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

Roku Shares Soar in Streaming-Device Maker’s IPO Debut

Roku faces massive, deep-pocketed competitors — but so far the 700-employee company has more than held its own in the streaming-media device market. In the first quarter of 2017, Roku had 37% share of...

Smart Watches And APIs: Expanding Opportunities

Parks Associates consumer research reports 11% of U.S. broadband households with children have a smart watch, and 16% plan to buy one by mid-year 2016. Ten percent of Spanish broadband households own...

As Fire TV passes 30M users, Amazon execs eye more voice integrations and global expansion

More and more people are watching TV and movies with over-the-top devices. Streaming device ownership spiked from six percent of U.S. broadband households in 2010 to almost 40 percent last year, accor...

No more family freeloaders: Netflix to charge extra for sharing accounts

The trial is part of the streamer’s ongoing campaign to ensure revenue is not lost as the streaming space has grown increasingly competitive. According to an analysis by research firm Parks Associates...