The US Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative (SECC) has released fact sheets to help consumers understand the benefits of the smart grid and the ways they can engage in programmes, services and electric rate plans that are enabled through smart grid technologies.

Over the past decade, the smart grid has helped create a new landscape for consumer engagement in energy. SECC’s Smart Grid 2.0 fact sheets focus on three key areas of this energy transformation – energy data, electricity pricing options and consumer benefits – and explain in clear language what they mean for the average American consumer.

Compared with just a decade ago, today’s energy consumers have access to more electric rate plans, utility programmes and services, and data-driven insights than ever before.

The “Exploring Your Power Options” fact sheet explains in an easy-to-understand manner what goes into electricity pricing and provides examples to help consumers understand time-of-use rates, peak-time incentives and more.

The “Using Data to Become a Smarter Energy Consumer” fact sheet answers many of consumers’ questions around data, such as “How secure is my energy data?” and “What types of energy data are available today?” It also outlines some of the steps that consumers can take to save money and meet other energy goals with their data.

Finally, the “How the Smart Grid Benefits You” fact sheet provides an overview of the societal and consumer benefits of the smart grid, including saving consumers money, enabling the growth of clean energy technologies and electric vehicles, and improving power reliability in homes and communities. This fact sheet also highlights smart grid successes from three utilities: Commonwealth Edison, Southern California Edison and Baltimore Gas & Electric.