Promoting customer engagement: A new trend in utility regulation

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Hahn, Robert; Metcalfe, Robert; Rundhammer, Florian
• 署名单位: University of Oxford; Boston University; University System of Georgia; Georgia State University
• 刊物名称: REGULATION & GOVERNANCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1748-5983
• DOI: 10.1111/rego.12182
• 发表日期: 2020
• 页码: 121-149
• 关键词: at-and-t; Energy efficiency; incentive regulation; field experiments; rpi-x; price; electricity; COMPETITION; demand; FUTURE

摘要

This paper traces a new development in regulation that encourages utilities to engage more directly with their customers. We make four contributions: First, we perform a comprehensive analysis of how regulators are using customer engagement, and offer a simple model for understanding different customer engagement initiatives. Second, we review assessments of customer engagement. We find that there are no quantitative, empirically robust assessments of the effectiveness of customer engagement as a regulatory tool. Third, we develop two detailed case studies of an energy regulator and a water regulator that are in the forefront of customer engagement efforts. We find that there is no direct link between the engagement strategy used and the economic incentives received by a firm. Finally, we propose a framework for improving the customer engagement process. The new framework relies on microeconomics, modern tools of program evaluation, and supplying the regulated firm with direct incentives to engage with the customer.