SCE Energy$mart Thermostatsm Study for Southern California Edison Wave 2 Results

1. SCE Energy$mart Thermostatsm StudyforSouthern California Edison Wave 2 Presentation of Study ResultsNovember 10, 2004Project #1010 Population Research Systems a subsidiary of Freeman, Sullivan & Co. 100 Spear Street, 17th Floor San Francisco, CA 94105 Tel (415) 777-0707 (415) 777-2420 Fax www.fscgroup.com

2. Table of Contents Study Overview - Executive Summary Promotion Materials Wave 1 Method and Results Wave 2 Mailing and Data Collection Wave 2 Results • The Mailing • Motivating Website Visits • The Website Experience • Program Ratings • Participant Characteristics Conclusions Results: Response to the Mailing MyTstat Use SCE Energy$mart Thermostatsm Program Ratings Discussion - Applying these lessons

3. Executive Summary: Study Overview SCE seeks to promote a web-based solution to enhance its SCE Energy$mart Thermostatsm Program. The current report represents the second wave of data collection on a research project designed to evaluate the program and marketing efforts to promote its use. • The goals of the research were to ascertain the following: • Identify motivators and barriers to using the MyTstat website to program • and control the thermostat • Conduct an awareness study to evaluate a marketing campaign advertising • the website • Measure satisfaction with the website • As part of the second wave, observe any changes in behavior or attitudes between wave 1 and wave 2.

4. Executive Summary: Wave 1 Method Following a qualitative exploration, the telephone survey in Wave 1 resulted in solid response and interest. The web survey exit interview received scant traffic. SUMMARY OF WAVE 1 DATA COLLECTION METHOD • First, we implemented upgrades to the MyTstat website for increased usability. • In January 2004, a marketing packet consisting of an envelope with the SCE return address, a cover letter, glossy card with log-on instructions, book mark, and pen&cord set was sent to 1,561 program participants. • A website exit survey was deployed shortly after the mailing occurred. This survey assessed customers’ website experience and recorded activities conducted on the site. A total of 15 web surveys were completed. • About 2 weeks after the mailings went out, a telephone survey was conducted, resulting in 316 quantitative telephone interviews.

5. PROMOTION MATERIALS

6. Mailing: Glossy Card - Front Note: The printing quality of the actual materials is higher than what is possible by the image resolution in PowerPoint.

7. Mailing: Glossy Card - Back

8. Mailing: Bookmark Side 1 Side 2

9. Mailing: Pen and Cord Set

10. Executive Summary: Wave 1 Results Results from an initial wave of data collection revealed that although the mailing was well-received, few customers had visited the programmable thermostat website. RESULTS • Results suggested that customers largely remember (59%) receiving and opening the mailing, and they reported intending to visit the website in the future. • The glossy information card was considered helpful or very helpful in providing information about logging on to the MyTstat website by all respondents. • However, only 15% of respondents who acted on the mailing (11% of respondents overall) actually visited the website (14 respondents). • Those who did visit the website had high-speed access and expressed comfort with the internet. • About half of respondents indicated that they planned to visit the website, but hadn’t gotten around to it yet, or did not have time. • Open-ended comments indicated that many had not programmed the thermostat manually, and so the motivation for logging on to program it was lacking.

11. Executive Summary:Wave 2 Mailing & Data Collection It was hypothesized that the timing of the Wave 1 SCE Energy$mart Thermostatsm mailing (i.e., in winter) caused customers to be less motivated to learn about online thermostat programming than they would be during summer months, when the hotter temperatures might heighten their motivation to manage the air settings (to stay cool). Consequently, a second wave of the marketing mailing and data collection was planned for late summer. WAVE 2 Method • A mailing identical to that used for Wave 1 was sent to 1,224 SCE Energy$mart Thermostat Programsm participants. Eight hundred fifty one packets were mailed on August 20, 2004, and the remainder were mailed on August 26, 2004*. • The website survey was also re-deployed just prior to the mailing of the marketing materials to evaluate website visitors’ experiences with and activities on the site. Thirteen website surveys were completed between August 25 and September 28. • Telephone surveys (again, nearly identical to those conducted in Wave 1) were conducted during weekday business hours from August 31 to September 6. • A total of 301 telephone interviews were completed, with a response rate of 52%. • Interviews took an average of 8.6 minutes to complete. * Due to a shortage of bookmarks, only the first mailing group received the bookmark in their mailing packet. Receipt of the bookmark had no effect on responses to the mailing, so it is not discussed further.

