July 2, 2010

People involved in running the PowerCents DC smart grid pilot are working to get word out to government officials in Washington, DC, about how customers who took part in the pilot cut summer peak demand, EMeter Chief Regulatory Officer Chris King told us this week.  EMeter's strategic consulting unit managed the pilot, and the Smart Meter Pilot Program (SMPP) oversaw it.  Now, the SMPP board is working with King on the awareness campaign.

          The SMPP's members are Pepco, District of Columbia PSC, District of Columbia Office of People's Counsel, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1900 and District of Columbia Consumer Utility Board.

          About 1,000 Pepco customers in the nation's capital were involved in the pilot for two summers and one winter, from mid-2008 to late 2009.  They experimented with hourly pricing, critical peak pricing and critical peak rebates, King said.  Critical peak pricing and critical peak rebate customers saved an average of $44/year.

          The power users received monthly energy reports, in-home displays showing real-time pricing and online access to energy use and conservation data via EMeter's Energy Engage software, he added.

          Results from the pilot challenged the idea that it is difficult for low-income power users to benefit from dynamic pricing and DR programs, King said.  Analysis by Frank Wolak, a Stanford professor hired to help design the pilot, found that low-income customers not only cut their peak usage but also enrolled in the program at higher rates than other customers, he added.