HEES for Spanish- Speaking Customers

Southern California Edison HEES for Spanish- Speaking Customers Study ID: SCE0291.01 Addendum to Study ID SCE 0275.01 September 2010 Prepared for: Caroline Chen, Southern California Edison Prepared by: Katherine V. Randazzo, KVDR Inc This study was funded through the Public The survey was conducted by Goods Charge for energy efficiency, and is California Survey Research available for download at http://www.calmac.orgservices

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Table of Contents List of Tables...ii List of Figures...iv Executive Summary...1 Key Findings...1 Participant Characteristics... 1 Motivation... 1 Program Effectiveness... 2 Satisfaction... 3 Personal Contact... 3 Participant Suggestions for Improvement... 4 Recommendations...4 Recommendations for Program Implementation... 4 Recommendation for Program Marketing... 5 Overview...6 The Study...6 The Report...6 Method...7 Sample...7 Interview...9 Results...11 Demographics...11 Marketing Issues...14 Survey Completion Time and Length...16 Energy Efficiency Knowledge Level...17 Energy Efficiency Starter Kit...18 Other HEES Modes...21 HEES Recommendations and Behavioral Impacts...23 Satisfaction with Measures...33 Further Action...34 Satisfaction with HEES Report...36 Satisfaction with the HEES Tool...39 Satisfaction with the HEES Experience...40 Summary of Key Findings...45 Participant Characteristics...45 Motivation...45 Program Effectiveness...45 Satisfaction...46 Personal Contact...47 Participant Suggestions for Improvement...47 HEES for Spanish-Speaking Customers 9/10/2010 i

List of Tables Table 1. Program Participants by Program Element and Year... 7 Table 2. Sample Frame and Targets... 8 Table 3. Call Disposition... 8 Table 4. Type of Home... 11 Table 5. Own or Rent... 11 Table 6. Age... 12 Table 7. Number of People in Household... 12 Table 8. Highest Level of Education... 13 Table 9. Annual Household Income... 13 Table 10. Customer of SoCal Gas and/or GSW?... 14 Table 11. Gas & Water Utility Account Numbers Listed... 14 Table 12. First Information Source... 15 Table 13. Percentage of Participants Considering Factors Very Important... 16 Table 14. Would Have Taken Survey Without Kit?... 16 Table 15. Interval from Survey Awareness to Participation... 17 Table 16. HEES Length... 17 Table 17. Base Level of Knowledge Before completing HEES: Percent at Least Somewhat Knowledgeable... 18 Table 18. Received Energy-Efficiency Starter Kit in the Mail... 18 Table 19. Items Installed from Kit... 19 Table 20. Items Installed by In-Home Auditor... 19 Table 21. Number of CFLs Installed by In-Home Auditor... 20 Table 22. Items Installed After In-Home HEES... 20 Table 23. Most Valuable Item in Energy Efficiency Kit... 21 Table 24. Awareness of Other HEES Modes... 21 Table 25. Reason for Selecting HEES Mode... 22 Table 26. Satisfaction with Mode... 23 Table 27. Level of Attention to HEES Report... 23 Table 28. Recommendations Implemented Due to HEES by Survey Mode... 26 Table 29. Specific Measures Implemented Due HEES: Detail Spanish Language Only... 27 ii 9/10/2010 HEES for Spanish-Speaking Customers

Table 30. Recommendations Implemented Prior to HEES by Survey Mode... 29 Table 31. Recommendations Implemented Prior to HEES: Detail Spanish Language Only... 30 Table 32 Category of Actions Implemented Before or After Survey Spanish Language Only... 32 Table 33 Type of Action by Time of Implementation: Before or After Survey Spanish Language Only... 32 Table 34. Percent Very Satisfied with New Measures... 33 Table 35. Percent at Least Moderately Satisfied with New Measures... 34 Table 36. Action Taken As a Result of HEES... 35 Table 37. Programs Participated In... 36 Table 38. Usefulness of HEES Energy and Water Use History by Whether Account Number Entered... 37 Table 39. Usefulness of HEES Energy and Water Use History by Survey Mode: Spanish-Language Group... 37 Table 40. Usefulness of Comparison with Regional Average... 38 Table 41. Usefulness of Comparison with Regional Average: Spanish-Language Group Only... 38 Table 42. Influence of HEES Energy and Water Use Charts... 39 Table 43. Influence of HEES Comparison with Regional Average... 39 Table 44. Ease of Filling Out Survey... 40 Table 45. What Would Make it Easier?... 40 Table 46. Percent Very Satisfied with Aspects of the HEES Experience... 41 Table 47. Recommended HEES to Others... 41 Table 48. Most Helpful Aspect of the Program... 42 Table 49. Most Difficult Aspect of the Survey: Spanish-Language Group Only... 43 Table 50. Suggestions for Improvement: Spanish-Language Group Only... 44 HEES for Spanish-Speaking Customers 9/10/2010 iii

