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Welcome back to the Blast Point Deep Dive, everybody.
We explore the power of data and AI-driven

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solutions here. And would you believe it? It's
our very first episode of 2025 already. Time

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flies when you're having fun with data. It really
does. And we're kicking off the year with something

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pretty interesting, I think. We're going to
be looking at how this thing called energy

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burden is impacting customer satisfaction. I'm
Tom, by the way. And I'm Anna. So just sit

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back, relax. And let's discover together how
energy burden and engagement, they actually

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impact customer satisfaction. Welcome to the
Booth. Plus point B.

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The better we lose Lost won't keep

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Okay, but before we jump into the nitty-gritty,
I think it's important to get everyone on the

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same page first. What exactly are we talking
about when we say energy burden? Well, you

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can think of it this way. Energy burden is basically
like the percentage of a household's income

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that goes straight to energy costs. We're talking
like the electricity bill, the heating bill,

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the cooling bill, all those things that are
kind of essential for keeping our homes running.

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Yeah, exactly. All that stuff. So, you know,
for somebody who's living paycheck to paycheck,

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a high energy burden. that could mean they have
to make some really tough choices, like do

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I pay to keep the lights on or do I buy groceries
this week? Absolutely. And that's where the

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human side of all this data, it really hits
home. Because it's not just some number on

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a spreadsheet. You know what I mean? It's actual
real struggles for a lot of people, especially

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those in lower income households. Yeah, for
sure. Now here's where I think it starts to

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get really interesting. Blast point. They did
this analysis for a utility company. And they

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found this totally unexpected connection between
high energy burden and how engaged the customers

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are. Yeah, it's surprising. You might think
that the households, the ones with the highest

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energy burden, you might think they'd be less
engaged. Right. You'd think they'd be frustrated,

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maybe even avoiding contact altogether. Yeah,
yeah, you'd think they'd be upset or disengaged.

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But actually, what BlastPoint found is that
these are the folks who are calling the call

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center more. They're the ones who are like,
way more active on the utilities website. They're

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really trying to find solutions, you know, trying
to get support. So it's almost like they're

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setting up a flare, like help, we need a lifeline
here. It is, it is. They need some help to,

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you know, navigate these really tough situations.
And Blast Point, they call this segment, the

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Relief Seekers, which I think is a really fitting
name. Spot on, absolutely seeking relief. And

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when we take a closer look at this segment,
we see some really interesting, details, it

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really highlights how unique their situation
is. Yeah, for example, BlastPoint's analysis

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found that less than 1% of these relief seekers
are using automatic payments for their utility

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bills. Yeah, that's crazy when you compare to
the average. Across all the customer segments,

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the average is 16.48% using autopay. So that
difference, that really suggests a lot of these

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folks are dealing with financial instability.
You know? Yeah, it makes you wonder if automatic

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payments are even an option for somebody who's
having trouble keeping up with all their bills.

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They might need more wiggle room in how they
handle their money each month. Right. It challenges

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what we think, huh? We always think of auto
pay as the easy way, the convenient option,

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but it might not actually work for everybody.
Right, exactly. And this low rate of people

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using auto pay, it kind of connects back to
the fact that they're contacting the utility

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company more. You know what I mean? They're
actively trying to... keep their bills managed

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and make ends meet. Yeah, definitely. And there's
actually another layer to this. We found out

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that a lot of these high energy burden households,
they're often clustered in specific zip codes.

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And guess what? Those zip codes are the same
ones with the highest number of calls to the

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utilities call center. So it's not just individual
households struggling. It's like entire communities

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facing this energy burden thing. It's something
to think about. Especially if you're involved

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in community development, social services, things
like that. Yeah. Definitely. Now, I know it

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might seem like we're painting a pretty bleak
picture here, but there's actually a silver

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lining. Really? Okay, I'm all ears. Okay, so
think about it this way. These relief seekers,

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even though they're going through some tough
stuff, they're actually really engaged. They're

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basically saying, hey, we need help. And that
actually creates a really unique opportunity

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for the utility companies. So instead of just
seeing this as a problem they had to deal with,

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They can see it as a chance to step up and make
things better for their customers. Exactly.

