A new energy management program is helping families at 11 installations in the Navy’s Southeast region cut their energy bills by an average of 15 percent.

The program, implemented by the Navy’s housing partner Balfour Beatty Communities, was first launched in October when residents received mock bills and energy saving tips, reported the Navy News Service.

“It was a good opportunity for residents to monitor and change any behavior that could help to reduce their consumption before actual billing started,” said Richard Dye, Navy Region Southeast housing program director.

The Navy program, termed “Switch4Good,” relies on precise monitoring of energy consumption and provides residents with personal behavioral recommendations to change their habits delivered via mailed reports, email statements and text messages. The program was developed by Mountain View, Calif.-based WattzOn and relies on advanced technology, behavioral science, data and analytics.

To date, the program has been active in 5,600 military family homes, saving residents 15 percent off their energy bills or about $250 per home per year, according to WattzOn.

“WattzOn has proven that when families are provided actionable energy tips, personalized through the use of smart meter data, they can really save,” said the company’s co-founder and CEO Martha Amram.

Tabitha Crawford, senior vice president of sustainability and innovation for Balfour Beatty Investments, agrees that the program has been a success.

“The program clearly demonstrates that using smart meter data to provide personalized habit cues for residents results in reduced energy consumption, without retrofits,” Crawford said. “With housing comprising 20 to 25 percent of a military installation’s energy consumption, this program is an important tool in supporting the sustainability goals of our Army, Navy and Air Force partners,” she said.

Balfour Beatty first launched the program at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., where residents experienced average monthly savings of 10 percent, according to WattzOn.

19 December 2013, published in Defense Communities magazine.