GE Smart Home-Energy Panel Tells Consumers What’s Happening with Their Power Profile

(BUSINESS WIRE)--GE (NYSE: GE) is introducing an in-home, multi-function energy information panel that will give consumers insight and control to help them manage energy usage and understand costs. The sleek, touch-screen panel will wirelessly connect to a household’s smart meter, appliances and thermostats, via ZigBee® or Wi-Fi®, to gather information, manage usage and deliver the real-time knowledge that empowers smarter energy choices.

“As part of our smart grid suite of offerings, the panels will empower consumers to better manage their energy usage based on real-time information. The panels will connect consumers with the knowledge they need to be better energy stewards and take charge of their energy use and carbon footprint.”

The panels are the result of a development effort between GE and OpenPeak, Inc., a leading communications technology developer. The device looks like a tabletop picture frame and can be placed virtually anywhere within a home. The panels are available to consumers through their utilities today. Functionality is dependent on the utility’s selection of applications.

With information from GE smart meters combined with dynamic pricing programs* from utilities , the panel will tell consumers the best times to perform high-energy-consumption tasks, such as drying clothes, running pool pumps and washing dishes. The panels even will be able to be programmed to control smart appliances, thermostats and heating and cooling devices—reacting to pricing and demand changes instantly. Over time, the device will act as an energy consultant, trending data and making recommendations to better manage energy use.

"Information is power. Give consumers more information about their energy usage and they’ll find ways to make better decisions,” said Bob Gilligan, vice president—transmission and distribution for GE Energy. “As part of our smart grid suite of offerings, the panels will empower consumers to better manage their energy usage based on real-time information. The panels will connect consumers with the knowledge they need to be better energy stewards and take charge of their energy use and carbon footprint.”

In addition to energy management, GE’s smart panels also will connect with Internet news, sports, music, weather services, social networks like facebook® and instant messaging. This multi-functionality helps make the panels a focal point for household information.

“Combining other useful information and entertainment applications with energy management information increases the frequency of consumer interactions with the device,” said Dan Gittleman, CEO of OpenPeak. “And frequent consumer engagement means a greater number of opportunities to communicate important energy consumption and conservation information.”

Consumers who opt in to the social networking aspect of the panel will be able to compare their consumption to neighborhood and city averages, seeing how they stack up against like households. Those comparisons may inspire increased conservation and modified behavior for some homes.

Through industry collaborations, GE will deliver one of the broadest portfolio offerings of carbon-smart technologies in the industry to modernize electrical systems from the power plant to the consumer. From smarter appliances and technologies for plug-in hybrid vehicles, to providing renewable technologies and smart meters, GE’s innovation and leadership is delivering integrated, large-scale smart grid deployments, leveraging technology synergies and delivering results. www.itsyoursmartgrid.com.

*Dynamic pricing and time of use (TOU) programs provide for variable pricing of energy based on the time of day. Dynamic pricing and TOU programs are provided by the utility and may or may not be available in your area. Availability of dynamic pricing programs in a particular market is dependent upon the utility serving that market.

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Cooler Weather Brings Heating Decisions -- Public Service Web Site Helps Georgia Consumers Compare and Save on Natural Gas

/PRNewswire/ -- If cold weather hits Georgia as quickly as the flooding rains, consumers will be scrambling to choose a natural gas marketer and price plan that's right for them. Luckily for Georgians, MyNaturalGasCoach.com is a free public service web site to help shop and save on natural gas before the colder weather arrives.

Georgians who live in the Atlanta Gas Light service territory can go to MyNaturalGasCoach.com for information about natural gas marketers and their rates to help make an informed decision and save money when choosing a natural gas marketer. The interactive site helps "coach" consumers with information all on one site, including the following:

-- A convenient list of Georgia's natural gas marketers, plus toll-free
numbers and links to their web sites for price comparison
-- An explanation of variable and fixed price plan options and how
service fees affect your natural gas bill
-- How to read and understand your natural gas bill

It's about choice and saving money. It's important that the consumer know there are options," said Bill Edge, public information officer for the Georgia Public Service Commission. "MyNaturalGasCoach.com is a great source to help everyone learn more about their options in terms of choosing a natural gas marketer."

Consumers can go to the site and take an online "Natural Gas Fitness Test" between now and November 23, 2009, and be automatically entered into the My Natural Gas Coach Sweepstakes to win four tickets to the New Year's Eve Chick-fil-A Football Bowl Game, accommodations at the Buckhead Intercontinental Hotel and a limo for the evening.

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