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It's a chance to build stronger relationships,
increase loyalty by being proactive and offering

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support. OK, I like where this is going. But
how do they actually do that? What are some

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concrete steps they can take? Well, blast point,
they've got some smart recommendations based

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on their analysis. Like, the first thing is
to really tailor your messaging. Instead of

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just blasting out generic marketing stuff, you
got to speak directly to what these high burden

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customers are worried about, you know? So instead
of just saying save energy, it's more like,

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hey, we get it, you're struggling, here's how
we can help you lower your bills and stress

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less. Exactly, exactly. Highlight the programs
that are out there, the assistance programs,

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the flexible payment options, even energy saving
tips. Make it super clear that you understand

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what they're going through and that you're there
to help. Gotcha. And what about all those calls

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to the call center? Seems like encouraging people
to do things online could be a big help, right?

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Oh, for sure. Remember, these relief seekers
are calling four times more than everyone else.

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So, promote that online portal. Mobile apps?
Anything that gives them the power to find

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answers and manage their accounts without having
to call every time. That makes sense. Not only

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would it reduce their stress, but it would also
free up the call center staff to handle the

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more complicated issues. Sort of a win-win.
Exactly. And, you know, we can't forget about

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that low number of people using automatic payments.
There's a real opportunity there, too. Right,

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so maybe promote signing up for AutoPay, make
it super easy, and explain the benefits really

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clearly. Maybe even offer some kind of incentive
to get people to try it out. Exactly. And the

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online experience is important too. These customers
are already spending time online, so you have

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to make sure the website and apps are easy to
use. Packed with features they need, bill tracking,

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usage monitoring, easy access to those assistance
programs we were talking about. It's all about

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meeting them where they are and giving them
the tools to succeed. And I really like this

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next recommendation. Using that zip code analysis
we talked about, remember to tailor those assistance

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programs even more. Yeah. If you know which
areas have a lot of high burden households,

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you can target those communities specifically.
So be proactive, not reactive. Meet the needs

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before people even have to ask. I like that.
It's a powerful concept. Now you might be thinking,

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OK, that all sounds good in theory, but does
it actually work in the real world? And the

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answer is yes. BlastPoint has helped a bunch
of utilities get some pretty impressive results.

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Give us an example. I always love a good success
story. It's inspiring, you know? Sure. There

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was this electric utility over in Western Pennsylvania.
They used BlastPoint's platform to get the

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word out about their energy efficiency programs.
So they were able to reach more people who

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could really benefit from those programs. Exactly.
And the results were great. They saw a 16%

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higher enrollment rate in their energy efficiency
programs, which is way above the industry average.

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That's a big jump. What about engagement, though?
Were people actually using those programs?

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Oh, yeah. Engagement rates for those programs
went through the roof, over 300%. People weren't

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just signing up. They were actively participating
and using those resources. That's amazing.

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Any other success stories you can share? Yeah,
let's talk about American Electric Power, AEP.

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Big utility serves a huge chunk of the Midwest
and the South. They launched a new digital

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assistant on their website to help customers
manage their accounts, find information easier.

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So they're trying to make it easier for folks
to do business with them online, which is probably

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super helpful for those high burden customers,
since they're already online a lot. Yeah, exactly.

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And with BlastPoint's help, they got those click-through
rates 30% higher than the industry standard

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and in less than two months. That means more
people were finding what they needed and using

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the online tools. It really seems like these
data-driven solutions can have a real, tangible

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impact. It's not just about collecting a bunch
of data. It's about using it in a smart way

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to understand what your customers need and then
taking action to meet those needs. Totally

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agree. It's about going beyond simply delivering
energy. It's about partnering with your customers,

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helping them manage their energy journey, especially
the folks who are struggling. Absolutely. Now

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let's switch gears a bit and talk about the
emotional toll that high energy burden can

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take. I mean, on individuals, on families. It's
really easy to get lost in the numbers, I think.

