As a small business the amount of energy you use affects your overhead and bottom line. Smart Meters will help you take better control of how and when you use energy, to help you meet business objectives.
If you have not signed up for
My Account, you can do so by going to pepco.com and click on "First Time Users." On My Account you will be able to pay your bills online and access new energy management tools and graphs. If you have any specific questions or concerns, contact Pepco’s Smart Meter Information line at 1-855-NEW-METER (1-855-639-6383).
The data provided by smart meters allow you to:
- Determine where your energy dollars go. When you know how you’re using energy, you have the power to control it.
- Find ways to save. Get recommendations on reducing your energy use by changing your habits and learning about energy-efficient products and programs that may be available.
Tools for Energy Management
- Before smart meters, when you received your bill by mail or online, you could only see the total energy you used during the prior month. Now, you will be able to view daily and hourly energy use through your custom My Account tool online. Detailed information helps you manage your energy, and stay competitive.
- Online smart meter data allows you to know your bill to date.
Enhanced Power Restoration
- We will have more information to better pinpoint where damage and/or power outages occur on the electrical system. This is the first leg of a longer journey to enhance customer service and reliability.
Financial Benefits
- While detailed data is not a guarantee of saving energy or money, smart meters give you the power to review and evaluate your use of energy and take control of the things you can change.
Environmental Benefits
- Smart meters are another tool to greater energy efficiency, helping to reduce the need to build power plants, and reduce the need to run older, less efficient power plants, which typically have higher air emissions.
- Remote meter reading reduces the number of vehicles we need to keep on the road, which helps reduce emissions.
Lighting
- Turn off lights when not in use.
- Replace incandescent lights with energy-saving compact fluorescent lights.
- Install “occupant sensors” to automatically turn lights off and on.
Heating and Cooling (HVAC) Systems
- Have HVAC units maintained properly throughout the year. Clean coils annually. Ensure filters are changed or cleaned on a regular basis.
- Adjust the thermostat during unoccupied times or install a programmable thermostat.
- Make sure radiators, air intake vents, etc. are not obstructed so that air can flow freely.
Equipment
- Turn off equipment when not in use, including computers and appliances.
- Clean filters frequently. Maintain your equipment throughout the year.
Buildings
- Block direct sunlight shining through windows in the summer.
- Let the sun in during the day in the winter.
- Check windows for drafts, and seal and caulk where necessary.
- Keep external doors closed.
Outdoor Lighting Program—For Security and Safety
Small Business Guide to Energy Efficiency
Smart Meter Deployment in the District of Columbia
Pepco has installed electric smart meters in small businesses across the District of Columbia. Smart meters will allow Pepco to provide detailed energy information that will help you understand your energy use, and help meet the District of Columbia’s energy reduction goals. Detailed energy information will help customers better manage energy bills and create a better energy future for the District of Columbia.
What is a Smart Meter?
A smart meter is an electronic meter with technology that allows two-way communications between your small business and Pepco. The meter records your daily energy use to help you monitor and take control of your energy use. Your new smart meter reads the energy used in your small business and communicates that information to Pepco. The detailed data is available to you online by signing up for My Account on pepco.com. What happens today when you receive a lower- or higher-than-expected energy bill? You might wonder what changed in your usual pattern. The new smart meter will provide you with detailed information to help you make changes that let you take control of your energy bills.
Why am I getting one?
By managing our energy more efficiently with smart meters, Pepco small business customers in the District of Columbia will be empowered to take control of their energy use, leading the way to smarter energy use and a brighter future.
What are the Benefits of Smart Meters?
- Detailed Energy Information
In the past, you only received monthly use information on your bill or online. Smart meters will allow you to view daily and hourly energy use through My Account.
- Environmental Benefits
Smart meters will help Pepco customers make informed decisions about reducing energy use, thus reducing the need for new power plants and the need to burn fuel in existing power plants. Remote meter reading also reduces the fleet of vehicles on the road creating emissions.
The smart meter project is part of a long-term initiative. As additional benefits and programs are added, we will let you know so you can take full advantage of the various ways to manage your energy use and costs. We will work together for greater efficiency and reduced energy use.
What can I do to prepare?
Get ready today by signing up for My Account on pepco.com
While we finish deploying and activating smart meters to our customers throughout our District of Columbia service territory, you can get ready to take control of your energy use today. By signing up for My Account, you will have already answered a few simple questions about your small business that will help complete your personalized energy profile. My Account can then provide recommendations on how you can save energy today based on your responses. Look for these tools, tips and resources on how to save energy.
