SPRINGFIELD, Ill., Aug. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Illinois State Fair visitors will discover that energy efficiency can be easy, fun and save them money when they visit the Ameren Illinois Utilities (AmerenCIPS, AmerenCILCO, AmerenIP) Act On Energy® exhibit located in Conservation World through Aug. 23.
Ameren Illinois Utilities (AIU) electric customers will discover that savings can begin with just one phone call. AIU will pay an electric customer $35 for a standard size refrigerator or freezer manufactured before 1993. The appliance must be operating and used as a secondary unit located in a garage or basement.
"Those old refrigerators and freezers out in garages and down in basements waste a lot of energy," said Karen Warnke, Ameren Illinois Utilities Customer Service energy efficiency advisor. "A standard size secondary refrigerator might cost $100 or more a year to operate."
Eligible Ameren Illinois Utilities electric customers should call 1-866-899-9088 to schedule a pickup of their refrigerator or freezer. The call center is open Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Fairgoers also will be able to learn how much energy various common electrical devices and appliances use. With this information, consumers can better manage their energy usage by identifying the energy hogs and phantom loads in their homes.
Many appliances and devices continue to use electricity even when they are turned off or left in the sleep mode, creating what is known as a phantom load. Televisions, computers, cable modems, printers and DVD players are among the most common sources of phantom loads.
It is estimated that phantom loads cost American households $100 or more a year, depending on the number of appliances and devices in the household. Phantom loads can be eliminated by unplugging devices and appliances or by using a power strip with an on/off switch.
Consumers also will learn the advantages of replacing older, inefficient appliances and electrical devices with those that are ENERGY STAR qualified.
The AIU exhibit also features an interactive natural gas safety display that allows children to dig in a sand box complete with utility markers. The exhibit shows young and old alike the importance of recognizing and avoiding underground utility lines.
AIU customers will be able to enroll in the direct billing program and get the answers to their energy questions.
Visitors will have a chance to win an environmentally friendly reusable grocery bag when the play AIU's compact fluorescent light (CFL) bean bag game.
Complete information about AIU's Act On Energy program, including energy conservation tips, is available at ActOnEnergy.com.
The Ameren Illinois Utilities (AmerenCIPS, AmerenCILCO, AmerenIP) have been providing safe, reliable energy delivery service for more than a century. The Ameren Illinois Utilities deliver energy to 1.2 million electric and 840,000 natural gas customers in more than 1,200 communities within a 43,700-square-mile service territory.
SOURCE Ameren Illinois Utilities
SOURCE: Ameren Illinois Utilities