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Whole Neighborhood Approach July 2009 Workshop

Whole Neighborhood Approach July 2009 Workshop. Jack Parkhill Southern California Edison Manager, Income Qualified Programs.

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Whole Neighborhood Approach July 2009 Workshop

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  1. Whole Neighborhood ApproachJuly 2009 Workshop Jack Parkhill Southern California Edison Manager, Income Qualified Programs

  2. Southern California Edison (SCE) is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, serving a population of more than 14 million via 4.9 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and Southern California. Service territory includes: Los Angeles County Orange County San Bernardino County Riverside County Imperial County Tulare County Kern County Kings County Fresno County Tuolumne County Inyo County Mono County Santa Barbara County Ventura County Southern California Edison

  3. LIEE Customer Demographics • An estimated 1.4 million low-income households • Los Angeles County – 43% • Orange County – 14% • Riverside County – 13% • San Bernardino County – 16% • Fresno, Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Mono, Santa Barbara, Tulare, and Ventura – 14% • A typical participating household has an average • Annual gross household income of $21,000 • 3 people living in the household • 5.3% of the households have a permanently disabled member [1] • 20% of the households have a senior member [1] Based on program participation for PY2007-2008

  4. CPUC authorized SCE to spend $185 million to help its low-income customers save energy for the 2009-2011 program cycle Over 250,000 low-income homes to be serviced 15% of new enrollments shall be households with disabilities Over 1 million energy efficient devices will be replaced: 66,000 old inefficient refrigerators 15,000 inefficient air conditioners 20,000 halogen torchieres 900,000 incandescent light bulbs 5,000 electrically heated homes will receive weatherization Cooling maintenance services will be targeted to 5,000 homes Our Plans for the Future

  5. How Does the EMA Program Work? EMA involves four stages that touch the customer: • Marketing • Increasing program awareness by issuing press releases, direct mailers, media ads, etc. • Outreach • Recruiting customers for participation in the EMA Program and informing customers about the EMA Program and the benefits of the program • Enrollment and Assessment • Simply the process of gathering information to determine if the customer is eligible for the program, and checking the customer’s home to be sure it is feasible to install specific measures • Service Delivery • Installing appliances and other measures • Inspection • Inspecting the customer’s home after service delivery to be sure the measures are working properly and safely

  6. Looking Back at Customer Participation SCE coordinated various marketing and outreach tactics to reach low-income homes to offer the opportunity to participate in the LIEE Program Tactics included: • CARE lists – SCE targeted customers on CARE who have not previously participated in the LIEE Program • Direct mailers – Through a focused marketing effort, SCE targeted low-income communities that can best benefit from the LIEE Program. SCE’s direct mailers proved to be successful and accounted for the majority of the leads created through SCE’s energy-efficiency phone center. • Overlapping IOUs – Through a coordinated effort with partner IOUs, SCE leveraged the outreach of customers in the areas jointly served by partner IOUs

  7. Looking Back at Customer Participation Customers can enroll in the EMA Program through four key channels: • Calling SCE’s Energy Efficiency Call Center • Live rep or VRU • Approximately 50% of the enrollments • Data Sharing / Joint Utility Efforts • During the enrollment process with a partner IOU, agencies are authorized to qualify and assess customers who have been qualified by another IOU • Approximately 30% of the enrollments • Direct outreach by SCE’s network of service providers • If needed, upon Edison approval agencies were authorized to recruit customers potentially eligible to receive services • Approximately 19% of the enrollments • Visiting SCE.COM • Completing a lead sheet • Approximately 1% of the enrollments

  8. SCE Managed Enrollment and Installation Referrals • Approximately 50% of SCE's LIEE customer leads come from calls to SCE’s Energy Efficiency Call Center • SCE managed these leads by referring them to contractors who conduct the enrollment process • One Stop Shop • Contractor enroll customers in the Program, comprehensive assessment of the customer’s home and installs all possible measures • SCE referred measures which were impossible to install during the enrollment process for installation • Customers eligible for multiple measures (weatherization and appliances) were referred to a single contractor to install all the measures in a single visit • Contractors scheduled a days worth of work for each crew in neighboring communities to minimize windshield time and carbon footprint

  9. SCE Managed Outreach • SCE manages outreach activities for its contractors through its existing fee structure and database • SCE’s database ensures that contractors conducting outreach cannot enter data without advance permission • In this way, SCE controls both the areas in which contractors can conduct outreach and the methods they can use • The canvassing tool allows contractors to target CARE and/or non-CARE customers who have not previously participated in the LIEE Program, down to the ZIP level

