Unsmart consumers

Despite an increased investment by utility companies to update the electricity grid and use smart meters, more than two thirds of Americans have not heard the term smart grid and more than one in six have not heard of smart meters.

The Harris Poll surveyed 2,576 adults online between Jan. 18-25 to develop poll results.

Harris said in a statement that the combination of low awareness and the massive amount of investment dollars going into upgrades to the system present utility companies with the opportunity to begin educating consumers. A better understanding of why these upgrades to the system are needed can positively impact acceptance.

“While the need for and benefits of Smart Grid and Smart Meter may seem obvious to industry insiders, this is not the case with consumers. In light of the huge investments about to be made that ratepayers will ultimately be responsible for, utility companies need to formulate, test, and launch a sustained communication strategy,” Tish Pasqual, a senior research director for Harris Interactive, noted in a statement.

SURVEY FINDINGS
• A majority of U.S. adults (57%) are aware of how much electricity they are consuming, and an even greater number (67%) say they would reduce their usage if they had visibility to it.

• A fundamental promise of Smart Meters is to provide this continuous feedback, and in the future consumers could be charged a cost per kilowatt that varies depending on the cost to produce. If this type of pricing replaces the current flat rate charged, 75% of Americans “want to be able to see and control how much electricity” they are using. There is, however, a core of U.S. adults (22%) who do not want the electric company to know how much power they are using each minute.

• Two in five (42%) Americans were unable to outright agree or disagree with the statement “The electricity system is fine the way it is and Smart Grid is not necessary.”

• Those familiar with Smart Grid are more likely to believe that the cost of electricity will increase once it is deployed (51%) than those who have not heard of Smart Grid (39%). They are also more willing to pay a 10% premium on their electric bill now for the future benefits (22% vs. 11%).