Prepared For: Copyright © 2013 Decision Analyst American Home Comfort Study  Are these products perceived as an acceptable way to better control energy use? By many… Yes  Are there real concerns about Smart Meter technology?... Yes  Does it look like homeowner decision makers are ready to use this new technology? For many… Yes  Are homeowners willing to pay for these technologies… No, most are not What About ‘Smart Meters’ and Remote Programmable Thermostats?

75% 43% 40% 2010 Electric ‘Smart Meters’ Attitudes: “Agree Completely” This is a more accurate way to collect information about utility usage than the traditional system I believe the meter would provide me with valuable information so I can save energy and reduce my utility bills I believe that smart meters should be provided free of charge by the utility company

I am concerned about who might have access to usage information and how it might be used I am concerned that someone could reprogram the smart meter so that I would be paying someone else's bill 27% 22% 34% 2010 Electric ‘Smart Meters’ Attitudes: “Agree Completely” I believe this is a secure way to transmit usage information to the utilities

Four in 10 with a smart meter in the home can and are using it Four in 10 will need more reasons to use the smart meter information before they will Not all smart meters share information with the homeowner yet VS 2013 Electric ‘Smart Meters’ Usage of Information Provided by ‘Smart Meters’ Don’t know how to use the information from ‘smart meter’ Yes, I use the information from ‘smart meter’ No, I don’t use the information from ‘smart meter’ Recent Replacement Homeowners

Prepared For: Copyright © 2013 Decision Analyst American Home Comfort Study  By 2008, one percent of owner occupied homes included a remote controlled thermostat.  By 2010, the count was still only one percent.  Smart Meters seem to have taken the energy utility focus by storm, moving away from their programs to install the remote thermostats in their cities.  Energy utilities have access to two thirds of the remote thermostats at work today. Remote Controlled Thermostats

32% Utility company cannot access my thermostat 62% 38% Text Would not permit to access my thermostat Would give permission for utility company to access my thermostat Internet-Enabled Thermostats Remote Access By Utility Company 68% Utility company can access my thermostat to adjust temperatures 1% Today Group with out remote access

Prepared For: Copyright © 2013 Decision Analyst American Home Comfort Study  HVAC and Water Heaters can account for 60%+ of home energy use.  How do home-owner decision- makers choose what is best for their home? HVAC and Water Heaters

Prepared For: Copyright © 2013 Decision Analyst American Home Comfort Study Section Water Heaters offered Or Not

Prepared For: Copyright © 2013 Decision Analyst American Home Comfort Study % 11% Water heater purchased… 45% of all offered a new water heater bought the water heater from their installing HVAC contractor

Copyright © 2013 Decision Analyst American Home Comfort Study The HVAC purchase (a complete system or part of a system) is made in a number of ways. Homeowner Decision Makers The decision process takes a number of scenarios. Those empowered should understand who makes the decisions and the best ways to help them understand the choices and their ramifications. 87%79%

Copyright © 2013 Decision Analyst American Home Comfort Study Almost half of all homeowners in the past 12 months had a maintenance call to help reduce emergency calls. Emergency service has always been the bane of the industry. It causes extreme seasonality in the industry, and exorbitant energy usage. How do homeowners deal with their central HVAC systems and the system’s health? Service Calls

Copyright © 2013 Decision Analyst American Home Comfort Study HVAC Maintenance Calls The service agreement allows HVAC contractors the opportunity to become a trusted home energy consultant. Half of all service maintenance calls are with homeowners who have purchased a service agreement. They Know the home, and the central system in the home. They know the homeowner/s and have time to forge a trust and relationship with the homeowner/s.

Copyright © 2013 Decision Analyst American Home Comfort Study HVAC contractors who have a viable service and maintenance agreement program are viable consultants. Consulting With Contractors Through Service Agreements Works Service Agreement Contractors know the homeowner and home and can make recommendations based on that knowledge. Homeowners who get to know the contractor trust the contractor and go to them for recommendations. Service and maintenance agreement homeowners are rewarded for the process Half of the homeowners getting routine maintenance have a service agreement. Among Consumers Who Had Routine Maintenance Service Calls (2011 Service Calls) Trust

Copyright © 2013 Decision Analyst American Home Comfort Study Much of the heartache of an emergency breakdown is eliminated when service agreement contractors and homeowners work together. Consultive Contractors with a focus on preventive maintenance make a huge difference. Service Calls Total households in 2010 = Non-Emergency Service 21%, Emergency Service 31%, and Routine Maintenance 48%. It is my belief – it is my experience…………… That good relationships, with good home performance contractors can grow strong “Home Performance Consumers.”

Copyright © 2013 Decision Analyst American Home Comfort Study Can a Service Agreement Contractor Serve All of Their Customers If Their HVAC Customer Needs Occur In This Order? Can They Help Customers Energy Needs Better? Can a Service Agreement Contractor Serve All of Their Customers If Their HVAC Customer Needs Occur In This Order? Can They Help Customers Energy Needs Better? What if Seasonality Could Be Reduced Like this? Limited Seasonal Affect Some Seasonal Effect High Seasonal Effect

Prepared For: Copyright © 2013 Decision Analyst American Home Comfort Study  In season work is with only those (7%) most dissatisfied  Do many more want to know more about their HVAC system/s?  If so, how do we expand in home consultation? The Homeowners That Contractors Don’t See Would Like To Know More