  10. SCE Achieves Goals

  11. Integrating the Whole Neighborhood Approach • Decision 08-11-031 • “IOUs Shall Adopt a "Whole Neighborhood Approach" to Marketing and Installation of LIEE Measures. IOUs shall minimize costs and greenhouse gas emissions in delivering LIEE measures to low income households. By focusing efforts on whole "neighborhoods“ ( pg.4) • “We implement the Whole Neighborhood Approach model to reduce program costs, leverage the availability of resources at a community level, and serve a greater number of customers.” (pg.20) • “By following the Whole Neighborhood Approach, the utilities should continue to demonstrate reduced overhead, transportation and installation costs. The utilities should serve all willing and eligible customers in a targeted geographic area prior to moving on to the next targeted geographic area.” (pg. 32)

  12. SCE’s Response to WNA • Identify and Market to Low-Income Population • Identify areas with dense low-income population and low program penetration rate • Target high energy use and high energy insecurity customers • Target customers on Medical Baseline and with a self-reported “Disabled” profile • Tailor marketing material for Limited English Proficient and Extreme Climate Zone • Deploy a communications mix to a neighborhood ahead of the contractor • Contractors can generate canvassing lists using SCE’s customer database • Leveraging Existing Relationships and Local Resources by Collaborating with local representatives to gain community trust, promote the Program, increase awareness, and coordinate community outreach events

  13. Targeted Outreach SCE shifted its marketing tactics to target • High Energy Use Customers - Market to CARE customers with high energy usage (kWh) • High Energy Insecurity Customers - Apply available late-payment and disconnection notice data to identify and target customers • Ethnic Communities / Limited English Proficient Customers - Continue targeting to ZIP codes where a high proportion of households are Limited English Proficient (LEP) • Extreme Climate Zone Customers – Aggressively target customers in SCE’s more extreme climate zones which tend to have higher winter and summer bills, primarily the San Joaquin Valley, which is highly affected by the economic downturn. • Special Needs Customers - Persons with Disabilities, Underemployed Workers, Seniors, Rural Areas

  14. SCE Enhances Referral System SCE’s database assigns a minimum number of jobs at one time within a designated area • SCE continues to minimize the program’s carbon footprint by aggregating leads in small geographic areas and then referring the leads to service providers in a manner that engages the service provider in a full day’s worth of work within a neighborhood • The new enhancement assigns work to contractors based on a “minimum number of jobs” value configured in SCE’S database • The System only assigns work for a particular ZIP7 code when the number of jobs reaches that threshold

  15. Whole Neighborhood Approach - Visalia SCE implemented various elements of the WNA during the 1st quarter and focused a WNA event in Visalia • SCE piloted a Whole Neighborhood Approach as directed by D.08-11-031 in the city of Visalia in May 2009 • SCE targeted the geographic segment of Visalia, with a large ratio of low-income customers and low LIEE penetration known as the “Oval Area” • 6,209 estimated eligible / 42.35% penetrated • All prior participants since 2002 were filtered out of the selection process, resulting in the pilot targeting customers who have not previously participated in SCE’s LIEE program

  16. Strategic Planning The effort was categorized by ZIP7s encompassing specific ‘block’ neighborhoods to deliver the program more efficiently

  17. Coordinated Efforts - Visalia • In order to increase awareness in the community, SCE coordinated efforts with, Proteus, the Mayor, the Director of Housing & Economic Development, Housing Specialists, and the Visalia School District Board Chair • A local radio show promoted SCE’s LIEE Program and the WNA effort prior and during the canvassing periods • Promo spots ran once a week • Detailed customer data, for customers selected for the effort was sent to Proteus to enable them to develop their canvassing strategy prior to the WNA effort • Customer name, address, phone number • Door hangers were available to for customers not home • SCE logo, company name, reason for visit, toll free number

  18. Targeted Marketing - Visalia In an effort to increase awareness, SCE’s Marketing Department created postcards promoting the EMA Program and the WNA • Prior to the canvassing period, SCE mailed postcards to customers within the selected neighborhoods • The postcard informed the customers of Proteus’ visit to their neighborhood, including the canvassing timeframe • Each postcard drop was strategically planned with Proteus using ZIP7 data

  19. Visalia Effort - Results Pilot to date, SCE’s Visalia WNA effort targeting 10,500 customers has resulted in approximately 300 enrollments • Of the total enrollments, over 150 enrollments were a result of customers calling SCE’s call center to schedule an appointment • Customer’s were home in an estimated 2,100 households visited by Proteus • Canvassing occurred Monday through Saturday between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. • Common Barrier’s • 1) Customers were not home 2) The decision maker was not available, or 3) The proper documents were not available, customers were unable to arrange their schedule around the visit to the neighborhood • Increased cost for the additional administrative and field resources, and marketing efforts

