THE STORY

Serving 64 counties and more than 500 communities, including the greater St. Louis area, Ameren Missouri is committed to generating cleaner energy and a brighter future for Missouri residents. Their award-winning program portfolio delivers energy savings to a diverse range of both homes and businesses.

THE GOAL

While they were already maintaining a robust residential energy efficiency portfolio, Ameren Missouri was looking to achieve deeper savings during times of peak energy usage without sacrificing customer comfort and satisfaction.

THE SOLUTION AND RESULTS

Franklin Energy implemented Peak Time Savings, a smart thermostat-based demand response program, which optimized energy use by adjusting customers’ temperature settings during usage events. These Peak Time Savings events were triggered when the utility reached 99% of their annual peak load.

Franklin Energy deployed an extensive integrated marketing campaign, consisting of email, social media, online advertisements and printed materials, to encourage Ameren Missouri customers to enroll in the program. Customers were incentivized to enroll with a $50 sign-up bonus and an annual $25 participation bonus. They could register for the program by using a smart thermostat already installed in their homes or purchasing a qualifying ecobee, Nest, or Emerson Sensi smart thermostat from Ameren Missouri’s Smart Commerce marketplace. Those customers who chose to purchase a smart thermostat through the Ameren Missouri marketplace received an additional $100 rebate.

The Peak Time Savings program used smart thermostats to understand how each customer used energy and learned their preferred temperature levels for optimal comfort. During Peak Time Savings events, the program used that data to adjust the temperature of participating thermostats. To keep customers comfortable before, during, and after events, while also conserving energy, the program pre-cooled homes prior to adjusting thermostat settings.

Peak Time Savings achieved the following during the first year of program implementation:

• Reached 164% of program enrollment goals

• 96% satisfied customers during peak savings events

• 97% of customers found the enrollment process easy