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Case No. U-11290 Electric Customer Choice  Report filed by the CHOICE Advisory Council on June 3, 1999 Acknowledgments The CHOICE Advisory Council appreciates the support received from the following communications contractors in developing this proposal and preparing this report: Bozell Worldwide, Buckhammer & Jankowski, and Ken Peterson & Associates, Inc. The CHOICE Advisory Council formed two subcommittees to work on specific components of the proposal. Working with the communications contractors on the overall content of the proposal were Theresa Banks, Mike Buda, Doug Carr, Eric Cellar, Dave Dillon, Rick Matteson, Jeff Pillon, Mike Solocinski and Sharon Theroux. The subcommittee to research ideas on community grants included Barry Cargill, Chuck Hadden, Michelle Acker, Sharon Parks, Fred Lawless, Kathy Walgren and Sharon Theroux. In addition, the following CHOICE Advisory Council members assisted with the
basic design and review of the Proposal: Michelle Acker, Michigan Community Action Agency CHOICE Advisory Council
We, the undersigned, representing the Council, support
and concur with
Executive Summary In its report to the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) in October 1997
entitled Customer Focus Issues and Recommendations, the MPSC staff
recommended a comprehensive education campaign to prepare the public for electric
utility restructuring and the entry of competitors into the marketplace. The
experience of other industries has been that customer confusion and apprehension
follows when competitors begin marketing within previously regulated categories,
e.g., telecommunications, natural gas. Customers expect their governing bodies
to continue as their source of unbiased information and their guardian against
deceptive marketing practices. Program Objectives: The overall objectives of the Statewide
Customer Education Program are: (1) awareness, and (2) education - to inform
Michigan citizens that they will soon have a choice of suppliers for electric
power and to ensure that they have the knowledge necessary to exercise that
choice.
Phase Time frame Communications Goals Phase I (1999 and 2000) Understanding and preparing for restructuring Phase II (2001 and 2002) Learning to make a good choice Phase III (2003 and ongoing) Perpetuating good decisions and fair marketing practices
Phase I (1999 and 2000) will be a period of preparation while electric choice is limited - building a grassroots program, producing collateral communications materials, developing advertising and media strategies, establishing a responsive infrastructure, and conducting customer research from which to craft messages, define education criteria and objectives, and establish quantitative baseline measures from which to track progress toward attainment of the awareness objective. Phase II (2001 and 2002) will be a period of proactive outreach advertising and enhanced grassroots communications activities designed to ensure attainment of 80 percent unaided awareness among the adult population in 2001 and 90 percent in 2002. The concentration of advertising will peak during the fourth quarter of 2001 immediately preceding complete full retail open access. Call center and material fulfillment activities will be contracted through vendors for this phase. Phase III (2003 and ongoing) will continue grassroots activities
but at a modest, sustaining level; likewise, the infrastructure commitment will
be reduced and likely brought in-house and processed by existing CHOICE Advisory
Council and MPSC resources. Measures of Success: During Phase I, customer research will
be conducted to identify baseline awareness levels from which to measure progress
to define a measurable education criterion and to explore customer reactions
to alternative message strategy. Throughout the course of the program, a tracking
study will monitor awareness and education levels. Baseline research will be
conducted before marketers enter the system during the first bid period in September
1999. Budget Detail -- Customer
Education
Comparison to Other States: The scope and budget of the Michigan-proposed
program compares reasonably with programs implemented in other states. To account
for the difference in market size, the cost per capita can be used. This shows
the Michigan proposal reflects spending of about $1.27 per person based on the
average annual spending budgeted for the peak spending years 2001 and 2002.
