Marketing and communications channels for diffusion of electricity smart meters in Portugal

•Lack of information is one of the reason of low public and consumer acceptance of ESM in Portugal.•Marketing communication efforts may ensure transition of the power system into smart grid.•Social Media platforms are not commonly used for information diffusion about electricity and ESM.•Social media can play a great role in marketing strategy to accelerate the diffusion of ESM.•The right mixture of content and communication platform is crucial to optimize marketing efforts.