METHOD FOR PROVIDING PERSONALIZED ENERGY USE INFORMATION

• US 20150324819A1
• Filed: 11/17/2014
• Published: 11/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2014
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Opower, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Opower, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Lin, Wayne, Kochaniak, Joanna, Suhail, Salman, Guest, Carol, Rothenberg, Juliet, Betzel, Matt, Leung, Eddy
• Application Number:
  US14/543,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20150324819A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0204 Market segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply

Abstract

Techniques for providing personalized energy use information are described herein. An energy information system can obtain one or more of demographic, psychographic, behavioral, or consumption data for each of a plurality of utility customers, and segment the plurality of utility customers into a plurality of categories based on the demographic, psychographic, behavioral, or consumption data. The energy information system can select a target category from the plurality of categories based on a predetermined achievement goal and generate communications content based on historic energy consumption data for the target category. The energy information system can select an outbound communication channel for communicating with the target category. The energy information system can deliver one or more communications to the target category through the outbound communication channel at a specified time, where the one or more communications include at least a portion of the communications content.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing personalized energy use information, comprising:

obtaining one or more of demographic, psychographic, behavioral, or consumption data for each of a plurality of utility customers;

segmenting the plurality of utility customers into a plurality of categories based on the demographic, psychographic, behavioral, or consumption data;

selecting a target category from the plurality of categories based on a predetermined achievement goal;

generating communications content based on historic energy consumption data for the target category;

selecting an outbound communication channel for communicating with the target category; and

delivering one or more communications to the target category through the outbound communication channel at a specified time, wherein the one or more communications include at least a portion of the communications content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more of demographic, psychographic, behavioral, or consumption data includes customer provided data from web pages, mobile applications, traditional mail, email, phone, or SMS.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more of demographic, psychographic, behavioral, or consumption data includes utility data received from at least one utility company.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined achievement goal can include causing the target category to take an energy saving action after an occurrence of a specific life event.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications content corresponds to a triggering event such as a move in, receiving a first bill, appliance shopping, receiving an unusually high bill, a utility service outage, or a lifestyle change.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the communications content is based on historic energy consumption data for at least one category of utility customers from the plurality of categories.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the communications content is based on historic energy consumption data for an individual utility customer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications content further includes personalized energy use insights or personalized energy saving recommendations.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the outbound communication channel is via at least one of web page, mobile application, traditional mail, email, phone, short messaging service (SMS), or smart thermostat.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the outbound communication channel is via at least one of an application programming interface (API) vendor, an outbound vendor, or a device vendor.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the outbound communication channel is based on a likelihood of customer engagement.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the outbound communication channel is based on individual customer preferences.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the specified time is based on a likelihood of customer engagement.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the specified time is based on at least one of a home moving date, reception of a high utility bill, or participation of a home utility program.

15. An apparatus configured for providing personalized energy use information, the apparatus comprising at least one processor configured for:

segmenting a plurality of utility customers into a plurality of categories based on one or more demographic, psychographic, behavioral, or consumption data;

selecting a target category from the plurality of categories based on a predetermined achievement goal;

generating communications content based on historic energy consumption data for the target category;

selecting an outbound communication channel for communicating with the target category; and

delivering one or more communications to the target category through the outbound communication channel at a specified time, wherein the one or more communications include at least a portion of the communications content.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising obtaining the one or more of demographic, psychographic, behavioral, or consumption data for each of the plurality of utility customers by receiving customer provided data from the plurality of utility customers and/or utility data from at least one utility company.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein selecting the outbound communication channel is based on a likelihood of customer engagement.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing executable instructions which cause a data processing device to:

obtain one or more of demographic, psychographic, behavioral, or consumption data for each of a plurality of utility customers;

segment the plurality of utility customers into a plurality of categories based on the demographic, psychographic, behavioral, or consumption data;

generate communications content based on historic energy consumption data for a target category from the plurality of categories;

select an outbound communication channel for communicating with the target category; and

deliver one or more communications to the target category through the outbound communication channel at a specified time, wherein the one or more communications include at least a portion of the communications content.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the computer-readable medium further causes the data processing device to select the target category from the plurality of categories based on a predetermined achievement goal.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the specified time is based on a likelihood of customer engagement.