12. Executive Summary:Wave 2 Mailing & Data Collection Survey panel respondents: participants in both Wave 1 and Wave 2 telephone surveys. WAVE 2 Method: Panelists The second mailing went to essentially the same customer list as the first. Of the 316 wave 1 respondents and 301 wave 2 respondents in the telephone surveys, there were 96 respondents who were represented in both surveys. They are referred to as ‘wave 2 panelists’. Their results are a proxy for whether repeated exposures increases responsiveness to the program. Marketing programs posit that repeated contacts generally heighten awareness, leading to better product adoption. This artifact of the study gives us an additional means to explore the marketing efforts effectiveness. Where appropriate, panelists’ responses will be noted.

13. Executive Summary: Results – The Wave 2 Mailing SCE Energy$mart Thermostat Mailingsm was generally successful. As with the Wave 1 mailing, a significant challenge involved getting the mailing to reach the correct person, who may have left the company between the sign-up date and the promotion. • Sixty-six percent of those surveyed by telephone remembered receiving the mailing. • Those who did not remember receiving the mailing were given the option of having it re-sent to them. This resulted in the mailing of an additional 60 SCE Energy$mart Thermostatsm packets. • Although unaided recall of the items included in the mailing was somewhat poor, most people did report reading the letter and the glossy card. • Evaluations of the mailing were very positive, with 84% of respondents rating it as “very helpful” or “helpful.” • Of all of the items included in the mailing, the glossy card was cited most frequently as being helpful to respondents. • Of the 13 people who completed the website exit survey, all of them reported that their visit had been prompted by the recent SCE mailing.

14. Executive Summary: Results- Motivating Website Visits Although most customers have very positive attitudes toward the SCE Energy$mart Thermostatsm program and intend to visit the programmable thermostat website in the future, motivating the behavior – logging on and trying out the website – remains a significant challenge. • Only 20% of those who took any action after receiving the mailing visited SCE.com. • Having a high-speed internet connection appears to facilitate use of the MyTstat website. Ninety percent of those who visited the site had high speed connections. • Respondents who have not visited the website seem to fall into one of two groups: • those who possess the technological skills and equipment to do so but just have not yet had time to explore the site, and • those who are limited in their ability to use the site, either due to lack of internet skills or experience, or because they no computer or internet access • Slightly more than half of those who did not visit the SCE.com website after receiving the mailing intend to do so in the future. Intentions were unrelated to speed of internet connection, but were associated with being younger and having greater internet sophistication. • As in Wave 1, those who read the glossy card with the easy logon instructions were more likely to plan on visiting the website compared to those who did not remember reading the card (64% and 43%, respectively).

15. Executive Summary: Results – Website Experience While at the website, respondents use the website by exploring it and trying out the features. Once comfortable, they see the value of being able to control the thermostat remotely. • Thirteen website visitors completed an exit survey. • Website visitors’ ratings of the quality of the MyTstat website were extremely high. For every website feature assessed, average ratings were greater than 4.5 (where a score of 5 is excellent). • Experiences with the website largely enhanced customers’ perceptions of the SCE Energy$mart Thermostat program, and all of the website visitors reported being satisfied or very satisfied with the program. • On average, the telephone survey sample had conducted 2.9 internet activities, but those who visited the website had conducted an average of 4.2. • All of those that completed the web survey and 90% of those in the phone survey who reported visiting the website had high-speed connections.

