This document discusses the need for utilities to adopt a consumer focus strategy in light of the smart grid transforming the energy ecosystem. A consumer focus strategy can help utilities increase shareholder value, consumer lifetime value, and meet environmental targets by reorienting from ratepayers to consumers. It involves providing excellent customer service, establishing the utility as a trusted advisor, and giving consumers more choices. However, other energy service providers entering the market could threaten the utility's relationship with consumers. The consumer focus strategy acts as a roadmap to build consumer-centric operations through communications, education, and managing the complex transformation. It creates a trusted relationship to build long-term consumer value for the utility.

1. www.SmartGridLibrary.com Why Utilities Need the Smart Grid Consumer Focus Strategy

7. New service providers

8. Consumers with choicesProprietary and Confidential

9. Fundamental Questions What if other energy service providers intermediate your relationship with consumers? Will it decrease shareholder value? Will it inhibit your ability to sell value-add services to consumers? Will it decrease the lifetime value of your consumers? Will it jeopardize corporate objectives? Will it inhibit your efforts to build consumer mindshare? Will it impact your abilities to maintain economical rates? Will it reduce your opportunities to secure support for critical infrastructure projects? Proprietary and Confidential

10. Utility/Consumer Relationship Change Utilities have two responses to Smart Grid impacts to the ecosystem $ $ Proprietary and Confidential

11. It’s a Perfect Time to Be A Utility Smart Grid rollouts need the Consumer Focus Strategy Challenge: A recent study* revealed that 56% of respondents think the Smart Grid will improve the customer experience and customer service Opportunity: But 87% of respondents would like utilities to suggest ways to reduce bills Challenge: Poor execution of Smart Grid projects can result in consumer protests Opportunity: Communicate/educate about technology and benefits – enlighten and strengthen lifetime consumer value *EcoAlign - 2011 Proprietary and Confidential

13. It builds the consumer lifetime value for utilitiesWhy Why www.themegallery.com Proprietary and Confidential

14. Consumer Focus Strategy Components Roadmap Change Management Internal and External Communications Plans Risk Communications Benchmark Consumer Focus Model Channels Budget Project Plans Risk Mitigation Technology Foundation RFP Process Proprietary and Confidential

15. Learn the key success factors to build consumer value for your utility Get 9 ideas for consumer outreach using social media channels Understand the strategic value of benchmarking Answer 12 critical questions about budget planning to ensure project success Avoid common “gotchas” in the use of social media channels Adopt 2 policy recommendations for email, web chat, and text messaging practices Read our rigorous RFP process that achieves technical, financial, tactical and strategic objectives Identify the most important technologies for your Consumer Focus Model Review conveniently summarized key takeaways for each chapter Proprietary and Confidential Nine Reasons to Get This Book

17. Thank You ! www.SmartGridLibrary.com