For years, utility demand response programs have hovered around single-digit participation rates. While roughly 80 percent of consumers express a willingness to participate in energy-saving programs, traditional models have relied on top-down utility tooling and broad-stroke email blasts rather than consumer-first engagement. Too often, utilities rely entirely on the “stick” without offering the “carrot” needed to drive active customer participation.
When energy demand was steady, these inefficiencies could be glossed over, but that’s no longer the case. As load growth surges and affordability pressures mount, increased efficiencies and additional capacity have become a necessity rather than a luxury. The recent strategic investment that has brought Octopus Energy US and Uplight together showcases what it can mean to reshape this dynamic around DR programs.
By blending their consumer-centric user experience with Uplight’s deep North American utility relationships to unlock distributed energy resources (DERs) at scale, the partnership addresses a critical industry need that is set to open up new opportunities for customers and grid operators.
The Core Value Prop and Disconnect of DR...