Equity means understanding people’s unique circumstances and working with them to identify solutions to address their needs. Energy equity aims to minimize the negative impacts of our energy systems and maximize the benefits for all utility customers. Historically, these impacts and benefits haven’t been equitably distributed.
To make sure everyone has access to clean, affordable, reliable energy, utilities are applying an equity lens to their demand-side management, distributed energy resource, EV, billing, and payment programs. They’re also incorporating equity into their marketing and communications, internal operations, and trade ally engagement. And they’re learning more about customers’ unique needs and challenges and modifying programs and services to meet those needs, ensuring fairness and justice.
Utilities may recognize this critical opportunity, but they may not know where to start. E Source can help utilities consider and navigate the definitions and applications of energy equity and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Our comprehensive suite of solutions and services empower our clients to make sweeping improvements in the lives of their customers and employees through equity initiatives.
Our recommended equity pieces
The pending crisis at the intersection of energy affordability and equity
Current approaches to affordability and equity aren’t working for many households. With funding from the US Inflation Reduction Act and other federal and state programs, utilities have an opportunity to create real, meaningful change in their communities.
Forging a path to a brighter energy future for all
Energy equity continues to be the priority for many in the utility industry. And we don’t expect these important efforts to lose momentum any time soon. Let’s reflect on what the utility industry has accomplished so far, based on each element of the E Source energy equity framework.
The energy equity framework that benefits customers, utilities, and underserved communities
DEI isn’t a new concept for utilities, but there is a new energy-equity movement sweeping the utility industry. In this white paper, we present our energy-equity framework that will benefit customers, utilities, and underserved communities.
Define and measure equity
Utilities need to define what energy equity means for their business and customers before they can create and measure goals for energy equity. Equitable programs can meet your performance goals while addressing the unique needs of each community and customer. To assess whether your portfolio is equitable, view it through an equity lens or perspective.
Resources to help you define equity
Database of energy equity and affordability programs across the US and Canada
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A conversation on diversity, equity, and inclusion: What we need to do to initiate change
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Expertly guide your equity initiatives with insightful market research
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37.2 million reasons why utilities need to change their LMI approach
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The equity iceberg: What you need to know about serving the underserved
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E Source PowerTalking Episode 6: Why energy equity is a win-win for utilities, cities, and customers
Listen now
What utilities can do to improve energy equity
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Energy equity: Utilities can and should lead the way
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Using ethnography and market research to better define and address energy equity
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Ensuring equity in utility workplaces
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Utilities support diversity, equity, and inclusion, and so does E Source
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Redefining the low-income customer experience
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Defining equity to inform your utility’s energy equity strategy
Watch the recording
How to make your utility programs more equitable
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How building intercultural competency drives equitable decision-making
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If you’re a member of certain E Source services, you can access these additional resources:
- What you can do now to help your vulnerable customers make it through COVID-19
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion in the utility sector: Advancing your goals
- How utilities are supporting the most significant social justice movement since Civil Rights
- Why it’s imperative to unify your clean-energy and energy-equity initiatives
Engage stakeholders
Work with the community. Energy-insecure customers may not be aware of or have easy access to the programs you offer. To provide resources and assistance, you need to get creative. Find ways to partner with vulnerable communities, community-based organizations, local governments, advocacy groups, regulators, housing authorities, and others. When you engage community voices in the decision-making process, equity increases.
Resources to help you engage stakeholders
Fulfilling the promise of energy equity stakeholder groups: Perfecting the process of engagement
Read moreDelivering multilingual communications to your diverse customer base
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Celebrate Small Business Saturday: Support your minority-owned small business customers
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Connect with utility customers like they’re an audience of one
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Treat customers as an Audience of One to maximize program success
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How utilities can collaborate with local organizations to achieve equitable programs
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If you’re a member of certain E Source services, you can access these additional resources:
- How utilities are engaging residential customers through multicultural marketing
- Faster together: Partnering with disadvantaged communities to make emerging technologies more equitable
- Exchange: Communicating energy equity initiatives
- How to engage minority-owned small businesses
- Embracing diversity to revive your trade ally network
Design and implement programs
Research public data, customers, and stakeholders to identify the ideal offerings for each community. Customers might not share your concerns about managing energy consumption and demand across the grid. But they do want more choices in managing their energy use and costs. Provide them with more-appropriate energy solutions by using the equity lens and other research. At the same time, you’ll be able to meet your own energy goals.
