A method for authorizing a smart-home device for enrollment with a demand-response program may include receiving, at a control server of an energy management system and for the smart-home device, identifying information for a user account. The method may also include sending the identifying information from the control server to an Application Program Interface (API) with an enrollment request. The method may additionally include receiving, at the control server, a determination from the API as to whether the identifying information for the user account was matched to an existing utility account. The method may further include based on the determination from the API, determining whether the smart-home device can be enrolled with the demand-response program.