EcoPinion Survey Highlights Consumer
Perceptions and Expectations of Smart Grid
Americans Optimistic but Challenges to Moving Beyond Commodity Focus of Smart Meters
May 25, 2010 10:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time
SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--EcoAlign, a strategic marketing agency, and Clasma
Events, Inc., a global event company, released the 8th EcoPinion survey report today entitled, “Separating Smart
Grid from Smart Meters,” in conjunction with the ConnectivityWeek 2010 taking place this week in Santa Clara,
CA.
Approximately 70 percent of Americans are not familiar with the phrase “smart grid.” But once consumers were
given a definition, the EcoPinion survey found strong levels of consumer good will and expectation in anticipation of
the smart grid rollout. A majority of Americans (55 percent) believe that the smart grid will be of significant benefit to
them. One half of all respondents find the ability to review their own energy consumption to be extremely or very
appealing.
“Consumers conceptually like the idea of smart grid,” stated Jamie Wimberly, EcoAlign’s CEO and author of the
report. “But the report also highlighted three critical challenges: meeting consumer expectations of smart grid to lower
costs or cut energy consumption; moving beyond the commodity (smart meters) to a much fuller value proposition
(smart grid); and aligning the smart grid with smart communications and marketing that recognizes personal
preferences and needs.”
Other top line findings include:
l When asked to describe how smart grid makes them feel, survey respondents used words used such as
“happy,” “great” and “good”. Overall, the survey finds that consumers are much more optimistic about the
benefits of smart grid than reported in the press.
l Surveyed consumers see smart grid as primarily a means to lower and/or manage rising energy bills.
l About one quarter of respondents think they would use the smart grid capability either daily or weekly. On
average, respondents think t