At A Glance
Energy and utility marketers need more than geographic targeting to reach the right households. Experian Audiences support energy outreach using privacy-safe behavioral, lifestyle, and attitudinal signals tied to usage patterns, sustainability interest, and technology adoption, helping align programs with how households use and manage their energy use.In this article…
Why does energy marketing need more than geography targeting?
Energy usage doesn’t rise and fall evenly across a service area. Even within the same ZIP code, household electricity consumption can vary, driven by differences in household size, time spent at home, technology adoption, and lifestyle choices. While location influences climate exposure, behavior shapes how energy is ultimately consumed.
Seasonal moments like peak summer usage and auto sales cycles create predictable shifts in household energy needs, while moments like Earth Day influence awareness and motivation. Experian Audiences help energy and utility marketers align outreach to these moments using observable, privacy-safe signals tied to how households live, without relying on meter data.
To help energy marketers plan more effective, adaptable programs, we outline household energy behaviors then show a seasonal approach that turns those behaviors into timely opportunities for activation.
You can find the full taxonomy paths in the appendix.
Three core energy audience categories
Who they are
Smart energy optimizers are households aligned with cleaner and more efficient energy choices, supported by action-based signals tied to renewable interest and smart home adoption.
Smart energy optimizers are more likely to invest in connected home technology and actively manage energy use. Approximately 14% of U.S. households now use a smart thermostat, while interest in renewable energy is also growing, with about one in five U.S. homeowners considering solar.
Experian Audiences you can activate to reach smart energy optimizers
- Eco-sustainable Travel
- Environmentally Green Consumers
- Online Solar Energy System Intenders
- Original Traditionalists
- Shopping Behavior > Smart Greens
- Smart Home Security System Buyers
How to use these audiences
Activate Smart Greens and Environmentally Green Consumers for clean energy and renewable sourcing outreach. Activate Online Solar Energy System Intenders to reach households actively researching solar or adjacent solutions, and Smart Home Security System Buyers to align your messaging around connected home energy management and conservation.
Who they are
Alternative energy drivers are consumers whose transportation behavior reflects fuel efficiency and alternative energy awareness. Vehicle ownership and switching signals often reflect a broader household energy mindset.
EV owners and alternative fuel drivers often charge at home, with ~80% of EV charging happens at home, linking transportation decisions directly to household energy use. This serves as useful signals for messaging around charging optimization, time-of-use rates, and home energy upgrades.
Experian Audiences you can activate to reach alternative energy drivers
- In Market-Fuel Type > Electric CUV SUV
- In Market-Fuel Type > Electric Luxury
- In Market-Fuel Type > Electric Non-Luxury
- In Market-Fuel Type > MPG Conscious
- Ownership Switchers > Alternative Fuel
- Ownership Switchers > Electric
- Ownership Switchers > PHEV
- Ownership-Make and Models > Tesla Model S
- Ownership-Make and Models > Tesla Model X
- Ownership-Make and Models > Toyota Prius Prime
How to use these audiences
Activate Electric, Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV), and Alternative Fuel Ownership Switchers to align your outreach with households actively shifting vehicle types, a shift that often increases home electricity usage and introduces charging considerations. Layer Electric CUV SUV and Electric Non-Luxury audiences for broader EV adoption messaging and use Tesla and Prius Prime owners as indicators of energy-conscious household behavior.
Who they are
Persuadable energy planners are households open to energy messaging tied to usage, cost, or timing rather than sustainability alone.
Persuadable energy planners often have higher in-home energy use driven by larger household size and more time spent at home. More than over 70% of U.S. households cite energy costs as a major concern, making them strong candidates for usage monitoring, rate plan education, and efficiency programs framed around savings and control.
Beyond usage and rate education, persuadable energy planners may also be receptive to awareness-based outreach around assistance programs, budget management tools, or flexible payment options. Using privacy-safe household context, demographics, and geo-indexed indicators, energy providers can responsibly inform communities during periods of higher demand.
Experian Audiences you can activate to reach persuadable energy planners
- At Home Retired and Empty Nester Households
- At-Home: Families at Home (kids under 13)
- At-Home: Families at Home (kids 13+)
- High Spending Business and Home Office Buyers
- Home Office
- Likely Home Based Businesses
- Non-Committal Environmentalists
- Undecided Environmentalists
How to use these audiences
Activate Undecided Environmentalists for usage-focused and rate plan messaging. Activate Non-Committal Environmentalists for education tied to household energy impact, monitoring tools, and cost transparency rather than sustainability-led framing.
Layer the Home Office and At Home Retired and Empty Nester Households to reach households with sustained, always-on energy usage driven by daytime occupancy, work equipment, and connected devices, making them strong candidates for usage monitoring, time-based rates, and efficiency programs focused on cost control.
