Berlin, CT, U.S.A. --- (METERING.COM) --- March 12, 2009 - Connecticut Light & Power Company (CL&P), a subsidiary of Northeast Utilities, is shortly to launch its Plan-It Wise smart meter pilot program, which will test residential, commercial and industrial customers’ interest in and response to peak time-based energy rates.

The pilot, approved by Connecticut’s Department of Public Utility Control, is scheduled to begin in June. CL&P will use findings from the pilot to determine how to best advance the goals of the Connecticut Electricity and Energy Efficiency Act, including lowering the state’s peak energy demand.

CL&P has selected Accenture to work with it to implement the smart metering infrastructure and design and manage the pilot, including the enrollment of customers, customer care programs, employee education, customer bill calculations and meter data management. Accenture will also validate the rate tests to help analyze customer response to various dynamic pricing options, and estimate the amount of demand response energy saved.

Approximately 3,000 CL&P customers will participate in the pilot.

“The pilot will empower customers with actionable information to manage their energy usage and costs more effectively,” said Jessica Brahaney Cain, CL&P's Plan-It Wise Energy Program director. “In these times of change, Northeast Utilities is excited about the opportunity this pilot provides to advance the goals of the Connecticut Electricity and Energy Efficiency Act.”

David M. Rouls, a senior executive in Accenture’s Utilities industry group who leads the company’s networked assets solutions practice, said: “Electricity consumption, energy sources and reliability of supply and costs are key issues for the utilities industry and its customers alike. The pilot’s findings should help CL&P transform its operations and optimize its infrastructure investments while helping customers manage their energy costs and consumption and providing them with the information needed to manage their personal carbon footprint.”

CL&P and Accenture will run the Plan-It Wise Energy Program through November, with the active customer pilot running from June through August 2009. Accenture will manage a cross-functional team to execute the rate pilot. Participants include demand response technology provider Comverge, demand response program operations company GoodCents, utility focused IT solutions provider The ITM Group, and advanced metering providers Sensus and Trilliant.