Home Energy Reports (HERs) have been part of utility energy efficiency strategies for over 15 years. Today, many large U.S. utilities use HERs to help customers better understand and control their energy use. A new report from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) explores how behavior programs can adapt to today's energy challenges while continuing to deliver measurable results. Recently, I spoke with Michael Burger, Senior Manager of Building Electrification and Efficiency Program Delivery at PG&E, about how PG&E has adapted its approach over the past 15 years to support customer energy savings, affordability, and clean energy goals. PG&E provides natural gas and electric service to approximately 16 million people (5.5 million residential households) in northern and central California.

Richter: Why are Home Energy Reports (HERs) so important to PG&E's energy efficiency strategy?

Burger: Home Energy Reports are a significant part of our energy efficiency portfolio. One of my responsibilities is balancing regulatory requirements, energy savings goals, customer engagement goals, and affordability concerns. When we evaluated our portfolio in 2019, the Home Energy Report program performed strongly in terms of cost-effectiveness. It reaches customers at scale, generates measurable savings, and supports our energy efficiency goals. Based on these results, we expanded the program and made it a more significant part of the portfolio.

Richter: How did PG&E expand the program?

Burger: Around 2020, we expanded participation from just over 1 million customers to approximately 3.2 million households, covering most of the eligible population. This expansion increased the reach of behavior energy efficiency programs in northern California. Between 2020 and 2023, the Home Energy Report program accounted for about 50% of the total energy savings in our energy efficiency portfolio. This represents a significant share for a single program within a broader portfolio that includes residential and commercial customer programs.

Richter: What measurable impacts has the program delivered?

Burger: Since its launch in 2011, the program has cumulatively saved approximately 2.26 terawatt-hours of electricity. For reference, that is roughly equivalent to powering all homes in San Francisco for nearly two years, or equivalent to the annual energy consumption of a large hyperscale AI data center. The program has also avoided approximately 1.55 million metric tons of carbon emissions and saved customers about $1.16 billion on their bills. These outcomes are especially important in the current environment where customers are highly focused on affordability.

Richter: After more than a decade, what keeps the program effective?

Burger: The program's longevity is one of the reasons it remains relevant. Some customers have been receiving Home Energy Reports for over a decade, and the program continues to identify opportunities for energy savings and bill reductions. Technology and data capabilities have also changed over time. Early versions of the program relied on relatively generic energy-saving recommendations. Today, analytics and appliance-level disaggregation help us better understand how energy is used within the home. This information supports personalized recommendations based on customer circumstances and geographic areas. We now maintain a library of over 150 energy-saving tips that can be tailored to different customer needs.

Richter: How does the program support affordability and equity goals?

Burger: Affordability remains a significant issue for many customers. Over 860,000 low- and moderate-income households receive Home Energy Reports. These customers may use the reports to identify opportunities for energy and bill savings, which helps support household energy cost management. Because the reports have relatively low delivery costs and can be deployed at scale, they provide a way to reach a broad customer base with information about energy use and available savings opportunities.

Richter: Has PG&E expanded beyond traditional Home Energy Reports?

Burger: Yes. The original Home Energy Report program has evolved into what we now call the "Continuous Energy Feedback Platform." PG&E has also launched other behavior products that engage customers in different ways and support a range of business objectives. These tools provide customers with more timely information, energy use insights, and personalized recommendations.

Richter: What are some examples of these newer behavior products?

Burger: One example is our "Bill Forecast Alert" program. This tool notifies customers when they may be facing a higher-than-normal bill and provides tips to help reduce energy use before the end of the billing cycle. This gives customers information before they receive a high bill. Another example is "Peak Day Alerts," which asks customers to reduce energy consumption during periods of high grid demand. Currently, about 500,000 customers participate in this program. Customer participation shows that even without direct financial incentives, some customers are willing to reduce usage during peak periods.

Richter: How do these programs support grid reliability?

Burger: Programs like "Peak Day Alerts" demonstrate how behavior tools can support customer engagement and grid operations. During periods of high demand, reducing consumption helps maintain reliability and can lower overall system costs. Behavioral demand response complements more traditional demand response programs and provides customers with another way to participate in California's energy system. Customer participation in these programs can also lead to outcomes beyond energy savings.

Richter: What role do time-of-use rates play in customer engagement?

Burger: As California's energy system changes, time-of-use rates are becoming increasingly important. PG&E's "Time-of-Use Rate Coach" helps customers understand how these rates work and how shifting energy use to lower-cost periods might affect their bills. Customer education is important because rate structures can be complex, and customers need clear information to understand their options. Behavior programs provide a way to deliver this information to customers at scale.

Richter: Is PG&E also applying these concepts to commercial customers?

Burger: Yes. PG&E has launched "Commercial Energy Reports" and has expanded the program to approximately 100,000 small businesses within its service area. Currently, the reports focus on industries such as retail, food service, and small agriculture. Commercial reports are not as mature as the residential program, but customer feedback indicates that some businesses use the information to identify operational changes. The reports point out low-cost improvement opportunities that could reduce energy consumption and utility bills.

Richter: What is next for PG&E in behavioral energy efficiency?

Burger: Looking ahead, PG&E is evaluating how behavioral energy efficiency programs can support customer education around electrification. Many customers are interested in technologies like electric vehicles, heat pumps, and appliances, but may need information to understand available options and steps. PG&E is preparing to launch a heat pump adoption pilot that will use targeted messaging to identify customers who may soon need to replace their HVAC equipment. The pilot aims to provide information at key stages of the customer journey, including awareness, technology selection, contractor engagement, installation, and post-installation usage. Behavioral energy efficiency may provide a way to help customers make informed decisions as they consider electrification options. The goal is to provide customers with information and tools that help them manage their energy use, costs, and participation in California's evolving energy system.

Note: Oracle supports PG&E's behavioral energy efficiency efforts by providing technology, analytics, and platform capabilities used for program delivery, personalization, and measurement. This support applies to Home Energy Reports and related customer engagement tools, including features that help deliver energy use information, generate customer-specific insights, and track program performance.