Green Mountain Power Launches Sun Match Program to Help Income-Eligible Customers Save
Pilot Program Provides Solar Power to Low-and-Moderate Income Customers, Without Having to Build their Own Systems
COLCHESTER, Vt. – Green Mountain Power (GMP) launched the Sun Match Pilot Program, to connect more low- and moderate-income customers with solar power. The Sun Match Pilot will offer up to 500 eligible customers the opportunity to sign up for a new solar rate, designed to encourage energy use at times when solar is plentiful. GMP is using an existing solar array, which allows for participants to have access to that generation to realize savings.
Over the course of a year, the average customer in the program will save about $150, and the amount can be even more if additional energy use is shifted to the daytime hours, when there is a lot of solar. The savings will appear as a bill credit, and customers can opt out at any time.
“This pilot program is an exciting way to offer savings to income eligible customers tied to clean, locally produced power, at the time it is being produced,” said Josh Castonguay, vice president and chief innovation officer. “This pilot will help us learn what works best for customers to tie their usage to generation and ensure it is a seamless experience.”
GMP is using software (“Pando”) from LO3 Energy that directly engages with customers to see and understand their usage. GMP customers who enroll in the program can access a mobile app that gives a forecast of solar energy one to three days ahead to highlight opportunities to save more by using more energy when the sun is shining.
“We’re thrilled to further our partnership with Green Mountain Power, a progressive utility at the forefront of the clean energy transition,” says Bill Collins, CEO of LO3 Energy. “Pando will help GMP’s customers subscribe to solar and optimize their savings by aligning their energy use with the sunniest periods. Pando’s platform means customers can easily participate in renewable energy without upfront costs or long-term commitments and can get information they need to shift their usage to solar hours and save more when it makes sense for them.”
The program is free to join, and to be eligible customers must meet the eligibility requirements for seasonal fuel assistance and have a gross household income at or below 185% of the federal poverty level.
Customers interested in signing up for the program or learning more can contact GMP at [email protected] or sign up here.
About Green Mountain Power
Green Mountain Power serves approximately 270,000 residential and business customers in Vermont and is partnering with them to improve lives and transform communities. GMP is focused on a new way of doing business to meet the needs of customers with integrated energy services that help people use less energy and save money, while continuing to generate clean, cost-effective, and reliable power in Vermont. GMP is the first utility in the world to get a B Corp certification, meeting rigorous social, environmental, accountability and transparency standards and committing to use business as a force for good. In 2022, GMP was named to TIME’s list of the 100 Most Innovative Companies. Fast Company named GMP one of the top five Most Innovative Companies in North America in 2022. GMP also earned a spot on Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in the World list in the energy sector four years in a row (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020). In 2021, the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) honored GMP as a nationwide leader in energy transformation.
Kristin Carlson, Green Mountain Power
(802) 229-8200
[email protected]
This pilot program is an exciting way to offer savings to income eligible customers tied to clean, locally produced power, at the time it is being produced.
Josh Castonguay, GMP Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer
