This document is 'Chapter 7.4: Customer Rates and Data Access' of the Energy and Environment Guide to Action. Customers benefit economically from utility bill savings or direct payments for their electricity output when they improve their energy efficiency or install distributed renewable energy and combined heat and power (CHP). Consequently, the specifics of a customer’s rates and other utility charges can drive the economic attractiveness of energy efficiency, distributed renewable energy, CHP, and other technologies, such as storage and electric vehicles. States have found that access to utility data on energy usage is key to helping customers understand and manage their utility bills and consider potential energy efficiency and clean energy investments.

This chapter provides recommendations for designing, implementing, and evaluating utility rates and providing data access to support energy efficiency, CHP, and clean energy goals. State examples are included for reference.

Learn more about customer rates and data access in Chapter 7.4. See the full Energy and Environment Guide to Action. 

• Chapter 7.4: Customer Rates and Data Access (pdf) (1.23 MB)