  20. Lessons Learned - Visalia • Collaborating with local representatives of SCE Public Affairs and with Community, Faith-Based and Local Government Organizations proved effective • Gain community trust by sponsoring community events to promote the Program, and increase awareness of the program and practices • Developing partnerships with city and county officials to provide program information and collateral material lead to increased enrollments • Customer’s trust the local communication infrastructure, such as local newspapers, city flyers, employee newsletters, client publications and radio/cable shows

  21. Looking Ahead • SCE will continue to work with its network of LIEE service providers to optimize LIEE service delivery by maximizing the effectiveness of existing resources to reach low-income homes and offer customers the opportunity to participate in the LIEE Program • SCE will leverage and expand the relationships with city and county agencies to help low-income customers address energy efficiency opportunities in their communities

  22. Identifying Target Areas SCE will continue to use the current LIEE Annual Eligibility Estimates (Athens Study) Data to identify which neighborhoods to target • Target homes with the dense low-income population and low Program penetration • SCE will focus its marketing and outreach efforts at the ZIP7 level • Pull customer data using SCE’s Marketing Canvassing Tool to include Average kWh / kW, Average Bill Amount, Number of Disconnects, Number of Final Calls • SCE will continue to collaborate with city staff members and internal city partnerships department

  23. Increased Outreach Efforts to Special Needs Customers • SCE will increase outreach efforts to: • Persons with disabilities, seniors, and rural areas • Customers on the Medical Baseline rate, high-energy users, and high-energy insecurity customers • Customers in SCE’s more extreme climate zones which tend to have higher winter and summer bills • SCE is partnering with organizations working with low-income households and people with disabilities, such as • Regional Centers • AbilityFirst • Asian Rehabilitation Service, Inc.

  24. SCE Tracks Marketing Attempts SCE’s Marketing Tool module will track customers targeted to participate in the EMA program • The System will also track customers who no longer wish to participate or receive additional mailers • The Marketing Module also tracks: • Average kWh / kW • Average Bill Amount • Number of Disconnects • Number of Final Calls • Marketing Attempt values are designated to each attempt to determine a customer who no longer wishes to participate in the program.

  25. Event Planning • SCE will be incorporating its Cool Centers into upcoming WNA efforts • 15 Cool Centers reside in the Counties of San Bernardino, Riverside, Tulare and Kings. • Customers will be targeted within the Cool Centers general vicinity • Maintain a few days presence during the week for enrollment • Coordination with Events Marketing Manager within internal teams, and Customer Experience Management department.

  26. Other Efforts • Mobile Energy Assistant Units (MEAU) • SCE will be procuring a preparing for 2 MEAU’s for future community efforts and program support • Outbound Calling • Coordination with SCE’s Call Center will allow LIEE to contact customers who dropped out through cancelled leads. • Automated System is also being developed • E-Mail Blasts • SCE will start contacting customers through e-mail blasts reminding them about the benefits of the Program. • LIEE will partner with SCE’s MyAccount for Online Billing

  27. Increased Coordination Between SCE and Network of Service Providers SCE will collaborate with service providers by using SCE’s customer databases to identify neighborhoods and coordinate various marketing and outreach tactics • Marketing efforts will be staggered to address specific neighborhoods (small geographic areas or "ZIP7s") • SCE will filter all prior participants from the marketing lists, targeting only customers who have not previously participated in SCE’s LIEE program • Customers receiving mailers will contact SCE’s EE call center • SCE will create and refer leads to contractors • SCE will send the marketing list of customers in that ZIP7 to contractors for outreach/canvassing • SCE plans to increase awareness of the marketing and outreach efforts by issuing press releases, sending email blasts, conducting outbound calls, and sending follow-up flyers to customers

  28. Reducing the Program’s Carbon Footprint • SCE plans to continue aggregating leads in small geographic areas and then allocating the leads to service providers in a manner that engages the service provider in a full day’s worth of work within a neighborhood. • This method will be used to manage the work throughout the funding cycle in order to “space” LIEE work throughout the year for each LIEE service provider.

  29. Combine SCE’s Approach With Elements of the ED WNA White Paper • SCE plans to continue to use existing and expanded marketing efforts to target neighborhoods thereby increasing awareness resulting in customer calls being received by local contractors and SCE’s Customer Call Center • As contractors visit customers through scheduled appointments they will be encouraged to canvass the local neighborhood with canvassing lists provided through SCE

  30. Conclusion • SCE believes the ideas and methods within the WNA White Paper serve as one approach to delivering program services, in conjunction with existing efforts, and new approaches that are yet to be developed. • Working with Energy Division and LIEE contractors, SCE believes an integrated service delivery plan should focus on the needs of individual customers and build on existing approaches and the ideas and methods within the WNA White Paper.

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