Why Your Power Company Wants To Sell You More Than Electricity
Time|May 29,2017

THE 2,600-SQ.-FT. TAN HOUSE IN Houston Heights looks like any other in the neighborhood five miles from the city’s booming downtown: paneled siding; a tidy, verdant yard; and a kitchen updated with granite countertops.

Justin Worland
Why Your Power Company Wants To Sell You More Than Electricity

Look deeper, however, and the home becomes a model of energy efficiency. Solar panels line the roof, a lithium-ion battery stores energy collected on-site, and automated window shades help keep the interior cool. Most surprising? The home was created as a model by the Texas-based energy provider Reliant.

Building a house that helps consumers save energy may seem counterintuitive for a company that makes money selling electricity, but it’s just the latest step utilities are taking to prepare for the nation’s energy future. Increasingly, consumers are using smart thermostats to reduce their energy footprint, producing their own electricity with solar panels and saving it for future use with a home battery. As a result, utilities are working to expand their services and even encourage consumers to use less electricity––once an unthinkable notion.

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