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For immediate release
May 20, 2014 at 10:22am
For more information, contact
Kate Ayers (907)762-4323

Chugach to send home energy report

Nearly 13,000 Chugach Electric Association residential members will soon receive monthly emails containing personalized home energy reports to help them save on monthly electricity bills. The MyPower reports are a new, innovative energy-efficiency tool that provides members with essential information designed to help them take action in their homes.  The members who will receive the reports were randomly selected for the pilot from among a group of those with email addresses on file with Chugach. In total, Chugach has about 69,000 members, including more than 65,000 residential members. 

“Members are eager to make their homes more energy efficient and save money in the process. Many simply don’t know where to start,” said Kate Ayers, Energy Efficiency and Conservation Specialist at Chugach. “These reports provide members with the information and context they need to help them make smarter energy choices.”

Chugach residential members already have access to the MyPower program, which allows them to go online to track their energy use and compare it to their neighbors.  After conducting a survey about the program, Chugach found that nearly 80 percent of MyPower users would recommend it to others, indicating that members are highly engaged with the program. As a result, Chugach decided to expand the program to include the MyPower reports to help drive even higher energy and monetary savings for members.

The reports contain insightful information on household energy by showing residents how their home’s electric use compares to an anonymous group of about 100 similarly sized homes in their area. Research has shown that showing this kind of comparative information is interesting and meaningful to people and, when coupled with energy-saving tips that are specific to each household, is a very effective way to help members realize energy savings and reduce the costs on their electricity bill.

“At Chugach, we’re committed to providing members with the information and tools that they need to be more efficient without sacrificing comfort,” said Ayers. “Each report that members will receive is custom-built to provide the most relevant and meaningful information for each member.”

While for now only the group of 13,000 will receive the reports, all Chugach residential members will continue to have access to the MyPower online portal. There they can learn more about their usage and browse a comprehensive library of energy-saving recommendations. The home energy report program, run by cloud software provider Opower, has been successfully deployed at utilities nationwide. Opower estimates utility customers have seen between 1.5 to 3.5 percent reductions in average energy usage.

For more information about the program, contact Kate Ayers at kate_ayers@chugachelectric.com or (907)762-4323.

Chugach is the largest electric utility in Alaska, providing power for Alaskans throughout the Railbelt through retail, wholesale and economy energy sales.