Itron Report Reveals Utilities and Consumers Share Heightened Concern About Increasing Disasters
Three Out of Four Utility Executives Say They Are Prepared for the Next Disaster, Only One in Three Consumers Say They Are Prepared
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Itron’s Resourcefulness Insight Report addresses a critically serious and timely topic as regions of
- 87% of consumers said they have been impacted by some type of disaster in the past five years; about one-third by extreme wind, extreme temperatures and flooding disasters, which are the top three consumer concerns
- 68% of consumers believe the increase in weather-related disasters is a result of climate change
- 69% of utility executives and 55% of consumers said they are more worried about a disaster striking them today than they were five years ago
- Utilities ranked cyber-attack as their top disaster concern
- 50% of all consumers indicated they would be willing to pay more on their utility bills to invest in disaster preparedness; 38% said they would not
“Disasters, both manmade and natural, are increasing at record levels and our industry is rapidly calibrating around this new normal,” said
Itron’s Resourcefulness Insights Report uncovered areas for improved preparation tactics, as well as insights to the investment focuses that utilities plan to prioritize, including:
- 71% of utilities say they are extremely or very equipped to prepare, respond and recover from disasters; 35% of consumers feel extremely or very confident in their utilities, and only 26% of consumers personally felt extremely or very prepared for a disaster
- 83% of utilities say they’ve deployed educational programs to help consumers prepare—47% of utilities say their programs have been effective, and 42% of consumers said they have not received any educational resources to help prepare
- The top investment priority by utilities to respond to disasters are smart or advanced metering, remote disconnect devices, customer communications systems, outage detection and restoration
"Hurricanes, earthquakes, storms and other natural hazards can cause damage to the energy grid and impact the delivery of electricity to customers. EEI has seen firsthand the consequences of these incidents to the nation's energy grid," said
History has proven that natural disasters expose utilities to financial, physical and reputational damage, underscoring that the way they prepare, respond and recover leads to a true make-or-break moment. Leading-edge smart technology and sensors can help, such as voltage analysis and outage detection and restoration. Utilities can harden their systems in the face of the next disaster by identifying likely hazards, assessing vulnerabilities, calculating outage impacts, determining the steps that they can take now, and assessing where further investments are needed.
To download a full copy of the Itron Resourcefulness Insights Report, visit www.itron.com/resourceful. Key outcomes and case studies of the Itron Resourcefulness Insights Report will also be explored during Itron Utility Week, commencing this morning in
About Itron
Itron enables utilities and cities to safely, securely and reliably deliver critical infrastructure services to communities in more than 100 countries. Our portfolio of smart networks, software, services, meters and sensors helps our customers better manage electricity, gas and water resources for the people they serve. By working with our customers to ensure their success, we help improve the quality of life, ensure the safety and promote the well-being of millions of people around the globe. Itron is dedicated to creating a more resourceful world. Join us: www.itron.com.
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