Rochester Public Utilities Begins Home Energy Report Program for 25,000 Customers
Beginning the week of May 24, 25,000 randomly selected Rochester Public Utilities (RPU) residential customers will begin receiving comparative Home Energy Reports, providing insightful information that will help customers reduce their energy use and save money on their monthly utility bills. These reports will be mailed out separately from customer’s actual energy bills and will compare homeowners’ energy use to that of their neighbors in the community so they better understand how efficiently they are using energy.
Home Energy Report participants also can access an online supplement to their reports by visiting www.rpu.org and following the Home Energy Reports link. Through this portal, RPU customers can view their energy usage by month, take advantage of rebates and other incentives, get practical recommendations for their household, and view the most popular tips visitors to the site either have done or intend to do. The program is expected to generate more than 3.8 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) in collective savings for RPU customers over the next 12 months – all through simple behavioral changes and by utilizing the energy efficiency tips provided in the Home Energy Reports.
“The Home Energy Reports deliver significant value to our customers by providing them with the information they need to control their monthly electricity bills and reduce their impact on the environment,” said Larry Koshire, RPU General Manager. “Based on the success of Home Energy Reports at utilities across the country, we expect the program to result in considerable savings for our customers.”
Developed by OPOWER, an energy efficiency and Smart Grid software company, the Home Energy Reports provide RPU customers with easy-to-understand, relevant, and actionable in-home energy use data.. The Home Energy Report provides each customer with a greater understanding of how they’re using energy in their own homes, while providing specific energy efficiency tips for every customer based on their past usage and unique household characteristics, helping them save money on their monthly bills.
“The Home Energy Reporting program has shown positive and increasingly impactful results over time, demonstrating the effectiveness of engaging customers and empowering them with the detailed information needed to manage energy consumption,” said Alex Laskey, president and co-founder of OPOWER. “We’re pleased to partner with RPU to provide its customers with easy-to-understand information about their energy use that helps them make simple adjustments that will ultimately save them money on their monthly energy bills.”
For questions regarding the Home Energy Reports visit the RPU web site at www.rpu.org.
About Rochester Public Utilities
As the municipal utility of Rochester, Minn., for more than 110 years, RPU provides high-quality and reliable electricity to over 47,000 customers. Water customers number more than 36,000. RPU continually investigates innovative technologies to help customers realize the best value from the services they receive. Current initiatives include fuel cell research, wind power, and photovoltaic offerings.
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