Canonical Definition
Interval data is energy usage recorded by a meter in discrete time increments, commonly 15-minute, 30-minute, or hourly intervals, rather than as a single cumulative monthly value. Collected through smart meters and AMI, interval data enables time-of-use and other time-varying rates, demand calculation, load research, and detailed usage analysis. Many utilities make interval data available to customers through online portals or standardized formats such as Green Button.
Explanations
Interval data is your power use broken into small time blocks. A smart meter records it, often every 15 minutes or every hour. Instead of one monthly total, it shows when you used power each day. Utilities use it for time-based rates and billing. Many also let you view your own data online. You can spot patterns, like spikes when the air conditioner runs.
Interval data is a record of your power use in small slices of time. It might show every 15 minutes. It is like a diary of your power use, not one big number for the month.
Analogy Bank
Interval data is like a step-counter graph that shows your activity hour by hour instead of just one daily total.
It's like an itemized statement instead of one lump-sum line — you can see when each bit of usage actually happened.
For a homeowner, it's like a security-camera timeline for energy: you can scrub back and see when the air conditioner kicked on.
Do Not Say
- ✕Do not assert that a customer can access their interval data; portal access and granularity vary by utility.
- ✕Do not draw firm conclusions about which appliance caused a usage spike from interval data alone.