Parks Associates, an international research firm sponsoring a Smart Energy Summit in Austin for three days, focused on how the industry — from retailers to utilities to appliance makers — can encourage consumers to embrace technological changes coming to the home energy market.
The deployment of smart meters, the widespread use of broadband and the rise of smartphones and tablet computers allow consumers to manage their home energy usage, even remotely, to save money and make their lives more convenient.
According to Parks Associates, the market has generally stayed flat the past three years because consumers aren't aware of what's available, are concerned about the price or don't see the value of the service. Among the research findings, more than 60 percent of the U.S. households with broadband think that saving energy and lowering utility bills are desirable, but only 19 percent have taken advantage of the energy-saving programs, almost 40 percent of those households are unfamiliar with the programs and services available, interest in the products or services are cut in half as prices climb toward $99 per month, and at the end of 2011, about 28 percent of U.S. households had a smart meter.
Despite the hurdles to growing the market, retailers, appliance makers, security firms and broadband providers are expanding their products and services.