It is important to note that the spending experience
of other states may not be directly applicable to Michigan's situation. For
example, one of the many ways that states differ is the cost of purchasing media,
which is the major component of the Michigan program. By using the 1999 television
advertising cost per thousand for each county in each state, the cost to reach
100,000 citizens in Michigan ($14,418) is close to California ($14,937), but
about double the cost of Pennsylvania ($6,985). Michigan's total proposed per-capita
expenditures are low in comparison to the other states examined in spite of
Michigan's relatively high media costs. Given these two facts, the CHOICE Advisory
Council believes this budget is reasonable to assure effective customer awareness
and education. The Council recommends recovery of the program costs over a three-year period (2000 through 2002) and not exceed the total costs for implementing the program activities. The recovery of costs for program implementation is expected to terminate when sufficient revenues have been produced to cover the cost of the program. Therefore, revenue recovery could occur in less than three years or more than three years. If the program is found to cost less than anticipated, then recovery will be discontinued at such time as sufficient revenues have been collected. Implementation Management: The CHOICE Advisory Council will establish a CHOICE Advisory Council subcommittee consisting of seven persons (chaired by a member of the MPSC staff, including three industry representatives and three consumer representatives) as the administrator of the Statewide Customer Education Program implementation. The subcommittee will review the activities of the contractors and grantees as outlined in this proposal, oversee the hiring of vendors and expenditures, and recommend payment to contractors or organizations receiving grants for specific statewide customer education efforts.The purpose of this subcommittee will be to ensure the educational activities are competitively neutral, objective, and not promotional in nature. It will also verify the expenditure of funds for project activities completed by contractors, vendors, and grantees, and recommend to the MPSC authorization of payments required to contractors and grantees from each regulated electric company. The Council recommends that the subcommittee continue to operate until such time as the program activities are complete and payments to contractors, vendors, etc. have been completed. The subcommittee will file a final report of its activities with the Commission within 90 days of the completion of its activities. After review of the contractors' reports for the period or grant applications, the subcommittee will recommend to the Commission for approval specific contractor/grantee invoicing to electric companies.
Contents
Background
On June 5, 1997, the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) issued an order
in Case No. U-11290 opening Michigan's retail electric market to competition.
The order phases in access to competitive retail electric providers between
1997 and 2002. In this order the Commission identified
the need for customers to have access to "sufficient and reliable information
in order to be able to compare and select among products and services provided
in the electricity market. These include: (1) general information regarding
the nature of the direct access program, (2) details regarding the prices and
specific services being offered by suppliers, and (3) the sources of power generation
and other information that the customers may need about the supplier."(1)
In August 1998, the MPSC staff formed a voluntary working group to develop an action plan for public outreach and education on electric restructuring. The broad interest working group, with a wide range of knowledge and experience, includes representatives of major utility companies, small and mid-sized utility companies, rural electric cooperatives, suppliers, industrial and commercial customers, consumer advocates, and environmental and low-income advocates. Since last August, the working group completed several activities to move forward on educating customers on electric choice, including:
On March 8, 1999, the MPSC issued an order in Case No. U-11290 which states: "The Commission, as it previously stated in the June 5 [1997] order, believes there is a clear need to address the information requirements of customers and supports the voluntary efforts of the CHOICE Advisory Council to address these needs. Accordingly, the Commission requests the CHOICE Advisory Council to submit a proposal to the Commission within 90 days for a statewide customer education program to ensure an effective, highly visible, and competitively-neutral approach to customer education on electric industry restructuring. This proposal should address the education efforts identified in the Customer Focus Report, propose a budget and funding mechanism, and indicate required funding levels necessary to carry out the program. The Commission sees this statewide customer education program as distinct from, but complementary to, the education and information programs identified in the utilities' implementation plans."
This proposal is in response to that order and must be submitted to the Commission by June 7, 1999. Three general contractors assisted in the development of this proposal: Bozell Worldwide, Southfield, MI; Buckhammer & Jankowski, Detroit, MI; and Ken Peterson & Associates, Inc., Southfield, MI. The existing knowledge base of these contractors minimized proposal development time and provided a more detailed program outline and budget recommendation. These agencies provide:
Overview As the ability to choose an electric supplier becomes a reality
for customers of all educational, economic, and cultural backgrounds, there
will be an increasing need to inform customers on what electric choice offers
and how to consider and select an alternative electric supplier. This is the
most significant change in electricity markets in 100 years and customers need
to understand these changes and how they will be affected. The success of customer
choice in electricity services will depend on a comprehensive customer education
program that is well-planned and properly implemented. A Statewide Customer
Education Program effort using a combination of mass media tools and local grassroots
efforts will ensure an effective, highly visible, and competitively-neutral
approach to consumer electric choice education.
In addition to these core objectives, the Statewide
Customer Education Program will:
Education Objective - To be defined (in measurable terms) and quantified during pre-implementation customer research. Audiences - All customers of regulated
electric companies throughout the state of Michigan --residential, commercial
and industrial -- including special needs groups. Audiences have been prioritized
based on their perceived vulnerability. In other words, initial focus will be
on those residential and commercial audiences who lack the information resources
and expertise available to large commercial and industrial customers.
