Design and Configuration: Demand Rate Coach

This section discusses the design, configuration options, and the user experience variations that are specific to the Demand Rate Coach emails.

Demand Rate Coach emails are designed to educate AMI customers with demand rate electricity plans about their rate plan, and to encourage them to minimize their electricity demand in order to lower their demand charge. Demand Rate Coach emails include rate plan details, personalized energy use insights, and actionable tips to help customers save money on their energy bills.

The Demand Rate Coach emails are intended to:

• Increase satisfaction and comprehension for utility customers on demand rate plans.
• Reduce electricity demand.
• Reduce demand charges for utility customers.
• Reduce calls to the utility's call center from customers with demand rate plans.
• Increase customer retention on demand rate plans.

Customers receive one of the following Demand Rate Coach emails each week:

• Introduction emails
• Weekly Coach emails
• Monthly Demand Report emails

Each of these emails is comprised of a specified set of load shifting modules that are intended to help customers understand their demand rate plan and educate them on how to save electricity and money.

Note: Each email is comprised of individual modules. It is strongly recommended that you use the default order of the modules, as the emails were designed to be read from top to bottom, to provide the reader with an easy-to-understand message about their energy use. The default order of the modules for each email is listed in the sections below.

Configuration and user variation details are provided for each individual module and are included in the Email Module Appendix. Alternatively, you can access the details by clicking the module names listed in the following sections.

Introduction Emails

The first email customers receive as part of the Demand Rate Coach program is the Introduction email. The Introduction email is designed to welcome customers with Demand rate plans to the program, and to provide peak hour energy use insights. The message offers tips on how to reduce energy use during peak hours and how to decrease demand charges. The email also encourages customers to use less during peak hours by including information about the average savings of other utility customers who have shifted their use to off-peak hours.

By default, the Introduction email contains these modules, in the order listed:

• Email Header and Subject Lines Modules
• Demand Introduction Module
• Demand 101 Module
• Hourly Usage Module
• Demand Education Module
• Demand Big Appliances Module
• Easy Open Module (optional)
• Email Footer Module

Figure 2-6 Introduction Email (Part 1)

Figure 2-7 Introduction Email (Part 2)

Weekly Coach Emails

The Weekly Coach email is delivered to customers each week as part of the Demand Rate Coach email program. It provides peak hour and demand energy use insights as well as a comparison between peak hour electricity spending during the current week and the previous week. Customers begin receiving the Weekly Coach email after they receive their Introduction email, and do not receive the Weekly Coach email in weeks when they receive the Monthly Demand Report email.

By default, the Weekly Coach emails contain these modules, in the order listed:

• Email Header and Subject Lines Modules
• Weekly Comparison Module
• Demand 101 Module
• Hourly Usage Module
• Demand Tracker Module
• Tips Module
• Easy Open Module (optional)
• Email Footer Module

Figure 2-8 Weekly Email (Part 1)

Figure 2-9 Weekly Email (Part 2)

Monthly Demand Report Emails

The Monthly Demand Report email is delivered to customers every month, just after they receive their bill. This email is designed to help a customer reduce bill shock, and to help them understand demand charges. It includes details about when the customer's demand hour occurred during the month, shows how electricity was used on that day, and provides information about how the demand charge is calculated. It also compares the demand hour from the current bill to the demand hour from the previous bill, and provides tips about how the customer can save money and energy.

By default, the Monthly Demand Report emails contain these modules, in the order listed:

• Email Header and Subject Lines Modules
• Demand Report Header Module
• Demand Day Usage Module
• Demand 101 Module
• Demand Value Comparison Module
• Tips Module
• Easy Open Module (optional)
• Email Footer Module

Figure 2-10 Monthly Demand Report Email