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50% of US internet households earning more than $100,000 annually say their electricity costs are too high

Orro, Smart Energy Water, Homebase, NRG Energy, and more to speak at Smart Energy Summit

Parks Associates latest consumer study,“Smart Energy at Home: Renewable, Responsive, Resilient,” reveals most consumers want to use less energy and view energy costs as too high—50% of US internet households earning more than $100,000 annually say their electricity costs are too high. The international research firm will share insights into consumer adoption of smart energy devices and interest in energy management use cases during the virtual session “Home Energy Management Solutions: Driving Energy Savings,” Thursday, June 30, as part of the 13th annual Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer.

Smart Energy Summit, sponsored by Schneider Electric, SmartThings, Rapid Response Monitoring, Zen Ecosystems, and Particle.io, features the latest consumer research and industry insights on the primary factors driving consumers to adopt energy management solutions.

“Higher energy costs drive higher dissatisfaction, as evidenced by the number agreeing that their bills are too high, even among higher-income households. Bills are particularly higher for larger families and so is their dissatisfaction,” said Chris White, Sr. Analyst, Parks Associates. “There is a large opportunity for utilities to market energy programs such as demand response and for device makers to sell energy-saving and energy-management devices to families who are looking for ways to reduce the bills.”

“Home Energy Management Solutions: Driving Energy Savings” features an executive spotlight session featuring Nathan Ford, Director, Life Cycle Optimization, NRG Energy, Inc., and two interactive panels, “Data and Analytics: Driving Usage and Savings” and “Smart Apartments and Energy Platforms,” with the following panelists:

  • Colin Billings, CEO & Founder, Orro
  • Bob Champagne, VP, Customer Experience Innovation, Smart Energy Water
  • Jay Lasseter, VP Sales, Landis+Gyr North America
  • Håkan Ludvigson, CEO and Founder, Eliq AB
  • Advait Katarki, Business Development Manager - Connected Solutions & EV Charging Infrastructure, Eaton
  • Blake Miller, Founder & CEO, Homebase
  • Wannie Park, CEO, Zen Ecosystems
  • Carol Schmitt, Chief Evangelist, ESG & Energy, RealPage
  • Dan Sullivan, Founder and CEO, EIQhome

"We all need to be smarter about our energy usage at home, and technology can help us with that. Using systems that work to determine when someone is home or not (and where they are in the home) and then proactively making basic decisions for us (like Orro does with controlling lighting) give us all the opportunity to consume only the energy we need at that specific time," said Colin Billings, CEO & Founder, Orro.

“It’s less about how much data we have or even how sophisticated our analytics have become, but how fast we can unleash the power of insights and intelligence produced across the entire energy value chain,” said Bob Champagne, VP, Customer Experience Innovation, Smart Energy Water. “We are just seeing the ‘tip of the spear’ in terms of the impact energy data and intelligence is having on the global energy transition.”

“Smart buildings are the foundation to any energy management plan. I'm excited to participate in the Smart Energy Summit and discuss practical steps to making a smart and energy-efficient building,” said Blake Miller, Founder & CEO, Homebase.

Parks Associates will feature its latest consumer and industry insights throughout the event, featuring data from its ongoing quarterly surveys of 10,000 internet households.

About Smart Energy Summit

Parks Associates’ 15th annual Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer is co-located with DISTRIBUTECH 2024 on February 27-28 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.  Smart Energy Summit addresses energy and renewables technology trends in the residential and small-to-medium business markets.

Industry players join expert panels and networking sessions to address the expansion and monetization of energy management and other energy-focused offerings through consumer engagement, new business models, unique partnerships, and innovative technologies.

The conference also features 2024 virtual sessions January 23, July 23, and October 10. Follow the event on Twitter/X at @SmartEnergySmt and #SmartEnergy24. For information on speaking, sponsoring, or attending Smart Energy Summit, visit www.smartenergysmt.com.