SoCalGas launches residential natural gas demand response program on EnergyHub platform

EnergyHub has successfully worked with dozens of utilities to launch and manage successful residential BYOT demand response programs.

Traditionally, we’ve worked with electric utilities — that’s why we’re very excited to announce our platform is powering an innovative natural gas demand response program for Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas)

SoCalGas recently announced that it is offering a $50 rebate to ecobee customers who enroll in the “SoCalGas Advisory Thermostat Program,” a program meant to reduce natural gas load on the grid.

From there, SoCalGas will use EnergyHub’s platform to make minor adjustments to eligible thermostats.

EnergyHub and natural gas demand response

Even though this natural gas demand response program is a departure from the programs our utility customers usually run, the EnergyHub platform already had the capabilities SoCalGas needed when they approached us.

Our turnkey solution provides the tools needed for every step of a demand response program, from customer enrollment to calling events.

SoCalGas is using the Mercury platform’s enrollment module to allow customers with eligible thermostats to easily enroll their devices in the BYOT program. Our platform also automatically verifies the eligibility of customers applying for the program, reducing workload on utility personnel.

The EnergyHub platform allows utility administrators to create and save multiple demand response strategies within our demand response module. At the time of event dispatch, the administrator or operator can implement a strategy depending on the circumstances the event is intended to address.

EnergyHub’s program management team collaborated with SoCalGas to design several demand response strategies tailored to SoCalGas’s needs. This helped the utility enter the season fully prepared to best serve its customers.

With the data exchange for enrollment and eligibility verification between EnergyHub’s platform and SoCalGas, plus the implementation of multiple demand response strategies, the utility is taking advantage of multiple unique aspects of our proven BYOT platform and program services.

Natural gas demand response is still a relatively new concept, so we’re looking forward to working with SoCalGas to define best practices and grow the capabilities of our platform around this exciting new application for connected thermostats.

Looking ahead

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If your utility wants to take control of demand response for every season, schedule a demo with a member of our team.

Whether you’re implementing a demand response program in the summer or winter, one of your chief priorities should be maximizing enrollment. Download this white paper and learn how one utility saw better than 40% enrollment based on best practices developed and optimized by EnergyHub.