List of Figures Figure 1. HEES Recommendations by Category: Spanish-Language Group (N=19,573 Tips)... 24 Figure 2. HEES Recommendations by Category: English-Language Group (N=268,927 Tips)... 25 iv 9/10/2010 HEES for Spanish-Speaking Customers

Executive Summary Key Findings Executive Summary This document is an addendum to the PY2006-08 Home Energy Efficiency Survey (HEES) Program Process Evaluation. In the process of conducting the Community Language Energy Outreach (CLEO), we came upon the need to have specific feedback from the in-language Spanish-speaking HEES program participants. The completed 2006-2008 HEES (ID SCE 0275.01) process evaluation focused on surveying English-speaking participants. This project is to augment the 2006-2008 HEES study by creating an addendum with survey results from in-language Spanishspeaking participants. The main document reporting on that evaluation contains the program description, program theory, goals, etc. This project is oriented only to comparing the Spanish-language to the English-language participants on issues central to the program. It is important to know whether different language groups respond differently to the HEES survey in terms of satisfaction, implementing behaviors, motivations, and other dimensions. Key Findings Some clear patterns emerged from the survey of Spanish-language HEES participants compared to English-language participants. The differences begin with demographic differences and differences in knowledge of energy efficiency. There are differences in motivation, program influence and effectiveness, satisfaction, and desire for personal contact. Many of the opinions expressed by the Spanish-language participants are similar to those found among English-language participants, but tend to be stronger. Participant Characteristics Compared to English-language participants, Spanish-language participants are: even more likely to live in single-family detached homes (Table 4), a little less likely to own the home, except for mail-in participants (Table 5), less educated; specifically, they are less likely to go to college (Table 8), in lower income categories (Table 9), in larger households (Table 7), and less likely to be senior citizens (Table 6). Far fewer Spanish-language participants describe themselves as at least somewhat knowledgeable about opportunities for improving energy efficiency in the home, and are somewhat less knowledgeable about energy efficiency programs (Table 17). Motivation Spanish-language participants place even more value on learning about other energy efficiency programs than English-language participants do (Table 13). HEES for Spanish-Speaking Customers 9/10/2010 1

Executive Summary Key Findings Spanish-language participants more often say they are influenced by concern for the environment than English-language participants do (Table 13). Free items are definitely not the main motivators for participation by Spanish-language participants; this is even more true for Spanish-language than for English-language participants (Table 14). As compared to English-language participants Spanish-language participants choose their survey mode more on the basis of the anticipated helpfulness and accuracy of the information provided rather than speed or convenience; this is especially true for in-home participants (Table 25). Program Effectiveness Spanish-language participants are much more influenced by the audit than are Englishlanguage participants in the following areas: implementing tips because of the program (Table 28), overall, 38 percent for Spanish language participants and 14 percent for English. calling the utility to get more program information or contractors about energy efficiency equipment (Table 36), reporting that they were influenced by comparisons with their regional average (Table 40), and reporting that they were influenced by energy and water use charts (Table 42); however, Spanish-language participants were less likely to visit utility websites or purchase equipment (Table 36). Spanish-language participants energy efficiency efforts prior to participation were weighted toward the category of washing and drying clothes. After participation more emphasis was placed on water heating and water usage. Before participation they were heavier on practices, and after they were more likely to make low-cost purchases. This analysis is based only on the Spanish-language participants as it was not reported in this way for the English-language participants (Table 32). These before versus after changes imply program impact. Spanish-language participants have a much higher rate of installing showerheads and aerators than English, but are about the same on CFLs (Table 19). Even the Spanishlanguage in-home auditors installed more showerheads and aerators than Englishlanguage auditors (Table 20). This could be because English-language participants may have already done more in these areas. Spanish-language participants placed higher value on showerheads and aerators and less on CFLs (Table 23). Both English- and Spanish-language participants show quite high rates of having implemented recommendations before receiving them (36 percent for Spanish language and 44 percent for English). This implies, as was reported in the original report, that the algorithm for generating recommendations is less precise than is desirable. In addition, however, the rate of Spanish-language participants implementation of tips prior to the audit was lower than the English (Table 30). In other words, Spanish-language participants received fewer tips that were inappropriate, and English-language participants received more. This is counterintuitive. However, at least part of the explanation for the 2 9/10/2010 HEES for Spanish-Speaking Customers

