Segmentation using Customers Lifetime Value: Hybrid K-means Clustering and Analytic Hierarchy Process

Abstract

Background: Understanding customers’ electricity consumption patterns is essential for developing predictive analytics, which is needed for effective supply and demand management. Objective: This study aims to understand customers’ segmentation and consumption behaviour using a hybrid approach combining the K-Means clustering, customer lifetime value concept, and analytic hierarchy process. Methods: This study uses more than 16 million records of customers’ electricity consumption data from January 2019 to December 2020. The K-Means clustering identifies the initial market segments. The results were then evaluated and validated using the customer lifetime value concept and analytical hierarchy process. Results: Three customer segments were identified. Segment 1 has 282 business customers with a total capacity of 938,837 kWh, peak load usage of 27,827 kWh, and non-peak load usage of 115,194 kWh. Segment 2 has 508,615 business customers with a total capacity of 4,260 kWh, a peak load of 35 kWh, and a non-peak load of 544 kWh. Segment 3 has 37 business customers with a total capacity of 2,226,351 kWh, a peak load of 123.297 kWh, and a non-peak load of 390,803. Conclusion: A business strategy that could be taken is to base customer relationship management (CRM) on the three-customer segmentation. For the least profitable segment, aside from retail account marketing, a continuous partnership program is needed to increase electricity consumption during the non-peak period. For the highly and moderately profitable segments, a premium business-to-business approach can be applied to accommodate their increasing energy consumption without excessive electricity use in the peak period. Special account executives need to be deployed to handle these customers.