Dive Brief:
- PECO's Smart Ideas efficiency program has helped customers reduce their energy use by more than 2 million MWh since the program launched in 2009, Metering & Smart Energy International reports.
- Through its suite of efficiency programs, PECO customers purchased more than 12 million discounted LED and CFL bulbs, and received more than 7,200 in-home audits and assessments.
- The utility, a subsidiary of Exelon Corp., said it is working to develop more efficiency programs, aimed at meeting Pennsylvania's legislated energy efficiency goals, also known as the Pennsylvania Energy Act.
Dive Insight:
Pennsylvania's energy efficiency targets appear to be working, helping the state's electric consumers to save millions of dollars and MWh.
“Our customers are saving energy and money every day with PECO Smart Ideas,” PECO CEO Craig Adams said in a statement. “We look forward to identifying even more programs and initiatives that transform how we use energy.”
Since the utility launched its suite of efficiency offerings in 2009, PECO Smart ideas has helped save about 186,000 homes for an entire year. Customers have received almost a half million efficiency rebates, and in addition to high-efficiency lightbulbs and in-home audits, the utility said it had helped customers recycle nearly 55,000 refrigerators and freezers. Equipment enhancements made up 7,400 of the rebates PECO awarded customers.
Pennsylvania law required all Pennsylvania electric utilities to develop programs to help customers reduce energy use by 1% by 2011 and 3% by 2013. By next year, utilities must slash electrical consumption another 2.9% by mid-2016 and 5% by 2021.
PECO plans to identify and develop more initiatives to reduce electrical consumption to meet the additional 5% reduction of consumption by 2021, according to the utility.