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But we can't forget that this is about real
people. dealing with real challenges in their

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lives. We need to try and see things from their
perspective. Right, imagine the stress of constantly

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worrying, can I keep the lights on? Or having
to choose between paying for energy or buying

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food for your family. It's got constant source
of anxiety. It can make people feel helpless,

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even hopeless. It can really affect your mental
and emotional well-being. And for families

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with kids, it can be even harder. Imagine having
to tell your children, Sorry, we can't afford

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to run the AC today, even though it's scorching
hot. Or you have to take shorter showers to

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save water. Oh, man. These are really tough
situations. Nobody should have to go through

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that. It's more than just money problems. It's
the emotional burden of constantly worrying

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about basic necessities. Exactly. And it's not
just the immediate impact, right? High energy

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burden can have long-term consequences, too.
You're right. Kids who live in homes with high

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energy burden They might have more health problems
because their home isn't heated or cooled properly.

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They could be more likely to catch cold, develop
allergies, or even get heat stroke in really

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hot weather. They might even struggle in school
if they don't have a good place to study, you

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know, somewhere comfortable and well lit. It's
hard to focus when you're freezing or sweating

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or if you're worried about your family's money
problems. Yeah. And for senior citizens, you

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know, the ones living on fixed incomes, high
energy costs, that can make it really hard

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to afford medicine or health care. It's like
this vicious cycle that traps families in poverty

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and limits their opportunities. High energy
burden can really affect every part of a person's

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life. It creates a ripple effect. It really
does. It's a powerful reminder that energy

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isn't just something we buy and sell. It's a
basic human need that impacts our health, our

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well-being, our overall quality of life. But
here's the good news. It doesn't have to be

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this way. Utilities have the power to break
this cycle. and make things better for their

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customers. They do. I think they have a responsibility
to step up and find solutions that work for

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everybody, not just their bottom line. Absolutely.
By using data-driven solutions, like the ones

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BlastPoint offers, they can figure out who's
struggling and give them the support they need.

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Whether it's connecting them with assistance
programs, offering flexible payment options,

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or giving them tips and resources to save energy,
every little bit helps, right? Yeah. And when

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utilities take the time to really understand
their customers' needs and struggles, they

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can build stronger relationships and create
more trust. For sure. It's about being more

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than just an energy provider. It's about being
a real partner in helping customers thrive.

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It's about making the energy system fairer and
more just for everyone. Right. Now, I think

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we should talk about another important part
of this, the foreignness of it all, you know,

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the equity implications of energy burden. It's
really important to understand that energy

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burden... doesn't affect everyone equally. Some
groups get hit harder than others. Right. You

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know, we're talking about low-income households,
communities of color, and rural areas. They

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often face a heavier energy burden due to a
whole bunch of factors. Exactly. Lower income

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is a big one, of course. But there are other
things at play, too. Like, these communities

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might live in older houses that aren't very
energy efficient, so they need to use more

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energy to stay comfortable. And they may not
have good transportation options, which can

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make it hard to get to work or access essential
services. which puts even more strain on their

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budgets. Right, it all adds up. Yeah, and these
inequalities are deeply rooted in systemic

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issues that need systemic solutions. It's not
enough to just offer temporary fixes. We've

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got to tackle the root causes of these disparities.
Absolutely, we have to dig deeper. And utilities,

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I think they have a responsibility to be part
of the solution. They need to think beyond

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just offering assistance programs and actually
look for ways to address these inequalities

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head on. For sure. It's about being part of
the change. For example, what if they invested

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in making low-income housing more energy efficient?
Imagine if everyone had a well-insulated home

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that kept them warm in the winter and cool in
the summer without costing a fortune. Yeah,

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that would be great. And expanding access to
things like solar power could help level the

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playing field too. Definitely. Solar panels,
they can help lower those energy bills. They

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can also make energy more reliable, especially
for those who are vulnerable to those price

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spikes. Right, and working with community groups
to teach people about saving energy, that can

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be really powerful. When people understand how
to save energy, they can make a real difference,

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not just in their own lives, but in their communities
too. Absolutely, knowledge is power. It's all

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about building a more just and fair energy system
for everyone. A system where no matter your

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income, your race, or where you live, you can
afford reliable, sustainable energy. A system

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that works for everyone. Now, I want to bring
it back to customer satisfaction for a minute.

