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Home Repair
Web Exchange Feb. 11
"Home Emergency Repair Programs: Increasing Customer Satisfaction
With No Added Costs" Is the topic for the next Utility Web Exchange
on Wednesday, February 11 at 2pm (Eastern)
The web-based panel presentation will feature case studies of electric
and gas utilities that are discovering how residential customer service
enhancements such as home emergency repair programs can be key drivers
behind increases in customer satisfaction scores.
Discussion will focus on how these programs can be added as revenue-enhancing
during times when budget constraints may be leading to service cutbacks
elsewhere.
Presenters are:
- Lorrie Maggio, Progress Energy
- Mike Hormell, PA Consulting
- Peter Buttrick, Home Service
This event is hosted by Home Service, the premier provider of managed
home emergency repair programs. They partner with utility companies
to offer residential customers a range of products designed to provide
peace of mind and fast, effective help when an emergency occurs around
the home.
Home Repair Web Exchange
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Look for Electsolve at Tech Advantage
Plan to stop by the Electsolve booth while you're attending the NRECA
Tech Advantage Expo in New Orleans. ElectSolve Technology Solutions
and Services, Inc. is a technology vendor-neutral, full service provider
of technical, management and consulting services focused on helping
electric service providers get the biggest return on their investment
dollars.
Electsolve's services include:
- Smart Grid Readiness
- Line Loss Management
- Meter Data Management
- IT Sourcing
NRECA's TechAdvantage 2009 is the only national event designed
specifically for electric cooperative management and professionals in
engineering, operations, IT, purchasing, and supply management. The
Expo will be presented on February 13-16 at the New Orleans Convention Center.
Ed Thomas will join the Electsolve staff in their booth to share insights
gained from projects working with cooperatives, municipalities, and
deregulated energy service providers in Texas and elsewhere.
Electsolve home page
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Learn
Contractor Marketing Tips
"Marketing Techniques That Work for Raters & Contractors"
is a presentation on the ACI/Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Track set
for Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at 10:30am in Charles Room B at the
RESNET Building Performance Conference in New Orleans.
Ed Thomas will discuss how marketing is essential for a contractor and
rater's success - it makes the phone ring. Explore strategies, costs, and
challenges that successful companies have used. Learn how effective
marketing can be done on a shoe string budget.
Ed has been a trainer for the national Home Performance with ENERGY STARŪ
program, designed several Home Energy Makeover Contests, and managed a
geothermal heat pump installation company.
RESNET Conference
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Greetings!
How federal economic stimulus initiatives will impact
existing energy efficiency programs? That seems to be the question on
everyone's mind. We all hope that the new money will accelerate
the goals of current program models that work rather than re-invent.
Then again, several are proposing new "green home upgrade"
and "community initiatives" that sound compelling if we can
link them to a sustainable program infrastructure. Hard for me to
get excited about flashy ideas that don't leverage the utility and
agency sponsored entities that have been, and will be, serving the
energy-saving (and energy-using) needs of homes and businesses when our
economy recovers and energy efficiency isn't sexy anymore.
Travel restrictions are a bugaboo for many right now, so hope our
Utility Web Exchanges and Contractor Web Exchanges will help folks stay
connected and learning while offering more reasons for all of us to get
together in person on a statewide, regional, and national basis.
See you soon, I hope. Or, at least we'll chat via email or
phone.
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2nd Wyoming Utility Efficiency Exchange set for March
5-6 in Casper
 A preliminary agenda is now
online for the 2nd Wyoming Utility Efficiency Exchange to be presented
on March 5-6 in Casper. The event goal is to facilitate a
networking and professional development conference for staff
representatives of energy and water utilities serving Wyoming and neighboring
states who are responsible for developing and implementing customer
programs related to energy/water efficiency, renewable energy, demand
response, and key account customer management.
This event is hosted by the Wyoming Home Performance Alliance and is
expected to attract 50-75 utility staff and trade allies. The
agenda will feature interactive "utility snapshot" panel
presentations as well as "best practices"
presentations. This Exchange is not about how to influence
policies or motivate utilities to take action, but rather how utilities
that already recognize the need and value are developing and
implementing customer programs.
Speaking of Wyoming, "Home Performance Activities in Wyoming: How
Contractors are Profiting from "Whole House" Improvements"
was the topic of a Contractor Web Exchange presented on January
21. An audio recording with presentation slides are now available
to download.
The Web Exchange featured two home improvement contractors - one who
primarily installs HVAC systems, and another who is a remodeler/builder
- discussing how they are transforming their business practices to
offer home performance improvements to profit from growing interest in
energy efficiency and renewable energy. Learn more at www.utilityexchange.org/webinar/20090121.html.
Wyoming Utility Exchange web
site
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Home Energy Makeover Web
Exchange Attracts Over 30, Audio File Now Online
 Over 30 organizations
participated in the "Home Energy Makeover Contests: Motivating
Homeowners to Embrace Energy Efficiency" Utility Web Exchange
presented online on Wednesday, January 14.
If you missed it, an audio recording with the presentation slides is
now available at www.utilityexchange.org/webinar/20090114.html.
The web seminar detailed how this innovative contest approach
illustrates that there is a viable market to encourage homeowners to
make more comprehensive home energy improvement choices. A panel
presentation compared and contrasted Home Energy Makeover Contests
conducted in Colorado, Maine, and California, as well as a workshop
variation conducted in Colorado and Wyoming.
Presenters were: Phil Hayes, Anaheim Public Utilities; Bruce
Matulich, Electric and Gas Industries Association; and Ed Thomas,
UtilityExchange.org. They recently worked together to develop and
implement a successful Home Performance Makeover Contest to showcase
Anaheim Public Utilities' Home Investment Program that leverages the
national Home Performance with ENERGY STAR initiative. You can
see the contest website at www.egia.org/anaheim.
Makeover Contest Utility Web
Exchange details
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"No Longer Business as Usual" at 29th Utility
Energy Forum on May 6-8 in Tahoe
 "No Longer Business as
Usual" is the theme for the 29th Utility Energy Forum on May 6-8
in Tahoe City, Calif. Plan to attend to explore how utilities
throughout California, Nevada, and the Pacific Northwest are building
on consumer interest in energy efficiency and renewable energy to
address global climate change issues.
New this year will be an interactive Poster Session. At the
Forum, you will:
- LEARN from over 30 utilities--what's working, what's not & what's
next
- HEAR what key customers are saying about their expectations
- EXPLORE new technologies for enhancing customer service
- NETWORK with others to make partnership connections
- DISCOVER over 15 exhibitors offering valued products and services
The Utility Energy Forum is a non-profit consortium of utility
sponsors. The annual meeting provides attendees, speakers, and
exhibitors with a high quality, low key opportunity to exchange
information and learn from the pros about current and emerging industry
issues.
29th Utility Energy Forum
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PLMA "Demand Response 101" Set for Feb. 12
 "Demand Response 101:
Utility Program Launch Strategies" is the title for the next Peak
Load Management Alliance Web Workshop to be presented on Thursday,
February 12 at 2 p.m. (Eastern).
The online session will detail how utilities of all sizes and ownership
types plan and implement Demand Response programs that target
residential and commercial customers.
During this discussion you will hear from an electric cooperative, a
municipal-owned utility, and an investor-owned utility to discover how
they launched their highly-successful Demand Response programs.
Among the presenters will be Ed West, Director, Telecommunications and
Control, Dairyland Power Cooperative.
Peak Load Management
Alliance
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Quick Links to Our Key Allies...
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