16. Executive Summary: Results – Program Ratings SCE continues to do a good job of keeping its Energy$mart customers satisfied; customers rated their satisfaction with the program an average of 4.1 (where 5=very satisfied; Wave 1 mean = 4.3). Visits to the website tend to further enhance ratings of the SCE Energy$mart Thermostatsm program. • Respondents who rated the program highly also gave high ratings to their level of overall satisfaction with SCE. • The website for the SCE Energy$mart Thermostatsm program has contributed to an improved perception of the Program for the majority of MyTstat users. Ninety-one percent of web survey respondents and 58% of telephone survey respondent reporting a significantly improved or improved opinion. • Open-ended comments about the program were similar to those of Wave 1. Customers continue to be generally positive about the program. They like that they save money and energy. Some reports suggest that improvements could be made in the areas of customer service and explaining the features and programming of the thermostat. • The proportion of customers reporting dissatisfaction has risen somewhat since Wave 1, with 8.7% indicating they are dissatisfied or not at all satisfied; in Wave 1 that percentage was 4.0%.

17. Executive Summary: Results – Program Ratings Wave 2 panelists (n = 96) had higher recall of the mailing, and higher evaluations of SCE Energy$mart Thermostatsmprogram, but otherwise evidenced little greater inclination to act upon the mailing. • While panelists were much more likely to recall receiving the mail, they did not read it at a greater inclination than did the others. • However, panelists did evaluate the overall SCE Energy$mart Thermostatsm program more highly in Wave 2 than did non-panelists, even though they were less likely to have high speed internet access.

18. Executive Summary: Commentary NEW TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION • One goal of the program is to provide users of the smart thermostats an option to use the Internet to program and control their thermostat. • But technology does not get used merely because it exists. Several conditions must exist for technology adoption. • One theory regarding the process for adoption of technology is: awareness, interest, evaluation, trial, adoption (e.g., Rogers, 1995, Diffusion of Innovation). The marketing program created awareness, but for some reason, could not generate interest, or the next stages, except for a handful. • Schiffman, et al. (1997, Consumer Behavior) revised this theory to: knowledge, persuasion (regarding the product’s usefulness), decision to try, evaluation (trial use experience), and confirmation. Schiffman’s theory indicates that the online tool’s usefulness was never proven. • While the online thermostat is in one sense much easier to program than the manual thermostat, programming is not a powerful need among these small business owners, and so the users never progress to the point of confirmation or adoption. It appears at this stage unlikely that these kinds of thermostat users will adopt the online technology until programming becomes an issue. Should Time of Use (TOU) or other forms of peak pricing become the norm, then such a motivation may occur. Reference: Communication, Technology and Society, by Leila Green, 2001. London: Sage Publications, chapters 1, 2..

19. Executive Summary: Study Overview Conceptual Model: Technology Adoption • Awareness includes the following: • Having heard of the website’s existence • Knowing what the website does • Knowing the URL • Access includes: • Possessing technological capability • Having a PC and internet access at work. • Satisfaction with website functionality • Use of and satisfaction with features and functionality • Regular use: • Using the website for thermostat control and program involvement.

20. Executive Summary: Study Overview Conceptual Model: Technology Adoption - Diffusion of Innovation (Two alternate models: Schiffman (top), and Rogers (bottom)

21. Executive Summary: Conclusions Should the motivation exist, then for greater use of the online technology: • For those uncomfortable with the technology, tie the website offer to the thermostat installation. • For those with technological skills who want to visit the website but have not done so yet, focus on translating positive attitudes and good intentions into action. • As noted in the results, there appear to be two major obstacles to visiting the website. One involves being technologically inexperienced or ill-equipped, and the other involves simply not having prioritized visiting the website. • To address the technology issues, at the time of sign-up into the program, include the website feature as part of the promotion. The most common complaint about the program is the difficulty in programming the manual thermostat, and those who have gone to the website report as being preferable. Yet once they are started on the program, participants note that they do not use the thermostat except to override the curtailment. Getting the behavior set at the beginning of the program will lay the foundation. Thus, when installers come, they would not only install the thermostat and show the participant how to use it, but also they would set up the website for them as well. • To address the lack of follow-up in those who intend to visit the site but have not yet done so, efforts should be focused on turning those good intentions for visiting the website into action. (continued on next page)

