This webinar deals with the role of the end-user; how to involve the customer, and the relationship between the end-user and the energy company. Although the relationship between energy companies and users is improving, there is still a long way to go.
Two critical issues for end-users are a low price and high-quality service. Both are essential in order to maintain long-term demand. Further, there is tension between customer desire for personal monitoring and control, and the efficiency gains from centralized control at the district/city level.
Reasons for the energy company to foster end-user engagement are discussed. One example is to encourage cost saving via behavioural change, e.g. related to power peak-shaving. Other points that are discussed are the level of customer engagement, some important specifics on price, details on what should be included in the customer charter, the difference between different countries regarding how renewables are accounted for in district heating, what areas are covered by regulation, and lessons learned regarding regulations (such that many policies do not regard excess heat as a heat source and incentives are therefore lacking).
It is emphasized that it is important and hard to both reduce energy use and increase renewables. Also, a checklist of things that might go wrong is presented, for example that the customer may not accept the environmental agenda due to disbelief in climate change.
Henry Wynn, Professor of Statistics, London School of Economics
Date of webinar
June 2015