Dive Brief:
- Best known for its work on behavioral demand response, Opower has used energy efficiency to help National Grid customers reduce their power consumption by 300 million Kwh, eliminating more than 300,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions.
- The utility used Opower's Home Energy Reports from its energy efficiency program, pairing behavioral science and data to help customers reduce power use and their energy bills.
- Efficiency efforts also helped National Grid customers reduce their gas usage by 18 million therms.
Dive Insight:
National Grid was the first east coast utility to employ Opower's Home Energy Reports from the demand management provider's efficiency program, and it appears to be working. The two companies said yesterday that customers saved more than $70 million using the company's targeted data, conservarion suggestions and behavioral nudges.
“We want to provide customers the information they need to make informed choices about energy consumption,” Marcy Reed, president of National Grid in Massachusetts, said in a statement. “As the results indicate, this program has helped our customers achieve amazing savings.”
Opower's platform pairs behavioral science with data analytics, giving customers a clear idea of what they can do to reduce their energy and participate in National Grid sponsored energy efficiency programs.
The companies noted that last year the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy named Massachusetts the most energy efficient state for the fourth consecutive year, as well as ranking Boston, where National Grid provides has service, as first for energy efficiency.
National Grid estimated its contribution to that designation included a nearly 3% increase in total gas savings from residential-focused activity, compared to 2013.
“National Grid is one of the most progressive utilities in the country and a leader in customer engagement,” said Dan Yates, CEO of Opower. “Its focus on innovation and the delivery of personalized insights at scale have paid off, both for consumers’ wallets and for the environment.”