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Okay. It might seem kind of strange, but addressing
energy burden can actually make customers happier.

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Yeah, you know, it might sound counterintuitive,
but it really can. When utilities show they

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genuinely care about their customers and are
trying to make energy more affordable. It builds

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trust. Right, it shows they're not just about
making money, but about actually serving the

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community and making a real difference. Exactly,
and when customers feel valued and supported,

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they're way more likely to stick around, you
know, less likely to switch providers. It's

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all about going that extra mile, right? Offering
support and solutions that actually fit each

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customer's situation. Absolutely, personalized
attention, that's what makes a difference.

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For example, imagine a utility company that's
using data. to figure out who's falling behind

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on their bills. Okay, yeah. Instead of just
sending out a disconnect notice, they reach

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out to the customer and say, hey, we see you're
having some trouble, here's some options for

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payment assistance. Right, or they could even
connect them with energy efficiency programs

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that would help lower those bills in the long
run. Exactly, that kind of personal touch can

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make a huge difference. Totally, it shows the
customer that they're not just an account number,

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you know, they're a real person. And that can
turn a bad experience into a good one. You

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build trust, you build loyalty. By creating
that customer focused approach, utilities can

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increase satisfaction, keep their customers,
and build those long term relationships. It's

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a win-win for everybody. OK, let's shift gears
a little bit and talk about solutions. We've

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talked about the problems and the opportunities,
but what can utilities actually do to tackle

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energy burden? and make their customers happier.
All right, let's start with energy efficiency.

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That's a biggie when it comes to lowering energy
use and those monthly bills. Right, if we can

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help people use less energy, we can ease the
pressure on their wallets and make their homes

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more comfy and healthy. Totally. There are tons
of ways to be more energy efficient. Some are

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simple, like switching to LED light bulbs. Others
are bigger projects, like adding insulation

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or weather stripping. And technology is playing
a big role too, right? Like with those smart

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thermostats. Oh yeah, those are great. They
can learn your habits and adjust the temperature

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automatically, which saves energy and money.
And utilities are coming up with some creative

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programs, too. Oh yeah, they're getting pretty
innovative. Some are offering rebates or discounts

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for people who make energy-saving upgrades,
so it's not so expensive. Others are teaming

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up with local businesses to offer deals on energy-efficient
appliances or home energy audits. And some

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are even going a step further by providing on-bill
financing, which means people can pay for those

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upgrades over time. right on their utility bill.
It's like spreading out the cost. Exactly.

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It's about making energy efficiency doable and
affordable for everyone. Okay, now let's talk

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about another exciting solution. Renewable energy.
Solar, wind, geothermal. These clean energy

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sources are becoming more and more affordable.
And they can really help us move away from

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fossil fuels and fight climate change. Absolutely.
But they can also lighten that energy burden.

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especially for lower income communities. Yeah,
like with community solar programs, people

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can basically subscribe to a shared solar farm
and get credits on their energy bills. That's

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a great option for people who can't afford to
put solar panels on their own roofs. They still

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get the benefits of solar without the upfront
cost. Exactly, and a lot of utilities are offering

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green pricing programs too. Customers can choose
to buy some or all of their electricity from

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renewable sources. That's a fantastic way to
support clean energy and reduce your impact

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on the environment. And it might even save you
money. It's worth looking into. Now let's talk

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about another crucial part of this, customer
assistance programs. Right, these are programs

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that offer financial help and other types of
support to help low-income customers keep up

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with their energy bills. They can really be
a lifeline for families who are struggling

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to get by. They can prevent those utility shutoffs,
which can be devastating. There are programs

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like LIHAPE, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance
Program. which provides grants to help with

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heating and cooling costs. And a lot of utilities
have their own assistance programs too. They

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offer discounts, payment plans, and other support
based on their customers' needs. But there's

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a catch, right? Awareness and accessibility.
Yeah, unfortunately. A lot of people who qualify

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for these programs don't even know they exist.
or they face roadblocks when trying to enroll.

