Question 1

What is Green Button?

Accepted Answer

Green Button allows you to download your natural gas and electricity usage data (energy data) and account holder information from your utility, and authorize the secure, automatic transfer of this data to a third-party's Green Button application of your choice.

Question 2

What can Green Button do for me?

Accepted Answer

Green Button can help you: Better understand your energy usage, choose which electricity price plan works best for your home or business, track and analyze your energy use so that you can conserve or shift your usage, and make decisions about energy efficiency upgrades.

Question 3

What is EZGB?

Accepted Answer

EZGB (Easy Green Button Connector) gives you one standardized way to get billing and metering data from Ontario utilities. It collects the data through authorized utility connections and Green Button, digitizes PDF and scanned bills with BillScan, and converts the hard-to-use Green Button XML into JSON and CSV, so you can spend your time on analysis rather than data collection.

Question 4

What data formats does EZGB support?

Accepted Answer

EZGB delivers JSON and CSV. You can download files from the dashboard, receive them by SFTP, or pull them through the REST API.

Question 5

How often is my data updated?

Accepted Answer

Generally, the data for each account is refreshed daily to provide the most up-to-date information.

Question 6

When new features or updates are made to EZGB is there any additional charge?

Accepted Answer

We constantly strive to improve EZGB with new features and regular updates. These are included at no additional charge.

Question 7

How much of my data can EZGB provide?

Accepted Answer

Under typical circumstances 2 years of historical data can be provided. This includes both billing and metering data.

Question 8

Can EZGB provide interval meter data?

Accepted Answer

EZGB supports all meter data intervals (5-minute, 15-minute, and hourly for electric; monthly for natural gas).

Question 9

Can EZGB read PDF or scanned utility bills?

Accepted Answer

Yes. BillScan reads digital and scanned bills for electricity, gas, water and steam and turns every line item (consumption, demand, rate class, charges, adjustments and totals) into the same structured data as the utility connections.

Question 10

Who do I contact if I encounter an issue with my data?

Accepted Answer

Please contact us at greenbuttonoperations@screamingpower.com

Question 11

I've signed up, how do I get my clients to authorize sharing of their data?

Accepted Answer

Once signed up and logged in you will see an invite link. You can share this link with your clients. Once they have completed an authorization you will be able to see their data on your dashboard.

Question 12

How do I stop sharing my data?

Accepted Answer

You can delete an authorization at any time through our dashboard. Alternately, you can log into your utility account and revoke access.

Question 13

Once my data is authorized how do I retrieve it?

Accepted Answer

You can retrieve both JSON and CSV files from the dashboard at any time. We also offer SFTP transfers: any time the data is updated (usually once a day) we automatically upload it to you. A REST API is available for automated pulls into your own systems.

Question 14

Is my data secure?

Accepted Answer

Security is a top priority for us. We are regularly penetration tested and follow best practices.

Question 15

Who are the typical customers of EZGB?

Accepted Answer

Our EZGB customers come from public, private, and not-for-profit organizations, as well as universities. Our clients include consultants, advisors, energy retailers, system integrators, sustainability companies (e.g., GHG KPI management firms), large multi-site organizations, green generation firms, researchers and the utilities themselves.

Question 16

What does support look like?

Accepted Answer

Our support is available from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm ET (the same hours as the utility), although we often provide support after hours and on weekends. Our support team is based in Canada and consists of the same internal team that builds and tests our solutions. Contact us at greenbuttonoperations@screamingpower.com

Question 17

Where is the data hosted?

Accepted Answer

Our systems run on AWS, a secure 24/7 service hosted in Canada.

Question 18

What type of training is offered?

Accepted Answer

Our EZGB service offers training at the beginning and on an as-needed basis to our clients and utility account holders looking to authorize their data for reuse. All training is virtual and designed to meet your needs.

Your Key to Effortless Energy Data Collection