map SDG&E.com Phone Call Notification Outbound Dialer began in May 2010 in response to customer feedback for more information Notifications Information Sheets Energy Audit Quality Assurance My Account/ PowerMeter Gas upgrade: approx min. No loss of service Electric change out: approx min. Brief loss of service

19 The Installation Experience Days: Presentations Days: Events 30 Days: Mail Letter 3 Days: Phone Call Installation Day 7-Day Comparison 14 days: Survey 1-3 months: Data Accuracy Presentation Map SDG&E.com Installation Day Field Guide, Fact Sheets, Door Hanger Notifications Information Sheets Energy Audit Quality Assurance My Account/ PowerMeter

20 The Installation Experience Days: Presentations Days: Events 30 Days: Mail Letter 3 Days: Phone Call Installation Day 7-Day Comparison 14 days: Survey 1-3 months: Data Accuracy Presentation Map SDG&E.com Notifications Post-Installation 7-Day Comparison of historical and actual billing data. Proactive calls to customers explain how slow or stuck legacy meters can cause a high bill. Onsite residential and commercial energy audits Information Sheets Energy Audit Quality Assurance My Account/ PowerMeter

21 The Installation Experience Days: Presentations Days: Events 30 Days: Mail Letter 3 Days: Phone Call Installation Day 7-Day Comparison 14 days: Survey 1-3 months: Data Accuracy Presentation Map SDG&E.com Notifications Information Sheets Energy Audit Quality Assurance Post-Installation Within 2 weeks after install, SDG&E visits a sample of customers to follow up, answer questions, and offer information on programs and services Manual Reads: For 1-3 months a meter reader will perform parallel reads to ensure accuracy of data collected Research outliers in a high/low check Third-party calls customers to survey overall satisfaction of installation experience My Account/ PowerMeter

22 The Installation Experience Days: Presentations Days: Events 30 Days: Mail Letter 3 Days: Phone Call Installation Day 7-Day Comparison 14 days: Survey 1-3 months: Data Accuracy Presentation Map My Account and the Green Button SDG&E.com Notifications Information Sheets Energy Audit Quality Assurance My Account/ Green Button

23 Contact Information More information available on