Norwich Public Utilities - Smart Grid Benefits

Smart Grid Benefits

The Smart Grid program helps Norwich Public Utilities and our customers understand and control energy usage and cost. It will enable all of us to benefit from new smart grid-enabled opportunities to save money, use more environmentally-friendly sources of energy, and manage our electricity while further enhancing the already high level of reliability and service provided by NPU. NPU is developing a unique smart grid implementation plan that best fits the needs of our customers.

Over the next decade, NPU customers can expect to see many of the following benefits provided by the ConnSMART Smart Grid program:

More information in your hands: See in “real time” how much energy you are using, when you use it, and how much it costs, on a website and (eventually) an in-home display.

Your choice to save: Lower your costs by deciding to reduce energy use at “peak” times, when energy is most expensive. If you wish, NPU can make this happen automatically.

Lowered utility costs: Smart grid helps NPU work more efficiently, thus reducing (or minimizing increases in) the “distribution” part of your bill. For example, meter readers won’t have to go out as often, since the new meters will report your usage electronically.

Improved service: Due to smart grid technology, NPU can address and resolve issues with your service more quickly and effectively, often before you even notice them -- everything from billing questions to restoring power after an outage.

Reduced greenhouse gases and carbon emissions via enhanced integration into the grid of environmentally friendly kinds of energy generation and storage such as solar, wind andgeothermal.

Reduced oil consumption and carbon footprint due to future support of “smart-grid enabled” electric vehicles and other green technologies.

If you have any questions about the Smart Grid, please contact NPU at
860 887-2555 or communitymatters@npumail.com.