20150812AVU to Staff 61.doc

AVISTA CORPORATION
RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

JURISDICTION: IDAHO DATE PREPARED: 08/06/2015
CASE NO.: AVU-E-15-05/AVU-G-15-01 WITNESS: Jim Kensok
REQUESTER: IPUC RESPONDER: Leona Doege
TYPE: Production Request DEPARTMENT: Customer Solutions
REQUEST NO.: Staff - 061 TELEPHONE: [phone]

REQUEST:

Please describe the scope and type of the Company’s investments to increase customers’ energy-management options (See Kensok DI, pg. 6, line 14). Please explain how the Company analyzes the benefits it receives from these investments.

RESPONSE:

The Smart Grid Demonstration Project (SGDP) which concluded December 31st, 2014, allowed Avista to test several energy management programs with customers.  As a result, Avista has or is planning to implement three similar programs company-wide.
The Smart Thermostat Rebate program built upon the Smart Thermostat Pilot (STP) program that was part of the SGDP.  It launched October 2014 and is available to customers in Washington and Idaho. For further detail about the program, please visit the following Avista website, http://www.avistautilities.com/savings/rebates/Documents/Avista_SmartThermostatRebate-WA-0115.pdf.  
Unlike the other programs listed below, this rebate program is funded from the DSM tariff rider:
In-home-display (IHD) devices that captured real-time electric usage information were part of the STP program during the SGDP.  Customers could check their electric usage directly from their thermostat or their ecobee thermostat on-line web-portal.  Avista does not plan on providing IHDs to customers but is planning on supporting IHD devices and Home Area Network systems purchased by the customer that will communicate with the meter technology.
The web-portal which was available to Avista customers in the SGDP area will be updated and expanded to include other customers as AMI as we continue to deploy AMI in our service area. Shortly after a customer has an AMI meter installed on their home, they will have access to usage interval data and associated costs for both their gas and electric meters, as well as insights that well help guide them in making better energy management choices.  Customers will be able to access this functionality from the web or mobile device once the new Avista Utilities website launches. They will also be able to download a mobile app that will provide access to their account information and usage details. Future plans include more energy management features on the mobile app.
The notifications and alerts program allowed SGDP customers to receive a text and/or email message about their usage and related costs since their last bill. AMI metered homes will have access to this program that will include a new mobile friendly interface.

Avista continues to support the on-line home and business self-serve audit tool for its customers. This functionality will become more streamlined for use by our customers as we upgrade our web-site.

Benefits from these programs will be evaluated/analyzed using standardized methods and approaches already in place at Avista that are used to analyze other operational and customer program benefits.  Customer and Company benefits to be considered and evaluated include energy efficiency savings, customer awareness and engagement and customer satisfaction.  Tools used to measure the impacts of these benefits range from performing an in-house billing analysis (either a randomized control trial or measuring pre/post usage), to using a 3rd party evaluator, to conducting surveys, to analyzing web-usage reports and using on-line customer feedback tools.  

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