Smart Meters: Measuring, Monitoring, and Managing Electricity - Smart Grid (R) Evolution: Electric Power Struggles - page 118

interested in smart meter deployment and highlighted that smart meters were not a simple
technological switch.
Toovercomethesignificant resistance createdbythetroubledinitial smartmeterrollout,
PG&E has modified their customer service approach to include the opt-out option and
also to be more interactive and responsive to customer concerns. Other California utilities
have also learned a lot from the PG&E experience. For example, the “Smart Sacramento”
project developed by the Sacramento Municipal Utility Department (SMUD) is considered
industry “best practice.” SMUD worked to educate and engage customers early on in
its smart meter program; it used a combination of new communication and messaging
strategies in an effort to help customers understand the tangible benefits to them of
having a smart meter. SMUD invested in conducting “acceptance testing” of information
it was distributing, as well as its customer service (Durand 2014 ). Messaging focused on
“improved service” and “more control over electric bills” and a team of municipal utility
employees worked hard to maintain strong and effective communication with a wide range
of stakeholders, including SMUD's customers, its employees, elected officials, and the
media.Beforeinstallationbegan,SMUDhadalreadyengagedinextensivecommunication,
including outreach in five different languages, which was sustained before, during, and
after meter installations. In this communication, SMUD prioritized transparency; this
included providing information on the success of its smart meter rollout, but also on
challenges (Durand 2014 ) . SMUD has become a “best-practice” example of how to
effectively manage expectations, develop a community-based engagement plan, and
maintain positive relationships with customers through communication with both internal
and external stakeholders.
In addition to SMUD, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) learned from the challenges
PG&E faced during its early smart grid rollout and designed a strategy for communication
with its customers that was sequenced to provide information and awareness ninety, sixty,
andthirtydaysbeforeinstallation.WiththisplanSDG&Ewasabletosetclearexpectations
among its customers, which resulted in very few complaints or concerns; among the 2.3
million meter installations SDG&E only received about 1,200 complaints (about 0.16
percent), which is less than other programs (SGCC 2013 ). SDG&E also held contests,
offering customers prizes to promote energy conservation measures and engagement in
their use of their new smart meters to lower their electricity bill.
Smart meter deployment by Southern California Edison (SCE), the third-largest utility
in California, similarly demonstrates learning from PG&E's earlier challenges to engage
customers and reduce opposition and resistance. SCE used many different communication
tools, including websites, community events, and television and radio ads, which it claims