# Understanding Your Utility Data and Energy Use

> The  Green Button Alliance  is an industryled initiative that provides utility customers with a secure way to download and access their energy usage data All 

Source: https://ohmconnect.kustomer.help/help/usage-data-concerns-B1nggP9Vd

Last updated: 2026-01-15T20:03:58.329Z

## The [Green Button Alliance](https://www.greenbuttondata.org) is an industry-led initiative that provides utility customers with a secure way to download and access their energy usage data. 

With Green Button Alliance OhmConnect members can gain a more comprehensive understanding of their energy use. Green Button was established to advance the developments of energy data standards and empower energy users to digitally access their data, manage energy consumption, and save resources. It is also an asset for OhmConnect members who want to do a deeper dive into their energy use!

### For PG&E Customers:

1.  Navigate to [PG&E](https://www.pge.com/) and log in with your utility credentials.
2.  On the home page, under 'Usage, Rates, & Savings', click 'Energy Usage Details'.  
3.  On the next page, titled Energy Usage Details, scroll to the bottom of the page. On the right-hand side of the page you will see the Green Button Data Icon. 
4.  Click the icon to download your data.
5.  You can select to export the data for all bill totals, the usage for specific billing periods, or usage for a series of days.
6.  Finally, select either .XML or .CSV format. We recommend .csv if you are used to Microsoft Excel. Note: the file will be downloaded in a zip file. Open the file folder to access the data.

### For SCE Customers:

1.  Navigate to [SCE](https://www.sdge.com/) and log in with your utility credentials.
2.  On the home page, on the "My Account" tab, you will see a left side menu. Click the "Green Button - Download my Data" icon.
3.  Select the date range and the format (XML or .csv). Click the Download button.
4.  Note: the file may be downloaded in a zip file. Open the file folder to access your data.

### For SDG&E Customers:

1.  Navigate to [SDG&E](https://www.sdge.com/) and log into your account via your SDG&E utility credentials.
2.  Click on the 'My Energy' Tab.
3.  Click on the 'My Energy Overview' underneath the 'My Energy' tab
4.  From the View dropdown menu, select 'My Energy Use'.
5.  Click the 'Green Button - Download my Data' icon.
6.  Select the meter and date range you are interested in.
7.  Click the Download button. Note: the file may be downloaded in a zip file. Open the file folder to access the .XML file.

### Frequently Asked Questions

### What's the difference between the data I receive from Green Button versus the data that [OhmConnect](https://www.ohmconnect.com/?campaign=blog&sub_campaign=help-article&channel=usage-data-concerns-b1nggp9vd) receives directly from my utility?

Both sets of data should match exactly, but are not from the same sources. When your utility reviews your smart meter data after an OhmHour event, the data is put through a scrubbing process, which removes any erroneous readings (gaps, spikes, zeroes, etc). OhmConnect then receives that data, now determined to be 'utility-grade' and uses that data to determine your cash back rewards. We are required by the state authority to only use data that is determined to be "utility-grade" for your OhmHour calculations.

The data available via Green Button is data that is collected from the same smart meter, but is provided to you directly via Green Button rather than your utility. It does not go through the same processing that utility-grade data does, which is why the two may not always match.

### Why does OhmConnect not have my data when it's available through Green Button?

As mentioned above, if OhmConnect is waiting on the utility to provide the data (normally through a secure file transfer process), OhmConnect may not have data available to you even though Green Button data is available.