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City Uses Behavioral Science to Promote Energy Efficiency

Published on Thursday, June 12, 2014 | 4:44 am
 

The City Council has approved $789,000 to pay for the extension of a Pasadena Water and Power (PWP) pilot program, which is expected to reduce customers’ bills by about $1.4 million and achieve residential energy efficiency through behavioral science.

“Home Energy Reports” will be sent to customers to show them how their energy use compares to their “neighbors,” an anonymous group of about 100 similarly sized homes in their area. Research shows the comparative data is interesting and meaningful to people, and when coupled with energy-saving tips, is an effective way to motivate customers to make smart changes in their home energy use, a staff report from the city council stated.

“It’s definitely a project that [PWP] is excited about, and we’re looking forward to continue getting more feedback about it from residents, and to see how it can help increase energy efficiency,” said Jennifer Guess, public information coordinator for PWP.

PWP sent bi-monthly reports to about 25,000 residential customers selected at random as part of its three-year pilot program with Opower, Inc. beginning in 2011. About 8.5 million kWh of energy, enough to power 1,300 average Pasadena homes for an entire year, was saved by those who received the reports, officials said.

The City is set to extend the contract with Opower, Inc. for two more years to provide the reports to all eligible Pasadena Water and Power residential customers till 2016. The extended program is expected to yield approximately 9,376,000 kWh in energy savings over two years, reducing customers’ bills by about $1,400,000 at a cost of $789,000, according to the staff report.

The extended contract with Opower will enable the City to send Home Energy Reports to an estimated 46,000 eligible customers, who will continue receiving the data for two years as long as they adhere to the requirements.

All of PWP’s 53,400 residential customers will have access to the OPower Home Energy Reports through the company’s web portal, officials said.

 

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