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Restaurants
June 22, 2009 | Updated: November 1, 2012
Utility account managers often overlook the food service sector despite the energy intensity of food service operations. E Source Sector Snapshots provide account managers and program designers an opportunity to brush up on industry trends from the owner’s and facility manager’s perspective. ...
Content type: Sector Snapshot | Document ID: MAS-S-22 | Author: Yuki Iida
Small and Midsize Retail
September 10, 2008 | Updated: September 14, 2012
Small and midsize businesses are important drivers of the U.S. economy. Because savings on energy go directly to their bottom lines, these retailers are receptive to energy-efficiency strategies—but only if the strategies are free, cost very little, or pay back quickly.
Content type: Sector Snapshot | Document ID: SMB-S-8 | Author: Maureen McIntyre
2009 E Source Account Management Assessment
Account Management Best Practices
December 7, 2009
The 2009 E Source Account Management Assessment surveyed utilities on account management practices for all sizes of business customers. The results give an actionable set of data to help utilities improve their account management practices and see how they stack up against others in the industry.
Content type: Benchmark Study | Document ID: BAM-BMK-AMA-09 | Author: Sarah Weldon and Matthew Joyce
Security Deposit Policies for Commercial Customers
November 16, 2009
What security deposit policies are utilities using for their commercial customers?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: UCC-AskES-10 | Author: Sarah Weldon
Handheld Devices for Small Business Energy Audits
October 22, 2009
What are the benefits of using handheld devices to conduct energy audits for small businesses? Who are the providers of such devices?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: BCO-AskES-4 | Author: Florence Connally
Business Energy Audits
August 17, 2009
What does a typical on-site business energy audit entail? How are utilities marketing energy audits to their business customers?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: BCO-AskES-2 | Author: Kim Knox
Savings from a Compressed Work Week
June 19, 2009
Can you save energy in a building by switching to a compressed work week, such as a 4-day, 10-hours-per-day schedule?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: TAS-AskES-3 | Author: John Sustar
Improving the Satisfaction of Your SMB Electric and Gas Customers
Results from an E Source Roundtable Discussion
June 1, 2009
What makes your small and midsize business (SMB) customers tick? What ticks them off? We summarize best practices, no-cost and low-cost customer satisfaction (CSAT) improvement steps, and insights gleaned from the 2009 J.D. Power and Associates CSAT studies for SMB electric and gas utility customers. ...
Content type: Focus Report | Document ID: SMB-F-23 | Author: John Egan
Working with National Small Business Associations
June 1, 2009
How can utilities best work with national small business associations to deliver energy-efficiency messages to small business customers?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: SMB-AskES-9 | Author: Kelsie Bell
Using Key Account Executives to Reduce Bad Debt
May 13, 2009
With the goal of reducing bad debt, do utilities’ key account executives work with collections departments to collect outstanding delinquent balances from commercial accounts? If so, are they able to do so while meeting the utility’s goals of customer satisfaction and retention?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: SMB-AskES-6a | Author: Alexandra Behringer and Sarah Weldon
Marketing AC Cycling Programs to SMB Customers
May 13, 2009
What messages do utility air-conditioning cycling programs use in marketing to small and midsize business (SMB) customers? Do any programs adapt the message for different SMB sectors?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: SMB-AskES-6b | Author: Alexandra Behringer and Chad Garrett
Direct Installation Programs for Small Businesses
March 30, 2009
Can you provide information on direct-installation programs utilities are offering for small businesses? We are interested in installed measures, eligibility requirements, and payback periods, if available.
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: SMB-AskES-5a | Author: Alexandra Behringer
Small Business Efficiency Program Incentives
March 20, 2009
We are designing an incentive program that will promote energy efficiency to small businesses. What technologies are typically included? Specifically, we would like to include a broad range of low- and no-cost upgrades because small businesses are typically capital-constrained.
