News Releases
National Grid Energy Efficiency Programs Available to Help Customers Manage Costs National Grid Energy Efficiency Programs Available to Help Customers Manage CostsHome Energy Report program has saved customers $70M, helps Massachusetts lead on efficiency nationwideJuly 1, 2015 - WALTHAM, MASS. - As the weather heats up, National Grid encourages its customers to take advantage of energy efficiency programs to help manage costs. The utility's Home Energy Reports program has already saved electric and gas customers in Massachusetts more than $70 million on their energy bills since 2009. Through the Home Energy Report program - developed by Opower - National Grid has helped customers reduce their electric usage by 300 million kWh and gas usage by 18 million therms - the equivalent of eliminating more than 300,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide from the environment. "We want to provide customers the information they need to make informed choices about energy consumption," said Marcy Reed, president of National Grid in Massachusetts. "The information contained in the Home Energy Report, as the results indicate, has helped our customers achieve amazing savings. We're pleased to have joined forces with Opower who designed this innovative, informative report." National Grid was the first utility on the east coast to deploy the Home Energy Report program. In 2009, the company teamed up with Opower to design, prepare and deliver the reports which provide customers with information on their energy usage and how they compare to their neighbors. The reports pair behavioral science with data analytics to provide clearly defined and actionable information that motivates customers to lower their energy usage, participate in National Grid sponsored energy efficiency programs and save on their monthly bills. National Grid utilizes Opower's segmentation tools to maximize energy efficiency, customer satisfaction and program adoption results by providing highly targeted experiences. Based on the insight that 59 percent of a home's winter energy usage comes from heating costs, National Grid ran a campaign that focused customers on an easy, free and immediate way to save money: setting their thermostats to 68 degrees. National Grid will deploy a similar program - called 'Summer of 78' - designed to help customers reduce their cooling costs, and a summer coach program to help customers reduce consumption on the hottest days of the year. "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." National Grid's commitment to energy efficiency is further demonstrated by two major recognitions in the company's Massachusetts territory. In October 2014, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) named Massachusetts the most energy efficient state for the fourth consecutive year. And, in May, the ACEEE ranked Boston - for which National Grid is a natural gas provider - first out of 51 cities for energy efficiency. The company's contribution to this success included a nearly 3 percent increase in total gas savings and corresponding reduction in greenhouse gases from residential-focused activity, compared to 2013. About OpowerOpower (NYSE:OPWR) is an enterprise software company that is transforming the way utilities engage with their customers. Opower's customer engagement platform enables utilities to reach their customers at moments that matter through proactive and digitized communications that drive energy savings, increase customer engagement and satisfaction, and lower customer operation costs. Opower's software has been deployed to more than 95 utility partners around the world and reaches more than 50 million households and businesses. For more information, please visit www.opower.com and follow us on Twitter at @Opower. Forward-looking StatementsThis release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding benefits from the use of Opower's solutions. Any statements in this press release about future expectations, plans and prospects for Opower represent the Company's views as of the date of this press release. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. While the Company may elect to update these statements at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. About National GridNational Grid (LSE: NG; NYSE: NGG) is an electricity and natural gas delivery company that connects nearly 7 million customers to vital energy sources through its networks in New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It is the largest distributor of natural gas in the Northeast. National Grid also operates the systems that deliver gas and electricity across Great Britain. Through its U.S. Connect21 strategy, National Grid is transforming its electricity and natural gas networks to support the 21st century digital economy with smarter, cleaner, and more resilient energy solutions. Connect21 is vital to our communities' long-term economic and environmental health and aligns with regulatory initiatives in New York (REV: Reforming the Energy Vision) and Massachusetts (Grid Modernization). For more information please visit our website, or our Connecting, watch us on YouTube