Providing market intelligence for more than 35 years

In The News

Helping Consumers Understand the Value of Smart Meters

As cities across the United States continue to introduce smart meters, consumer adoption and satisfaction are keys to making a successful transition to the smart grid. Utilities can help with adoption by implementing time-variant pricing. However, a major barrier to a successful implementation is getting consumers to opt-in.

According to Parks Associates, nearly two-thirds of broadband customers in the United States are willing to pay for a smart energy management service, but a lack of information and knowledge is hindering progress. The value of the smart grid is clear to utilities. However, despite the numerous benefits, smart meters still raise concerns for many mainstream consumers. Many don’t fully understand how they work, why they are needed and how it will benefit them.

From the article "Helping Consumers Understand the Value of Smart Meters" by Marcus Scheiber.

Previously In The News

Pay-TV Providers Are Signing Up a Lot of Netflix Subscribers

As of last month, around one out of every five pay-TV households subscribe to an online video service through their pay-TV providers, according to a survey from Parks Associates. That's good news for...

Routers Are Pretty Now, Because They Have to Be

“These new mesh network routers are seeking to address several key areas of concern for home networking infrastructure; namely performance, coverage, aesthetics, and security,” says Brad Russell, and...

Smart household devices may be your biggest security blindspot

New research from Parks Associates shows 41 percent of U.S. homes with wifi plan to purchase a smart appliance or other wifi-connected household device in the next 12 months. The international rese...

AT&T Deal: Merger For New Media Era Or A Bad Remake?

Pay-TV operators are seeing a "slow erosion of the core business," analyst Brett Sappington at Parks Associates said. "After years of attempts to be more than just a 'dumb pipe,' pay-TV operators h...