Invest in Consumer Tools To Save Energy, Says Onzo

Invest in Consumer Tools To Save Energy, Says Onzo

London, 2nd July 2009

Onzo, the global provider of unique products and services that help utilities build strong customer relationships, has welcomed the recent report by the New Zealand Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, which recognises that smart meters, as they are generally being installed at the moment, have only limited benefit to consumers or to the environment. Onzo calls for energy retailers to supplement them with other tools.

Nick Lonie, Onzo’s Australia and New Zealand Director, said: “The installation of smart meters is a good first stage in reducing energy usage and cutting carbon emissions. The next step requires effective customer engagement. Research shows that energy monitoring displays are one very effective tool for reducing consumption and shifting use from peak times. Work carried out by Onzo has found that the energy saved through the use of displays could amount to as much as 13 per cent of the total”.

Displays are not, however, the only way for retailers to provide information about energy use. Other means, such as web sites, printed reports, and messages sent to mobile telephones all have their part to play. Onzo believes it would be a mistake for the government to be too specific over how consumers acquire knowledge about energy. The company’s view is that the objective of providing information rather than how this is done should be stipulated. Leaving it to the retailers, rather than to the government, to decide how that objective should be met would encourage both innovation and competition.

Joel Hagan, Chief Executive of Onzo, said: “If energy retailers are to avoid the threat of intrusive regulation, now is the time for them to act by investing in consumer-orientated tools”.

ENDS

Note to editors:

Onzo provides energy and water utilities with the tools that enable them to build more valuable relationships with their customers, dramatically enhancing their understanding of, and ability to influence, their customers’ behaviour. Those tools include a comprehensive and engaging set of customer touchpoints (display, web, electronic media, printed report) and a data analytics platform. They improve customer acquisition and retention; improve the return on investment of smart grid, smart metering, and demand response programmes; can fulfil regulatory requirements; and provide a platform for value-added services. Onzo’s Professional Services team helps utilities to shape projects in these areas, integrate with existing utility initiatives and maximise the potential of Onzo’s offerings within them.

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