22. Executive Summary: Conclusions • Invest in frequent, inexpensive mailings to translate customers’ positive attitudes and good intentions into action. • Until the need to program the thermostat is extant, users will be content to be on the program for the financial incentives. Should different pricing products become available, programming, including remote access will have more appeal. This research therefore will help facilitate adoption of smart thermostats for other pricing programs, particularly for Time of Use related to seasonality. • Despite the attractive appearance of the mailing and the pen&cord gift, people remembered very little about it until they were prompted. Attitudes about the program and intentions to visit the programmable website are already quite high. Marketing efforts thus need to focus on motivating behavior. • New approaches to motivate visits to the website might involve repeated, regular, inexpensive mailings about the programmable website. This would serve two purposes: • it would prevent customers from simply forgetting their intentions to visit the programmable thermostat website. • small, numerous mailings increase the likelihood of reaching a customer at a time when they have both time and motivation to visit the site, rather than relying on a single mailing that may or may not reach customers at a time that is convenient for them to visit the website.

23. Mailing: Cover Letter Dear «name»: Thanks to you, the SCE Energy$mart ThermostatSM program is helping California’s businesses save energy, money, and the environment. Now the program can help you save time!   Based on your feedback, we are now pleased to offer a Web site where you can program your thermostat schedule and check its operation over the Internet. All you have to do is go to the program Web site: 1.Go to http://www.sce.com/thermostat 2.Click on the picture of the thermostat or the link to the secure website printed below it 3. Sign on using your ID and password 4.View your thermostat or download a program schedule   The thermostat web site offers you options for checking the operation of the thermostat or downloading a schedule, via radio from SCE. This new programming option offers the ultimate in flexibility because you can communicate with your thermostat, anywhere, anytime you have Internet access.   Enclosed are some free gifts for you to help remember the Web site. The pen and cord set can be attached to your monitor so you’ll always be able to remember the Web address. The information card includes instructions on how to sign on and save. ·Your userid is «caracct» and is also printed on the information card. ·Your DEFAULT logonpassword is «pinnum» and is also printed on the information card. (Note: If you have logged on to the website previously, you should use the new password that you have chosen.) ·Note: Your thermostat is located at «meter address».  If you have not logged on to your thermostat website before, you’ll be asked to change the password after your first logon. Simply write your new password down in the space on the information card. Of course, if you misplace any of the information, contact SCE Toll-free at (877) 823-8716.   When you sign on to the Web site, you’ll find further instructions. We hope that you’ll find this process simple, self-explanatory, and flexible. Have fun using this free service from Southern California Edison! Sincerely, Mark S. Martinez Program Manager SCE Energy$mart ThermostatSM Program

24. RESULTS: RESPONSE TO THE MAILING

25. Mailing: Recall Among the customers contacted, approximately two thirds remember receiving SCE’s mailing regarding MyTstat. Almost all of those who remember receiving it also report having opened the envelope (93%). The better the respondent level of satisfaction with the Energy$mart program, the more likely they were to remember the mailing. Panelists were more likely to recall the mailing than were the other Wave 2 respondents (74% to 64%), suggesting that increased contact increases awareness and responsiveness. n=301

26. Mailing: Content Recall Recall of the mailing’s contents was very similar to that of Wave 1. The glossy information card (65%) and letter (53%) were the most memorable contents of the mailing. The pen and cord set (39%) and the bookmark (22%) were mentioned with less frequency. No panelists differences were observed. Recall of the glossy information card was higher among customers planning to visit SCE’s website (63%) than among those not planning to visit the website (53%). Wave 1: n = 78 Wave 2: n=121 (includes those who recalled one or more materials) Note: More than one answer allowed.