Executive Summary Key Findings difference across language groups in receiving inappropriate tips appears to be underreporting of prior actions by the Spanish-language group, possibly due to misunderstandings. In addition, if the algorithm is insensitive to some prior actions, the lower rate of tips implemented prior to receiving them by Spanish language participants could reflect fewer actual energy efficiency behaviors prior to HEES, especially given the lower knowledge level shown in (Table 17). Satisfaction English-language participants were generally satisfied with the whole HEES process. This is also true of the Spanish-language participants. Following are some differences: Spanish-language participants are more satisfied than English in just about every area measured: with survey mode chosen (Table 26), with implemented tips almost across the board (Table 34, Table 35), with the HEES report (Table 38), and with all seven aspects of the program asked about, including the amount of time it took to complete the survey, the clarity of recommendations made, the usefulness of the recommendations, the information provided on energy efficiency programs, and how customized the results were (Table 46). Spanish-language participants more often recommended HEES to others (Table 47). Spanish-language participants are more likely to name information about energy efficiency programs as the most helpful aspect of program (Table 48). The one exception to the pattern of more satisfaction among Spanish-language participants is that that group more often reports that the HEES tool is less easy to fill out than English-language participants do (Table 44). Personal Contact The Spanish-language participants seem to be even more influenced by a personal connection with the audit than English: Bill inserts don t precipitate action as often in Spanish-language customers (Table 12), In-home participation seems to be encouraged by contact with utility reps, and that is likely the main way Spanish-speaking customers learn about that mode (Table 12 and Table 24), Report usefulness is rated much higher for in-home and phone participants (Table 39, Table 41), Energy and water use charts are reported by Spanish-language participants as being more influential when they participate in in-home and phone modes than when they participate in the mail-in mode (Table 42), In-home Spanish-language participants are less likely to say the survey was hard to understand (Table 49), based only on Spanish-language sample, HEES for Spanish-Speaking Customers 9/10/2010 3

Executive Summary Recommendations The satisfaction difference reported above between Spanish-and English-language participants is greater in personal contact modes. I.e., in personal contact modes (in-home and phone) Spanish-language participant satisfaction is especially higher than Englishlanguage participant satisfaction. This seems to imply that the personal connection is even more important to Spanish- than to traditional English-language participants (Table 46). Participant Suggestions for Improvement Spanish-language participants express the wish that the HEES tool was less technical much more than English, but they also wish it was shorter (Table 45). Based only on Spanish-language participants (Table 50): Mail-in participants especially (compared to phone and in-home) wish for fewer technical words in the HEES tool. In-home participants want more information on available services. Phone participants want more information on available services and improved auditor service. Some mail-in participants (8%) criticized the Spanish translation of the HEES tool. Recommendations Based on the findings described above and on a reading of the original process evaluation for the English-language 2006-08 HEES program, the first recommendation of this report is to support those made in the original. There is no recommendation made in the earlier report that does not apply at least as strongly to the Spanish-language participants. Since the purpose of the current study was to compare the Spanish-language participants to the English, the following recommendations are generally tied to language group differences. Recommendations for Program Implementation 1. Make a particular effort to inform Spanish-language participants about the inhome HEES mode. Given the findings that the Spanish-language group tends to be less educated and less knowledgeable about energy efficiency, they more often report difficulty understanding the HEES tool, they appear to under-report what they have already done, and because bill inserts don t precipitate participation as often as they do for English-language participants, the in-home mode offers the most support and clarity for these customers. In addition, report usefulness is rated higher in modes involving personal contact with an expert. Most mail-in and phone participants don t know about the in-home method, so a special effort would be needed to bring them into that approach. 2. Conduct an exploratory study to determine what the points of misunderstanding and confusion are for Spanish-language participants taking the mail-in survey. In spite of generally higher program satisfaction, Spanish-language participants seem to have more trouble understanding the survey, and appear to under-report their prior actions. They show a much higher rate of complaints about technical terms. A study that compared customer inputs to an expert s inputs would help program planners 4 9/10/2010 HEES for Spanish-Speaking Customers

Executive Summary Recommendations understand where there are confusions and misunderstandings. It could also help target difficulties in translation of the survey into Spanish. About eight percent of Spanish-language participants commented that there were flaws in the translation. 3. Strengthen connections between HEES report results and energy efficiency programs. This is a recommendation made in the original report, and is even more important for Spanish-language participants who more often than English-language participants ask for more information on energy efficiency programs. Recommendation for Program Marketing 4. Advertise the program to Spanish-language customers emphasizing saving the environment as well as saving money. Spanish-language participants report themselves more influenced by concern for the environment than English-language. HEES for Spanish-Speaking Customers 9/10/2010 5