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: SMB-AskES-5b | Author: Alexandra Behringer and Kim Knox
Keep Your Business Customers Close—but Your Trade Allies Closer
February 15, 2009
If you’re not working with trade allies, what are you waiting for? We take a look at various ways that utilities can build or strengthen existing relationships with trade allies.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: SMB-RB-2 | Author: Kim Knox
Assigned Accounts for the SMB Customer Segment
February 15, 2009
How do utilities “manage” small and midsize business customers? How many of these customers can one account manager effectively handle?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: SMB-AskES-8 | Author: Leland Keller
Federal Incentives for Energy Efficiency and Renewable-Energy Systems
February 1, 2009
Are there any tax incentives in the U.S. Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008 (EIEA 2008) that are relevant to small and midsize businesses wanting to make capital investments in energy efficiency or renewable-energy systems?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: SMB-AskES-4a | Author: Yuki Iida
Federal Incentives for Green Transportation
February 1, 2009
Are there any vehicle-related incentives provided by the U.S. Energy Improvement and Efficiency Act of 2008 (EIEA 2008) that are relevant to small and midsize businesses?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: SMB-AskES-4b | Author: Yuki Iida
Viral Marketing
Creatively Promoting Load-Management Programs to Your Business Customers
January 15, 2009
Creative marketing channels can empower people to inform others about your business’s load-management program. By tapping into the existing social networks of business operators, you can give your marketing efforts a life of their own.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: SMB-RB-1 | Author: Chad Garrett
Big Energy Savings from Small and Midsize Business Customers
Insights from Two Efficiency Program Managers
January 15, 2009
Marketing energy-efficiency programs to small and midsize business owners and managers can be challenging—they have diverse needs, are often capital-constrained, and are extremely busy running their businesses. So what are the best ways to reach out to these customers?
Content type: Focus Report | Document ID: SMB-F-19 | Author: Kim Knox
Small Commercial Dry Cleaners
December 30, 2008
Dry cleaners work long hours for slim profits. This sector can be highly receptive to energy-efficient strategies that increase the bottom line—but only if the strategies are free, cost very little, or pay back quickly.
Content type: Sector Snapshot | Document ID: SMB-S-10 | Author: Kelsie Bell
Turning Prospects into Participants
Effectively Marketing Load Management to Small and Midsize Businesses
December 15, 2008
Effective marketing is the most successful way of boosting business participation in load-management programs. Targeting messages to different sectors can reinforce that similar businesses are succeeding and allow you to address their unique business needs.
Content type: Focus Report | Document ID: SMB-F-22 | Author: Chad Garrett
SMB Communications Performance
December 1, 2008
Which utilities do the best job of communicating with their small and midsize business (SMB) customers and what are their common best practices?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: SMB-AskES-7a | Author: John Egan
SMB Newsletter Delivery Channels
December 1, 2008
How do utilities electronically deliver their newsletters to business customers? Are most newsletters available in PDF format on the utility web site, or are some companies using e-mail to channel the newsletters?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: SMB-AskES-7b | Author: Florence Connally
Segment-Specific SMB Newsletters
December 1, 2008
To what extent are utilities providing sector-specific information to their small to midsize business (SMB) customers such as retailers or hotels? Or do utilities tend to send the same newsletter to all of their SMB customers?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: SMB-AskES-7c | Author: John Egan
Leadership in Gas Efficiency Programs
Results from an E Source Roundtable Discussion
December 1, 2008
Rising energy prices and increasing utility bills, coupled with the financial, environmental, and reputational costs of building new utility infrastructure or acquiring new supplies of gas or electricity, are shining a bright light on the significance of energy efficiency and conservation.
Content type: Focus Report | Document ID: SMB-F-18 | Author: Gregg Eisenberg
Using Target Profiles to Craft Marketing Messages to Small Business Customers
September 1, 2008
We’ve segmented our customers and developed personas to help us focus on specific audiences, but we’re still feeling challenged when it comes to what messages to use. How do we craft a marketing message that resonates with our small business customers?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: SMB-AskES-2a | Author: Matthew Joyce
Customer Expectations for Utility Community Involvement
September 1, 2008
What kind of community-relations activities do small and midsize business customers expect from their utility, and how do those activities add to or detract from their overall opinion of the utility?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: SMB-AskES-2b | Author: John Egan
Energy Myth-Busting for Small Businesses
Results from an E Source Roundtable Discussion
September 1, 2008
By dispelling some common energy myths, utilities can help their small and midsize business customers save money and use energy more wisely. This report sets the record straight about 10 of the most prevalent energy myths that we have encountered year after year.
Content type: Focus Report | Document ID: SMB-F-15 | Author: Gregg Eisenberg
Small Businesses Go Retro
Achieving Greater Penetration for Lighting Retrofit Programs
September 1, 2008
The marketing effectiveness of lighting retrofit programs for small and midsize businesses can be improved by targeting the right businesses through multiple channels and with messages that appeal to those business segments.
Content type: Service Report | Document ID: SMB-29 | Author: Chad Garrett
Local Government Partnerships and DSM: Extending the Community
Results from an E Source Roundtable Discussion
August 1, 2008
Government agencies have a dual role in utility energy-efficiency programs: as customers, and as utility channel partners. As owners of public buildings, local government organizations are good candidates for inclusion in efficiency programs, and signing them on can lead to significant savings.
Content type: Focus Report | Document ID: SMB-F-14 | Author: Kelsie Bell
