Efficiency Vermont launches effort to help Vermonters manage their energy usage and save
Waterbury, VT
Efficiency Vermont announced the launch of a new energy efficiency initiative today that will reach more than 100,000 Vermont homes. On Monday, November 17th, the statewide energy efficiency utility will begin sending customized Home Energy Reports to 100,000 Vermonters. The reports will provide customers with personalized information regarding their energy usage, household-specific savings tips, and data comparing their electric consumption with average usage for other similar homes in their communities.
An event celebrating the launch of this innovative new program took place in Waterbury, VT at the home of participating customer Kelley Hackett. Using the information gleaned from Kelley’s reports, and by logging in to a new section of Efficiency Vermont’s web site to view her electric usage data, Efficiency Vermont’s Customer Support team was able to uncover opportunities for Kelley and her family to reduce their electric bills by more than $200 per year.
"These Home Energy Reports will give thousands of Vermonters a better understanding of how they are using energy, and what they can do to save money," said Jim Merriam, Director of Efficiency Vermont. "Working with Efficiency Vermont, customers can use their reports to build a roadmap of steps they can take to increase their savings over time. We are very excited to be providing a new way for Vermonters to take control of their energy use and costs.”
The program will be initially offered to 100,000 randomly selected residential customers in Green Mountain Power’s service territory, who will receive Home Energy Reports for one year beginning next week. Participants will receive their report by mail and will have the option to also receive reports electronically, via email. In addition to providing customers with detailed information about their usage, the reports will include an anonymous comparison of electricity usage in similarly sized homes in the area. Any residential customer in Green Mountain Power territory, whether enrolled in the program or not, will be able to access to their usage data by logging into their account at www.efficiencyvermont.com/myenergyuse. Efficiency Vermont plans to expand the home energy reporting initiative to additional Vermont electric utility service territories in the future.
“It’s so important to help customers save money, use less energy and be more comfortable,” said Dorothy Schnure, Spokesperson for Green Mountain Power. “This new program is aligned with GMP’s goals to help Vermonters better understand how they use electricity in their homes and how they can take action to save money – and that’s a real win for their budgets, and the environment.”
Efficiency Vermont is launching this program in partnership with innovative cloud software provider Opower. Opower’s home energy reporting program has been successfully introduced with utilities worldwide and has consistently delivered significant energy savings. Efficiency Vermont will closely track the program results in Vermont as it explores opportunities to bring similar services to customers in other electric utility service territories.
About Efficiency Vermont
As the nation’s first Energy Efficiency Utility, Efficiency Vermont has helped Vermont avoid over 13.2 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions and has received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR program Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence award for the last eight consecutive years. Efficiency Vermont works with partners to help our state transition to more affordable, low carbon energy use through education, incentives, and support for our clean energy workforce. Learn more at www.efficiencyvermont.com.
About OPOWER
Working with 95+ utility partners and serving 50+ million homes and businesses across the world, Opower is a leading provider of cloud-based software to the utility industry, and is transforming the way utilities relate to their customers. By combining data management, insightful analytics, and behavioral science, Opower's customer engagement platform positions utilities as trusted energy advisors to the customers they serve. Founded in 2007 and listed on the NYSE as OPWR, Opower is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, with offices in San Francisco, London, Singapore and Tokyo. Opower's technology platform analyzes more than 300 billion meter reads to deliver its services, and has created enough energy savings through behavior change to power all the homes in a city of 1 million people for a year. For more information, please visit www.opower.com and follow on Twitter at @Opower.
About Efficiency Vermont
Efficiency Vermont was created by the Vermont Legislature and the Vermont Public Service Board to help all Vermonters reduce energy costs, strengthen the economy, and protect Vermont's environment. For more information, contact Efficiency Vermont at 888-921-5990 or visit www.efficiencyvermont.com.
Efficiency Vermont Press Contact
Matthew Smith
Phone: (802) 540-7662
[email protected]
Efficiency Vermont
Kelly Lucci
(802) 540-7630
[email protected]