With a little help from the Ameren Illinois Act On Energy® program, a local church has some good news to share about energy efficiency.
In early March, the Good News Baptist Church received a $450 Act On Energy incentive to defray the costs of installing a new, high-efficiency Energy Star qualified gas furnace. The equipment upgrade, which was completed in December 2010, is expected to reduce the church’s natural gas use by more than 350 therms every year.
“We have already seen a tremendous difference in our utility bills -- and the less we spend on utility bills, the more dollars we have available to make a difference in our community,” said Pastor Richard Shriber. “The Act On Energy incentive made the project much more affordable.”
With cash incentives available for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), lighting, refrigeration and other energy efficiency projects, Act On Energy makes it easy for customers to “use less and spend less.”
“Heating and cooling represent a large portion of a customer’s energy costs, so it’s a great idea to upgrade older equipment with new, energy-efficient models,” said Cheryl Miller, Act On Energy business program manager. “Energy Star qualified furnaces can be as much as 15% more efficient than standard models, so the church’s cost savings will really add up over the years.” The Energy Star label indicates that the equipment meets strict energy efficiency guidelines established by the federal government.
In addition to Ameren Illinois business customers, any non-government-funded organization, including churches, non-profit organizations, and privately owned schools, are eligible for the Act On Energy business program incentives.
“Customers can realize significant savings when they take advantage of the Act On Energy incentives available to them,” said Miller. “Customers also can turn to Act On Energy for tips, tools and resources to help them reduce energy waste.”
Details about the Act On Energy business program are available at ActOnEnergy.com, or by calling 1-866-800-0747 or sending an e-mail to ActOnEnergyBusiness@Ameren.com. Act On Energy offers incentives and rebates to residential customers, too. For more information on residential programs, visit ActOnEnergy.com, call 1-866-838-6918 or send an e-mail to ActOnEnergyResidential@Ameren.com.
Since launching the Act On Energy program in 2008, Ameren Illinois has provided more than $10 million in incentives to help business customers save more than $17 million in annual energy costs. The energy efficiency program is funded through a small, state-mandated charge on customer bills (Rider EDR for electricity customers and Rider GER for natural gas customers).
Contacts: Leigh Morris, 1-214-535-5228, lmorris@ameren.com; Richard Schriber, Good News Baptist Church, 1-309-344-5800.
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Ameren Illinois delivers energy to 1.2 million electric and 813,000 natural gas customers in Downstate Illinois, and our mission is to meet their energy needs in a safe, reliable, efficient and environmentally responsible manner. Our service area covers more than 1,200 communities and 43,700 square miles. For more information, visit AmerenIllinois.com.