Resources to help you design and implement programs
How to make your utility programs more equitable
Read moreHow to incorporate equity into your transportation electrification plan
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Next-generation programs for an equitable clean-energy future
Watch the recording
How Canadian utilities can help their low-income customers
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Can low-income consumers benefit from EVs? Yes, but maybe not in a traditional way
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How are utilities scaling their low-income programs?
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Embrace empathy in utility bill communications
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If you’re a member of certain E Source services, you can access these additional resources:
- Increase income-qualified DSM program uptake by improving your customer enrollment and verification strategy
- Using an equity lens to reach more customers with DSM programs
- Delivering multilingual communications to your diverse customer base
- Engaging your residential moderate-income customers with the right program strategy
- Using data science to help your most vulnerable customers during and after COVID-19
- Make financial assistance a seamless, customer-centric experience
Evaluate and iterate on programs
Achieving equity means being flexible, trying new things, and reviewing outcomes to refine your portfolio over time. Equity is a long-term process—not a one-year fix. You’ll need the right metrics to monitor equity outcomes, and you’ll need to include them in program evaluations and annual reports. Findings from these evaluations will help you improve or redesign programs as needed.
Resources to help you evaluate and iterate on programs
If you’re a member of certain E Source services, you can access these additional resources:
Solutions to help you develop an energy-equity strategy that meets all stakeholders’ needs
Learn and compare
With on-demand advice and support from our team of trusted industry experts, E Source Research and advisory gives you practical insights based on the strategies that are working at leading utilities and connects you to peers to share lessons learned.
Connect with your peers
E Source members have access to our frequent webinars and utility-only interactive exchanges, as well as our leadership meetings, topical summits, and annual E Source Forum. We bring together our industry experts, your utility peers, and thought leaders on topics you care about. In February 2022, E Source hosted Integrating energy equity into your utility’s customer programs and engagement. Our experts and attendees discussed how utilities can incorporate equity into their offerings and operations. E Source members can watch the exchange recording to learn more.
Voice-of-the-customer insights
E Source Market Research conducts primary research to understand your customers and what they need, critical to shaping your DEI initiatives.
Strategic planning and implementation
E Source Management Consulting provides services throughout the customer life cycle, including ethnographic research. Our work brings your customers to life and helps you use design thinking to create and implement programs.
Program optimization
E Source OneInform, our industry-leading suite of data science solutions, uses artificial intelligence to help you match the right customers with the right programs to achieve utility equity goals and energy sustainability.
Internal diversity, equity, and inclusion
To develop equitable programs in your utility’s service territory, it’s important to consider what equity means for your organization. Internal DEI efforts can help make sure that utility hiring, culture, and decision-making reflect the customers and communities you serve. At E Source, we’re also looking inward to see how our own organization can better reflect the values of DEI. Experts often link diversity and inclusion with organizational and team success.
For more information on equity in your organization, check out:
Meet our experts
Jeffrey Daigle
Contact center, Interactive voice response (IVR) system, Customer experience (CX), Customer journey mapping
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Jesse Hitchcock
Low- or moderate-income customers, Energy equity, Electric vehicle (EV) programs, Demand-side management (DSM), Retrofit programs, Provincial policies, Electric vehicles (EVs)
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Ben Nathan
Energy equity, Electric vehicle (EV) programs, Renewable energy programs, Demand-side management (DSM), Energy efficiency programs
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Vince Ruggeri
Low- or moderate-income customers, Small and midsize businesses, Demand-side management (DSM), Weatherization programs, Trade allies and partners
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Jamie Wimberly
Planning, Communications, Energy equity, Customer engagement, Customer experience (CX), Program design, Strategy
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Patrick Woodworth
Low- or moderate-income customers, Underserved customers, Energy equity, Strategy
See bioWe’re ready to help you address equity
Provide your email address and we’ll schedule a time to discuss your needs.