Simple Energy has launched 'Marketplace,' an e-commerce platform that connects utilities and consumers by offering energy-saving household products and services with instant rebates at the point of sale. The platform, which is white-labeled by participating utilities, delivers individualized energy-saving tips and recommendations via personalized emails, empowering consumers to reduce energy consumption and make informed purchasing decisions.
The launch comes on the heels of a 2013 Accenture report that shows 58% of customers want their utility to provide recommendations on energy-saving goods, such as home appliances, while energy audit data from The Nielsen Company shows that less than 7% of customers are accessing utility rebates available to them.
"We created Simple Energy Marketplace to fill a void that has existed for too long between utility and customer. The launch of this platform will help customers save both energy and money while simultaneously empowering them to make smarter decisions about their energy consumption," Yoav Lurie, CEO and Founder at Simple Energy. "Every person's energy usage is unique, and how their utility communicates with them should reflect that. This is why Marketplace is so important for utilities. It allows them to convert a user's energy usage data into personalized messaging that educates consumers on their energy consumption while simultaneously providing recommendations on energy-efficient products and tips that are specific to their energy wants and needs."
Simple Energy Marketplace offers utilities a branded online marketplace to provide customers with a curated selection of rebate-eligible products, ENERGY STARTM products and other energy and water conservation products and services that are personalized based on a user's meter and account data. Point-of-sale energy rebates provide consumers with instantaneous savings on energy-efficient purchases while giving utilities increased participation in rebate programs and additional value-added services to enhance customer satisfaction.
The platform also enables utilities to deliver personalized communication to its customer base via existing marketing and billing channels, providing energy-saving recommendations to encourage consumers to make informed purchasing and energy-reducing decisions. In addition, Simple Energy Marketplace is customizable and scalable to utilities' unique needs and energy efficiency requirements.
Simple Energy is launching Marketplace with two major North American utilities, including a program with San Diego Gas & Electric, adding to the utility's existing Manage-Act-Save customer engagement platform. The programs will be available to more than 2.5 million households across the Midwest and West Coast.
"Simple Energy was founded to help motivate people to save money, to change the energy conversation from price to savings," said Justin Segall, President and Founder at Simple Energy. "Marketplace helps expand our mission to unite utilities and consumers to work together to reduce energy consumption and shift the way consumers view utility providers – from commodity to partner."
Simple Energy Marketplace allows utilities to operate as the singular energy resource for consumers, from the awareness to the purchase of their household devices through energy delivery, through consumption and billing. The platform also offers side-by-side price comparisons of recommended energy devices such as thermostats, high efficiency washing machines and dryers from leading retailers, consumer reviews, as well as their respective rebate offerings, giving customers total autonomy to research, purchase, and utilize the product that is best for them.
