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Home Energy Reports (HERs) have been part of utility energy efficiency strategies for more than 15 years. Today, many large utilities in the United States use HERs to help customers better understand and manage their energy use. A new ACEEE report examines how behavior-based programs are adapting to meet today’s energy challenges while continuing to deliver measurable results. I recently spoke with Michael Burger, Senior Manager of Building Electrification & Efficiency Program Delivery for PG&E, about how PG&E has evolved 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 an important part of our energy efficiency portfolio. One of my responsibilities is balancing regulatory requirements, energy savings goals, customer engagement objectives and affordability concerns. When I evaluated our portfolio in 2019, the Home Energy Report program showed strong performance relative to its cost. It was reaching customers at scale, generating measurable savings and supporting our energy efficiency objectives. Based on those results, we expanded the program and made it a larger part of our portfolio.
Richter: How did PG&E expand the program?
Burger: Around 2020, we expanded participation from just over one million customers to approximately 3.2 million households, reaching most of the eligible population. That expansion increased the reach of behavioral energy efficiency across Northern California. Between 2020 and 2023, the Home Energy Report program accounted for roughly 50 percent of all energy savings generated by our energy efficiency portfolio. This represented a significant share of portfolio savings from a single program within a broader portfolio that includes programs for residential and business customers.
Richter: What measurable impact has the program delivered?
Burger: Since launching in 2011, the program has generated approximately 2.26 terawatt-hours of energy savings. For context, that is roughly equivalent to powering every home in San Francisco for nearly two years, or 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 delivered an estimated $1.16 billion in customer bill savings. These results are relevant in the current environment, where affordability remains a key concern for customers.
Richter: What makes the program effective after more than a decade?
Burger: The program’s longevity is one reason it remains relevant. Some customers have received Home Energy Reports for more than ten years and the program continues to identify opportunities for energy and bill savings. Technology and data capabilities have also changed over time. Early versions of the program relied on relatively general energy-saving advice. Today, analytics and appliance-level disaggregation help us better understand how energy is being used within a home. That information supports more personalized recommendations based on customer circumstances and geographic regions. We now maintain a library of more than 150 energy-saving tips that can be tailored for different customer needs.
Richter: How does the program support affordability and equity goals?
Burger: Affordability remains a significant issue for many customers. More than 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 can help support household energy cost management. Because the reports are relatively low-cost to deliver and can be deployed at scale, they provide a way to reach a broad cross-section of customers with information about energy use and available savings opportunities.
Richter: Has PG&E expanded beyond traditional Home Energy Reports?
Burger: Yes. What started as a Home Energy Report program has expanded into what we now call a Continuous Energy Feedback platform. PG&E has also launched additional behavioral 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 behavioral products?
Burger: One example is our Bill Forecast Alert program. This tool notifies customers when they appear to be on track for a higher-than-normal bill and provides tips to help reduce energy use before the billing period ends. This gives customers information they can use before receiving a high bill. Another example is Peak Day Alerts, which ask customers to reduce energy consumption during periods of high grid demand. We currently have approximately 500,000 customers participating in that program. Customer participation indicates that some customers are willing to reduce usage during peak periods, even without direct financial incentives.
Richter: How do these programs support grid reliability?
Burger: Programs like Peak Day Alerts show how behavioral tools can support both customer participation and grid operations. During periods of high demand, reducing consumption can help maintain reliability and may reduce overall system costs. Behavioral demand response complements more traditional demand response programs and gives customers another way to participate in California’s energy system. Customer engagement in these programs can also contribute to outcomes beyond energy savings.
Richter: What role do time-of-use rates play in customer engagement?
Burger: Time-of-use rates are becoming more relevant as California’s energy system changes. PG&E’s Time-of-Use Rate Coach helps customers understand how these rates work and how shifting energy use to lower-cost periods may affect their bills. Customer education is important because rate structures can be complex and customers need clear information to understand their options. Behavioral programs provide one way to deliver that information to customers at scale.
Richter: Has PG&E applied these concepts to business customers as well?
Burger: Yes. PG&E launched Business Energy Reports and has expanded the program to approximately 100,000 small businesses across its service territory. The reports currently focus on sectors such as retail, restaurants and small agriculture customers. The business reports are less mature than the residential program, but customer feedback indicates that some businesses use the information to identify operational changes. The reports point to opportunities for lower-cost improvements that may reduce energy consumption and utility bills.
Richter: What is next for behavioral energy efficiency at PG&E?
Burger: Looking ahead, PG&E is evaluating how behavioral energy efficiency programs can support customer education around electrification. Many customers are interested in technologies such as electric vehicles, heat pumps and electric appliances, but may need information to understand available options and the steps involved. 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 HVAC equipment. The pilot is intended to provide information across key stages of the customer journey, including awareness, technology selection, contractor engagement, installation and post-installation use. Behavioral energy efficiency may provide a way to help customers make informed decisions as they consider electrification options. The objective is to provide customers with information and tools that may help them manage energy use, costs and participation in California’s changing energy system.
Note: Oracle supports PG&E’s behavioral energy efficiency work by providing technology, analytics and platform capabilities used in program delivery, personalization and measurement. This support applies to Home Energy Reports and related customer engagement tools, including functions that help deliver energy-use information, generate customer-specific insights and track program performance.
