Hosted by Mincom, the solution is expected to deliver demand response, time of use, critical peak and critical peak rebate pricing and daily billing information to residential customers in metropolitan using smart meters and smart thermostats provided by PowerCentDC under the program.

The PowerCentsDC project was delivered through a strategic alliance between selected vendors, industry groups and the Potomac Electric Power Company (Pepco). It is one of the first successful deployments of smart metering in conjunction with a wide array of residential demand response pricing plans. At go live, the program began providing immediate benefits to consumers in the District of Columbia by giving them greater control over their electricity usage and costs, said Mincom.

Mincom claims that through the implementation of the smart billing solution, residential customers are informed of their energy consumption via email, telephone or text messaging and are offered real-time and differential pricing so they can choose to use less power during peak periods.

Stan Royal, vice president of utility solutions at Mincom, said: "With energy prices around the world increasing, the importance of consumer cost savings is becoming essential. In North America, for example, electricity costs are expected to inflate by 10 percent year on year for the foreseeable future. Through the PowerCentsDC program, customers can achieve real cost savings."