The Source - Fall 2008 - (Page 35)

brochures, public transit stop ads, and various home and local trade shows. Since CPS Energy focused its efforts on gas marketing, participation in the Smart Energy™ program has doubled to include 106 homebuilders, and the number of top-25 builders has increased by 76 percent to 20. All advertising and customer education initiatives were focused on the comfort and convenience of using natural gas. CPS Energy developed a 30-second television spot highlighting the comfort of natural gas and our high level of customer satisfaction with current and would-be homeowners. New rounds of print ads have been launched to emphasize the comfort, energy savings, and environmentally friendly aspects of natural gas. Put marketing staﬀ to work Having a dedicated gas marketing and sales team is critical. At CPS Energy, each team member has assigned homebuilders and geographical areas, and one member focuses on the multi-family market. A marketingand energy-efficiency engineer also concentrates on commercial and industrial customers, as well as energyefficiency programs. Marketing staff members have made significant strides with retailers by providing signage, brochures, and training for their sales staff. Few retailers knew the advantages of natural gas and carried gas appliances, and they welcomed the partnership with CPS Energy. Getting results Supported by the strong interest in and success of the Smart Energy™ program, CPS Energy’s efforts to grow its natural gas business have exceeded expectations, as shown in the bar graph at left. What’s next? Future efforts will help to sustain and improve partnerships with developers, builders, and retailers, and thus continue to improve market penetration and increase gas burner tips. A concerted effort will center around educating all stakeholders, and primarily the customer, on the environmental advantages of the direct use of natural gas. In a time of increasing natural gas prices, expounding on the ability of natural gas to decrease a customer’s emissions and carbon footprint will be a key focus. Today the natural gas business is at a critical juncture. We must inform everyone that the direct use of natural gas is good for our customers, good for keeping their energy bills affordable, and good for the environment. Furthermore, an expanding domestic natural gas supply is critical to our communities and to achieving more independence from foreign energy imports. We must do this while maintaining our focus on reliability and safety, offering reasonable rates, and being a good neighbor and community contributor. Jeﬀrey M. Tuttle is vice president, gas business unit of CPS Energy in San Antonio, Texas. CPS Energy is the nation’s largest municipally owned energy company providing both natural gas and electric service. For more CPS Energy information, visit www.cpsenergy.com. PIPELINE TOOLBOX All The Corrosion And Integrity Tools You Need. LEAK DETECTION Products & Services 1-800-HEATH-US www.heathus.com FREE 30-Day trial at www.ttoolboxes.com or contact sales@ttoolboxes.com PO Box 980550 Houston TX 77098 713-630-0505 www.ttoolboxes.com 384316_Heath.indd 1 THE SOURCE | FALL 2008 , VOL. 1, ISSUE 1 35 6/3/08 8:46:26 AM 383990_Technical.indd 1 6/3/08 9:07:06 AM http://www.ttoolboxes.com http://www.cpsenergy.com http://www.heathus.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of The Source - Fall 2008

The Source - Fall 2008 Contents First Person APGA Awards APGA Events Overview Up Next in THE SOURCE Grassroots Connections Climate Change Legislation Market Transparency: An Insider's View Legislative Outlook The Pipeline Marketing Matters Advertisers' Index At Last

The Source - Fall 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.