DTE plugs in to Twitter to connect to customers

Christina Rogers / The Detroit News

DTE Energy doesn't want to leave its customers in the dark during power outages.

So, the state's largest utility is harnessing the power of social networking to zap real-time updates to consumers about downed power lines, service disruptions and other weather-related emergencies -- 140 characters or less at a time.

DTE launched its Twitter page - twitter.com/DTE_Energy - last week, just in time for the winter months when blizzards and sub-zero temperatures often tax the power grid, although company officials say the timing is coincidental.

Using the micro-blogging Web site, DTE workers can upload short messages -- or "Tweets," as they're called -- directly from their computers, giving customers a play-by-play of incoming storms, where power outages are occurring and when electricity might be restored. With Twitter, each message must be concise, using 140 characters or less.

DTE, with 2.2 million electricity customers in southeastern Michigan, is the first privately held utility in the state to try this approach. It follows the lead of other tweeting power companies nationwide that have employed the site as a way to speed information to customers.

DTE views its Twitter use as much broader than simply relaying information about outages. The utility plans to Tweet about energy-related topics, as well, said Lorie Kessler, DTE's director of external communications. They include money-saving tips, news about renewable energy, and programs that could help customers struggling to pay utility bills, she said.

"Twitter is just another tool in our tool box to reach customers," Kessler said.

As of Friday, DTE's Twitter page had more than 100 followers.

Right now, DTE relies heavily on the media, its Web site and customer service calls to get information out about power failures and other news. Using Twitter could be a more direct form of communication in real-time. And while tweeting during an outage may seem counterintuitive -- especially since most computers depend on electricity -- DTE officials say the popularity of Web-connected smart phones has made its effort worthwhile.

"You may not have power but your cell phone might still be working," said Eileen Dixon, another DTE spokeswoman.

New for business world

A typical Tweet would include the same information provided to the media, Dixon added, and may say something like: We expect to have 80 percent power by the end of the day Tuesday.

Consumers Energy in Jackson, the state's second-largest gas and electric utility, also is exploring using Twitter. It has a Facebook page with about 200 "friends," where it posts energy-efficiency tips and other news.

It's been reluctant to dive full force into Twitter, mostly because it seems a bit too "casual" for addressing potentially dangerous power problems, said Jeff Holyfield, a Consumers spokesman.

"You might have issues with customers Twittering about gas leaks," Holyfield said. "We don't want that to happen."

Still, Consumers has reserved a Twitter page just in case.

Puneet Manchanda, a social media expert at the University of Michigan, expressed reservations about Twitter's effectiveness as a business communications tool. While the site has garnered a lot of media buzz, only a fraction of households nationwide use it and evidence of companies having success with it is "nonexistent," he said.

"Most companies are doing it because they don't want to be perceived as behind the curve," he said.

"It's a nice luster you can add to your marketing campaign, but I think people are hedging on it as an actual tool."

Useful for power updates

Even so, one utility in North Carolina put it to use this year during power-toppling storms.

Charlotte-based Duke Energy began tweeting in January and already has about 1,300 followers.

Spokeswoman Michelle Pearson said the company got the idea because some of its customers were already Tweeting about outages from their personal sites.

Unlike DTE, Duke Energy limits its use of Twitter to storm-related emergencies.

"Because of how mobile-friendly it is, we knew it was a way to share updates with customers when the power was out," she said.

At DTE, however, use of Twitter isn't meant to supplant other modes of communication, Kessler said, and homeowners experiencing outages should report problems to DTE through its toll-free number or main Web site.

DTE didn't take its decision to Twitter lightly. The company views Twitter as one of several ways to better connect with an increasingly Web-savvy public at a time when energy issues are becoming a "hot topic", Kessler added.

In that respect, DTE is hoping to do more than keep people out of the dark.

cvrogers@detnews.com (313) 222-2300