Would seeing a big red frowny face on your electric bill make you want to be more energy efficient? Sacramento utility companies found out that it actually works, with a new ‘grading’ system that lets you know how your electricity consumption compares with that of your neighbors. It’s keeping up with the Joneses in a whole new way, and it just might foster a competitive spirit that will help the city cut way back on energy use.
From The New York Times:
Last April, it began sending out statements to 35,000 randomly selected customers, rating them on their energy use compared with that of neighbors in 100 homes of similar size that used the same heating fuel. The customers were also compared with the 20 neighbors who were especially efficient in saving energy.
Customers who scored high earned two smiley faces on their statements. “Good” conservation got a single smiley face. Customers like Mr. Dyer, whose energy use put him in the “below average” category, got frowns, but the utility stopped using them after a few customers got upset.
When the Sacramento utility conducted its first assessment of the program after six months, it found that customers who received the personalized report reduced energy use by 2 percent more than those who got standard statements — an improvement that Alexandra Crawford, a spokeswoman for the utility, said was very encouraging.
The idea is spreading, with 10 major metropolitan areas, including Chicago and Seattle, preparing to implement it. They decided to use smiley faces only in light of Sacramento’s experience with complaints from customers who received frowny faces.
Oh, those poor frowny-face receivers. Don’t you just feel so sorry for them? Their ability to gobble up energy guilt-free like Lindsay Lohan at a coke party has been disturbed, and the utility company hurt their poor little feelings.
This is actually a really interesting idea, considering the studies that have shown that rivalry produces real results. Colleges have been doing it for years, holding competitions between dormitories to conserve energy. Hey, whatever works!
Link [The New York Times]