27. Mailing: Actions Taken Most customers read the letter. Unfortunately, despite timing the mailing to arrive during the hotter months, it was still the case that few respondents were prompted to visit SCE’s website. Twenty percent of the customers surveyed visited the sce.com site, as compared with 15% of customers surveyed in Wave 1. However, intentions to visit the site in the future remained high, with more than half of respondents reporting intentions to visit the site at a later time. Sixty percent of those who read the glossy card plan on visiting the website, versus 43% of those who did not. n = 152 (includes those who took some action on the mailing)

28. Mailing: What Worked Best Thirty-one customers visited the sce.com website, 27 proceeded to the programmable thermostat site, and 19 successfully logged on. Those who went to the programmable thermostat site rated the overall helpfulness of the mailing. Average ratings were very high (1.68 on a scale where 1 means “very helpful” and 4 means “not at all helpful”). Those who successfully logged on to the website were also asked which of the mailing materials they had found most helpful. Fifty-eight percent (11 customers) believed the glossy card was most helpful, one person each chose the letter and the bookmark as the most helpful materials, and 6 people (31%) did not choose a single part of the mailing as being the most helpful. Among all of the mailing items, customers liked the glossy card the most. 3 – Not very helpful (16%) 1 - Extremely helpful (47%) Means Wave 2 = 1.68 Wave 1 = 1.64 2 - Helpful (37%) n=27 (includes those who visited the sce.com website)

29. MyTstat: Future Visit Intentions • More than half of the customers (52%) who did not visit the programmable thermostat website plan to visit MyTstat in the future. Unlike results from Wave 1, type of internet connection speed did not seem to influence future plans to visit the website. Intentions to visit are slightly lower in Wave 2. • Job title is not associated with future intentions, nor is the number of internet activities a person has engaged in during the past 6 months. • However, younger customers and those who self-rate as more knowledgeable about the internet than others were more likely to report intending to visit the website in the future. n=varies, refer to chart

30. MyTstat: Reasons for not Visiting By far, lack of time is the most common reason for not visiting MyTstat. In this wave of data collection, respondents were much less likely to indicate that they hadn’t yet gotten around to visiting the website; only 7% of customers named this as a reason, as compared with 24% of customers in the previous wave. Instead, issues relating to lack of comfort or experience with computers or the internet, or simply not having access to the website, played a role in not visiting the website. Note that fewer of the provided explanations resonated with the respondents. n=158 Note: More than one answer allowed.

31. Plan to visit website in the future? Reasons for not visiting Yes No DK No time 71% 21% 8% Haven’t gotten around to it yet 91% 9% 0% Not interested 0% 100% 0% Not comfortable on internet 44% 44% 11% Didn’t understand what to do 0% 100% 0% No benefit to online programming 0% 89% 11% No computer 39% 54% 8% No internet 33% 67% 0% • MyTstat: Reasons for not Visiting (Cont’d) • Customers’ reasons for not having visited the website tend to be related to whether or not they plan to visit the website in the future: • Those who have not visited due to time-related constraints are more likely to report that they will visit the website in the future than are those citing technological issues as reasons for not visiting. • It is encouraging, however, that a third or more of those citing technological issues (having no computer/internet or not feeling comfortable on the internet) did still plan to visit the website in the future. • Note that 100% of those who do not plan a visit did not understand what to do, they are not interested, and 89% see no benefit. These findings supports the theory that they have no compelling need, so the persuasion aspect of technology adoption is not being met. Wave 2 n=158

32. RESULTS: MYTSTAT USE

33. MyTstat: Visits and Logging In Of the 31 customers in the telephone survey who logged onto the website (compared to 14 in Wave 1), the majority proceeded to MyTstat, successfully logged in and changed their passwords (19, or 61%). Seventeen of these 19 visitors had high-speed access, and two had dial-up connections. Fourteen indicated that they are more the type that tends to help others with the internet than to receive help themselves. Of the 8 customers who went to the MyTstat.com website but were unable to log on and change their password, 3 were interrupted by customers or other business concerns, an additional one could not recall whether he had gotten to the point of changing his password, 2 reported problems with their username and password, and two appeared to be somewhat confused about the steps they needed to take. Visited MyTstat website (among those who logged on to sce.com/thermostat) Logged in and Changed password (among MyTstat users) n=31 n=27

