Electronic Marketplace for Energy
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating relationships among energy consumers and energy suppliers, including operating at least one processor to perform a method comprising:
- communicating, over a computer network, with a consumer;
communicating, over the computer network, with a billing entity serving the consumer;
retrieving, over the computer network, consumer data from the billing entity serving the consumer, said consumer data pertaining to at least one of energy usage, timing of energy usage, and payment history; and
providing the consumer with a list of energy suppliers and associated contract terms for the provision of energy, wherein at least some of said contract terms are based on said retrieved consumer data.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A computer-implemented system for consumers and suppliers of energy provides an on-line marketplace where energy consumers may learn about their options for obtaining energy and enter contracts with energy suppliers. Energy suppliers may use the system to learn about other suppliers as well as consumers, and to extend offers to consumers for the provision of energy. The system gathers data on suppliers and consumers from numerous reliable sources, and thus provides a content-rich environment that facilitates consumer choice in the selection of energy suppliers.
66 Citations
22 Claims
-
1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating relationships among energy consumers and energy suppliers, including operating at least one processor to perform a method comprising:
-
communicating, over a computer network, with a consumer; communicating, over the computer network, with a billing entity serving the consumer; retrieving, over the computer network, consumer data from the billing entity serving the consumer, said consumer data pertaining to at least one of energy usage, timing of energy usage, and payment history; and providing the consumer with a list of energy suppliers and associated contract terms for the provision of energy, wherein at least some of said contract terms are based on said retrieved consumer data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A computer-implemented marketplace for energy consumers and energy suppliers, comprising:
-
a processor operatively connected to a computer network for communicating with consumers and suppliers over said computer network; at least one database storing information about consumers and suppliers; and application code running on the processor with access to the at least one database, the application code including at least one consumer module constructed and arranged to present to consumer users of the marketplace information from said at least one database pertaining to a plurality of suppliers; at least one supplier module constructed and arranged to present to supplier users of the marketplace information from said at least one database pertaining to a plurality of consumers; and at least one billing entity module constructed and arranged to access, via said processor over said computer network, a billing entity of a consumer user of the marketplace, and to retrieve consumer data therefrom pertaining to said consumer user of the marketplace. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions which, when executed, carry out a method of facilitating relationships among energy consumers and energy suppliers, the method comprising:
-
communicating, over a computer network, with a billing entity of an energy consumer; receiving, from the billing entity over the computer network, consumer data pertaining to the energy consumer; and transmitting, over the computer network, at least a portion of said consumer data to at least one energy supplier. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
-
Specification