2015
DTE Energy Honored for First-of-its-kind Interactive Tool to Help Michigan Residents Track and Reduce Energy Usage
DETROIT – The highly successful DTE Insight app offered by DTE Energy has been awarded the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance’s (MEEA) 2015 Inspiring Efficiency Innovation Award.
DTE Energy is the first utility in the nation to develop an interactive smart phone app called DTE Insight, which allows residential electric customers instant access to data collected by their meter. DTE Energy customers who have an advanced meter can now link their iPhone or Android phone to the DTE Insight app to see their energy usage in real-time.
In the past, customers who made energy efficiency adjustments to their homes wouldn’t see the results of their actions until the end of the month when they received their bills. The DTE Insight app allows customers to see immediately how changes in their usage habits can affect their costs. By having 24/7 access to this data, users can more accurately predict their monthly bill and make adjustments throughout the month depending upon their budget.
Similar to a weight loss app, DTE Insight helps customers monitor and set targets to help achieve their goal of reducing energy usage. The site also provides users with:
- Helpful tips to become more energy conscious;
- Money-saving recommendations; and
- The ability to scan the power cord of an appliance with an iphone to see how much electricity the appliance is using.
More than 20,000 DTE customers are using DTE Insight with more than 35,000 downloads. According to Joel Miller, Senior Strategist and DTE Insight Business Owner, customer feedback for the app has been very positive. Customers have expressed satisfaction with being able to have instant access to their usage data to see how changes in their habits over time affect their bill. And, because customers feel they have more control over their energy use, they are taking more steps to save energy and are less surprised when their energy bill arrives.
“MEEA is proud to recognize DTE Energy for its innovative approach using technology to provide customers with instant access to data surrounding their individual energy usage,” said Stacey Paradis, MEEA interim executive director.
Bestowed annually at the Midwest Energy Solutions Conference (www.meeaconference.org), MEEA’s Inspiring Efficiency Innovation Award is presented to a nominee that has developed a new and innovative program, idea or policy in the Midwest.
DocumentIEA-2015_awards-release_innovation_dte-energy.pdf (88.47 KB)