Uplight Case Studies SMUD's Giveaway Hub Serves Low-to-Moderate Income Customers

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	SMUD's Giveaway Hub Serves Low-to-Moderate Income Customers Uplight

SMUD's Giveaway Hub Serves Low-to-Moderate Income Customers

Uplight

Technology Category	Analytics & Modeling - Data-as-a-Service Analytics & Modeling - Predictive Analytics Functional Applications - Remote Monitoring & Control Systems
Applicable Industries	Utilities
Applicable Functions	Sales & Marketing
Use Cases	Energy Management System
Services	Software Design & Engineering Services System Integration
Challenge	For utilities, reaching low-to-moderate income (LMI) customers and encouraging them to visit energy utility Marketplaces are big challenges. These customers often don’t think their utility’s offers apply to them, especially if they are renters or live in multifamily homes. And, even when utilities are successful in getting these customers to visit a Marketplace, many don’t take action, prioritizing paying a utility bill over investing in a pricey smart thermostat. During a truly unprecedented year where more customers have more been impacted financially by the pandemic, every dollar saved on an energy bill counts. Some utilities have launched Giveaway Hubs in response to engage LMI customers, encourage them to visit utility Marketplaces, and enable them to add energy saving products to their homes. By providing these products at no-cost, these utilities are helping LMI customers save money while also promoting energy efficiency. Read More
About Customer	As a community-owned electric company, Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) serves 1.5 million residents in California. In addition to using Uplight’s Workflow Automation and Non-residential Portal, the utility wanted a Marketplace to serve as a digital engagement platform that provides energy saving products and programs to their customers in a simple and seamless online experience, building on their role in the community as a trusted energy advisor. After involving customers in the Marketplace selection and development process, SMUD launched their Marketplace, powered by Uplight, in 2017. Due to COVID, SMUD has seen an influx of applications for Energy Assistance Program Rate (EAPR), a program that provides a monthly discount for qualified low-income customers. To better serve these customers, SMUD added a Giveaway Hub to their Marketplace, SMUD Energy Store, in November 2020, enabling them to offer items to customers at no cost. Read More
Solution	The Giveaway Hub is distinct from a utility’s Marketplace, but maintains the same look and feel. Utilities can direct targeted segments, such as LMI customers, to order free products, which includes the cost of the product, tax, and shipping. The Hub only features the products or kits that are available at no-cost, making it a quick and easy transaction for the customer—all without requiring a credit card or other payment information. The customer completes the same eligibility checks as in the Marketplace, using their address or account number. Utilities can add more validation fields, such as questions to verify someone is an LMI customer. Utilities can give away single products or bundles. One Northeastern utility has offered free conservation kits consisting of LED light bulbs, faucet aerator, low flow showerhead, and an advanced powerstrip to encourage energy efficiency all throughout the house. SMUD ran a campaign to give free, ENERGY STAR® certified holiday lights to a subset of LMI customers who are enrolled in EAPR and meet certain criteria around federal poverty level and TOU rate impact. Less than 48 hours after the holiday light promotion was launched, and with only half of the planned emails sent, SMUD reached their rebate cap for the program—putting holiday lights in the hands of 2.3K LMI customers. The results far exceeded SMUD's expectations—in prior years, SMUD had run similar programs for several months without hitting the rebate cap. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Analytics & Modeling - Data-as-a-Service

Analytics & Modeling - Predictive Analytics

Functional Applications - Remote Monitoring & Control Systems

Applicable Industries

Utilities

Applicable Functions

Sales & Marketing

Use Cases

Energy Management System

Services

Software Design & Engineering Services

System Integration

Challenge

For utilities, reaching low-to-moderate income (LMI) customers and encouraging them to visit energy utility Marketplaces are big challenges. These customers often don’t think their utility’s offers apply to them, especially if they are renters or live in multifamily homes. And, even when utilities are successful in getting these customers to visit a Marketplace, many don’t take action, prioritizing paying a utility bill over investing in a pricey smart thermostat. During a truly unprecedented year where more customers have more been impacted financially by the pandemic, every dollar saved on an energy bill counts. Some utilities have launched Giveaway Hubs in response to engage LMI customers, encourage them to visit utility Marketplaces, and enable them to add energy saving products to their homes. By providing these products at no-cost, these utilities are helping LMI customers save money while also promoting energy efficiency.

About Customer

As a community-owned electric company, Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) serves 1.5 million residents in California. In addition to using Uplight’s Workflow Automation and Non-residential Portal, the utility wanted a Marketplace to serve as a digital engagement platform that provides energy saving products and programs to their customers in a simple and seamless online experience, building on their role in the community as a trusted energy advisor. After involving customers in the Marketplace selection and development process, SMUD launched their Marketplace, powered by Uplight, in 2017. Due to COVID, SMUD has seen an influx of applications for Energy Assistance Program Rate (EAPR), a program that provides a monthly discount for qualified low-income customers. To better serve these customers, SMUD added a Giveaway Hub to their Marketplace, SMUD Energy Store, in November 2020, enabling them to offer items to customers at no cost.

Solution

The Giveaway Hub is distinct from a utility’s Marketplace, but maintains the same look and feel. Utilities can direct targeted segments, such as LMI customers, to order free products, which includes the cost of the product, tax, and shipping. The Hub only features the products or kits that are available at no-cost, making it a quick and easy transaction for the customer—all without requiring a credit card or other payment information. The customer completes the same eligibility checks as in the Marketplace, using their address or account number. Utilities can add more validation fields, such as questions to verify someone is an LMI customer. Utilities can give away single products or bundles. One Northeastern utility has offered free conservation kits consisting of LED light bulbs, faucet aerator, low flow showerhead, and an advanced powerstrip to encourage energy efficiency all throughout the house. SMUD ran a campaign to give free, ENERGY STAR® certified holiday lights to a subset of LMI customers who are enrolled in EAPR and meet certain criteria around federal poverty level and TOU rate impact. Less than 48 hours after the holiday light promotion was launched, and with only half of the planned emails sent, SMUD reached their rebate cap for the program—putting holiday lights in the hands of 2.3K LMI customers. The results far exceeded SMUD's expectations—in prior years, SMUD had run similar programs for several months without hitting the rebate cap.

Impact #1	Uplight’s Marketplace and Giveaway Hub enabled a best-in-class ecommerce shopping experience for customers during the biggest ecommerce sale period of the year.
Impact #2	The Giveaway Hub spread holiday cheer at the end of a turbulent year—while also empowering more customers to save without spending a single penny.
Impact #3	Giveaway Hubs aren’t limited to LMI customers and the holiday season. They can be used to engage a variety of customer segments on any day to help them be more energy efficient all year round and strengthen the utility-customer relationship.

Impact #1

Uplight’s Marketplace and Giveaway Hub enabled a best-in-class ecommerce shopping experience for customers during the biggest ecommerce sale period of the year.

Impact #2

The Giveaway Hub spread holiday cheer at the end of a turbulent year—while also empowering more customers to save without spending a single penny.

Impact #3

Giveaway Hubs aren’t limited to LMI customers and the holiday season. They can be used to engage a variety of customer segments on any day to help them be more energy efficient all year round and strengthen the utility-customer relationship.

Benefit #1	SMUD reached their rebate cap for the program in less than 48 hours.
Benefit #2	2.3K LMI customers received free holiday lights.

Benefit #1

SMUD reached their rebate cap for the program in less than 48 hours.

Benefit #2

2.3K LMI customers received free holiday lights.

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Overview

SMUD's Giveaway Hub Serves Low-to-Moderate Income Customers

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit