EnergyHub Completes Enrollment for Initial Phase of Austin Energy’s Power Partner Thermostat Program

AUSTIN, TX and BROOKLYN, NY, January 10, 2013 – EnergyHub announced today that, in early December, it became the first vendor to finish enrolling residential load control participants for the initial phase of Austin Energy’s new Power Partner Thermostat Program.

Unlike many traditional utility demand response programs, Austin Energy is leveraging equipment already in customer homes (originally purchased at retail stores or through HVAC contractors and home security companies) for the Power Partner Thermostat Program. This approach allows the utility to avoid marketing and installation costs typically associated with residential demand response programs, and it allows customers to utilize a thermostat of their choosing, thereby increasing the reach of the Austin Energy program.

Designed to help the utility manage its peak load, the Power Partner Thermostat Program allows Austin Energy customers to receive an $85 rebate after installing a programmable communicating thermostat from an Austin Energy-approved vendor (or having one installed by a contractor). Participating customers’ thermostats may be set back between 3:00 and 7:00 p.m. a few afternoons each summer when the demand for electricity is highest. Cycling air conditioners helps manage the demand for electricity, which reduces territory-wide electricity rates and helps delay the need to build new power plants.

“EnergyHub is thrilled to be one of the first vendors approved by Austin Energy for the Power Partner Thermostat Program,” said Seth Frader-Thompson, CEO of EnergyHub. “Austin Energy is a leader among municipal utilities, and we expect that other utilities will follow their example and take advantage of the load control assets available in their service territories through non-utility distribution.”

Austin Energy will use EnergyHub’s Mercury DRMS to reduce energy consumption through participating customers’ thermostats on peak days, and customers will have access to EnergyHub’s award-winning tools for thermostat remote control and energy management via the web and mobile applications for iPhone, iPad, and Android.

The first phase of the program runs until Spring 2013, at which point Austin Energy will invite additional vendors to participate and recruit additional customers (and their associated demand response capacity) for the Summer 2013 air conditioning season.

About EnergyHub
EnergyHub develops software and hardware solutions that help consumers, utilities, and service providers reduce energy consumption and save money. EnergyHub solutions allow homeowners to understand and control energy use in real time and encourage people to take actionable steps to reduce consumption. Utilities also benefit from EnergyHub technology as it enables them to identify and manage peak loads, implement effective demand response programs, and improve operating efficiency. For more information on how EnergyHub can help you and your customers realize savings through energy efficiency and peak load reductions visit www.energyhub.com.

About Austin Energy
Austin Energy is the nation’s 8th largest community-owned electric utility, serving more than 420,000 customers and a population of almost one million. The utility serves the City of Austin, Travis County, and a small portion of Williamson County. Austin Energy has built some of the most comprehensive energy efficiency programs in the nation. It offers multiple rebates to both residential and commercial customers to help pay for efficiency improvements in homes and professional buildings. Between 1982 and 2006, Austin Energy achieved its first conservation power plant of 700 megawatts and has a goal to offset an additional 800 megawatts through energy efficiency between 2007 and 2020.