34. MyTstat: Number of Visits Customers who are able to log in tend to return to MyTstat after the initial log in, visiting MyTstat an average of three times. Wave 2 respondents have logged on more frequently (2.6 times compared to 1.9) than have the Wave 1 respondents, indicating that they are getting more comfortable once they try it. Number of Visits to MyTstat (Among MyTstat users) Means Wave 2=2.58 Wave 1=1.91 n=27

35. MyTstat: Tasks Accomplished Once SCE customers entered the MyTstat website, they tended to explore the site thoroughly, as evidenced by the many activities that most respondents reported engaging in. Visitors conducted an average of just over 5 activities (5.11). Most common activities were checking the settings, and turning on or off heating and cooling and the fan. Notably, a greater percentage of the website visitors reported using the step-by-step programming than the all-in-one programming. MyTstat Tasks Accomplished by Wave 2 Website Visitors Few people read the help manuals, highlighting need for readily apparent usability. n = 19 Note: More than one answer allowed.

36. MyTstat: Web Survey – Evaluating Website Features In Wave 1, ratings for most elements of the MyTstat website were very high, and they continued to be as high or higher in this second assessment. Ratings for all features assessed were above 4.5 (although caution must be taken in drawing too many conclusions with such a small sample) Although the Wave 1 assessment revealed some negative evaluations of the all-in-one programming method, the current wave’s respondents gave it the highest possible rating. (Where 1 = poor and 5 = excellent for the characteristics; and 1 = Not at all satisfied and 5 = very satisfied for the functions ratings)

37. MyTstat: Web Survey – General Evaluations Overall satisfaction with the website and with the program as a whole was very high. All of the web survey respondents reported being satisfied or very satisfied. Moreover, experiences on the website enhanced customers’ opinions of the SCE Energy$mart Thermostatsm program. When asked what they liked about the website, 5 of the 6 people who responded cited how easy it was to use. One person wrote that she liked the fact that she could control the thermostat from a remote location.

38. MyTstat Impact As with Wave 1 findings, the website for the SCE Energy$mart Thermostatsm program has contributed to an improved perception of the Program for the majority of MyTstat users, with 58% reporting a “significantly improved” or “improved” opinion. However, one person said their opinion of the SCE Energy$mart Programsm had worsened after using the MyTstat website. Impact of Website Experiences on SCE Energy$mart Thermostatsm Program Means Wave 2 = 2.28 Wave 1 = 2.27 n=19 (includes those who successfully logged on to the MyTstat)

39. E$T Program: Manual vs. MyTstat Use The majority of customers who used MyTstat stated that they are “more likely” or “much more likely” to use MyTstat again (63%) instead of programming their thermostat manually. Likelihood of Using MyTstat Programming versus Manual Programming of Thermostat (Among MyTstat Users) n=19

40. MyTstat: Web Survey – Who visited? Thirteen people visited the MyTstat website and completed a survey when they reached the logoff screen. All 13 indicated that they heard about the website through the recent mailing. Eight had programmed their thermostat before; 5 had not. Seven had never visited the SCE.com website prior to this visit. In terms of age and job title, those who completed the website survey were similar to those who completed the telephone survey. However, those completing the web survey had conducted more online activities in the past 6 months than those completing the telephone survey (4.2 versus 2.9, respectively; p < .05). Additionally, the web visitor sample tends to feel more comfortable on the internet (helping others more than the reverse) compared to the telephone sample (p < .01). Age Job Title

41. RESULTS: SCE ENERGY$MART THERMOSTATsm PROGRAM RATINGS

42. Manual Programming Frequency A little more than one third of the customers have manually programmed their thermostat between two and five times. Twenty-one percent have never programmed their thermostat. Panelists have programmed their thermostat an average of 3.1 times compared to 2.4 times for non-panelists, and 14% panelists have never programmed their thermostat. Number of Times Manually Programmed Thermostat n Wave 2=301 Wave 1 = 316

