1:09 | 08.02.2012
Ecova Launches Home Energy Plan for Utility Clients
Ecova—a
total energy and sustainability management company—today announced an
alliance with Aclara—a leader in innovative consumer engagement portals,
utility data management, and intelligent infrastructure—to launch the
Home Energy Plan. At their choosing, a consumer can sign up to review
their historical energy consumption and other home data to identify
savings areas through the Home Energy Plan. This creates a new way for
utilities to drive long-term consumer engagement and energy savings that
encompass the customer’s entire home.
The Home Energy Plan uses software to create My Energy Insights, a home
energy report with real energy usage data and personalized efficiency
tips for each consumer’s household. These detailed and
easy-to-understand reports are then used during a voluntary in-home
consultation with an energy expert who can install basic energy savings
measures, providing maximum efficiency for the utility and the customer.
“This program is a step towards a future where utilities and consumers
engage in an ongoing dialogue to reduce energy use—and it is being
implemented right now,” said Jon Thomsen, president, Utility Division,
Ecova. “Engaging consumers in energy efficiency programs is not unique,
but the use of comprehensive and comparative energy use data to inform a
home visit, and a robust follow-up campaign that provides pertinent
recommendations is. The Home Energy Plan builds on our deep expertise
helping utilities market energy efficiency to consumers and takes our
current in-home energy efficiency programs to the next level.”
Ecova’s utility programs are designed to provide utility clients with
more insight, more consumer engagement and more cost-effective energy
savings. On-site visits by utility representatives are necessary to
capture the best energy savings, but they can be expensive. The Home
Energy Plan is designed to help the utility make the most out of each
visit by doing more homework upfront and continuing the energy
discussion with follow-up communication, creating a true partnership
with the consumer. This enables a utility’s consumers to have a better
understanding of their energy use and capture more savings. By
leveraging usage data, consumer preferences and marketing knowledge, it
ensures the utility can offer an individualized plan that will both
lower energy use and build consumer satisfaction.
How it works
Working with the utility company, Ecova and Aclara pull a consumer’s
energy usage data based on utility records. With this data, the
companies use proprietary algorithms to create detailed energy use
profiles and reports. The My Energy Insights reports highlight a
consumer’s energy use for the household during the last year, the
customer’s energy use compared to similar neighbors, as well as showcase
the biggest energy end uses.
Ecova then works directly with program participants to lower energy use:
Each participant in a direct installation program or recipient of an
efficiency kit receives a report that gives an overview of their
energy use.
When a field representative visits the home, they review the report
with the consumer, install efficiency measures, conduct an on-site
energy assessment, and explain the savings from the products installed
and potential future saving.
Ecova then uses the information gathered before and during the visit
to conduct follow-up recommendations for additional efficiency
programs and savings, and gathers participant’s contact information to
open up communication channels.
Ecova can also take actual data from the home audit and upload it to
Aclara’s online tools, leveraging real data to ensure an accuracy
level previously unseen and help drive utility online services.
Success in the Midwest
The new initiative builds on an award-winning
pilot program Ecova’s joint venture company, Solutions for Energy
Efficiency Logistics (SEEL), ran with a large Mid-Western utility in
2011. After SEEL proved that the concept worked, Ecova broadened the
program to provide the insights from a My Energy Insights report and
additional marketing. SEEL is now targeting 30,000 of the utility’s
customers each year, who will receive an in-home consultation to review
the report and assessment. Each customer will then receive follow-up
communication to help drive additional participation in residential
programs, utilizing Ecova’s nationally recognized marketing team to
develop best practice campaigns.
About Ecova
Ecova is the total energy and sustainability management company
whose sole purpose is to see more, save more, and sustain more for its
clients. Using insights based on consumption, cost and carbon footprint
data spanning thousands of utilities, hundreds of thousands of business
sites and millions of households, Ecova provides fully managed,
technology-optimized solutions for saving resources, which in turn
increase returns, lower risks, and enhance reputations. Ecova is the
largest non-regulated subsidiary of Avista Corp (NYSE: AVA and avistacorp.com).
For more information, visit the company’s website at ecova.com,
on LinkedIn at linkd.in/ecovainc,
or follow Ecova on Twitter at @ecovainc.
About Aclara
Aclara® represents the industry’s leading Intelligent Infrastructure
technologies for providing device networking, data-value management, and
customer communications to water, gas, and electric utilities globally.
Over 500 utilities in nine countries rely on proven Aclara solutions to
connect with their customers. Aclara Technologies LLC is part of the
Utility Solutions Group of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE: ESE), St.
Louis. Create Your Intelligent Infrastructure™ www.Aclara.com.
About SEEL
Solutions for Energy Efficient Logistics (SEEL) is a minority business
enterprise joint venture between Motor City International and Ecova.
SEEL provides energy and sustainability management solutions through a
variety of utility programs that deliver value to the utility’s
customers. SEEL can manage all aspects of program design, implementation
and management, consumer-focused marketing and customer engagement.
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