Tampa Electric launches Demand Response programme for commercial customers

Tampa Electric has received approval from Florida Public Service Commission (FPSC) to expand its Energy Planner pilot programme to all new qualified customers.

According to the company, Energy Planner allows customers to make energy consumption decisions based on near real-time energy prices by using a programmable "smart" thermostat provided by the company at no charge. Customers participating in the pilot study saved an average of one month's worth of electricity over the course of a year.

In all, Tampa Electric has added 12 new energy efficiency programmes to its roster; the company also made improvements to several longtime programmes.

Other new programmes include a Low Income programme, where qualified customers can receive a number of items geared toward increasing their home's energy efficiency.

The company has also launched a new programme for commercial customers. Known as Demand Response, the programme will pay incentives to participating commercial customers when they conserve energy at times of peak demand.

Tampa Electric has also filed a revised fuel forecast with the FPSC. Due to lower projections for 2008 and 2009 natural gas prices and the company's team members' ongoing efforts to maximise the availability of its coal-fired generating units, the bill for a residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity is now projected to be almost $11 less than originally expected.

The company now expects that it will be $133 million under-recovered by year-end, compared with its original September filing projection of $209 million. The company did not seek a surcharge this year to address the under-recovery. Instead, it intends to address it through its 2009 fuel charge.

Starting in January 2009, the bill for a 1,000-kWh per month residential customer would be $128.44, compared with the original projection of $139.25. This does not reflect the company's recently announced plans to request an increase to its base rates and service charges. If approved, the base rate increase would result in an additional increase of $10, effective in May 2009.