The familiar monthly postcard that arrived in Ameren Missouri customers’ mailboxes for decades is going away.
This week, customers will instead begin receiving a redesigned bill with an emphasis on energy usage. The utility is also rolling out revamped online account features that will let customers compare usage to their neighbors’, which research suggests is an easy way to get people to conserve energy.
Now, a full piece of paper enclosed in an envelope will show how much you owe and how your electricity use compares with past months’.
“We used to give out the annual personal energy report that came out each March, and this actually was a spinoff from that,” said Tara Oglesby, Ameren’s assistant vice president of customer experience. “We heard more and more frequently that customers wanted that information more often than annually.”
People are also reading…
Ameren representatives say it’s the first format change away from the postcards for “at least almost 100 years,” although even they aren’t entirely sure how long Ameren or its predecessor, Union Electric, used them.
“Our records show that’s pretty much been consistent for decades on end,” Oglesby said.
The new energy usage information coincides with Ameren’s new energy efficiency program that began last year. Under new state rules, it can earn a profit from helping customers reduce energy consumption with more efficient appliances, lights and building insulation.
The bills will now contain more information about accessing rebates from that program.
Online accounts, which already include monthly usage information, will let customers see their energy breakdown by day. Customers can also submit information on their appliances, and the new account features will be able to break down their electricity usage by lighting, appliances and other sources.
The program will also let customers compare their usage to the average in their ZIP code.
Research suggests that people will reduce their energy consumption to bring it in line with perceived social norms if they see they are using more than their neighbors.