Creating a new customer experience.(From the Editor)

I just attended CS Week Conference 33 in Washington, D.C., where I heard a lot about connecting and communicating with customers.

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For the most part, utilities communicate little with their customers, and vice versa. Customers are interested in their utilities only when the bills come or when the electricity goes out. The same is pretty much true for utilities. They send their customers a bill each month; some include an informative insert or newsletter with those bills. And, utilities' customer service representatives speak with a few customers via the phone, usually when those customers have questions about their bills or problems with their service. Although this limited and impersonal communication has been adequate in the past, many customer service experts believe it is no longer enough.

The smart grid, smart meters, energy efficiency (EE) and demand response (DR) are gaining momentum. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes funds for such projects and has been key in increasing interest in them. But even before the bill was passed, many utilities planned to implement such programs to help them meet future electricity demand. Much of the technology required to implement these programs is now available and utilities are rolling out smart metering, EE and DR programs. Technology ...