How to foster smart energy behavior of end - users via proactive user participation: S3C project (smart consumer, smart customer, smart citizen) key findings

Abstract

A renewed customer focus is reshaping the utility sector! Utilities are seeking new customer engagement approaches since they realize that smart grid products and services represent not only a technological challenge, but also an opportunity for a social transformation regarding more sustainable behaviours. S3C Project aims to assist utilities in fostering this “smart transformation” by providing tools and guidelines that used by utilities will allow customers understand what may be their real benefits. End-users are still predominantly passive agents in the electricity supply chain. As such, in order to involve them with more proactive behaviours, contributing to the success of smart grid projects and Smart Cities Platforms, they should be addressed by electricity players through innovative customer engagement approaches. Marketing and social sciences can contribute to facilitate the activation and engagement of end users with smart grid projects. Specific communication content (e.g. quantification of the impact of their actions) will lead to greater customer satisfaction and brand loyalty -- allowing consumers and utilities a deeper level of involvement, different from the traditional unidirectional communication flow. The purpose of this paper is to share some key results and insights from S3C project (funded by EU 7th FP under GA 30876) regarding consumer's behaviour and engagement strategies with a main focus on EDP Distribuicao tests under its smart grid project: InovGrid (http://www.inovgrid.pt/en). S3C provides a better understanding of the end-user interaction schemes for the promotion of `smart' energy end-user behaviour towards the new metabolism of smart cities.