Green Mountain Power Launches Smart Water Heater Program to Help Customers Save Money

COLCHESTER, Vt., May 23, 2017 -- Green Mountain Power is excited to offer its customers a new opportunity to be part of the energy revolution by reducing energy use, saving money and helping GMP reduce peak energy demand for all customers.

GMP’s new eSmartwater program includes an Aquanta™ smart water heater controller that lets you heat water when you need it, and save money when you don’t. The Aquanta gets installed on your existing water heater to bring it out of the basement and into the palm of your hand to provide convenient control and hot water usage information.

The program also includes a Nest Learning Thermostat™ to help reduce your overall energy costs.  Nest Thermostats use technology to find ways to make heating or cooling your home more efficient, making small but impactful changes that can save you money. The Nest Smart App also provides remote monitoring and control of the temperature, so you can make adjustments from its mobile app, even when you are away from your home.

“This is another step forward in radically transforming the grid to a system that is more cost-effective and home-, business- and community-based,” said Green Mountain Power President and CEO Mary Powell. “As an energy transformation company, GMP is committed to leveraging the latest technologies to drive down costs for customers, while empowering customers to increase comfort and reduce fossil fuel use. This new program builds on our work with Tesla and others to shave peak demand costs, saving money and reducing reliance on the bulk grid system.”

The eSmartwater program is only $0.99 per month for both the Aquanta and Nest Thermostat. And as part of the program, GMP will be able to lower costs for all customers by leveraging water heaters during periods of peak energy demand, when energy is the most expensive.  The Nest Thermostat alone saves an average of $131 to $145 in annual savings per customer.  GMP will partner with local contractors for installation.

“This is an important partnership that will allow us to offer a compelling connected home bundle to Vermonters, enabling them to save energy and reduce their carbon emissions,” said Hannah Bascom, who leads regulated energy partnerships for Nest labs.

Aquanta is a “Works with Nest” partner, meaning all the technology is seamlessly integrated.

“Our water heater controller allows customers to control their water heater as well as connect it to the smart grid,” said Aquanta CEO Matt Carlson. “We’re excited to work with Green Mountain Power and its customers to help them gain more control over energy use. This is the future, and Vermont is leading the way.”

This system can be installed on existing electric water heaters, and is a big step forward from traditional water heater programs, because the Aquanta provides a more dynamic control set that will ensure customer comfort at all times.

And there is an exciting local economic connection with Nest: GLOBALFOUNDRIES’® Essex Junction plant manufactures the semiconductor that enables the communication capability of the Nest Thermostat, allowing it to be a smart thermostat.

“We are proud our team in Vermont is working to support the innovations that are improving the lives of our neighbors,” said Christine Dunbar, vice president of RF Product Management at GLOBALFOUNDRIES.

All of this will be integrated by Virtual Peaker, a GMP Inspire Space contest winner, which provides a software platform that helps utility companies manage residential demand by shifting the consumption patterns of internet-based household devices.

“This program will further show how we can work together and usher in a new energy future that reduces our reliance on fossil fuels,” said William Burke, CEO and founder of Virtual Peaker.

For more information on the eSmartwater program and to sign up, please visit: http://products.greenmountainpower.com/product/esmartwater/

About Green Mountain Power:
Green Mountain Power (GMP) serves approximately 265,000 residential and business customers in Vermont and is partnering with Vermonters to improve lives and transform communities. GMP is focused on a new way of doing business to meet the needs of customers with integrated energy services that help people use less energy and save money, while continuing to generate clean, cost-effective and reliable power in Vermont. GMP is the first utility in the world to get a B Corp certification, meeting rigorous social, environmental, accountability and transparency standards and committing to use business as a force for good. In 2014, Vote Solar named GMP a Solar Champion. More information at: www.greenmountainpower.com. Connect with GMP on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @GreenMtnPower. 

Kristin Carlson, Green Mountain Power
802-229-8200
[email protected]