Providing market intelligence for more than 35 years

In The News

Helping Consumers Understand the Value of Smart Meters

As cities across the United States continue to introduce smart meters, consumer adoption and satisfaction are keys to making a successful transition to the smart grid. Utilities can help with adoption by implementing time-variant pricing. However, a major barrier to a successful implementation is getting consumers to opt-in.

According to Parks Associates, nearly two-thirds of broadband customers in the United States are willing to pay for a smart energy management service, but a lack of information and knowledge is hindering progress. The value of the smart grid is clear to utilities. However, despite the numerous benefits, smart meters still raise concerns for many mainstream consumers. Many don’t fully understand how they work, why they are needed and how it will benefit them.

From the article "Helping Consumers Understand the Value of Smart Meters" by Marcus Scheiber.

Previously In The News

Amazon Syncs Alexa With Ecommerce App

By breaking into consumers’ smartphones, Alexa can now compete more directly with Apple’s Siri, Ok Google, Facebook M, and Microsoft’s Cortana. (Samsung is also reportedly developing its own voice ass...

Samsung Claims Its New Bixby Out-Assists Siri

Today, 40% of smartphone owners already use digital assistants, according to a recent survey conducted by Parks Associates. Not surprising, millennials are most likely to partake (46%), but -- as t...

Why Brands Like HBO and WWE Are Flocking to Streaming Subscription Services

In the history of TV—all 75 years of it—there has never been a time when so much content has been so readily available to watch. But with the average cable package now topping $103, according to Le...

Nearly a Third of Streaming Service Trials Result in a Paid Subscription

New research shows 32 percent of free trials for streaming services end in a subscription. That’s good news for Hulu and YouTube as they launched skinny bundle streaming services in the last month,...