DTE Insight app helps customers track and manage energy use

DETROIT, Nov. 19, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The DTE Insight mobile app continues to help thousands of customers in Southeast Michigan save money while on a broader scale, change the way that the utility industry looks at home energy management.  DTE was the first utility in the country to offer a real-time, mobile energy tracking and management tool to its customers. 

DTE Insight recently introduced a feature that recommends energy efficiency projects tailored specifically for the home and identifies associated savings.  Additional new releases will be available by the first of the year, including an alert that notifies customers when they are exceeding their targeted energy usage.   In addition, early next year customers will be able to set a monthly energy dollar target and monitor progress toward meeting that budget.

The app has been downloaded nearly 90,000 times on to Android phones, iPhones and now Apple watches, since the tool was launched in 2014.  DTE Insight links mobile devices to customers' advanced meters to provide a comprehensive view of their energy usage.   Customers who opt to install the pilot DTE Energy Bridge device receive real-time data, allowing them to view energy usage as it occurs. Interested customers may request to receive a bridge, which is a small router.

Customers who install the energy bridge and actively use the DTE Insight features are reducing their energy usage by 5 to 10 percent, according to David E. Meador, DTE Energy vice chairman and chief administrative officer.    

"We are pleased by the positive feedback from customers who are learning more about their personal energy usage, and making changes that save them money," Meador said. "The DTE Insight tool is just one of the many ways that we help educate our customers about energy efficiency."    

DTE Insight app features include:

• A view of the daily, weekly, monthly and annual energy usage patterns and consumption  
• A personalized energy-savings coach 
• Energy-saving tips that encourage do-it-yourself home improvement projects
• Weekly challenges designed to engage and provide rewards for saving energy
• The PowerScan Tool for iPhone users to scan electrical appliances' power cords to instantly see its energy consumption and an estimate of their monthly operating costs
• Product comparisons of Energy Star rated appliances

"There is a significant market in the United States and world for smart home and energy-related devices, and other utilities have expressed interest to license or purchase the technology," Meador added.    

The app and Energy Bridge device were developed by Royal Oak-based Vectorform.  DTE partnered with Vectorform to form Powerley LLC, a joint venture between the two companies, to make the technologies available to other utilities across the country and the customers they serve.

"We are proud of the collaborative work we've done with DTE Energy to extend the scope of DTE Insight, and create an innovative home energy management platform," said Manoj Kumar, CEO of Powerley. "This is the first solution designed in deep collaboration with a utility for utilities.  We're receiving extensive interest from utilities around the country that want to provide their customers with the same groundbreaking offering."

Customers with iPhones, Apple watches and Android phones, and have their home equipped with an advanced meter, can go to the App Store or Google Play to download the app today. Go to the app's menu and select tools to request a bridge.  For more information, visit dteenergy.com/dteinsight.

DTE Energy (NYSE: DTE) is a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide. Its operating units include an electric utility serving 2.1 million customers in Southeastern Michigan and a natural gas utility serving 1.2 million customers in Michigan. The DTE Energy portfolio includes non-utility energy businesses focused on power and industrial projects, natural gas pipelines, gathering and storage, and energy marketing and trading.  As one of Michigan's leading corporate citizens, DTE Energy is a force for growth and prosperity in the 450 Michigan communities it serves in a variety of ways, including philanthropy, volunteerism and economic progress. For more information about DTE Energy, visit dteenergy.com twitter.com/dte_energy and facebook.com/dteenergy.

Powerly is a Royal Oak-based technology and user experience company, aimed at providing a comprehensive home energy management platform to utility companies and their residential customers around the world. For more information about Powerley, visit powerley.com.

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SOURCE DTE Energy