Sept. 23, 2013: Smart Thermostats Can Attract More Consumers to Energy Efficiency
Utilities Can Emphasize the Ease of Use and Non-Intrusiveness of Smart Thermostats
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Utilities already have many commercial and industrial (C&I) customers on demand response programs, curtailing power usage during peak times to balance the load over the course of a day, and avoid brownouts and blackouts, in exchange for lower power rates. Smart thermostats offer the opportunity to get more residential customers on board with energy efficiency.
“C&I customers’ cooperation is only part of the solution, as residential users account for 20 percent of U.S. energy usage,” said Roberta Gamble, vice president, Frost & Sullivan Energy & Environment. “In recent years, utilities have been trying to make homeowners more aware of their energy usage and lower their overall usage by incentivizing lower usage during peak times.”