Timing - The timing of a customer education program is dependent on the retail open access (electric choice) phase-in schedule established by the MPSC. The following bar chart shows the Commission order for the phase-in of retail open access. The education plan recognizes that only a very limited number of customers will have the option to participate before 2002. The proposal, therefore, focuses on laying the groundwork for customer education starting now with the larger scale promotional efforts scheduled to begin with Phase II in 2001. In this proposal, 1999 and 2000 are the time periods when program activity and spending is minimal and focused on developing the information that will provide a foundation to address customers' information needs. The advertising activity in Phase II starts slowly in 2001 and builds, peaking in the fourth quarter of 2001. This is designed to prepare customers to make informed decisions when all customers have choice beginning in 2002. The program continues through 2002, but advertising is reduced and phase out begins. If changes occur in the timing or implementation of electric choice, appropriate modifications will be made to the educational activities proposed. The statewide effort is designed to be complemented
and supported by the public information efforts of regulated electric companies
and new alternative electric suppliers. There is a clear need for an independent,
credible source of information concerning the restructured electric marketplace.
A good understanding of electric choice will help customers more readily determine
whether they want to choose a new supplier and, if so, how. The customer education program includes three phases of outreach implementation beginning on a limited scale in 1999 and expanding into a significant outreach advertising campaign in 2001 to precede the activity anticipated from competing suppliers. This timing parallels the retail open access phase-in schedule, which limits participation until 2002, when all customers will have the option to choose. Throughout all three phases, the CHOICE Advisory Council will play a role in the communications infrastructure to respond to public inquiries. Included will be a toll-free telephone number and call center, a Choice Web site and a fulfillment center to distribute materials to those requesting information. During Phase I, while participation and outreach communications are limited, this infrastructure will be primarily reliant upon existing CHOICE Advisory Council resources and only during Phase II will it be expanded to include additional vendor support and paid advertising. The platform for communications in all phases will be a comprehensive grassroots, community involvement program that initially provides materials to CHOICE Advisory Council member organizations and then unfolds in 2001 to include a speakers' bureau and small-scale grants to facilitate dissemination of information. Research During Phase I, customer research will be conducted to identify a baseline awareness level from which to measure progress, to define a measurable education criterion, and to obtain audience reactions to alternative advertising messages. Throughout the course of the program, a tracking study will monitor awareness and education levels and other customer responses. The ongoing monitoring will be included in the report updates to the MPSC and in the final report due within 90 days of the completion of the program.
Program Phases PHASE I - Understanding and Preparing
for Restructuring (1999-2001)
These materials will be included in kits prepared for distribution to customers in the following manner: Collateral Materials (individual kits) will be mailed to those requesting information and proactively distributed among media contacts as appropriate.
The Council also recommends development of
the following during Phase I: Phase II Advertising Plan
Note: Gross Rating Points (GRPs) are the sum of all ratings for all programs in a schedule based on Average Audience Rating. The Average Audience Rating is the percentage of a population viewing a TV/Radio program during an average minute. The difference between the total GRPs less the GRPs for TV/Radio is from print media. For comparison…
Newspapers have space for news-related stories and may do education focused articles if a reporter takes an interest in a given subject and believe that the subject will be of interest to readers. The outreach to print media will be more educational because resulting articles can provide more detailed information. Newspaper advertising rounds out the advertising mix. It is a very strong medium that allows the advertiser to communicate more detailed information and can be retained by the customer for future reference. Newspapers may choose to develop special electric choice advertorial sections devoted to the subject, perhaps, with no funding required since alternative electric suppliers' paid advertising may affect the newspapers' development and production costs. Outdoor billboards are planned for 2002 when retailer advertising efforts are peaking. The outdoor medium lends itself well to reminder messages -- providing a toll-free number to call with questions. Electric Choice Web Site - The information on the Web site will be maintained and expanded as needed. Information may include the following, as available:
Outreach Grants - Creative avenues beyond newspapers, news releases, etc. will be used to distribute information about electric choice to hard-to-reach or unique audiences. These customers may be isolated or not receptive or unable to understand and may benefit from information about electric choice by means other than, or in addition to, the overall statewide advertising campaign. Community groups, organizations and associations to which customers belong, whom they trust and from whom they receive information or services, will be the best groups to provide information they will notice, understand and believe. This proposal recommends that special needs organizations be provided funds to use in disseminating "off-the-shelf" electric choice information among their members, reinforcing the Statewide Customer Education Program message. The primary purpose of these funds will be to support mailings, meetings and other methods of distribution to hard-to-reach groups. Assistance will be provided to those needing customized materials, e.g. language translation. Also, training will be provided to assure understanding and consistency of program messages. Proposals would be invited from appropriate member organizations and reviewed by a subcommittee of the CHOICE Advisory Council. Prerequisite to earning a grant is agreement to use pre-printed choice campaign materials and submit a quarterly progress report for monitoring by the subcommittee (semiannually for smaller grants). Approval of the quarterly report will support release of a portion of the total grant. Management of the Electric Choice Grant Program is recommended to be a function of the CHOICE Advisory Council subcommittee and staff. It is predicted that 10 to 15 grants ranging in value from $2,500 to $10,000 will be administered annually during 2001 and 2002. The larger grants of up to $10,000 can be given to associations and organizations that demonstrate a large network, constituency or reach; and smaller grants in the range of $500 to $2,500 can be granted to smaller community groups to educate their clients about electric choice. Also, smaller amounts will be reserved for the possibility of organizations that do not represent targeted groups, but who can demonstrate that their approach or program will have a positive affect on certain customers (e.g., those with language barriers). Grant applications will be distributed to community organizations, media contacts, and other interested parties. Organizations will be encouraged to publish grant opportunities in their newsletters and publications, and on their Web sites. The grantees will be supplied with training materials and products developed for the overall campaign, such as videos, brochures, terms/definitions and frequently-asked questions and answers. The choice campaign will provide grantees a general guide or outline to follow and provide training sessions for organizations to learn about the key messages and objectives of the overall campaign. Speakers' Bureau - A list of speakers from the CHOICE Advisory Council, MPSC staff and other interested parties will be available to interested community and business groups on the topic of electric choice. A videotape and brochures will be developed and made available for use in presentations to educate the public on issues related to electric choice. The Speakers' Bureau will be publicized through mailings to interested groups and/or by issuing a news release. Several scripts will be developed for use by the presenters. The bureau will also be publicized on the Choice Web site. The speaking engagements will occur through the entire campaign and be structured to deliver both awareness and information. General Educational Materials - The CHOICE Advisory Council members will develop lists and distribute electric choice materials developed in Phase I to interested groups for distribution to members/clients (e.g., brochures, frequently-asked questions and answers). Consumer Protection Materials - CHOICE Advisory Council members will develop materials such as understanding the new bill formats, explaining consumer rights and how to resolve disputes, and information on energy assistance programs for low-income customers that will be issued in consumer alerts or other Council documents. PHASE III - Perpetuating Good Decisions and Fair Marketing Practices (2003 - Ongoing) Phase III will continue grassroots activities but at a modest, sustaining level. Likewise, the infrastructure commitment will be reduced and likely brought in-house and processed by existing CHOICE Advisory Council and MPSC resources. The final phase of the program will provide strategies for ensuring that customers understand and take full advantage of the restructured electric industry. The goal will be to respond to the evaluation results on the effectiveness of educational materials, provide customers with information on known deceptive marketing practices, and continue to distribute pre-printed educational materials.
To assure attainment of awareness and education objectives, this proposal includes
a comprehensive multi-dimensional measurement plan with up-front bench marking
to measure the success of this effort. In order to measure the effectiveness
of the proposed communications plan, a two-tiered research plan is recommended.
Qualitative research, using focus groups, will be conducted in addition to the
proposed quantitative tracking study. Each will be addressed separately. The
contractor conducting the survey and focus group efforts will be asked to assure
the confidentially of individual responses to the survey and focus group discussions.
A minimum of six (6) groups (preferably 8 to 10) are recommended with residential consumers. Two groups would be held with Upper Peninsula residents and the remaining groups would be held, two at a time, in geographically dispersed markets in the Lower Peninsula. The same plan holds true for smaller commercial customers. A minimum of six (6) groups (and preferably 8-10) would be conducted in geographically dispersed locations, including the Upper Peninsula. Once customers have been queried in depth and their existing knowledge base has been determined, a creative strategy can be developed. Advertising copy can then be written to communicate the availability of electric choice in Michigan and to educate customers on how to participate in the "Choice" program in Michigan. Message testing of these creative concepts among a sample of residential and business customers is the next step in the creative process. At least six to eight (6-8) focus groups (ideally 8-10) would be conducted with residential customers and smaller commercial customers to gauge their reaction to the crafted message. This research would determine which creative approach best communicates choice to customers and provides them with the best understanding of how choice will work in Michigan. While nearly all restructuring efforts in other states have only "awareness" as their critical evaluative criterion, in Michigan, customer "knowledge" of program detail is equally important. Being aware of choice is only a first step. Knowing how to choose is critical. Consumer awareness and knowledge must be closely monitored to be sure the program is effective. This recommended design is structured to track "awareness" as well as the much slower-growing "knowledge" over the course of the campaign. The goals of the proposed tracking study are to:
It is recommended that a total of 800 interviews be conducted with residential customers and 400 interviews among smaller commercial customers. To achieve statistical reliability, a minimum number of interviews must be conducted. In this circumstance, it is estimated that 80 percent of total interviews conducted will be among qualified respondents. Conducting 800 interviews with residential customers will allow for the sufficient representation of subgroups of interest (i.e., seniors, African-Americans, etc.) including the ability to tabulate the results regionally. In the residential sector, the individual respondent will be head-of-household who is responsible for the household's energy decisions. Random digit telephone dialing will be used to achieve a representative sample. Among the commercial sample, commercial customers will be randomly sampled from Dunn & Bradstreet's commercial databases. At the first stage of sampling, smaller commercial customers will be assumed to be those with 100 or fewer employees and less than $5 million in annual revenues. At the next stage, each organization will be screened to determine whether or not an electric utility manager has been assigned to their account. This screening process will ultimately determine whether a commercial customer is small or large. The actual respondent will be the energy decision-maker for the organization. Using Computer Aided Telephone Interviewing (CATI), the telephone survey will include close-end and open-end questions and will require approximately 15 minutes to administer. Results for each quarter will trail by one quarter, i.e., a first quarter's results will be available at the end of the second quarter.
Collateral - All the printed materials (brochures, posters, frequently-asked questions, etc.) are included in these costs. A sufficient number of copies will be printed to provide for wide distribution of the materials. The cost of direct mailings is also included in this category. Grassroots - Included in these costs are the development of posters, flyers, brochures and training materials (kits) which are tailored to the residential and commercial audiences to accommodate requests. These costs also provide special assistance needed by those receiving local community grants. Public Relations Fulfillment - These costs cover the development of press kits to fulfill media requests -- maps, time lines, information on how to participate, toll-free number, Web site address, issuance of news releases periodically to provide updates on the status of restructuring efforts, and cultivating of media relations to encourage news coverage at local grassroots events, plus the personnel to effectively manage these events. Grants - These costs provide grants to local groups to outreach the Statewide Customer Education Program message to hard-to-reach or unique audiences. Grants are expected to range from $500 to $10,000 to support mailing costs, meetings and other methods to educate clients about electric choice. For example, costs might include a Braille copy of the education material or translation to other languages, if needed. Phone Center - Included in these costs are the establishment of a toll-free number and contracting for the operation of a call center staffed to answer customer questions and distribute materials on electric choice, as requested. For the years 1999 and 2000, the specially designated toll-free telephone number will be directed to the MPSC offices, when calls are expected to be more limited. Starting in 2001 and continuing through 2002, the toll-free number calls will be handled by the call center to coincide with the advertising campaign that is expected to produce a significant number of inquiry calls. Web Site - Covered in these costs are the design and content of a Michigan "Electric Choice" Web site, a vehicle for sharing information and assuring widespread availability of customer information. This Web site can be linked to utility "Choice" Web pages. The first year costs are for the collection and conversion of the information and the later year costs are for maintenance and updating. Advertising - These costs include all paid advertising and production of television and radio spots, articles for major daily newspapers and business and special interest publications, and outdoor advertising/billboards. Budget Detail -- Consumer
Education
The scope and budget of the Michigan-proposed program compares reasonably with programs implemented in other states. To account for the difference in market size, the cost per capita can be used. This shows the Michigan proposal reflects spending of about $1.27 per person based on the average annual spending budgeted for the peak spending years 2001 and 2002. Comparison with Other States
* The Ohio Senate passed a bill (not yet enacted) directing the PUC to spend up to $16 million for customer education in the first year and up to $17 million for all subsequent years, in decreasing amounts each year following the first year. ** Michigan annual spending is the average of the two highest spending years 2001 and 2002. It is important to note that the spending experience of other states may not be directly applicable to Michigan's situation. For example, one of the many ways that states differ is the cost of purchasing media, which is the major component of the Michigan program. By using the 1999 television advertising cost per thousand for each county in each state, the cost to reach 100,000 citizens in Michigan ($14,418) is close to California ($14,937), but about double the cost of Pennsylvania ($6,985). Michigan's total proposed per-capita expenditures are low in comparison to the other states examined in spite of Michigan's relatively high media costs. Given these two facts, the CHOICE Advisory Council believes this budget is reasonable to assure effective customer awareness and education.
Since the program is intended to prepare all customers for the opening of electric choice on January 1, 2002, the Council agrees all customers of regulated electric companies are expected to contribute to the program costs. The Council recommends that the Commission determine the allocation of the total program costs among regulated electric companies. The regulated electric companies and utility associations participating on the Council discussed several options to consider for allocation of program costs. These options include an allocation of costs based on regulated electric companies' (1) customer or meter count, (2) share of sales to end-use customers, or (3) a combination of options 1 and 2. The electric cooperatives believe the most equitable method for allocation of program costs is based on electricity sales (kWh). Alternatively, certain investor owned utilities believe the most equitable method for allocation of program costs is based on customer or meter count. In both cases, the company's support for the statewide education program is contingent upon the Commission's acceptance of their position. Additionally, the Council recommends recovery of the program's costs over a three-year period (2000 through 2002) and not exceed the total costs for implementing the program activities. The recovery of costs for program implementation is expected to terminate when sufficient revenues have been produced to cover the cost of the program. Therefore, revenue recovery could occur in less than or more than three years. If the program is found to cost less than anticipated, then recovery will be discontinued at such time as sufficient revenues have been collected.
The CHOICE Advisory Council will establish a CHOICE Advisory Council subcommittee consisting of seven persons (chaired by a member of MPSC staff, including three industry representatives and three consumer representatives, and selected by the Council) as the administrator of the Statewide Customer Education Program implementation. The subcommittee will review the activities of the contractors and grantees as outlined in the proposal, oversee the hiring of vendors and expenditures, and recommend payment to contractors or organizations receiving grants for specific statewide customer education efforts. The Council recommends the three contractors assisting with the development of this proposal, Ken Peterson and Associates, Inc., Bozell Worldwide, Inc. and Buckhammer and Jankowski, implement the Statewide Customer Education Program. Contracts with these three contractors and other vendors will be established through The Detroit Edison Company and Consumers Energy Company and reviewed by the CHOICE Advisory Council and MPSC staff. Additionally, contractors, vendors and subcommittee members will be expected to sign an "Agreement of Understanding" developed by the CHOICE Advisory Council that will provide for management oversight by the subcommittee. The purpose of this subcommittee will be to ensure the educational activities are competitively neutral, objective, and not promotional in nature. It will also verify the expenditure of funds for project activities completed by contractors, vendors and grantees and recommend to the Michigan Public Service Commission authorization of payments required to contractors and grantees from each regulated electric company. Payments will be made following Commission approval. Periodic presentations will be made to the full CHOICE Advisory Council to preview promotional materials and be updated on progress towards the planning objectives. The Council recommends the subcommittee will continue to operate until such time as the program activities are complete and payments to contractors, vendors, and grantees have been completed. The subcommittee will file a final report of its activities with the Commission within 90 days of the completion of its activities. The report will include research findings, total expenditures, etc. The Council recommends the contractors and vendors meet periodic reporting requirements following guidelines which identify expenditures for program activities completed at least each quarter during the duration of the program implementation. The reports will include, but are not limited to:
The Council recommends that the subcommittee develop applications for community outreach grants and take responsibility for review and approval of grant applications, and monitoring of grant activity. Finally, after review of the contractors' reports or grant applications, the subcommittee will recommend to the Commission for approval of specific contractor/grantee/vendors invoicing to regulated electric companies.1.
For example, in the New Hampshire pilot
program, approximately 30% of the participants selected a supplier that utilized
renewable generation or "green" power.
2.
Unaided awareness - Also known as "top of mind" awareness, unaided
awareness is the percentage of people who are aware of the subject without being
prompted. For example, "I'd like to know all the brands of soap you can think
of."
3. Aided awareness - The percentage of people aware of
the subject when prompted. For example, "Have you ever heard of 'Tide?' 'Rinso?'
'Surf?' 'Era?'" In some aided measures, a fictitious brand or two is added to
determine phantom levels of awareness.
4. Total awareness - The net (or combined) percentage of
people aware of the subject either unaided or aided.
5. For utilities
that have yet to file Implementation Plans the budget offset, if any, cannot
be determined.
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