Research Report Says Forward-Thinking Utilities are Prepping for Rapid Growth in EIDs

A new report from Pike Research suggests that utilities will be the prime distribution channel for energy information displays (EIDs) and other energy management technology that consumers will use as smart meter rollouts put the focus on home energy management. While EID vendors are plentiful, Pike Research says only a few have shipped significant quantities to date. However, a consumer survey the firm conducted found that over half of respondents were very or extremely interested in having a device in their home to monitor and adjust their energy usage. Pike is estimating that by 2012 millions of EIDs will be shipped per year and that forward-thinking utilities are making plans to help consumers take advantage of the new smart technologies.

Quick Take: We have no basis to argue with the findings, but utilities already have so much on their plates that playing a key role in supplying (and servicing and supporting?) EIDs seems like a stretch – at least in the near future. But what do YOU think? How’s this model going to work out? We’d love to see some comments; use the Talk Back form below.

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