© 2024 Texas Public Radio
Real. Reliable. Texas Public Radio.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

CPS First To Get Smartphone App For Home Manager System

CPS Energy

CPS customers will be the first in the nation to get a new mobile phone app to run their air-conditioning and electrical systems when it rolls out in February. San Antonio-based Consert, Inc. unveiled its new tablet device earlier this month at a utility company in Tennessee.

Consert Vice-president Jeff Ebihara said although customers have been able to access their Home Managers using their mobile devices, the new app makes the system more portable.

"I think most people are traditionally accessing their portals through their laptops or their desktop computers," he said. "What we've launched recently is the ability to do the same functionality on the tablet device. And in February of 2013 you'll have the exact same functionality on a mobile device whether it be an Android enabled phone or some sort of iPhone."

The Home Manager system is one of the tools CPS is using to reduce energy use, giving the company the ability to make adjustments during statewide energy shortages such as the brownouts ERCOT initiated earlier this year. However, CPS spokesman Albert Cantu said customers can override those controls.

"If there is a conservation event happening at the wrong time for our customers, they can go over to their thermostat and they can actually manually come off of that," Cantu said.

About 7,000 customers -- or 1 percent of CPS customers -- have Home Manager systems right now. The system is predicted to save customers 10% on their energy bills.

Additional Resources:

Eileen Pace is a veteran radio and print journalist with a long history of investigative and feature reporting in San Antonio and Houston, earning more than 50 awards for investigative reporting, documentaries, long-form series, features, sports stories, outstanding anchoring and best use of sound.