Information technology needs for residential value-added services. Final report

Technical Report · Fri Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:177395

Isaksen, L

As electric utilities encounter deregulation and competition they are seeking new opportunities for increasing revenues and profitability in the residential sector. These new services should: (1) Satisfy customer needs, not just as they are perceived now, but as they will be in the near future. Customer needs center around comfort, convenience, safety, choices, and social responsibility. (2) Anticipate emerging enabling technologies. These include the emerging National Information Infrastructure (Information Superhighway) and in-house local-area communication networks. The in-house network and intelligent appliances make electric-utility home automation functions and automatic response to demand-limiting rates possible. (3) Anticipate future real-time pricing and energy brokering. It is not clear what form these will take, or when they will become common, but they are almost certain to evolve in a deregulated, competitive marketplace. (4) Build upon the utility core business, take advantage of the utility reputation in the community, represent unique services that others cannot readily provide, and be profitable. Many value-added services build on past utility experience with load management and demand-side management, with an increased emphasis on profitability. Some view value-added services as a way to help justify the costs of a broadband communications system. Five classes of value-added services have been identified: (1) Billing Services; (2) Customer Service; (3) Information Services; (4) Real-time Pricing and Home Automation; (5) Distribution Automation. The potential value-added services presented here provide a starting point as utilities plan their own programs.

• Research Organization: Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States). Customer Systems Group
• Sponsoring Organization: Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States)
• OSTI ID: 177395
• Report Number(s): EPRI-TR--105783
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
COMPETITION
ELECTRIC POWER
ELECTRIC POWER INDUSTRY
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
INFORMATION
LOAD MANAGEMENT
RESIDENTIAL SECTOR
SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS