CitiPower Residential Focus Groups
Homework Activity: Overview
A homework activity was also included as part of the residential focus group research phase, to deliver additional
customer insight into specific areas.
The homework activity gave Residential Customers the opportunity to think about specific topics, and provide a
considered response, which was then incorporated into Residential Customer focus group reports.
Topics included:
Powerline undergrounding.
Vegetation management.
Smart Meters.
Smart Grid.
Local streetscape and amenities.
All research participants were provided the opportunity to complete the homework activity, with
the homework activity given to research participants at the conclusion of each focus group.
The homework activity included ten questions, which were provided to participants in a printed,
bound booklet and stamped, return envelope.
Participants were paid an additional $50 (via BSB transfer or Coles voucher) as a thank you for
completing the homework activity.
A total of 42 homework activities were returned from a total of 58 CitiPower focus group
participants (translating to a 72% participation rate).
A copy of the full homework activity is shown form slide 22 of this report.
CitiPower Residential Focus Groups
Homework
Activity Book
Verbatim
Powerline
Powerline Undergrounding
P1: In what type of locations or areas (if any) do you believe powerlines should be
moved underground?
All areas should be considered but the cheapest should be done first - those areas with the least number of overhead wires. This is obviously a very expensive process - and the consumer will ultimately pay.
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I think underground powerlines should be used residential streets to enhance visual appeal, I would suggest overhead lines continue to be used in main roads or key roads, if the purpose of putting powerlines underground is to prevent outages/fire then underground power should be put into regional, fringe metro areas where risk is evident.
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Areas which have high levels of tree maintenance needed around the powerlines e.g. bushfire prone areas. Where high replacement of powerlines occur e.g. high accident areas.
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I think there are many car accidents caused by cars hitting powerlines if they lose control, or are involved in collisions, so in areas where there is a higher speed limit, this would be a good idea. From a visual level, any parklands look much better without powerlines, and areas with a high density of trees are less dangerous without powerlines - trees falling on powerlines is so dangerous.
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In new suburbs as this can be incorporated into the infrastructure, when other utilities already have areas dug up then updating infrastructure can be done at the same time - working together.
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The ideal would be everywhere, in Richmond where I live, those streets with well established street trees would benefit from underground cables as maintenance costs associated with trees/powerlines etc would be reduced and the need to severly prune trees would be obviated.
“
In new urban developments where underground placement can be done more economically - no obstructions with trees.
Powerline Undergrounding
P2: In the event there was work being undertaken in your local community to move
powerlines underground, what would be your main priorities?
Prior warning of impending works, timeframe in which these works will take place, what diversions will be in place, list of the benefits for the powerlines going underground.
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Cost awareness, agreement prior to works beginnig; hours of work (mon-fri 8:30am-4:00pm) general time when most people are at work/school; lead time to notify residents; safety i.e appropriate permits and barriers required due to the large amount of young children; minimise traffic disruption; aesthetic of road is not a huge issue.
“
Main priorities would be to inform communities of dates and times the work is to be done. Work to be efficient and safe. Looking at times of less disruption to the driveways and parking.
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Safety of both workers and general public is obviously a concern along with minimal disruption (traffic and power outages) finish of the road isn't of great importance but having an even, safe road is.
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Hours of work Monday to Saturday (10am to 10pm) sounds reasonable. Ample notification via text/email would be preferable, but mail outs are okay. But often it looks like junk mail. I think traffic issues sort themselves out, people find alternative routes.
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My main priorities would be 1) safety 2) hours of work (wouldn't want to be kept up late at night) 3) minimising parking disruption/access to parking in my apartment complex. I would rather the works be completed as quickly as possible, even if this means there would be
noise/parking/traffic interuptions for say 1 week.
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Completion should be finished in a reasonable amount of time. Parking and traffic disruptions should be kept to a minimum, work during high traffic times should be avoided (peak and rush hour) and noise pollution occurring too early or late at night.
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I think as long as all my daily activities could continue with minimal disruption, I would be happy and not mind if there were traffic detours and road blocks - if these were signposted and managed well. I am in favour of this project, so I'd be patient, but I would like communication as to what is going on (maybe flyers in the mail?). Having 2 young children, maximum safety is important. I would expect the finish of the road to match, so it is hard to tell there are cables underground, as is the case with most underground cables.
Vegetation
Vegetation Management
V1: In areas within your local community, would you prefer trees near powerlines to
be trimmed more heavily and less often, or trimmed lightly and more frequently?
