Homeowner tips

Save money on utility bills with Demand Response Programs

Demand Response Programs are on the rise – What are they and why should I participate?

There’s a good chance that your local utility is running a demand response (DR) program and you may be eligible to participate. With increasing sales of smart thermostats, DR programs are also rising in popularity. But what are these programs exactly?

What is Demand Response?

Using cutting edge technology, DR programs learn how your home uses energy to optimize your usage and help you save money. When demand for energy is highest (typically during extremely hot summer days), demand response programs will schedule Active Savings Events that precool your home before the peak hours of the day, when energy use is highest and most expensive. This allows for the impact on the power grid to be reduced. If an event occurs on a day or time that is inconvenient for you, you have an option to opt out of participation.

Demand response programs require a smart thermostat such as Sensi that is connected to Wi-Fi. This allows for your thermostat to make small, automatic adjustments during peak times.

For more information about Demand Response, visit the Demand Response FAQ page.

Why Should You Participate?

By participating in a demand response program, you’ll use fewer megawatt hours of energy and thus, save money. You can reduce energy usage and prevent the need to turn on more expensive and less-environmentally friendly resources on hot summer days.

When the demand for energy is reduced, so is the possibility of rolling blackouts or periods of power outages. A reduced demand also offsets the need to build new power plants to increase supply. It’s the age-old principle of supply and demand.

Over time, the goal is for participants in DR programs to become more conscious of their energy usage and make positive changes to reduce their consumption.

How Do I Sign Up?

Check the Sensi app or contact your utility company directly to see if they have a demand response program. Utilities may have unique names for their DR programs and offer enrollment incentives that can vary by utility. Check out utility rebates and incentives in your area.

To sign up directly on the Sensi app, from the dashboard, follow these steps:

Tap the account icon
Tap “Simple Savings”
Tap “Energy Programs”

What Other Ways Can I Save Energy?

Run your larger appliances such as washing machines and dish washers in the evening or weekends
Turn off big energy users and unplug electronics when not in use
Switch to LED light bulbs if you haven’t already
On days of extreme temperatures, precool your home or office before the hottest part of the day and reserve energy during the peak time.