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They might not have internet access or transportation,
or maybe they're just not comfortable dealing

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with all the paperwork. Yeah, it can be a hassle.
And that's where data and technology can really

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help. Oh, for sure. Utilities can use data to
figure out which customers might qualify for

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assistance and then reach out to them directly
with information and support. Exactly, and

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they can streamline that enrollment process,
make it super easy for people to apply and

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get the help they need. And using things like
text messages and email. can help them communicate

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with customers quickly and effectively, meet
them where they are. Take it convenient. It's

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about making sure that everyone who needs help
can get it no matter what. So we've talked

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about energy efficiency, renewables, and customer
assistance programs. Are there any other cool,

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innovative things utilities are trying? Oh,
definitely. Some utilities are experimenting

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with new ways of pricing energy, trying to make
it fairer and more affordable for lower income

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folks. Like, Some are using income-based rates,
so people pay a percentage of their income

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for their energy bills instead of a fixed rate.
That sounds promising. It could help guarantee

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that everyone can afford energy no matter how
much they make. Exactly. And other utilities

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are trying out prepay options where people pay
for their energy in advance, kind of like a

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cell phone plan. That could help people budget
better and avoid those unexpectedly high bills,

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especially during those peak seasons. Yeah,
for sure. And some utilities are even taking

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a community-based approach to make energy more
affordable. How so? Well, they're teaming up

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with local organizations to offer workshops
on how to save energy, or providing financial

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counseling to help people manage their energy
costs. That's a great idea. It's about tackling

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energy affordability from all angles. It's about
recognizing that it's a complex issue, and

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working together to find solutions that work
for everyone. Collaboration is key. Now before

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we move on, let's talk about some success stories.
You know, real world examples of utilities

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doing great things to tackle energy burden and
boost customer satisfaction. Love a good success

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story. They're so inspiring. Me too. Gives me
hope. Okay. Well, one great example is the

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Sacramento Municipal Utility District or SMUD
for short. Oh, I've heard of them. They're

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really big on sustainability and customer service.
They are. They've got a really strong energy

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efficiency program. They offer rebates, incentives,
and even that on-bill financing we were talking

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about earlier. That's awesome. They're also
big on renewable energy. Their goal is to get

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to 100% carbon-free electricity by 2030. That's
ambitious. It is. But they're making good progress.

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And they're working with local organizations
to educate people in lower income communities

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about energy and how to save money on their
bills. So they're empowering those communities

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to take control. Exactly. And Thanks to all
these efforts, SMUD has actually seen a big

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drop in energy burden among their customers.
That's amazing. It shows that what they're

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doing is really making a difference in people's
lives. It really is. Okay, another inspiring

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example is Green Mountain Power, or GMP. They're
up in Vermont. Oh yeah, I've heard of them

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too. They're known for being really innovative
with their energy services. They are. They're

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all about putting the customer first. They really
focus on providing personalized support and

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solutions. So how are they doing that? Well,
they've got this program that uses data to

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find customers who are struggling to pay their
bills, and then they proactively reach out

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to them, offer them assistance, connect them
with payment plans, energy efficiency programs,

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things like that. That's a perfect example of
how data can be used to help people. Exactly.

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And they've invested in battery storage technology
too, so customers can store solar energy and

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use it during those peak times when energy is
more expensive. Smart move. It is. And they

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even created this community energy marketplace
where people can buy and sell renewable energy

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from each other. So they're building community
and promoting clean energy at the same time.

