dcsmartmeterpilot
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ej1155The DC Office of the People’s Counsel welcomes you to the DC Smart Meter Pilot Program blog site. In 2002 the Office of the People’s Counsel recommended the concept of a Smart Meter Pilot Program in the settlement agreement of Formal Case No. 1002. OPC was prescient on this issue, three years ahead of Congressional lawmakers who placed similar recommendations in the Energy Policy Act of 2005. OPC serves as a board member of the Smart Meter Pilot Program (“SMPPI”), along with the DC Public Service Commission, IBEW, the Consumer Utility Board and PEPCO.
As People’s Counsel, it was incumbent upon me to ensure that the SMPPI Board maximized the $2 million investment of PEPCO shareholders to test the effectiveness of this smart meter technology before it is decided whether ratepayers spend tens of millions of dollars to expand smart meter technology to all consumers. We want to learn how you will react as a consumers to pricing information and whether you choose to alter your usage habits, potentially resulting in lower energy costs, achieving energy efficiency gains and a reduction in the amount of kilowatts needed to supply the District of Columbia’s demand for electricity, thereby benefitting all consumers.
Your comments on this blog will provide invaluable feedback. We look forward to your constructive comments so please complete the registration and start posting your thoughts!
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Just took https://my.powercentsdc.org/home.php for a spin. Even though it is a beta site, it is very spiffy. Nice user interface and good information display. Looking forward to seeing the other widgets once they are available.
One suggestion: I would like to be able to receive a text message or sms from my thermostat telling me what the temp is of the house and then be able to change that temp before I return home.
For example, it’s 5.30pm in the winter and I am about to commute home. I receive an SMS from my thermostat saying it is 59 degrees. I reply heat to 66 degrees. By the time I enter the house, it is nice and toasty.
I understand the programmable thermostats allow you to set temperatures based on the day of the week, etc. But they are cumbersome to program (I know previous versions required a double Ph.D in electrical and mechanical engineering) especially for shoulder seasons like spring and fall.
A lot of people have varying schedules and it would be nice if this system dynamically responded to how people actually live their lives here in the District. For example, on Monday I leave for work at 6.30a and return at 7p, but on Tuesday, I leave at 8a and return at 5p, etc.