Hawaii Energy Offers Two Free Online Tools to Lower Electric Bills

Dare to Compare & Home Energy Reports Available to Hawaii, Honolulu and Maui Counties

Hawaii Energy, the energy conservation and efficiency program announced the availability of two new interactive online tools to empower all Hawaii, Honolulu and Maui county residents and businesses to take charge of their energy usage and save money on electric bills. The two new personalized tools are: (1) Hawaii Energy’s Dare to Compare for residents and businesses and (2) an online portal for Home Energy Reports (Reports) for residents. Both are available on Hawaii Energy's website.
 
Additionally, Hawaii Energy announced that today marks the start of an expanded distribution of paper Reports mailed to approximately 110,000 residents, primarily on Oahu, Hawaii Island and Maui. The Reports, which provide residents with personalized insights into their energy usage, empower households to track their energy consumption over time, compare their usage to homes with similar characteristics, and create energy-saving plans. The expansion increases the total recipients to over 85 percent of homes across the three counties or about 242,500 homes. During the expanded distribution from September 2015 through June 2016, the Reports are projected to help residents save $3.27 million in energy costs (or 10.9 million kilowatt hours (kWh) based on $0.30/kWh). This is equivalent to taking 1,582 cars off the road or eliminating the use of 17,479 barrels of oil (based on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website.)
 
From 2011 through 2014, Hawaii Energy’s hard copy Reports are estimated to have helped residents save approximately $5.43 million in energy costs (or 18.1 million kWh, based on $0.30/kWh). This is equivalent to taking 2,628 cars off the road or eliminating the use of 29,025 barrels of oil. Hawaii Energy first piloted the paper Reports in 2011 with distribution to nearly 15,000 households in the Ewa Plain area on Oahu. In 2012, approximately 60,000 households on Hawaii Island, Maui, Lanai and Molokai were added. In 2014, more than 57,500 Oahu households were added.
 
“We are excited to offer two new online resources to better serve customers in Hawaii, Honolulu and Maui counties,” said Ray Starling, Hawaii Energy Program Director. “Battling one of the nation’s highest costs of living, Hawaii Energy’s priority continues to be to empower residents and businesses with personalized energy information so we can each take action to decrease electric usage and bills. Working together, we can also reduce our State’s dependence on imported oil to generate electricity.”
 
Personalized results from Dare to Compare and the Reports are based on publicly-available data, as well as electric usage information that Hawaii Energy is authorized by the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission to receive from the utilities strictly for energy conservation and efficiency program purposes.  No personal information is disclosed to others using the online tools or receiving the paper Reports.  The comparisons are to anonymous neighbors.  Hawaii Energy takes privacy concerns seriously and protects electric usage information as required by law.  
 

1.      Hawaii Energy’s Dare to Compare Online Tool – For Residents and Businesses

Residents and businesses in Hawaii, Honolulu and Maui counties now have access to a free online tool on Hawaii Energy’s website (HawaiiEnergy.com) called Dare to Compare to see their most recent energy usage compared with their neighbors’ usage.  Information will be updated regularly.

Dare to Compare provides:

  • A comparison of the electric utility customer’s energy usage with its anonymous neighbors’ usagewithin a one-tenth (1/10) mile radius (or a bigger radius if there are less than five neighbors). 
  • A score for the customer as compared with its anonymous neighbors.Low scores mean greater energy efficiency. Conversely, high scores indicate greater energy consumption and opportunity for saving.  Customers are only compared with those in their electric rate schedule.  For example, residents are compared with other residents, and small businesses with other small businesses.  Additionally, customers without photovoltaic (PV) are compared to neighbors without PV. Likewise, customers with PV are compared to neighbors with PV.
  • Additional information, including Energy Use Intensity, which is the amount of energy being consumed per square foot. 

To start, go to HawaiiEnergy.com.  Dare to Compare is in the upper right corner. Click on “Let’s Compare You!”.  Then verify the account by entering the electric customer name, account number and contract number. The information can be found on the customer’s electric bill.  Click on “Let’s Compare” for personalized results.  Or, for a sample of results click on “View Sample Report”.  Dare to Compare is for informational purposes only, based on information available to Hawaii Energy. No express or implied warranties are provided. 

2.      Expanded Home Energy Reports and Online Portal – For Residents

For the first time, online portal access for Home Energy Reports is available to all Hawaii, Honolulu and Maui county residents at HawaiiEnergy.com. An expanded group of randomly selected residents will receive paper Reports in the mail.  

Leveraging behavioral science, Hawaii Energy collaborates with Opower to develop and execute the Reports program.  Opower is a Virginia-based behavioral energy efficiency company that has worked with nearly 100 conservation and efficiency programs and utilities to serve more than 50 million customers across the world. 

The online portal includes:

  • Personalized energy insights and suite of recommendations to empower residents to take control of their energy use and save money on electric bills.Helpful tips range from behavioral changes (e.g., reduce water heating temperature) to investment ideas (e.g., purchase of ENERGY STAR® appliances, some of which Hawaii Energy offers rebates).
  • Comparisons of a household’s energy usage over time.  Many can also view comparisons with 100 anonymous “neighbors” whose homes are nearby and have similar characteristics (e.g., square footage, number of bedrooms and year built).  Only homes that appear to be occupied are included in the comparisons.  Although comparison homes are in the general proximity, they do not necessarily include those on the customer’s street or people whom the customer may know.  
  • Ability to set personalized energy-saving plans and track progress.

To start, go to HawaiiEnergy.com.  Click on “Home Energy Report Portal” in the rotating “Spotlight” slider or find it under the “Take Action” column.  When a new window opens, click on “Create an account” in the upper right corner or explore a library of energy-saving tips with the “Ways to Save” tab. 

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Hawaii Energy Media Contact: Shan Wirt    wirth@leidos.com 

Opower Media Contact:  Alex Kotran    alex.kotran@opower.com

 

About Hawaii Energy

Hawaii Energy is the electric utility customer-funded energy conservation and efficiency program administered by Leidos Engineering, LLC under contract with the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, serving the islands of Hawaii, Lanai, Maui, Molokai and Oahu. The program is independent of the utilities.  Hawaii Energy offers cash rebates and other incentives to residents and businesses to help offset the cost of installing energy-efficient equipment. In addition, the program offers education and training for residents, businesses and trade allies to encourage the adoption of energy conservation behaviors and efficiency measures.  For more information, visit www.HawaiiEnergy.com. Or call Hawaii Energy on Oahu at 537-5577 or toll-free at (877) 231-8222 on the Neighbor Islands.

About Opower

Opower (NYSE: OPWR) is the global leader in cloud-based software for the utility industry. Opower’s customer engagement platform enables utilities to reach their customers at moments that matter through proactive and digitized communications that drive energy savings, increase customer engagement and satisfaction, and lower customer operation costs. For more information, please visit www.opower.com and follow us on Twitter at @Opower.

Forward-looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding benefits from the use of Opower’s solutions. Any statements in this press release about future expectations, plans and prospects for Opower represent Opower's views as of the date of this press release. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. While Opower may elect to update these statements at some point in the future, Opower specifically disclaims any obligation to do so.