Parks Associates’ new study, “Smarter Energy at Home: Intelligence, Coordination, Services,” suggests that the smart energy sector is gaining traction and appears to have a good upside.

The study found that 43% of U.S. Internet households are enrolled in energy programs.

Released in conjunction with the Smart Energy Summit in late March in Dallas, the study found there are five main incentives to enroll in energy programs: Almost 50% seek to lower their energy bill. Others seek an available monthly bill credit (about 40%), annual bill credits (about 20%), associated gift cards (about 20%), and free smart thermostat offers (about 15%). About 5% have other reasons, the research showed.

There is a good market for consumer released equipment and services. For instance, the study found that 61% of households report electric energy costs are too high. This feeling was found across all consumer segments.

Other findings from the study:

• 42% of US internet households select an electricity provider or utility as their preferred provider to deliver an app to monitor their energy usage.
• 50% of consumers actively work to reduce energy consumption; 36% need help reducing energy consumption.
• Only 22% of smart thermostat owners currently participate in a demand response (DR) program.
• Saving energy is one of the top three reasons smart home device owners coordinate their devices into “routines.”
• Electricity providers struggle with customer satisfaction, with an NPS of -25.
• 16% of U.S. internet households have a heat pump.

Parks Associates describes the energy study as follows, “This research explores U.S. households’ engagement with smart energy solutions and programs. It examines familiarity, adoption, and satisfaction with energy-efficient equipment and programs, including EV charging, solar and demand response. The survey assesses consumers’ attitudes toward managing energy usage through smart devices, AI and services, to identify barriers and motivators for adopting energy innovations.”