BROOKLYN, NY, March 2, 2023 /Meltek.com/ -- For the first time, PSEG Long Island residential and small business customers will be able to get paid for reducing electricity usage at peak demand times without installing any smart devices or other hardware in their homes or businesses. A New York-based climate tech startup called Meltek has expanded its free money-saving and pollution-reducing service to Long Island. Through Meltek’s iPhone® or Android™ apps or simply via the Meltek website, area residents and small businesses can get paid to save electricity during peak demand hours, such as on the hottest days of summer.
For many years, large commercial and industrial electricity customers have been able to participate in PSEG Long Island’s “demand response” program, through which PSEG pays them for reducing electricity usage during a set of hours that they are alerted to, often a day in advance. Now, Meltek, a demand response “aggregator,” has been approved by PSEG to provide these incentive payments to area residents and small businesses. Unlike other companies providing demand response services, Meltek is a software-only company, so customers that enroll do not need to install any smart home or similar devices. PSEG Long Island funds the reward payments because the payments save money for the utility compared to the cost of providing peak-demand electricity, and the reduced load improves the electrical grid’s reliability.
Once a user signs up with Meltek and connects their PSEG Long Island account number, Meltek can send easy-to-follow text or email alerts, letting them know when they can earn money by postponing large appliance usage, such as washing machines and dishwashers, adjusting thermostats (including pre-cooling their home/business before the demand response window), switching off unneeded lights, or unplugging electrical devices. The exact ways of saving electricity are up to the customer, and PSEG Long Island and Meltek have structured the demand response program so that no customer can lose money by signing up (for free) with Meltek. Signing up with Meltek does not change a customer’s electric service provider or otherwise alter the customer relationship with PSEG.
Peter Christoforou, a Nassau County homeowner, said, “I recently became a customer of Meltek, and it's an amazing opportunity to save money and do my part in conserving energy.”
The electricity produced during peak hours by so-called “peaker” power plants is often the most polluting and carbon-intensive, so the energy savings also reduce air pollution in local communities and combat climate change.
Peaker plants’ environmental and air quality impact hits home for many people on Long Island. Peaker plants are expensive to maintain and typically emit a lot of pollution due to their age and use of fossil fuels. Using these power plants on hot summer days to meet air conditioning demand can exacerbate poor air quality conditions in nearby communities. Within Nassau and Suffolk Counties, there are at least 18 predominantly oil- or gas-fired peaker plants, including in Babylon, Glenwood Landing (in the town of Oyster Bay), Northport, and the Hamptons.
All 1.1 million PSEG Long Island customers (residences and businesses) are eligible to sign up for Meltek’s free service by downloading the Meltek app in the Apple App Store® or on Google Play or by visiting app.meltek.io.
Nick Hoagland, a Suffolk County resident, said, “Meltek is a no brainer. A simple and easy solution to reward energy conscious users for reducing their energy use during peak times. Don’t wait until the ice melts - use Meltek instead.”
Today’s announcement also makes Meltek’s service available to the residents and businesses of the Rockaways in Queens, which is served by PSEG Long Island. As a result, Meltek’s money-earning and environmentally beneficial service will be available to all residents of New York City, as Meltek has served ConEd customers in the rest of New York City and most of Westchester County since 2022. Meltek also announced this week its launch for customers of Orange & Rockland, expanding its presence in anticipation of the summer 2023 demand response season.
Although users can sign up with Meltek any time of the year, PSEG Long Island customers who sign up by April 1 receive the highest incentive payments under the utility company’s demand response program.
Not serviced by PSEG Long Island but want to get paid for saving energy?
Meltek is available for Con Edison, PSEG Long Island and Orange & Rockland customers. plans to expand nationally across the United States in the near future. You can sign up today, and we'll notify you as soon as we're operating in your area.