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Yep, it's a win-win. And because of all these
innovations, GMP has some of the highest customer

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satisfaction ratings in the industry. It really
shows that putting your customers first pays

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off. It does. These success stories prove that
when utilities focus on energy efficiency,

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renewables, and customer assistance, everybody
wins. Customers are happier, they stick around

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longer, and communities become stronger. It's
all connected. So as we wrap up this part of

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our deep dive, we want to leave you with a little
something to think about. OK, I like that.

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What can you do personally to help solve this
energy burden challenge? It's a question we

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should all be asking ourselves. Whether you
work for a utility company, you're a policymaker,

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a community leader, or just some of peers about
this issue. We all have a role to play in creating

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a more just and sustainable energy future. We
can support policies that encourage energy

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efficiency and renewable energy. We can fight
for stronger consumer protections and push

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for better access to those assistance programs.
We can educate ourselves and others about saving

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energy. We can make choices in our own lives
that reduce our energy use. And we can support

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those utilities that are leading the way, the
ones who are tackling energy burden head on.

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and building a more equitable energy system.
Because every little bit helps. Even the smallest

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actions can make a difference. We can do this.
Together, we can build a future where everyone

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has access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable
energy. A future where energy is a right, not

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a privilege. I like that. Now let's take a quick
break, and we'll be right back to finish up

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our deep dive into energy burden and customer
satisfaction. We'll have some final thoughts

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and key takeaways for you when we return. Welcome
back to the BlastPoint Deep Dive. We've been

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really digging deep into this whole energy burden
thing, how it's impacting customer satisfaction,

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all the different aspects of it. We've seen
the challenges, the opportunities, heard some

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real human stories behind all that data. Yeah,
and we've learned about some pretty innovative

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solutions too. Things that are already making
a difference in communities all over the place.

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So now that we're wrapping up, let's kind of
boil it all down. What are the key takeaways

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here? What should we be thinking about moving
forward? Okay, so first and foremost, energy

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burden. It's a big deal. Millions of people
are affected by it. It's not just about the

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numbers though. It's about the stress, the choices
people have to make, and how it affects their

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health and well-being. It's families struggling
to pay their bills, senior citizens choosing

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between heat and medicine, kids who can't focus
in school because they don't have a comfortable

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place to study. Yeah, it's a real problem. But
the good news is, it's a solvable problem.

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Exactly. We've seen how utilities are using
data and technology to really get a handle

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on what their customers need and provide support
where it's needed most. We've talked about

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all those innovative solutions, energy efficiency
programs, renewable energy, customer assistance,

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all these things that are making energy more
affordable and accessible. And we've also seen

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how important it is for utilities to really
focus on their customers. Right, treat them

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like people, not just numbers. When utilities
go above and beyond to show they care and are

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committed to serving their communities, it builds
trust. It makes everyone happier in the long

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run. So what can we do as individuals to make
a difference? We can't just leave it to the

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utilities, right? No, absolutely not. Everyone
has a role to play. It starts with educating

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ourselves about energy burden, what's happening
in our own communities. Right. We can support

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policies that promote those solutions we were
talking about. Energy efficiency, renewable

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energy, customer assistance. We can push for
stronger consumer protections, too. Make sure

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utilities are held accountable. And, you know,
we can start by making changes in our own lives.

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Simple things to reduce our own energy use.
Yeah, every little bit counts. And we can support

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businesses that are doing their part to be more
sustainable, too. Because in the end, it's

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all connected. Absolutely. We all have a stake
in creating a more just and sustainable energy

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future for everyone. And always remember, energy
isn't just some commodity. It's a fundamental

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human right. Everyone deserves access to it.
That's a great point to end on. Thanks for

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joining us for this deep dive into energy burden
and customer satisfaction. We hope you learned

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00:26:24,333 --> 00:26:28,798
something new and feel inspired to take action.
And if you enjoyed this episode, be sure to

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00:26:28,838 --> 00:26:33,344
subscribe to the Blast Point deep dive for more
insights on how data and AI are shaping our

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world. We'll see you next time.