This would depend on the streets and whether it is possible to trim the trees adequately without leaving gaping holes in the treeline. A lot of streets in my area would probably be ok to trim more thoroughly but other suburbs such as Armadale/Malvern East depend on a dense treeline to contribute to the character of the area, in those cases I would prefer lightly and more often as to more adversely affect the character of the area/street.
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Heavily but with care - not just hacking off offending branches - trimmers should be trained in tree doctoring so that the tree still looks good.
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I would like the trees trimmed more heavily, less often. The fact that we don't need to have disruption and doubling up on man power to do the same tasks would be better. And we are a very congested area in the CBD and need less disruption. But more efficient at what we do. Small trimmings could prove to be a waste of time and resources.
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Depends on how invasive the trees are. I would prefer less heavily and more often. I see the plain trees around Richmond and Collingwood pruned to within an inch of their lives and I am sure it is detrimental to their long term health and stability.
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Trees should be trimmed lightly and much more frequently as this encourages new leaf growth (pruning) which makes for healthy trees and better air to breathe as well as increased safety as powerlines are visually checked more often.
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Again Armadale is a leafy green suburb. I would not like to see 'naked' trees due to heavy clippings. Prefer less often and trimmed lightly. Our greenery is something to enjoy and nurture. I love and the reason for living in the area - trees and flowers.
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I would prefer they be trimmed lightly and more frequently particularly around kindergartens, schools & public parks & public buildings - where people frequent often. Additionally, I would like to see more care taken with the shaping of the trees.
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Less but more frequently if economically viable to do so - I am aware that the consumer will pay. Should be under supervision of arborist (I assume it is anyways).
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I have no problem with heavy trimming of trees as long as it is done evenly and consistently and in the best interests of the trees and the amenity of the area. Proper tree selection and removal of fast growing 'dangerous' trees should be implemented.
Vegetation Management
V2: In areas away from houses, such as highways and main roads, would you prefer
trees near powerlines to be trimmed more heavily and less often, or trimmed lightly
and more frequently?
I think in these areas they could be trimmed more heavily and less often as its not so important for aesthetic reasons.
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Less frequently and more heavily as this will be more economic. Not as important like trees outside someone's house.
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Trimmed more heavily and less often. I think main roads and Hwy its only passing traffic as opposed to residents having to look out the window at a butchered tree until it grows back.
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I believe they also need to be done heavily for the same reason as to not waste time and resources. I think that by doing this it is safer for longer.
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In these areas I think more heavily and less often would be most appropriate. Just because these areas are less noticeable and the trees don't make up the scenery.
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More heavily; these would be areas more prone to environmental disasters e.g. bushfires, and more frequent trimming could lead to increase disruption to the roads/highways.
Smart Meters
S1: In your own words, what are the main benefits of having a smart meter installed
in your home?
I am actually unsure of what the benefit to the consumer is other than being able to monitor when and how much power is being used throughout the day, though for the most part I would say consumers don't care and are more intrested in how can I get a cheaper power bill?
“
I am hoping that in time we will be able to obtain more data regarding our usage of power in our homes via the smart meter. I hope the readings are more accurate for billing purposes.
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I see no benefits as currently implemented. The meter is capable but is not even setup to display a basic parameter like instantaneous power use. It is also capable but does not show any other parameters nor does it provide web access. It can support different tariffs at different times but I only have one tariff.
“
Ability to track peak and off peak e.g. usage times. Leads to ability for select tailored energy plans from the retail. Ability to put energy back into the grid - reduce energy bill.
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Accurate usage readings every 30 minutes - allowing you as the customer to modify your behavior during peak time. Ability to turn off electricity remotely (in the event of a fire this would be important).
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Eliminate manual handling. Better monitoring capabilities. Offers better reporting data for consumers. Environmental benefits i.e. you don’t have trucks driving around burning fuel to do meter readings manually.
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An end to estimated bills. I should be able to more properly manage my bill by working out peak consumption.
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Having a smart meter allows residents to be more aware of their spend, and therefore save money. We can use these to see what time of the day is costing us the most $.
Smart Meters
S2: When it comes to smart meters, please outline the most useful energy
consumption information that could be provided, or that you could access, to help
you and your household?
Highlight when the most power is being used and show this consumption to your average consumption amount throughout the day. Perhaps also show this in comparision to other people's average power usage at the same time. Like how mich power other people using on an average at that time.
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Handy tips to improve my household consumption; actual versus target information of my useage; saving money for next months bill; overall YTD chart.