When are energy audiences most receptive to outreach?
Seasonal and cultural moments influence household attention, urgency, and motivation, making timing just as important as targeting.
Peak summer usage: Cooling, occupancy, and smart energy
During peak summer months, residential electricity demand rises sharply as cooling becomes the largest driver of household energy use. Air conditioning alone accounts for nearly one-fifth of total residential electricity consumption in the U.S., and roughly 87% of U.S. homes use air conditioning. But not all households contribute equally to peak demand.
Household behavior plays a major role. Time spent at home, driven by remote or hybrid work and daily routines, along with household size, can increase cooling needs and baseline electricity demands. These dynamics make summer an ideal moment to engage households around efficiency programs, demand-response initiatives, and connected home solutions.
EV adoption and auto sales cycles shape home energy use
Recent adoption and usage patterns show how electric vehicle (EV) ownership is reshaping residential energy demand.
| Metric | Data point |
| Share of U.S. new vehicle sales | EVs account for ~9–10% of all new vehicle sales |
| Impact on household electricity usage | EV-owning households use ~20–30% more residential electricity |
Auto sales cycles, such as year-end promotions, model-year transitions, and incentive-driven holiday periods, often coincide with spikes in EV purchases. For utilities, these moments create opportunities to anticipate new charging demand and introduce rate plans, managed charging, and home energy programs as EVs enter the household.
Earth Day and sustainability moments: Attitudes vs. action
Seasonal moments like Earth Day, climate awareness campaigns, and sustainability-focused promotions draw attention to energy themes, creating a natural window for energy brands to engage, but the message matters. While roughly 70% of Americans support clean energy, only about 30% say they’re willing to pay more for it. That gap reflects differences in how people prioritize values, cost, and day-to-day practicality.
For households with strong sustainability values, these moments can be used to reinforce interest in renewable sourcing, emissions reduction, and long-term environmental impact. For others, the same moments can open the door to conversations focused on usage, affordability, and control, where energy benefits are framed through savings, efficiency, and timing.
Together, these groups represent a broader opportunity for utilities to expand engagement by meeting customers where they are. Sustainability-first messaging resonates with value-driven households, while cost- and usage-led framing helps translate awareness into action for those motivated by practicality. This dual approach allows Earth Day and similar moments to support both values-led engagement and participation at scale.
What sets Experian Audiences apart?
Our syndicated audiences give you an advantage across channels, offering both scale and accuracy:
- Experian’s 3,500+ syndicated audiences are available at over 200 leading activation platforms, including programmatic, social, TV destinations, and can be curated alongside premium inventory through Curated Deals.
- Reach consumers based on who they are, where they live, and their household makeup. Experian ranked #1 in accuracy by Truthset for key demographic attributes.
Explore some of our Partner Audiences that complement Experian Audiences across key energy and utility use cases, with flexible activation through Experian’s Data Marketplace or leading activation platforms.
Alliant
- In-Market for New Green Car
- Moms Who Buy Green
- TruGreen Buyer Propensity
Attain
- Direct Energy
- Rent & Utilities > Gas & Electricity
- Green Mountain Energy
Need a custom audience? Reach out to our audience team and we can help you build and activate an Experian audience on the platform of your choice.
Want to activate an Experian Audience on Meta, Pinterest, Snap, TikTok or on a platform not listed above? Contact us today.
For a full list, download our syndicated audiences guide.
Reach households based on real-world energy behavior with Experian Audiences
From peak summer cooling to EV charging and cost-driven planning, seasonal energy demand is shaped by behavior. Experian Audiences help energy and utility marketers reach households using signals tied to those real-world patterns, supporting programs aligned with how energy is actually used.
Connect with our audience experts
FAQs
Experian Audiences are pre-built, privacy-compliant consumer segments that help marketers target based on verified demographic, financial, and behavioral data.
They’re designed for flexibility across channels and can be activated on 200+ platforms, including major social, CTV, and programmatic partners.
Experian ranks #1 in demographic accuracy according to Truthset, and marketers can choose from 3,500+ syndicated audiences that capture signals such as income, spending behavior, household structure, financial attitudes, and ability to pay. These same audiences are also available through partnerships on platforms like DirecTV, Dish, Magnite, OpenAP, and The Trade Desk.
For a deeper look at our audience catalog, explore our syndicated audience guide.
You can activate Experian Audiences across 200+ digital and connected TV (CTV) platforms, including Meta, Pinterest, The Trade Desk, and Audigent PMPs.
Yes, you can combine your own first-party data with Experian’s 3,500+ syndicated audiences and additional segments from multiple partner data providers, as a custom audience within a Curated Deal or self-service via Audience Engine.
