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SLASHING U.S. HOME UTILITY BILLS: ACEEE STUDY TO SHOW “SMART METERS” NOT SMART ENOUGH BY THEMSELVES, MUST BE COMBINED WITH CUSTOMER INVOLVEMENT TOOLS
Analysis of Nearly 60 Utility Programs Over 40 Years Shows What Works and What Doesn’t; Good News: Consumers Could Save Tens of Billions of Dollars, U.S. Could Significantly Reduce CO2 Climate Pollution.
WASHINGTON, D.C. Advanced (or “smart”) meters for residential electricity use are all the rage today. But, if Americans are to cut their household electricity use by a substantial margin and save tens of billions of dollars in the process, the nation’s electric utilities will have to lend a hand by providing consumer-friendly “residential feedback” tools, including real-time (or near-real time) Web-based or in-home feedback devices (the Google PowerMeter is one example) and enhanced billing approaches, according to a major new study by the nonprofit American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).
The ACEEE analysis to be unveiled during a 1:30 p.m. EDT phone-based news conference on June 29, 2010 will show that advanced metering initiatives now being used by many utilities are neither necessary nor sufficient alone for providing households with the feedback that they need to achieve energy savings. To realize potential feedback-induced savings, advanced meters must be used in conjunction with in-home (or on-line) displays and well-designed programs that successfully inform, engage, empower, and motivate people.
ACEEE’s new report analyzes the results of 57 different residential sector feedback initiatives performed between 1974 and 2010. With approximately 115 million households nationwide, aggregate residential sector energy savings could make a meaningful contribution to U.S. energy security and climate goals, according to the study, which also details potential consumer pocketbook savings. Through tools such as real-time feedback and enhanced billing, residential electricity consumers can better evaluate their energy consumption practices, determine how energy is being wasted, and then take action to be more energy efficient.
News event participants will be:
* Karen Ehrhardt-Martinez, senior research associate, University of Colorado’s Renewable And Sustainable Energy Institute, Boulder, CO;
* John A. “Skip” Laitner, director, Economic and Social Analysis, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy; and
* Steven Nadel, executive director, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.
TO PARTICIPATE: You can join this live, phone-based news conference (with full, two-way Q&A) at 1:30 p.m. EDT/10:30 a.m. PDT on June 29, 2010 by dialing 1 (800) 860-2442 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1 (800) 860-2442 end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1 (800) 860-2442 end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1 (800) 860-2442 end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1 (800) 860-2442 end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1 (800) 860-2442 end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1 (800) 860-2442 end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1 (800) 860-2442 end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1 (800) 860-2442 end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1 (800) 860-2442 end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Ask for the “making smart meters smarter” news event.
CAN’T PARTICIPATE?: A streaming audio recording of the news event will be available on the Web as of 6 p.m. EDT/3 p.m. PDT on June 29, 2010 at http://www.aceee.org.
CONTACT: Patrick Mitchell, (703) 276-3266 or [email protected].
The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing energy efficiency as a means of promoting economic prosperity, energy security, and environmental protection. ACEEE was founded in 1980 by leading researchers in the energy field. Since then the organization has grown to a staff of more than 40. Projects are carried out by ACEEE staff and collaborators from government, the private sector, research institutions, and other nonprofit organizations. For information about ACEEE and its programs, publications, and conferences, visit http://www.aceee.org.
