Speed dating, sharks and Heat Smart!

• December 9, 2015
• Heat Smart

We’ve always thought Heat Smart kits were a winning idea, and this fall the SEEA/AESP Conference judges agreed!

Conference organizers set up a two-round contest for vendors to pitch their energy efficiency ideas to utilities, and Heat Smart was all in. The first round, “Utility Speed Dating,” gave 13 participants three minutes to sell a panel of six utility company judges on their idea. Judging criteria included:

• Clarity (it doesn’t get any easier than using a wool blanket to keep warm)
• Connection with utility goals (we tick all the boxes: reduces energy use, passes muster with regulators, generates more savings than it costs, simplicity, positive PR)
• Connection with customers (empowering, easily adopted, warm and personal)

Heat Smart was one of three speed daters chosen to advance to the next “Shark Tank” round! We were excited, but nervous too. We had just 12 minutes to present our idea to the entire conference! But we took a deep breath and told our story. Guess what? The panel of Shark Tank judges, who represented a cross-section of utilities from across the Southeast, chose Heat Smart as the unanimous winner based on:

• Great product
• Clear benefit for customer
• Helps utilities meet their goals

If you’d like to see the entire presentation, click here.

We were so elated, we left the conference walking on air. But like a shark, we never stop moving. We’ll continue to build partnerships with utilities, non-profits, community action programs and government agencies to help keep families warm while meeting your program goals too.

Call or email us to see how we can help you help families in your area.

What’s Next in EE? Heat Smart!

• August 20, 2015
• Heat Smart

Just in time for the AESP 2015 Summer Conference in Ontario, Heat Smart has received more good statistical results from last winter’s pilot program .

We’ll bring all the details with us, but here’s an advance glimpse at the bottom line:

• In a weather-normalized billing comparison, Heat Smart families saved a mean average of 863 kWh over the control group, an estimated savings of $80 in just half of the heating season!
• At a cost of just $12 per Heat Smart kit, this shows we’re a cost-effective program that encourages energy behavior change.

While we are excited by these good initial results, they were gathered over a short period and are preliminary. Even more exciting: our original pilot partners (a major North Carolina utility and energy professionals) have signed on to conduct a full-winter study with a larger sample to be more statistically conclusive.

We’re looking forward to sharing all the details with you at AESP’s What’s Now and What’s Next in EE summer conference. Our pilot program clearly shows that Heat Smart is in the What’s Next category.

If you’re at the conference, come see Executive Director Donna Montaquila at Booth 26 for all the details, and to see how Heat Smart kits can help your organization. We’re always looking to create more partnerships with utilities, implementers, community action programs and government programs to help stretch energy resources.

If you’d rather have more one-on-one attention,   email Donna to set up a time to meet. If you can’t make it to the conference, please   email and Donna will send you more information. See you in Ontario!