43. Overall Program Rating The majority of customers are satisfied with SCE’s Energy$mart Thermostatsm program, with only 9% indicating dissatisfaction. Program satisfaction does not seem to influence plans to visit MyTstat; satisfaction is high among those who plan to visit as well as those who don’t. Among the 19 customers who visited the MyTstat website, the mean satisfaction level was similar to the sample as a whole (4.32). Fifty-three percent were very satisfied, 37% were satisfied, and 10% (2 respondents) were dissatisfied. Means Wave 2 Wave 1 W2 Panel 4.10 4.30 4.30 4.38 4.46 4.61 4.08 4.30 4.30 4.00 4.52 4.00 n=varies, refer to chart

44. Drivers of Overall Satisfaction with the Program DISCUSSION The fact that w2 panelists reported greater overall satisfaction with the SCE Energy$mart Thermostatsm program led for an exploration of possible drivers. What emerged was this: Those who manually programmed their thermostat 2-5 times were more content than those who programmed it only once or never, or 6 or more times. While there were only 18 respondents, those with no computer or internet access (a proxy for technology expertise and interest) had the highest satisfaction ratings. Managers and IT staff (while statistically not robust for solid conclusions) tended to have lower satisfaction ratings than owners and other senior personnel . Those aged 29-58 had higher ratings of satisfaction (about 4.15) than did others (below 4.0) but this was slight. Conclusion: Satisfaction with the program appears to be associated with seeing that the manual thermostat works well, and having its presence not be an additional burden of work. New technology always requires a learning curve, and dedication of time. Perhaps for this reason managers were less satisfied since for them the thermostat could be an additional required task where none had existed. Panelists likely had the highest satisfaction because the survey itself disseminates information about the program and SCE’s commitment, despite the fact that they were not as technologically proficient (as reflected by the slowed adoption of high speed connections) than were other wave 2 respondents.

45. E$T Program: Additional comments • “What comments do you have about the SCE Energy$mart Thermostat Programsm in general?” • As in Wave 1 of the telephone survey, customers were generally positive about the program. • They frequently reported liking the energy- and cost-saving aspects of the program. • Suggestions for improvement focused on better explanation for programming the thermostat and better customer service. • Several customers noted that they were disappointed that the rebate amounts had been reduced, and several others reported that on some days or at certain times of day it became uncomfortably hot in their office. • ‘I believe it’s an excellent program.’ • ‘I just enjoy it because I don’t use as much energy. [It] prevents overuse and cost. A small businessman has to watch his dimes and pennies.’ • ‘I liked it the first year when we got more money back, but other than that it’s great.’ • ‘I like it, yet it gets hot about 3PM.’ • ‘I like the program. I don’t find it easy to program manually . I’ve had staff try to program it from the internet without success. I haven’t tried it and I intend to.’ • ‘It would be nice to have someone who can help you go through it at least once.’ • ‘Everything seems to be fine except that I called SCE one time last month. It took them about a week and a half for them to come out. The technician just showed up without notifying us ahead of time that he was coming.’ n=301

46. RESULTS: SAMPLE CHARACTERISTICS AND DISPOSITION REPORT

47. Firmographics: Internet Expertise and Connection Customers are generally comfortable using the Internet. Thirty-six percent stated that they are more likely to help others than to need help, and 29% stated they are as likely to help others as to need help. More customers appear to be investing in high-speed internet connections; about 64% currently have high-speed connections at work, as compared with only 50% of customers at the Wave 1 assessment. This may increase use of the MyTstat website, as those with high-speed connections are more likely to visit the site than those with dial-up connections (p < .05). Internet Expertise: I am most likely to… Internet Connection n=257 Wave 2 n=301

48. Firmographics: Internet Activities The most common internet activities among customers include researching products/services, making retail purchases, and conducting online banking/stocks transactions. An average of 2.9 internet activities were conducted by program customers during the last 6 months. Internet Activities During Past Six Months n=241 Note: More than one answer allowed.

49. Firmographics: Job Title and Age The average customer age is between 40 and 58 years old. The majority of the customers are owners, CEO, or CFO of their company. n=301 n=301

50. Discussion What would it take for SCE Energy$mart Thermostatsm program participants to adopt the web-based programming? How can we apply these results to other programs in SCE? Can we combine the results of several studies to better understand web-based and other forms of technology adoption? How might the results be different for different kinds of consumers? OTHERS??