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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 10/27/2020 - Memorandum From John Phelan And Brian Tholl Re: Home Energy Reports And Myenergy Portal Utilities electric · stormwater · wastewater · water 222 Laporte Ave. PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522-0580 970.212.2900 V/TDD: 711 utilities@fcgov.com fcgov.com/utilities M E M O R A N D U M DATE: October 14, 2020 TO: Mayor Troxell and City Council members FROM: John Phelan, Energy Services Senior Manager Brian Tholl, Energy Services Supervisor THROUGH: Darin Atteberry, City Manager Theresa Connor, Interim Utilities Executive Director Gretchen Stanford, Interim Deputy Director-Utilities Customer Connections RE: Home Energy Reports and MyEnergy Portal Bottom line The purpose of this memo is to inform City Council that the distribution of digital and printed Home Energy Reports to community members is resuming. Home Energy Reports provide energy use benchmarks (aka neighbor comparisons), customized efficiency tips and other educational resources. The reports have been paused since October 2019 as the program transitioned to a new vendor with expanded capabilities. Offering Home Energy Reports since 2009, Fort Collins Utilities electric use has lowered by approximately 14%. Attached is a sample reference report. Background Utilities has a long track record of deploying behavioral efficiency efforts in the community, starting with piloting home energy reports to a subset of customers in 2009. Home Energy Reports combine meter information, weather data, demographic information, and property records to create customized reports for homeowners. The reports are intended to provide individualized electric usage data and compare home energy use with that of nearby similar homes, broadly identified as “neighbors”. Early program efforts identified that customers respond positively to information about their neighbors, prompting them to lower energy use by modifying behaviors. Statistically measured results indicated that households on average saved 2-3% of their annual energy use when receiving the reports, which is consistent with other national and international utility behavioral programs. Last year, Utilities selected a new vendor to provide the services for this program. To compliment the printed and emailed reports, Utilities is offering MyEnergy portal (www.fcgov.com/myenergy), an online, self-service tool for customers interested in learning more about their energy use. MyEnergy provides customers with detailed information on consumption, flexibility about when and how they want DocuSign Envelope ID: 68EDD06A-DE26-48E6-A0BD-AD2D982E60E4 10/14/2020 10/14/2020 10/14/2020 10/21/2020 10/22/2020 to receive information and includes an online energy assessment, customized tips for customers to save energy and money, and rewards for acting. Neighbor comparison The neighbor comparison component of the Home Energy Report compares the recipient to two reference groups: Efficient Neighbor and Similar Neighbor. An evaluative section indicates whether the customer falls in one of three states: Good, More Savings Possible or Above Typical Use. Efficient Neighbors are defined as the most efficient 15% of the customer's neighbors. Utilities recognizes that each home is unique, and the occupants of the home interact with energy in their own way. The comparison is educational in nature and is intended to provide the customer with a benchmark of energy use for similar sized homes with the same heating type in the Fort Collins area. Each community member is welcome to sign in to MyEnergy and take the online energy assessment, which will inform the software algorithm to create a better comparison for future reports. Customer Feedback A survey was completed in 2018 that specifically sought out feedback of the Home Energy Report strategy. Over 700 community members participated, with the majority (89%) of residential participant and nonparticipant respondents recalling that they received Home Energy Reports, while relatively few (3%) indicated that they have opted out. Of those who specifically recalled the Home Energy Reports, nearly three-quarters (73%) indicated that they read the reports every time they received them. More than three-fourths of survey respondents reported taking action to reduce their energy use because of their Home Energy Reports. Most often, respondents reported making behavioral changes and taking low-cost actions, like turning off lights and changing their thermostat settings. However, 20% reported the Home Energy Report was a motivator for them to purchase energy efficient products. Next Steps The revised reports will be mailed to customers beginning this month. Customers can choose to opt out of receiving reports by contacting Utilities directly at 970-212-2900. CC: Diana Royval, Utilities Marketing Manager DocuSign Envelope ID: 68EDD06A-DE26-48E6-A0BD-AD2D982E60E4 Good How you’re doing: More savings possible Above typical use Last month, your home used 24% more electricity than other Efficient Neighbors*. Log into MyEnergy at Fcgov.com/MyEnergy to find advice and resources to help you save more. Monthly electricity use: 24% more than Efficient Neighbors 765 kWh 503 kWh 622 kWh Annual electricity use Total kWh Used Efficient Neighbor May Jun Jul Aug Sep NovOct DecJanFebMarApr You Similar Neighbor Efficient Neighbor 1000 750 500 250 0kWh Name: Jill Doe Account Number: 000-00000000-0 Service Address: 1627 Tulip Lane December Report Here is your personalized analysis of your home’s energy use. To see your complete savings plan, log into MyEnergy at Fcgov.com/MyEnergy. For questions, contact us at 970-212-2900. Similar Neighbors are located nearby, have similar usage patterns, and have similar square footage. Efficient Neighbors are considered the most efficient 15% of the Similar Neighbors group. The square footage of your home was collected from public information sources. kWh refers to the use of 1,000 watts of electricity for one hour. Home Energy Report Turn over for some great energy-saving ideas. DocuSign Envelope ID: 68EDD06A-DE26-48E6-A0BD-AD2D982E60E4 *Estimated lifetime savings is the money you can save after purchase, installation and maintenance costs, as well as rebates, have been accounted for. All estimates are based on standard net home profile assumptions. To improve the accuracy and further customize your Fort Collins savings plan, visit Fcgov.com/MyEnergy. Costs of each action are estimates; check your savings plan for links to local contractors and suppliers who can provide actual costs. This Home Energy Report was prepared specifically for you, and is provided to help you get the most value from your Fort Collins Utilities service. The logos and other identifying marks attachedare trademarks of and owned by each represented company and/or its affiliates. Please visit each company's website for additional terms and conditions. This report is available only to you, and is based on your usage profile and other publicly available information. Amessage from Fort Collins, ©2020. All Rights Reserved. Your personalized savings plan will help you find the right upgrades, track your savings and more. Log in at Fcgov.com/MyEnergy. Create a savings plan ?Lighting Consumer Electronics Laundry/Utility Kitchen Appliances Your spending breakdown Complete your Home Assessment at MyEnergy for a detailed breakdown of your energy use. Other With Your Rewards, you can earn points for reducing your energy use. Redeem your points for gift cards by logging into MyEnergy at Fcgov.com/MyEnergy. Your Rewards balance: 1,320 points 2,000 PTS0 PTS Earn two points for every kWh saved. Every 200 points earns $1 towards a gift card. Redeem $5 gift card Next Level $10 gift card Install “smart” power strips to stop vampire loads Cost: Under $100 Estimated Lifetime Savings: $2,568* Smart power strips ensure electronic devices don’t consume power when not in use. Log into MyEnergy at Fcgov.com/MyEnergy to find more energy-saving tips and advice. Efficient bulbs use one-fifth less energy vs. traditional bulbs. Estimated Lifetime Savings: $1,862* Replace your light bulbs Cost: Under $100 Your top three tips to save energy Estimated Lifetime Savings: $2,039* Only run your clothes dryer with full loads Cost: free Using the clothes dryer with only full loads saves heat energy. DocuSign Envelope ID: 68EDD06A-DE26-48E6-A0BD-AD2D982E60E4