Information is power for local electricity customers

Information is power for local electricity customers

*Cortexo software exceeds expectations in 14,000 Meridian customer trials with uptake 50% higher than forecast*

19 September 2011, Christchurch. Technology from Christchurch-based smart energy software company Cortexo is pioneering a service that provides electricity consumers with a daily report on their energy usage.

“Consumers simply haven’t had enough visibility to their electricity use in the past, making it difficult to adjust their consumption or closely monitor their energy provider.

“This service gives them clear and timely information about how much power they are using and when, enabling them to make smarter decisions about electricity use,” says Cortexo’s Managing Director Terry Paddy.

“The focus of Cortexo’s software solutions is to empower energy users with information so they can make better decisions, and this trial with Meridian Energy is a good example of that.”

The response to the three-month trial with Meridian customers of the ‘Daily Energy Report’ – an automated email that lets customers on smart meters know their daily electricity usage and when they’re using it – has exceeded Meridian’s own expectations, with uptake more than fifty percent higher than forecast.

Since email invitations were sent to 14,000 Christchurch customers four weeks ago, one in four has signed up to receive the daily emails.

The service has been made possible by Cortexo’s software taking data from Arc Innovation’s smart meters at Meridian Energy customer sites, and presenting that information to electricity customers the next day.

“We are impressed with the way that Cortexo and Arc Innovations have worked together to deliver a service to our customers that is responsive to their needs and that demonstrates real value,” says Bill Highet, Meridian’s Retail General Manager.

The Daily Energy Report is also providing Meridian customers with a new appreciation for the running costs of their appliances.

“One individual wrote to us and said that with their heat pump on the blink they had switched to a conventional electric heater – and within 24 hours their Daily Energy Report had shown them that with very high running costs that wasn’t going to be a long-term solution,” says Mr Highet.

Meridian plans to roll out the trial offer to an additional 40,000 customers in Christchurch over the coming weeks.

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