Design and Configuration: Time of Use Rate Coach

This section discusses the design, configuration options, and the user experience variations that are specific to the Time of Use (TOU) Rate Coach emails.

TOU Rate Coach emails are designed to encourage AMI customers on a TOU electricity rate plan to shift their electricity use to off-peak hours. TOU Rate Coach emails include rate plan details, personalized energy use insights, and actionable load shifting tips to help customers save money on their electric bills.

Customers receive one of the following TOU Rate Coach emails each week:

  • Introduction emails
  • Weekly Coach emails
  • Peak Usage Summary emails or Post-Bill Report emails

Each of these emails is comprised of a specified set of Load Shifting modules that are intended to help customers understand their TOU rate plan and educate them on how to save electricity and money.

Note: Each email is comprised of individual modules. It is strongly recommended that you use the default order of the modules, as the emails were designed to be read from top to bottom, to provide the reader with an easy-to-understand message about their energy use. The default order of the modules for each email is listed in the appropriate section below.

Configuration and user variation details are provided for each individual module and are included in the Module Appendix. Alternatively, you can access the details by clicking the module names in the following sections.

Introduction Emails

The Introduction email is the first weekly email customers receive as part of the program. This email is designed to welcome customers to the program, provide peak hour energy use insights, and offer tips on how to reduce energy use during peak hours. The email also encourages customers to use less during peak hours by including information about the average savings of other utility customers who have shifted their use to off-peak hours.

The Introduction email contains the following modules, in the order listed:

Figure 2-1 Introduction Email


This image shows an example of an introduction email.

Weekly Coach Emails

The Weekly Coach email is delivered to customers at the end of each week. It provides peak hour energy use insights as well as a comparison between peak hour electricity spending during the current week and the previous week. Customers begin receiving the Weekly Coach email after they receive their Introduction email, and do not receive the Weekly Coach email in weeks when they receive the Peak Usage Summary email or Post-Bill Report Email.

The Weekly Coach email experience varies depending on whether or not the customer was selected for the peak disaggregation experience.

Weekly Coach Email

The Weekly Coach email provides peak hour energy use insights as well as a comparison between peak hour electricity spending during the current week and the previous week for customers without peak period disaggregation.

The Weekly Coach emails contain the following modules, in the order listed:

Figure 2-2 Weekly Email


This image shows an example of the weekly email.

Weekly Coach Email with Peak Period Disaggregation

The Weekly Coach email with peak period disaggregation is sent to customers selected for the peak disaggregation experience. The email provides peak hour energy use insights, a comparison between peak hour electricity spending during the current week and the previous week, and a breakdown of up to three appliances that were used during peak hours.

The Weekly Coach email with weekly peak period disaggregation contains these modules, in the order listed:

Figure 2-3 Weekly Email with Disaggregation


This image shows an example of the weekly email with disaggregation.

Peak Usage Summary Emails

The Peak Usage Summary email is delivered every four weeks to customers participating in the standard TOU Rate Coach email experience. The Peak Usage Summary email includes details about how the customer's electricity costs during peak hours changed throughout the month. It also lists the week during which peak hour electricity costs were lowest, and highlights the cost difference between this week and the week during which peak hour electricity costs were highest.

Note:

Customers selected for the peak disaggregation experience receive the Post-Bill Report email instead of a Peak Usage Summary email.

The Peak Usage Summary emails contain these modules:

Figure 2-4 Peak Usage Summary Emails


This image provides an example of the email.

Post-Bill Report Emails

The Post-Bill Report is delivered to customers selected for the peak disaggregation experience in place of the Peak Usage Summary email each month. The report helps customers understand which appliances they are using during peak hours, and how that usage contributes to their energy charges under a TOU rate plan. It includes a comparison of peak usage or costs between the customer's most recent bill and previous bill, a peak period disaggregation module, and a tip.

By default, the Post-Bill Report emails contain these modules, in the order listed:

Figure 2-5 Post-Bill Report Email


This image provides an example of the email.