Cost Tracker Module

The Cost Tracker module is designed to help residential customers save more energy by showing them how their energy costs are tracking across the month.

Design

This image shows an example of the module.

Configuration Options

For each element listed in the table, indicate the desired configuration in the Input Value column. If you do not provide an input for optional configurations, the default will be used.

Configuration Option	Input Value
Bar Colors Colors in the graph can match the utility’s color palette. Default: The colors in the example represent the default colors.	Required Choose one of the following: Use the default colors. Work with your Delivery Team to specify other colors.
Display Cost Information (not depicted) If a customer's rates are modeled, the cost per day can be displayed in the graph. Default: Display cost information if it is available.	Optional Choose one of the following if cost information is available: Use the default (display the cost information). Hide the cost information and display usage information instead.
Comparison Range (not depicted) The comparison range determines whether the customer's energy use for the current week falls within the "neutral" state. The neutral state, which provides the message, “You used about the same…” occurs if this week’s usage or cost is within +/- n of the specified range. The range is conﬁgurable, and can be stated as a percentage. Default: The default is +/- 1% for both usage and cost.	Required Use the following range:

Configuration Option

Input Value

Bar Colors

Colors in the graph can match the utility’s color palette.

Default: The colors in the example represent the default colors.

Required

Choose one of the following:

Use the default colors.
Work with your Delivery Team to specify other colors.

Display Cost Information (not depicted)

If a customer's rates are modeled, the cost per day can be displayed in the graph.

Default: Display cost information if it is available.

Optional

Choose one of the following if cost information is available:

Use the default (display the cost information).
Hide the cost information and display usage information instead.

Comparison Range (not depicted)

The comparison range determines whether the customer's energy use for the current week falls within the "neutral" state. The neutral state, which provides the message, “You used about the same…” occurs if this week’s usage or cost is within +/- n of the specified range. The range is conﬁgurable, and can be stated as a percentage.

Default: The default is +/- 1% for both usage and cost.

Required

Use the following range:

User Experience Variations

The user experience varies for customers depending upon their service types, available data, costs, and locale. Note that the following list indicates the primary user experience variations, not all possible variations.

Gas-Only

For gas-only customers, the electricity unit “kWh” is replaced by “therms” or "CCFs" (whichever unit of measure is appropriate for the utility), and the word "electricity" is replaced by "gas".

Dual Fuel

Dual fuel customers see two graphs in the Cost Tracker, one for electricity usage and one for gas usage. The title is "Compared to last week".

Rates Not Modeled

If rates are not modeled or the utility has opted to not display cost information in this module, then energy use information is displayed in the comparison rather than cost information.

Calculations

The Cost Tracker insight is generated by displaying the customer’s energy use or costs for the week, a projection of what the customer is forecast to use by the end of the billing period, along with a bill or energy use from the same bill period last year. The customer’s current energy use information is collected through their AMI data. If the customer’s rate is available, the rate is multiplied by energy use to determine cost. Otherwise, energy use is displayed. The insight calculates the projected difference to alert the customer as to whether they are projected to use more energy, use less energy, or use about the same amount of energy.