The nonprofit Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) offered its 2022 Utility Transformation Program of the Year award to a Duke Energy subscription pilot program last week for its efforts to provide Florida customers with renewable energy, smart thermostats, and flat monthly bills.
Known as Your FixedBill, the program allowed customers of Duke Energy to pay the same flat-rate energy bill for a year, with no adjustments required at the program’s conclusion. This allowed consistency, providing the same rate monthly no matter the market price fluctuations caused by fuel prices, drastic weather changes, and more. The only things determining the monthly payments were customers’ past energy usage, historical average weather temperatures, and a general program fee.
Customers’ electric energy usage was paired with an equal amount of renewable energy attributes over the year. This Renewable Energy Bonus was provided at no additional cost but granted a financial bonus to pilot participants who chose to register their smart thermostats as well. The program ran from August 2021 to August 2022.
“Knowing that the amount on your energy bill won’t change – and that you won’t have a year-end settle-up payment – creates a sense of security,” Lon Huber, Duke Energy’s senior vice president of pricing and customer solutions, said. “We know that having peace of mind around bills is important – and Duke Energy is always looking for ways to maximize value and benefits for our customers when we design new programs.”
The pilot was deemed a success, and since then, Duke Energy has filed for a permanent version with the Florida Public Service Commission. If approved, it would allow the deployment of up to 1,000 free or low-cost smart thermostats for low-income and vulnerable customers to increase accessibility.
“Duke Energy pilot programs help us understand what is important to customers – including predictable bills in times when finances may be more uncertain,” Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy’s Florida state president, said. “Fine-tuning these early programs based on participant feedback will help us deliver on our promise to provide lasting value to our customers.”
SEPA’s annual award has been running for 14 years. It was designed to recognize organizations and individuals working toward a carbon-free future, selecting specific, innovative projects and offerings from utilities like Duke Energy.
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