If you are unable to find answers to your questions, please reach out to us via the Contact Us page.
How long will the installation visit last?
We estimate the metering installation visit will last between 6 and 8 hours. This will allow the engineers and electrician to install meters on appliances, outlets, power cords, and your electrical service panel.
Why do I need to be home for the visit?
Someone over 18 must be home for the duration of this visit. This is because we will be checking in with you throughout the day during the installation to make sure you are comfortable with where we install the monitoring equipment.
How will I receive my incentives for participating?
For the initial metering installation visit, the engineer will provide you with a $250 Visa gift card in person on the day of the installation visit. For the quarterly Internet surveys, we will mail you a $50 Visa gift card once you complete the survey. For each annual visit to fix any metering equipment that is not working, the engineer that comes to your home will provide you with a $250 Visa gift card in person at the time of the visit.
What are you going to do with the data/how will this be used?
The metering devices will send data about when items are either on or off and how much power they use to a central hub that we will install near your electrical panel. That monitoring hub will then send this information to our secure servers. The data collected at your home will not be sent to PG&E or anyone else. It will only be used by Evergreen Economics for the purposes of this study.
Who is Evergreen/Why are you doing this?
Evergreen Economics is an economic consulting firm that regularly conducts evaluations of energy efficiency programs for electricity and gas utilities around the country. We are conducting this study in an effort to understand when households and various items within the home use energy, in addition to how much energy they use. The information we collect will enable PG&E to provide more effective services for households in the future.
Can I drop out?
Of course, participation is always voluntary. We offer incentives up front and also additional quarterly and annual incentives over the course of the study because it is so valuable for us to have your continued participation throughout the study. But we understand that sometimes people have to drop out.
Will the installed equipment be visible in my home?
The box that contains the hub of the operation that aggregates and sends data to our secure servers will be installed near your electrical panel. For all large appliances, the metering equipment will be essentially unnoticeable. For countertop kitchen appliances and electronics there will be one of two meters, which may be visible depending on the location/visibility of the outlet or power strip.
Why does an electrician need to be there?
The electrician is there to ensure that the box for the central hub is installed safely and correctly as it is connected to your electrical panel.
Is my data secure?
Yes, the data are transferred directly to Evergreen’s secure servers via an encrypted connection. The data will be stored securely on Evergreen’s server in an encrypted format. In addition, none of the data are associated with you or your address, only a random ID number that has been generated for your household.
What does the quarterly Internet survey consist of and why do I need to complete it?
Our busy lives are always changing. The quarterly survey helps us see what changes are occurring in your home (after the meters are installed) that might affect energy usage such as changes in who lives there, plans for buying new equipment, and plans for home remodels or renovations.
Should I do anything differently once the metering equipment is installed?
No, in fact, you should continue to use the equipment in your house as you always have. The metering equipment will not affect the usability of your appliances or other equipment that are plugged into them.