One of the things I enjoy most about my role is working alongside utilities as they tackle some of the industry's biggest challenges. Every utility is unique, but the questions I hear are remarkably consistent.
"How do we increase customer participation?"
"What motivates homeowners to adopt new technologies?"
"Why do programs that look strong on paper sometimes struggle to gain traction?"
Those conversations inspired our 2026 study on the barriers and motivators for customer participation in electrification programs. Rather than relying on assumptions about what customers value, we surveyed 350 homeowners across the United States to better understand how they think about residential electrification, what motivates them to act, and what stands in the way.
When I began this research, I expected to learn which technologies homeowners were most interested in adopting. Instead, I came away with a much more important realization: homeowners aren't evaluating technologies. They're evaluating outcomes. That insight changes how we should approach program design.
As an industry, we spend a great deal of time discussing heat pumps, battery storage, electric vehicles, virtual power plants, and grid flexibility. Those conversations are important because these technologies will play a critical role in the future of our energy system.
But homeowners approach these decisions differently. They're thinking about staying comfortable during the hottest week of summer, whether replacing an aging water heater is worth the investment, how home improvements fit within the family budget, and increasingly, what happens when the power goes out.
Our research reinforced that participation decisions are rarely driven by energy goals. They're shaped by immediate needs, perceived value, timing, and confidence that an investment will improve everyday life. For utilities, that's an important distinction. If we frame electrification primarily as a technology upgrade, we risk missing the conversation homeowners are already having.
One of the most encouraging findings from the study is that homeowners are genuinely interested in advanced electric technologies. Interest in heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, induction cooking, and battery storage was consistently strong, yet that interest didn't translate into immediate purchase intent.
When we looked deeper into the data, the reasons became clear. Many homeowners said they simply didn't need new equipment because their existing systems were still working. Others expressed concerns about affordability, future energy bills, or whether the investment would ultimately pay off. The research confirmed what many utilities already know: replacing functioning equipment is an uphill battle.
Rather than trying to create urgency where none exists, programs are often more successful when they align with natural replacement cycles, planned renovations, or other moments when homeowners are already making decisions about their homes. Incentives matter, but timing is equally powerful.
One of the most encouraging findings was that homeowners interested in advanced electric technologies are also significantly more willing to participate in demand response and load management programs. Even more compelling, our segmentation analysis found that roughly 40% of homeowners already own, or are interested in, advanced electric technologies and are highly receptive to utility-managed programs. Another 39% could be persuaded with the right combination of messaging, incentives, and program design. That's where the real opportunity begins.
Electrification and load management shouldn't be viewed as separate initiatives. They're part of the same customer journey. When utilities connect efficient equipment with demand response, managed charging, battery storage, and virtual power plant participation, they create ongoing value for homeowners while building a more flexible, resilient grid. Those conversations shouldn't begin after installation. They should begin before the purchase decision is even a consideration.
Each year, I conduct research on the industry's most pressing challenges because I believe the best performing energy programs begin with understanding people. Technologies, incentives, and policies will continue to evolve, but one thing remains remarkably consistent: customers make decisions based on what they value most.
Our study suggests those values are comfort, reliability, resilience, affordability, and control, not individual technologies. When programs are designed around those outcomes, participation becomes much more achievable. The future of residential electrification hinges on designing programs that fit naturally into people's lives and solve problems they already care about.
Download Behind the Meter: A Research-Backed Guide to Electrification and Customer Participation to explore the research behind these findings and discover practical strategies for designing electrification programs that drive greater participation.