Appendix
Smart energy optimizers
- Travel Intent > Travel Preference > Eco-sustainable Travel
- GreenAware > Behavioral Greens > Environmentally Green Consumers
- Lifestyle and Interests (Affinity) > In-Market > Online Solar Energy System Intenders
- Psychographic/Attitudes > Retail Shoppers > Original Traditionalists
- Psychographic/Attitudes > Shopping Behavior > Smart Greens
- Retail Shoppers: Purchase Based > Lifestyle and Interests > Smart Home Security System Buyers
Alternate energy drivers
- Autos, Cars and Trucks > Ownership Switchers > Alternative Fuel
- Autos, Cars and Trucks > Ownership Switchers > Electric
- Autos, Cars and Trucks > In Market-Fuel Type > Electric CUV SUV
- Autos, Cars and Trucks > In Market-Fuel Type > Electric Luxury
- Autos, Cars and Trucks > In Market-Fuel Type > Electric Non-Luxury
- Autos, Cars and Trucks > In Market-Fuel Type > MPG Conscious
- Autos, Cars and Trucks > Ownership Switchers > PHEV
- Autos, Cars and Trucks > Ownership-Make and Models > Tesla Model S
- Autos, Cars and Trucks > Ownership-Make and Models > Tesla Model X
- Autos, Cars and Trucks > Ownership-Make and Models > Toyota Prius Prime
Persuadable energy planners
- Consumer Behaviors > At-Home: Retired/Empty Nesters > At Home Retired and Empty Nester Households
- Consumer Behaviors > At-Home: Families at Home (kids under 13)
- Consumer Behaviors > At-Home: Families at Home (kids 13+)
- Purchase Transactions > Home Office/Business > High Spending Business and Home Office Buyers
- Consumer Behaviors > Occupation: Work from Home > Home Office
- Business Executives (B2B) > WorkFromHome (WFH) > LikelyHome BasedBusinesses
- GreenAware> Think Greens > Non-Committal Environmentalists
- GreenAware> Potential Greens > Undecided Environmentalists
Alliant
- Automotive > In-Market > In-Market for New Green Car
- Purchase Behaviors > Composites > Moms Who Buy Green
- Brand Propensities > Home & Household Goods > TruGreen Buyer Propensity
Attain
- Rent & Utilities > Gas & Electricity > Direct Energy
- Transaction Data > Past Payments > Rent & Utilities > Gas & Electricity
- Rent & Utilities > Gas & Electricity > Green Mountain Energy
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In our Ask the Expert Series, we interview leaders from our partner organizations who are helping lead their brands to new heights in adtech. Today’s interview is with Georgia Campbell, Head of Strategic Partnerships at Kontext. What types of audiences does Kontext provide, and what are some top use cases for these insights in marketing strategies? Kontext leverages its 1st-party, deterministic shopping data to generate real-time online audiences. What sets Kontext apart is our ability to see the entire consumer journey, from shopping interest to intent and purchases, at a SKU-level. This comprehensive visibility allows us to create purchase-based audiences across various consumer verticals, such as frequent online shoppers, consumers shopping for beauty, segments using Mastercard, or Black Friday enthusiasts. Our data engine, built on a foundation of approximately 100 million consumer profiles and over 10 billion full-funnel, real-time shopping events, enables the creation of precise audience segments. This real-time 1st-party shopper data is invaluable for partners aiming to understand and engage with consumers more effectively. Whether a brand wants to activate past shoppers in a specific category or reach new audiences with a propensity to buy, Kontext provides the insights needed to make informed decisions. Some examples of audience types include these (and hundreds more): In-Market Shoppers: Consumers showing high intent to purchase specific categories, like skincare or electronics, based on recent online behavior. Past Purchasers: Shoppers who have made verified purchases within specific time frames, such as beauty products in the last 18 months. Frequent Shoppers: High-frequency buyers identified through repeated purchasing behaviors. Seasonal Shoppers: Consumers active during key shopping seasons, like Black Friday, Mother’s Day, Valentine's Day, etc Premium Buyers: Shoppers who used a premium CC (eg. Amex) and a higher AOV (average order value) Beauty Buyers: an audience that has indicated intent to purchase beauty products (deterministic past purchasers also avail) By using Kontext data, brands can identify the right audiences across multiple verticals, such as retail, CPG, health & wellness, auto, business, energy & utility, financial, and travel. Additionally, our collaboration with Experian allows further refinement of these audiences through layered data from specialty categories like demographics, lifestyle & interests, mobile location, and TV viewing habits. How is Kontext’s data sourced, and what differentiates it from other data providers? Kontext’s data is unique because it is deterministic, 1st-party, and collected as transactions occur. We capture the entire path-to-purchase, down to the SKU-level product detail, across 100 million consumer profiles and more than 10 billion real-time shopping events. Our proprietary technology, embedded in widgets across our 5 million premium online destinations, tracks the full consumer journey—from reading an article of interest to clicking on our dynamic commerce modules, adding items to cart, and completing purchases. This real-time data collection ensures there is no lag