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Consumption information and how you compare to the average household of the same size could help bring awareness of usage and potentially the need to reduce usage.
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Highlight peak periods - a breakdown of usage by hour. If there was any way of providing analysis of what areas of the house use the most electricty - that would be useful.
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I would like to be able to see my day by day energy consumption on a graph (or possibly weekly graph) to analyse where I'm using the most power, and modify our behaviour. I'm a single mum with 2 kids, so we need minimal costs.
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Energy consumption levels across the week. Ability to monitor high and low consumption periods.
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Times of higher consumption and suggestions to help reduce high consumption during peak times.
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It would be great if there will be reminders or alerts once the usage has exceeded the normal usage.
Smart Meters
S3: And what would be your ideal way of accessing your smart meter data/
information?
Smart Grid
SG1: How do you feel about paying a small increase in your electricity bills to fund
the cost of further development of a smart grid?
Yes, I think this should happen as there are greater long term benefits to the consumer as well as savings to the power companies. Having the ability to be compensated for selling electricity is a good incentive for consumers to invest in renewables, however, as fewer people end up buying electricity from the grid those that do will be paying higher prices.
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I have no issue paying a little bit more for sustainability, it is essential that this occurs anyway, and if I have excess energy to put back I will save money that way.
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It sounds like a good move for the future. As coal reserves depleat, prices will rise. Measures like this will keep price down in future.
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I would be happy to, as long as a fair rate was paid to customers for energy that was put back into the grid (energy from solar panels has significantly been decreased over the last few years).
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I believe smart grids are the way forward as they allow consumers to supply some of their own energy to home and grid. It utilises renewable sources that are under-utilised. Monitoring of consumer input into system required to prevent "generator" houses popping up. Happy to pay fee.
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I cannot think of any negative. A smart grid is something we need because it is the way of the future. It would be better to have the cost gradually rather than a price spike in our electricity later down the road. Having the grid reliable will help the economy in the future and any problems/faults can be learned from before we're too dependent on alternative. With the increase in solar efficiency we will be seeing more solar panels soon.
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As long as all costs were blanket across all areas and regional areas still got the same benefits as city. All developments should be thoroughly investigated before implementation and that all developments benefit all.
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I would be happy to pay a small increase ($10-$20 max), as I am a supporter of progress, and energy conservation. We have to be prepared to invest, to keep our systems the most modern and progressive - short term pain for long term gain. I believe most people are starting to think green, and wanting to contribute to this system. We are still of course all budget conscious, so this must be done in small increments, and well
documented for people to understand the big picture.
Local Streetscape
& Amenities
Local Streetscape & Amenities
L1: Are there any improvements relating to the supply of electricity to your home, the
services provided by CitiPower and Powercor or the assets they are responsible for
that you feel would benefit from investment or upgrading?
Assets that prevent black and brown outs would be most beneficial.
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Underground cabling. Smart grid infrastructure. Better ways to advise the saving of energy. Offering a discount to users for keeping their usage below a certain level each month.
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All new powerlines should be underground. Substations around the area are necessary but ugly and would benefits from some beautification e.g. screening plants around them.
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I have not seen any improvements to powerlines in my area for quite a while. If underground wiring is put in instead of poles it would probably be an improvement. Underground wiring would be very safe, and I would feel secure.
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I definitely think investment in underground powerlines is great, visually and for safety. And any improvements that help the environment and causes associated are appreciated. Green energy, solar panels, windmills, I believe most people support these causes and would be happy to subsidise. We have to be progressive and keep up with overseas advances, but keep the cost down so it is affordable.
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New overhead powerlines and infrastructure, built from sustainable materials. Substations designed to match local community (ie. Street art, industrial opaque fencing).
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As long as everything in my neighbourhood is safe I couldn't think of any need to invest or upgrade.
Website feedback
1) The thing I like most about the Talking Electricity website is
It’s in layman terms - very clear and easy to read + navigate around the site.
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The interface is clean, concise and easy to understand.
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Very straight forward and easy to read, eye catching.
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Easy to access and easy to understand, informative.
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A lot of information, can find answers if you wish to. Simple enough to get around.
Website feedback
2) The thing I like least about the Talking Electricity website is
That there is not enough valuable information to warrant me using the site regularly.
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A bit of a sales pitch - I would like to see more focus on renewable energy
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There was no public forum page with a running list of comments.
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Contact telephone numbers are hard to find, not on homepage.
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'Contact us' link only has online options - no phone numbers.
