Case Study: SMUD (Sacramento Municipal Utility District) serves 2.3K low‑to‑moderate‑income customers with free ENERGY STAR holiday lights using Uplight's Giveaway Hub

SMUD's Giveaway Hub Serves Low-to-Moderate Income Customers

SMUD (Sacramento Municipal Utility District), a community-owned electric company serving 1.5 million residents, needed a better way to reach low-to-moderate income (LMI) customers—many of whom are renters or live in multifamily housing and don’t see utility offers as relevant or can’t afford efficiency upgrades. To improve digital engagement and deliver energy-saving programs, SMUD worked with Uplight and had previously launched a Marketplace powered by Uplight in 2017.

In November 2020 SMUD added Uplight’s Giveaway Hub to the SMUD Energy Store to offer targeted, no-cost products to eligible customers (including those on the Energy Assistance Program Rate). The Uplight-powered Giveaway Hub put ENERGY STAR® holiday lights into the hands of 2.3K LMI customers, hitting the rebate cap in under 48 hours with only half the planned emails sent—demonstrating rapid uptake, a seamless ecommerce experience, and direct bill‑saving impact for vulnerable customers.

SMUD