National Grid plc (National Grid), a UK-based energy delivery company, has launched a new energy-efficiency tool, Home Energy Report, that provides gas and electricity customers essential information about their energy usage, ultimately helping to save energy, money and protect the environment. The Home Energy Report is a tailored, in-home energy usage evaluation and comparison that also offers personalized energy-saving tips to maximize energy savings.
The report anonymously compares customers’ energy use with that of their neighbors of similar home size and demographics, employing the theory that people take action when they have similar comparative information about what others are doing. In the case of energy use, with the Home Energy Report, customers can view the past 12 months of their energy usage and compare and contrast their energy consumption and costs with others in the same neighborhood.
“This program is exciting news for our customers. The Home Energy Reports show customers where they stack up in terms of energy use in their community and shows the lifestyle changes they can make to reduce energy use and their carbon footprint,” said Tim Stout, vice president, energy efficiency, for National Grid. “Plus, this is a great tool customers can use to help them commit to and achieve a 3 percent annual energy reduction over 10 years as our new ‘3% Less’ campaign challenges them to do. Just imagine what we can achieve if we all take this kind of action.”
Beginning October 8, 2009, the monthly Home Energy Report will be sent to about 25,000 National Grid residential natural gas and 25,000 residential electric customers in Massachusetts. The Home Energy Report will highlight the last 12 months of customers’ gas or electricity usage.
According to Stout, the company believes an individual electricity customer could save about 260 kilowatt-hours annually simply through behavioral changes and by employing the energy-efficiency tips offered in the Home Energy Report. If all 25,000 customers receiving the Report made energy-efficiency improvements, collectively, customers could save about 6,500 megawatt-hours of electricity annually, enough to power 560 homes for one year or remove about 400 cars from the road.
By comparison, an individual natural gas customer who implements energy-efficiency tips offered in the Report could save about 18 therms per year. If all 25,000 customers used the suggested tips, they could collectively save as much as 450,000 therms, equivalent to the amount of natural gas needed to provide heat and hot water for about 1,200 homes for one year.
National Grid is working with vendor OPOWER, formerly Positive Energy, to design, prepare and deliver the Home Energy Reports. OPOWER is an energy-efficiency software company that works with utilities to meet their efficiency goals through effective customer engagement. Using behavioral science and cutting-edge data analytics, the OPOWER platform enables utilities to connect with their customers in a highly targeted fashion, motivating reductions in energy use and increased program participation.