Energy utilities in the U.S. are educating and engaging their customers about controlling the amount of energy they use, the resulting costs they incur and the benefits to shifting their consumption. New installations and activations of smart meters combined with the deployment of smart grid infrastructure and an ever-growing array of smart energy applications, or apps, are heralding a new era of energy management by utilities and consumers alike.
2012 was the first year that objective assessments were possible given the 35 million smart meters that were installed across the U.S. That number is expected to grow to an estimated 65 million smart meters installed and fully deployed by year-end 2015, according to a study by the Edison Foundation. That’s equal to about half of all U.S. households.
The Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative (SGCC) has studied several utility smart meter/smart grid success stories and found the best engage consumers to match needs and lifestyles with energy use. These successful utilities have empowered their customers to actually reduce their electricity bills, manage their energy usage online and access programs, services, apps or contests that match customer interests and values.
The four utilities leading the way in customer service are CenterPoint Energy, Oklahoma Gas & Electric (OG&E), San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) and Southern California Edison (SCE).
Four specific criteria were used by the SGCC to select this first set of Smart Grid Success Stories. First, the utilities had to have a significant smart meter deployment with underlying advanced metering infrastructure (AMI). Second, the utilities had to incorporate customer education programs that motivated customers to enroll and use the tools at their disposal. Third, the utilities had to possess evidence of consumer engagement, and, finally, those utilities had to be willing to share their stories.
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