EMC Journal

ATLANTA, Feb. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today in San Diego, more than seven hundred energy professionals turned out for the Association of Energy Service Professionals 22nd National Conference featuring more than sixty speakers from across the electric and gas industry.  Representing APOGEE Interactive, Inc. and presenting work done with Missouri Gas Energy, Craig Frank, Sr. Application Engineer, shared insights to the successful partnership between Apogee and Missouri Gas Energy (MGE) in using a Microsite to leverage the utility's energy efficiency programs and achieve their goals.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120208/CL50100 )

Utilizing applications and calculators from Apogee, Missouri Gas Energy's marketing personnel designed a Microsite that can be accessed from the Missouri Gas Energy homepage under an Energy Efficiency tab that brings visitors to the Better Heating Now (http://www.betterheatingnow.com/) microsite. Better Heating Now features information about central heating and water heating, in addition to an expansive array of online tools to help MGE's customers learn how to save energy and money by adjusting their behavior and usage.

MGE has prominently placed their suite of online energy tools on Better Heating Now, which includes Apogee's signature applications the HomeEnergyCalculator™ and the CommercialEnergyCalculator™. In addition, MGE customers can also access two engaging, interactive calculators that solely focus on central heating and water heating.

MGE's Jason Fulp, External Communications and Marketing Representative, believes the Better Heating Now site has impacted the company's marketing goals. "Better Heating Now is our way of providing a central location to attract attention to useful energy saving information, rebates, and tools that our customers can use to better understand their energy use and save money," explained Fulp. He also noted that the use of a Microsite allows MGE to better control their initiatives, and that greater visibility of this key information will be beneficial to achieving the company's energy efficiency goals.

Apogee Interactive President & CEO, Susan Gilbert, points to this utilization of Apogee's cutting-edge applications as one of the most comprehensive and compelling completed to date. "While we believe it's important for energy tools to be easy-to-use and accurate, the presentation should also be attractive and move customers to take action on recommendations," she noted. 

According to Gilbert, using slider bars for data entry engages users, showing them where their energy dollars are going and the display of the likely savings from measures and rebate information increases the likelihood changes will be implemented.  "We are seeing 2% to 4% reductions in energy use among users of our analytic tools on utility websites, which is encouraging to us that we are truly making a difference for the utility in achieving their energy efficiency goals, for customers trying to lower bills, and for our national interests as we work together in this country to reduce wasteful energy use." 

For more information about how Apogee can help utilities use Microsites to leverage their energy efficiency tools and information, Frank will be hosting a webinar on the subject on Thursday, February 23 at 2:00 PM Eastern. This webinar is free, and open to the public. To register, visit https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/968573366 

About APOGEE Interactive, Inc.

APOGEE Interactive, Inc. (www.apogee.net) is a leading provider of online energy efficiency solutions to the utility industry. A certified woman-owned business founded in 1993, Apogee's energy analysis applications are currently in use by more than 600 utilities across the US, reaching millions of customers daily. Apogee's clients span a wide range of leading investor-owned, public power and cooperative energy companies including such energy leaders as American Electric Power (AEP), Southern Company (SO), PSEG (PEG), PECO (EXC), Consolidated Edison (ED), NSTAR (NST), BG&E (CEG), Entergy (ETR), SMUD, Jackson EMC and more.

SOURCE Apogee Interactive