With hot and humid weather in the forecast, Ameren Illinois is offering advice to customers for staying safe and cool while spending less on energy.
The Ameren Illinois Act On Energy® program offers residential electric customers rebates on window air conditioners and dehumidifiers, as well as financial incentives for central air conditioners and geothermal heat pumps.
Complete information about residential Act On Energy programs is available at ActOnEnergy.com, by calling 1-866-838-6918 or by sending an e-mail to ActOnEnergyResidential@ameren.com.
Information about the Act On Energy business programs is available at ActOnEnergy.com, by calling 1-866-800-0747 or by sending an e-mail to ActOnEnergyBusiness@ameren.com.
Typically, residential customers use more electricity during the summer months than the rest of the year. This additional electricity is used to operate air conditioners.
However, there are steps customers can take to reduce the amount of electricity they use.
• Turn the air conditioner’s thermostat up. For each degree you increase the temperature, you can reduce electricity use by about 3 percent.
• Regularly change or wash (depending on type) air conditioner filters. This is especially important if you have pets or live in an area that has a lot of dust.
• Use low operating cost ceiling fans or other types of circulating fans. Circulating air feels cooler. Many people find this allows them to set the air conditioner thermostat at 76 to 78 degrees.
• Keep shades, curtains and blinds closed during the day to reduce effects of solar heating.
• Replace incandescent bulbs with ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent lights (CFLs). Unlike incandescent bulbs, ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs emit little heat and last up to 10 years. Residential customer may purchase CFLs at a discount at participating Home Depot, Sam’s Club, Menards, Ace Hardware, CVS, Best Buy, Rural King, Family Dollar, County Market and Cub Foods stores. CFLs also are available at ActOnEnergy.com or by calling 1-866-845-7085.
• Consider turning off the air conditioner and opening windows on mild days and cool nights.
• Make certain your home has adequate insulation. Experts recommend attics in this region have 9 to 15 inches of blown or blanket insulation. The Act On Energy Home Energy Performance program offers incentives to registered Act On Energy Program Allies, which they pass on in cost savings to homeowners. Program Ally information is available at ActOnEnergy.com or by calling 1-866-838-6918. Other Home Energy Performance incentives are available.
Act On Energy is offering residential electric customers $35 rebates on ENERGY STAR qualified window air conditioner units and $25 rebates on ENERGY STAR qualified dehumidifiers.
In addition, residential electric customers may receive an incentive of $600 for retiring an existing central air conditioner or heat pump with a SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) of 10 or less. The retired unit then must be replaced with a new 14 SEER central air conditioner or heat pump. If the retired air conditioner or heat pump has a SEER greater than 10, an incentive of $110 may be paid.
Residential electric customers who install a new geothermal heat pump may receive an incentive of $600.
Also, Ameren Illinois residential electric customers may receive $35 for old refrigerators and freezers. The refrigerator or freezer must be operating as a secondary unit. Also, the unit must be of 10 to 27 cubic feet in size and manufactured before 2001. In addition to the $35 payment, customers will save about $100 in annual electricity costs by retiring that old refrigerator or freezer.
Eligible 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.
Ameren Illinois (AmerenCIPS, AmerenCILCO, AmerenIP) has been providing safe, reliable energy delivery service for more than a century. Ameren Illinois delivers energy to 1.2 million electric and 813,000 natural gas customers in more than 1,200 communities within a 43,700-square-mile service territory throughout Downstate Illinois.
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Contacts: Leigh E. Morris 1-217-535-5228, Victoria Busch 1-618-346-1286,
Neal Johnson 1-309-677-5284