Making Energy Efficiency Rebates Simple to Boost Participation Tenfold
Energy Efficiency Markets, September 8, 2015. Image credit: geralt
“If you think of rebates in the context of a retail store, they want to make rebates complex so you don’t take advantage of them,” he says. However, utilities really want consumers to take advantage of the rebates so they can get energy efficiency credits from state programs. But many utilities were–and continue to–make it too difficult and time-consuming for the consumers to apply for and receive rebates.
To solve the problem, Simple Energy created a process for offering instant rebates, by integrating its software into a utility’s back end.
For the utilities taking part in Simple Energy’s program, participation has increased tenfold, he says.
For example, Simple Energy is working with Xcel Energy in Colorado, offering instant rebates for Nest thermostats and other products.
“Everybody who visits the online store has taken advantage of an instant rebate for at least one product,” he says. “The utility is actually getting more value out of the rebate. In some case, it’s one per customer, but we have a lot of customers who have bought two or three Nest thermostats.”