Government of New Brunswick : NB Power launches home energy reports for residential customers

FREDERICTON (GNB) - NB Power is helping its customers save money and energy with access to a new personalized home energy report tool. It will help people better understand their energy use, as well as get personalized insights, energy-saving tips and advice on how to get the most from their energy-efficiency investments.

'The first step to a clean energy future in New Brunswick is helping homeowners understand how they use energy every day, and helping them to use less,' said Gaëtan Thomas, president and CEO of NB Power. 'We are providing every one of our customers with an energy-efficiency tool that will help them to stop paying for energy they do not need, help them to save money, and reduce their carbon footprint.'

The Home Energy Report pairs behavioural science with energy data analytics to show customers how their household energy use compares to that of similar nearby homes. The utility says the methodology is proven, and has been accepted by energy regulators in jurisdictions similar to New Brunswick.

The program was developed by Opower, a division of Oracle Utilities and a global leader in customer engagement for energy-efficiency programs. Opower works with more than 100 utilities worldwide to provide reports to about 50 million households.

'We are thrilled to help NB Power take advantage of innovative new customer engagement tools,' said Alex Laskey, president and co-founder of Opower. 'Investing in the service experience is the mark of a truly cutting-edge utility, and Opower is glad to help NB Power fulfill this commitment to customers.'

Residential customers will have access to the program through their NB Power online account. Through an easy-to-use web portal, customers will be able to track their usage over time, compare it to nearby similar homes, understand the impact of weather, and get suggestions for changing behaviours and planning for investments in energy upgrades. A randomly selected group of 125,000 customers will also receive a printed Home Energy Report by mail on a bimonthly basis beginning later this month.

'Tangible energy information will help us all understand how, and when, we use energy,' said Lois Corbett, executive director of the Conservation Council of New Brunswick. 'When we have that information, two magic things happen: we become more sensitive to the need to conserve, and we can take action to reduce our bills. We know that when New Brunswickers use this great information, they will grow their own energy literacy and play an active part in developing a cleaner energy future.'

Along with the new Home Energy Report, NB Power offers a number of energy-efficiency programs, including the Home Insulation Energy Savings Program, a Commercial Buildings Retrofit Program, the Low Income Energy Savings Program, as well as in-store Smart Habits rebates on energy-efficient products every October and April.

Information on the Home Energy Report and all of NB Power's efficiency programs can be found online.

05-01-17