Utility's Idea: Higher Bills for Less Electricity
Duke would also study deployment of an "Advanced Power Manager" through a pilot program that would install "smart meter" technology in the home. The utility would be able to, for example, power down a customer's refrigerator for 10 minutes an hour to save energy. Duke says such a system "enables customers to participate in energy efficiency without disrupting their lifestyle or normal business practices."
It's a fine line that Duke is seeking to walk. The utility, naturally, does not want to inconvenience customers enough that they complain about what it calls its "novel and progressive" approach to energy.
At the same time, Rogers admits that one of the reasons there has been so little investment in energy efficiency is that everyone takes electricity for granted. "The energy bill, from the consumer's perspective, is very much back of mind," says Rogers.
His goal is to move energy efficiency to a more front-of-mind concept, while not changing comfort or convenience for customers. And as chairman of the national industry group the Edison Electric Institute, he hopes to promote the idea beyond Duke's 3.9 million customers in five states. "The thing I want to be my legacy is trying to change the business model to create universal access to energy efficiency," he says.
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