Are Consumers Ready for Demand Response? Here’s What SECC’s Research Says.

AI data centers have become a lightning rod for public inquiry and have inadvertently raised awareness of important energy topics like demand flexibility initiatives that electricity providers have long explored. Because of rising demand, in communities across the United States, consumers are now asking questions about when electricity is used, how much is used, and the resulting impact on both grid reliability and affordability.

With data center-driven load growth, affordability concerns, and rising distributed energy resource (DER) adoption among residential customers, understanding what customers think about demand flexibility programs like demand response, virtual power plants (VPPs), or EV charging has never been more important. Utilities need clarity on which consumers are open to shifting usage, which devices they’re willing to adjust, and what benefits will motivate participation.

As data centers create massive new baseload demand, utilities can no longer rely on occasional emergency demand flexibility initiatives. To guide the industry on demand response (DR) program design and communications that can maximize customer engagement, the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative (SECC) recently conducted the Consumer Understanding of Demand Response survey among a nationally representative sample of 2,091 adults.

In this article, we examine three takeaways from SECC’s latest nationwide survey that provide insight into Americans’ thoughts around DR programs:

1. Consumers are open to both behavioral and direct load control programs.

In the new SECC survey, we presented consumers with a scenario wherein electricity providers ask customers to save energy at home for up to four hours when electricity demand is at its highest. These “energy-saving events” would help protect the grid and would be called between 5-15 times per year.

The survey revealed that 66% of consumers are open to participating in a behavioral demand response program, with 21% saying they are highly interested and 7% stating they currently participate. While our surveys usually reveal somewhat lower interest in direct load control (DLC) programs, 53% of respondents in the new survey are still open to participation or are current program participants (6%).

These findings also highlight the gap between interest and participation, which is often due to friction in the enrollment process, unclear incentives/benefits, device compatibility issues, or other roadblocks. By deploying broader customer engagement strategies – e.g., instant enrollment, personalized communications, and bring your own device (BYOD) programs – the industry can begin to close this gap and maximize the load shift impact.

2. Consumers will adjust a wide range of household appliances.

Respondents were also asked which household appliances and devices they would be open to adjusting during energy-saving events, and we found that there is a broad willingness to adjust different appliances and devices. Eighty percent of respondents said that they are willing to shift dishwasher usage, and 77% are willing to adjust home cooling. However, regardless of behavioral or DLC program, willingness to shift was fairly consistent across appliances and devices – all devices saw between 73% and 82% willingness for both program types.

How can utilities harness this broad willingness to shift devices? Device-agnostic programs can lower barriers to customer enrollment and participation, while broadening the possibilities of any demand flexibility program. With the right Grid-Edge DERMS platform, utilities can also manage all these devices simultaneously, amplifying the load shifting benefits, while giving consumers the flexibility to shift the devices that work with their homes and lifestyles.

3. Consumer decision-making is driven by cost, control and comfort.

Among respondents who were interested in participating in either a behavioral or DLC program, we also asked what information would be most important to have before deciding to enroll in or rejoin a program. Unsurprisingly, knowing the exact financial benefits (e.g., what rebates, bill savings, or other incentives are included) rose to the top of the list (62%).

However, consumers were also eager to have confirmation that they could manually override adjustments at any time (57%) and to know exactly when events would occur and how long they would last (52%). These findings echo the importance of cost, comfort, and control that we’ve seen in SECC’s surveys over the years. To address this, utilities can implement modern DERMS platforms that empower consumers with mobile-first controls, enabling them to opt out with the simple push of a button, reducing concerns around comfort and control.

Looking ahead: A Growing Need – and a Growing Opportunity

As conversations about when electricity is used continue to enter the mainstream, demand flexibility will play an increasingly central role in grid planning. With accelerating load growth from data centers, EVs, and electrification – alongside the variability of renewable generation – utilities need reliable, dispatchable demand‑side resources.

SECC’s new research shows that consumers are willing to participate in these programs when the value proposition is clear and the technology is easy to use. The opportunity now lies in designing programs that align consumer motivations with grid needs – and in communicating those programs in ways that build confidence, clarity, and long‑term engagement.

About The Guest Author

As SECC’s President & CEO, Nathan leads the organization’s research, membership, and policy initiatives. He became SECC’s Deputy Director in 2015 and grew membership by almost 40% to over 150 members. Along with his work on the Research and Policy Committees, Nathan leads member recruitment and engagement and routinely presents SECC’s research at industry conferences and policy workshops across the United States and Canada.