LG Electronics (066570) said on the 27th that it signed a memorandum of understanding with Korea Electric Power Corp. to run a pilot smart appliance cashback program, with the agreement concluded on the 26th at the KEPCO Art Center in Seoul's Seocho district.
Attending the signing were Noh Beom-jun, head of AI home solutions business development at LG Electronics' HS division, Lee Jung-ho, head of KEPCO's customer service innovation division, and Jeon Seung-soo, leader of the B.IoT development group at Samsung Electronics (005930).
Under the program, customers who run appliances during designated hours receive 100 won per kilowatt-hour of electricity consumed. Up to 300 won per hour is automatically deducted from electricity bills through KEPCO's energy cashback service.
Four types of appliances that connect to LG ThinQ are eligible: washing machines, dryers, dishwashers and Styler clothing care units. WashTower and WashCombo models, which combine washing and drying functions, are also included.
The pilot targets weekends and holidays during spring, from March to May, and autumn, in September and October, when power demand is relatively low. The designated window runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The goal is to help stabilize the power supply and to establish more efficient energy use by shifting consumption to hours when solar and other renewable generation accounts for a larger share of output.
Signing up is straightforward. Customers apply for the smart appliance cashback service on KEPCO's website, then complete the connection through the smart appliance cashback menu in the LG ThinQ app.
LG Electronics is also running other energy-saving initiatives, including the ThinQ 26 Degrees Challenge. The campaign encourages users to keep air conditioners set at 26 degrees Celsius, the government's recommended cooling temperature, making it easier for consumers to cut energy use in daily life.
"Based on the LG ThinQ AI home platform, we will spread a culture of using energy smartly together with our customers and continue to introduce a range of services that can contribute to sustainable energy use," said Chung Ki-hyun, executive vice president and head of the HS platform business center at LG Electronics' HS division.
