System and Method for Guaranteed Energy Savings for the Customer

• US 20150161747A1
• Filed: 05/23/2014
• Published: 06/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NRG Energy, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NRG Energy, Inc.
• Inventors: Keene, Kenneth Paul Jr., Rodriguez, Maria Gabriela, Lewis, Alicia Kathryn, Frantz, Paul Todd, Steffes, James Dale
• Application Number:
  US14/286,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20150161747A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply

Abstract

A method and system for providing a customer with guaranteed savings on its long-run energy charges as between a Utility and a Competitive Retailer. Preferably the method and system, including one or more computers with microprocessors for executing computer coded instructions, obtains and stores customer attributes, current energy provider, billing cycle and switching time constraints and restrictions and receives forecasted costs and prices of the Utility and the Competitive Retailer for the customer'"'"'s next billing cycle. The system processes, via the computer, the customer data and the energy data for the Utility and Competitive Retailer to determine the energy provider projected to have the lower price for the next billing cycle of the customer. Preferably, the system requests a switch to the energy provider projected to have the lower price in that customer'"'"'s next billing cycle, unless the customer is currently receiving service from the projected energy provider. In a preferred embodiment, the system obtains the actual prices of the Utility and the Competitive Retailer for the customer'"'"'s billing cycle and charges the customer at the lower actual price.

Claims

1. A method for providing a customer with guaranteed savings of energy charges as between a utility and a competitive retailer, the method comprising the steps of:

providing at least one computer having a microprocessor for executing computer coded instructions;

obtaining and storing customer attributes. current energy provider. billing cycle and switching time constraints and restrictions;

receiving forecasted costs and prices of the utility and the competitive retailer for the customer'"'"'s next billing cycle;

processing, via the computer, the forecasted prices and next billing cycle for customer to determine which energy provider is projected to have the lower price for the customer in the customer'"'"'s next billing cycle;

requesting a switch to the energy provider with the projected lower price in that customer'"'"'s next billing cycle, unless the customer is currently receiving service from that energy provider;

obtaining the actual prices of the utility and the competitive retailer for the customer'"'"'s billing cycle; and

charging the customer at the lower actual price.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving a minimum pricing threshold of the competitive retailer, wherein if the utility forecasted price is less than the competitive retailer forecasted price but the competitive retailer minimum pricing threshold is less than the utility forecasted price, the projected energy provider for the next billing cycle is the competitive retailer.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of obtaining authorization from the customer to be customer'"'"'s representative for utility and supplier transactions.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of requesting a switch is timed to avoid lengthy delays in switching of service.

5. A method for providing a customer with guaranteed savings of energy charges as between a utility and a competitive retailer, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining authorization from the customer to be customer'"'"'s representative for utility and supplier transactions;

providing at least one computer having a microprocessor for executing computer coded instructions;

obtaining and storing customer attributes, current energy provider, billing cycle and switching time constraints and restrictions;

receiving forecasted costs and prices of the utility and the competitive retailer for the customer'"'"'s next billing cycle;

processing, via the computer,the forecasted prices and next billing cycle for customer to determine which energy provider is projected to have the lower price for the customer in the customer'"'"'s next billing cycle;

requesting a switch to the energy provider with the projected lower price in that customer'"'"'s next billing cycle, unless the customer is currently receiving service from that energy provider;

obtaining the actual prices of the utility and the competitive retailer for the customer'"'"'s billing cycle; and

charging the customer at the lower actual price.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of requesting a switch is timed to avoid lengthy delays in switching of service.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of receiving a minimum pricing threshold of the competitive retailer, wherein if the utility forecasted price is less than the competitive retailer forecasted price but the competitive retailer minimum pricing threshold is less than the utility forecasted price, the projected energy provider for the next billing cycle is the competitive retailer.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of requesting a switch is timed to avoid lengthy delays in switching of service.

9. A data processing system for managing energy-related data for individual customers and a Utility and at least one Competitive Retailer, and generating outputs to the customers detailing energy consumption and pricing while providing the customers with guaranteed savings of energy charges as between the Utility and the at least one Competitive Retailer, the data processing system comprising:

at least one computer having a microprocessor for computing data input to said computer;

at least one management application including at least one of a software or firmware installation that provides computer coded instructions to the at least one computer for managing data manipulated by the at least one computer;

at least one database communicating with the at least one computer for storing data regarding Utility default rate forecasts, Competitive Retailer cost and price forecasts, and the current energy provider, billing cycle and historical energy consumption data for the individual customers;

wherein the microprocessor is configured to calculate a customer'"'"'s energy bill based upon the customer'"'"'s energy consumption and the lowest actual price available from the Utility and Competitive Retailer for the customer during the customer'"'"'s billing cycle.

10. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein the at least one database further stores switching timelines and restrictions between the Utility and the at least one Competitive Retailer and business rules relating to making switching decisions.