between digital events and their connection to consumer profiles. Unlike other providers, we do not aggregate data from multiple platforms; instead, we focus on building our models and insights based on authentic online consumer behavior. Our data stands out due to its: Deterministic Nature: We capture 1st-party data as transactions occur (all in real time) Full-Funnel Coverage: We capture consumer journeys from awareness to purchase, providing a complete view of consumer behavior. Real-Time Insights: Our data engine processes events in real-time, enabling timely and relevant marketing actions. How does Kontext ensure the accuracy and reliability of its audience data? Kontext ensures accuracy and reliability through our unique technology and direct data sourcing. By not aggregating data from other platforms, we maintain control over the quality and integrity of our insights. Our continuous investment in refining our models around online consumer behavior further enhances the precision of our audience data. What types of brands or verticals might resonate the most with Kontext audiences for activation? Any brand looking to understand and activate online shopping behavior – informed by 1st-party transaction data – will resonate with Kontext audiences. Essentially, any vertical that benefits from understanding real-time shopping behaviors, such as retail, health & wellness, auto, and financial services, will find our data invaluable. We have particularly strong insights in beauty, hair care, health & wellness, and values-based online shopping habits, as well as the food & beverage space. Retail & Consumer Goods: Leveraging shopping behavior data for targeted campaigns. Health & Wellness: Identifying consumers with specific health and wellness interests. Automotive: Targeting potential buyers of electric vehicles or eco-friendly products. Financial Services: Engaging high-value shoppers with premium credit card usage. And many more How does Kontext’s data help advertisers navigate the challenges posed by the deprecation of third-party cookies? As third-party cookies become less reliable, Kontext’s 1st-party data becomes invaluable. Our deterministic data engine, which does not rely on cookies, offers: Direct Consumer Insights: Accurate and consented data directly from consumer interactions. Privacy Compliance: Our data collection methods are fully compliant with privacy regulations, ensuring secure usage. Cross-Device Coverage: We use verified digital identifiers, allowing seamless unification and targeting across multiple devices. What measures does Kontext take to maintain data privacy and compliance, and how does this benefit advertisers? Data privacy and compliance are fundamental to Kontext. We meet or exceed all privacy compliance and security standards, ensuring that our data sourcing and usage are transparent and comply with regulations (CCPA, CPRA, VCDPA, etc). Kontext prioritizes data privacy and compliance through: Consented Data Collection: All data is collected with explicit consumer consent. Robust Security Protocols: Data is encrypted and secured with industry-leading practices. Compliance with Regulations: We adhere to global privacy laws, including GDPR and CCPA. User Control: Consumers have the ability to opt-out and manage their data preferences. Can you share success stories / use-cases where advertisers significantly improved their campaigns using Kontext’s data? To give you a sense of how Kontext data can be applied, here are two use-cases: Beauty Brand Campaign: An agency hoping to activate an audience of beauty purchasers for a Major Beauty Brand could utilize Kontext's custom audience of high-value beauty product purchasers. By targeting those consumers who had bought similar products in the last 12 months and had an average cart size of over $50, the campaign would significantly increase performance and ROAS. Electric Vehicle Launch: For a major auto manufacturer’s EV launch, Kontext could be used to identify eco-friendly consumers who had not yet purchased an EV but had shown interest in sustainable products. This precise targeting could lead to higher engagement and conversion rates for the campaign. Thanks for the interview. Any recommendations for our readers if they want to learn more? For those interested in learning more about Kontext, reach out for a personalized consultation. Contact us About our expert Georgia Campbell, Head of Strategic Partnerships, Kontext In her current role as Head of Strategic Partnerships at Kontext, Georgia plays a pivotal role in shaping the company's strategic direction within the data space. With a deep-seated expertise in leveraging data to drive impact for companies, Georgia has been forging key partnerships that enhance the effectiveness and reach of Kontext's offerings. Georgia comes from a background in emerging technology, where she has been focused on cultivating partnerships and employing data-driven approaches to spearhead market expansion efforts. She started her career in finance, managing investments across equity, debt, and alternative assets at Brown Advisory. In this Q&A, Georgia shares her insights on Kontext's Onboarding partnership with Experian, offering perspective on how Kontext's unique insights can unlock new opportunities for advertisers and brands alike. Latest posts
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