GOLDEN, Colo.--()--GRID 21, a non-profit organization committed to engaging electricity customers in using a new generation of tools and technologies to better manage their electricity consumption, announces the launch of The Biggest Energy SaverSM Consumer Contest. This first-of-its-kind contest challenges Texas residents whose electricity is delivered by CenterPoint Energy’s electric operations business and Oncor to reduce their electricity consumption through the use of smart meter data.
“This Campaign is the largest of its kind in the nation and our goal in launching the initiative is to help jumpstart a movement that sees the introduction of more customer-friendly energy-management tools”
Taking place from August 1 – September 30, 2011, participants who can reduce their energy consumption and demonstrate how those reductions can be sustained over time may be eligible to win the grand prize of a 2011 Chevy Volt, a first prize suite of GE smart kitchen appliances, or a second prize single GE smart appliance. Additionally, other top competitors will receive Tendril In-Home Network suites.
The consumer contest is part of a GRID 21-sponsored program called The Biggest Energy Saver CampaignSM. The Campaign was created by Oncor and CenterPoint Energy, with founding technology partners Itron and Landis+Gyr. IBM is also a collaborator on the program. The Campaign is designed to educate consumers about the benefits of using data from their residential smart meters to manage energy consumption and includes three components: the Consumer Contest, the creation of an Online Community at www.BiggestEnergySaver.com and an Application Developer Contest which began in July 2011.
With more than 3 million meters installed in Texas by CenterPoint Energy and Oncor, as well as other significant grid investments to improve reliability and grow the nation-leading wind energy portfolio, these Texas electric customers will be the largest group of participants in the inaugural Biggest Energy Saver Campaign.
“This Campaign is the largest of its kind in the nation and our goal in launching the initiative is to help jumpstart a movement that sees the introduction of more customer-friendly energy-management tools,” said Steve Hauser, President of GRID 21. “Electric utility customers have consistently voiced their desire to better understand and manage their electricity usage. We want to help arm residents with the tools and information they need to make more efficient electricity consumption a reality.”
To enter, residents must register at www.BiggestEnergySaver.com, meet eligibility requirements and register their smart meter at www.SmartMeterTexas.com. The Smart Meter Texas portal enables customers to track their energy use in 15-minute increments, empowering users to make smart changes to their energy habits based on the time of day.
The Biggest Energy Saver Campaign encourages customers to track their consumption via the Smart Meter Texas portal, in-home displays that may be available through a retail electric provider, and through applications created by software developers in the Application Developer Contest. Use of in-home displays and applications in the contest is optional.
Contestants must be 18 or older at the time of entry and must have lived at their current metered residence since at least August 1, 2010 to be eligible. Participants must also be customers in the Oncor or CenterPoint Energy service areas in Texas with a provisioned and installed smart meter.
Finalists in the Biggest Energy Saver Consumer Contest will be notified of next steps in late fall 2011. For full details about eligibility and for Official Rules, visit www.BiggestEnergySaver.com.
About GRID 21
GRID 21 is a new non-profit organization committed to engaging electricity customers in using a new generation of tools and technologies to better manage their electricity consumption.
About Oncor
Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC “Oncor” is a regulated electricity distribution and transmission business that uses superior asset management skills to provide reliable electricity delivery to customers. Oncor operates the largest distribution and transmission system in Texas, delivering power to approximately 3 million homes and businesses and operating approximately 118,000 miles of transmission and distribution lines in Texas. While Oncor is owned by a limited number of investors (including majority owner, Energy Future Holdings Corp.), Oncor is managed by its Board of Directors, which is comprised of a majority of independent directors. For more information, visit www.oncor.com.
About CenterPoint Energy, Inc.
CenterPoint Energy, Inc., headquartered in Houston, Texas, is a domestic energy delivery company that includes CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric, LLC, an electric transmission and distribution business, natural gas distribution, competitive natural gas sales and services, interstate pipelines and field services operations. The company serves more than five million metered customers primarily in Arkansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas. Assets total more than $19 billion. With about 8,800 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 135 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.
About Landis+Gyr
Landis+Gyr is the leading global provider of integrated energy management products tailored to energy company needs and unique in its ability to deliver true end-to-end advanced metering solutions. Landis+Gyr operates in more than 30 countries across five continents, and employs over 5,000 people with the sole mission of helping the world manage energy better. For more information please visit www.landisgyr.com.
About Itron
At Itron, we’re dedicated to delivering end-to-end smart grid and smart distribution solutions to electric, gas and water utilities around the globe. Our company is the world’s leading provider of smart metering, data collection and utility software systems, with nearly 8,000 utilities worldwide relying on our technology to optimize the delivery and use of energy and water. Our offerings include electricity, gas, water and heat meters; network communication technology; collection systems and related software applications; and professional services. To realize your smarter energy and water future, start here: www.itron.com.
IBM and Smart Grid
IBM is involved in more than 150 Smart Grid engagements in mature and emerging markets. More about IBM’s vision to bring a new level of intelligence to how the world works—how every person, business, organization, government, natural system, and man-made system interacts, can be found here: http://www.ibm.com/smarterplanet
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