OPOWER has announced that Xcel Energy has launched a new energy efficiency program based on the OPOWER Home Energy Reports. Fifty-thousand randomly selected homeowners in the St. Paul, Minn., area will be participating in a Home Energy Reporting program that provides residential customers with valuable information that can help them improve the energy efficiency in their homes and save on monthly natural gas and electricity bills.

All 50,000 program participants will receive access to this information through a web portal, with 35,000 of the participants also receiving paper reports through the mail.

"OPOWER Home Energy Reports have been successful in generating energy and costs savings at utilities across the country and in Minnesota by arming consumers with insights on easy steps they can take to become more energy efficient in their homes," said Laura McCarten, regional vice president for Northern States Power Co.-Minnesota, an Xcel Energy company.

"Over the next eighteen months, Xcel Energy will evaluate the impact on overall energy consumption, review consumer feedback and optimize our approach before a wider rollout."

The OPOWER Home Energy Reports are created using advanced analytics that evaluate customers' energy usage patterns, combined with behavioral science techniques proven to motivate action.

Each report provides a detailed analysis of individual monthly energy use as compared to similar households within the same geographic location, while recommending specific energy efficiency tips for every customer based on their household characteristics.

"We're delighted to begin the new year with a partnership with Xcel Energy, a recognized leader in energy efficiency and smart grid technology, and a utility dedicated to delivering the latest in technology to its customers," said Alex Laskey, president and co-founder of OPOWER.

"Xcel Energy customers in the St. Paul, Minn., area can now better understand their energy usage via household-specific tips which explain the steps needed to manage their energy consumption and realize significant savings."

In addition to deploying OPOWER's Home Energy Reporting platform, Xcel Energy is relying on OPOWER's Insight Engine, a customer segmentation and usage analysis software module, to guide a simultaneous deployment of in-home devices at Xcel Energy providing an additional form of energy use feedback for select customers.

Both deployments are part of Xcel Energy's large-scale energy efficiency pilot program approved by the Minnesota Office of Energy Security and aimed at assessing the energy savings and cost effectiveness of various types of usage feedback over the next eighteen months. Xcel Energy will use the findings from this pilot to inform its long-term, smart grid based customer engagement and energy efficiency strategy.