PowerCentsDC^TM selects eMeter’s Energy Engage for Online Consumer Engagement

Pepco is a regulated utility delivering electricity to more than 767,000 homes and businesses in the District of Columbia and its Maryland suburbs. In July 2008, Pepco launched an ambitious pilot program to demonstrate many of the benefits of Smart Grid in the Washington, D.C. area with the PowerCentsDC Program. PowerCentsDC has equipped a sample of residential customers throughout Washington, D.C. with smart meters, smart thermostats, and smart energy pricing. The program’s goal is to determine the amount of electricity consumers can save by utilizing these key Smart Grid technologies. Smart meters wirelessly report power consumption every hour. Smart thermostats automatically manage air conditioning and heating to reduce peak demand and total energy usage. And smart pricing options, such as Critical Peak Pricing, Peak-Time Rebates, and Hourly Pricing provide financial incentives that enable consumers to save money by reducing energy use during high-cost peak demand periods.

PowerCentsDC recently selected eMeter’s Energy Engage^TM consumer engagement software as a core component to add to the PowerCentsDC program. It will provide participants online access to detailed cost and consumption data updated daily. Energy Engage fosters greater consumer awareness and engagement by providing automatically generated summaries sent as an email or as a text message, along with optional budget alerts when consumers’ costs surpass their pre-set thresholds.

PowerCentsDC also selected eMeter to market the new service, helping to educate and encourage adoption within the participant community.

“We chose Energy Engage over other options because we believe it creates a compelling, consumer-oriented experience that pushes the envelope in terms of empowering our customers to make positive changes. We expect improved conservation and greater peak demand reductions.”

Rick Morgan
Commissioner, Washington, D.C. Public Service Commission
Chair of the Smart Meter Pilot Program, Inc.

“Energy Engage will enhance the PowerCentsDC program by enabling consumers to take better control their power usage and manage it to best save money or protect the environment. By placing usage and cost in the context of targeted energy savings tips, Energy Engage encourages cost savings. Its notification services maximize convenience – and its Web 2.0 features, especially community, make it fun.”

Sam Klepper
Senior Vice President
eMeter Consumer Energy Group.