By Jason KUROSU

Glendale Water and Power will begin employing a new pilot program that will send customers tips on saving energy via email or phone. On the day prior to a peak energy event, GWP will send notifications to customers with suggestions for energy saving, as well as feedback on their overall energy usage on the days following the peak event.

“Considering the high temperatures we’ve experienced this year, this program is a great opportunity for our customers to save energy on hot days,” stated GWP General Manager Steve Zurn in a press release. “Our priority is to make sure that our customers have the right information and tools to empower them to take action to reduce energy usage during the summer.”

Tips will include advice like delaying the use of large appliances such as dishwasher and washing machines and adjusting air conditioning.

The program, which is in effect now, is instituted through Opower, a software provider that partners with utilities in North America, Europe and Asia to keep their customers educated on their personal energy use. Opower first launched such a program in 2012 with Baltimore Gas and Electric, a utility comprising 315,000 customers (as opposed to GWP’s 33,744).

GWP is expected to call three to five Peak Event Days this season.

Zurn said that all GWP customers are enrolled in the program.

“Forty-thousand of our customers were automatically enrolled in the pilot program and yes they can opt out at any time,” said Zurn. “There will be planned peak events that we will select and notify our customers a day in advance. At this time, we do not have any peak events scheduled.”

  Jason Kurosu