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WeatherWise USA Awarded Patent for EnerCheck®
Program Promotes Energy Conservation Through Accurate Individual Consumer Measurement and Reporting
Pittsburgh, PA, USA (September 10, 2004) - WeatherWise USA, Inc. announces the issuance of a U.S.
patent for EnerCheck®, a conservation measurement service for utilities and energy consumers. Until now,
the utility bill was the primary means for communicating the results of energy use to the consumer, however, changes in weather
and energy prices mask the true impact of conservation and efficiency efforts. With EnerCheck®, the effects of changing weather
and volatile energy prices are removed to accurately signal changes in a consumer’s energy use efficiency. Utility companies
using EnerCheck® can send individual residential and commercial consumers a personalized report that communicates whether
their energy efficiency has improved, declined, or stayed the same during a specified period of time.
"EnerCheck® can provide customers with a true indicator of their energy use that is easy to
understand and can be directly related to their conservation efforts," explains Teresa Kishlock, Program Implementation Manager
at WeatherWise. "By eliminating the factors beyond the consumer’s control, EnerCheck® can show the real savings in energy
use that resulted from the purchase of a more efficient furnace, added insulation, or upgraded windows. There’s no more guessing
about if or when the payback on their energy investment occurs."
CenterPoint Energy Minnegasco is using EnerCheck® as part of their "No Surprise Bill®" fixed
payment option. Concerned that customers on a fixed bill may be less aware of energy use and conservation, the company decided
to use WeatherWise's EnerCheck® to send an individualized annual energy efficiency report to each No Surprise Bill customer.
Jolene Voigt, Residential Product Manager for CenterPoint Energy Minnegasco, says the results have been favorable. "We hoped the
reports would serve as a reminder to customers to be energy efficient and to give them a useful measurement of usage changes in
their household or business. We accomplished that goal and have been able to give customers a preview of the usage that will be
reflected in their new quote amount at renewal time. We’ve also been able to work with customers who are surprised by their
change in efficiency to identify customer-specific energy efficiency programs."
U.S. Patent 6,785,620, Energy Efficiency Measuring System And Reporting Methods, is the first WeatherWise
USA patent to be granted. "Several patent applications have been filed for products and processes developed by WeatherWise
employees," states Vijay Parmar, Executive Director of Technology, WeatherWise, USA. "We anticipate other patents will follow
as we develop further innovations using our financial engineering expertise."
For additional information on EnerCheck®, contact Joyce Homiak, Director of Sales (phone: 888-373-9473;
email: sales@weatherwiseusa.com) or visit WeatherWise USA’s webpage: (www.weatherwiseusa.com).
Contact:
Joyce Homiak
Phone: 888-373-9473 ext 4026
412-320-4026
Fax: 412-320-4050
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