This summer, you can upgrade to a Wi-Fi thermostat and save energy to beat the heat with the newest addition to our PowerShift® program.
In mid-May, Kankakee Valley REMC will launch a new Wi-Fi thermostat option as part of PowerShift, a program that offers rebates for residential members to shift their energy use to times when electricity is less expensive.
The typical American family spends 20 percent of its budget on energy. As energy demand increases, such as peak times during extreme weather conditions, costs for power plants to produce electricity can rise dramatically. PowerShift can help you shift your energy use to lower cost times helping everyone save energy and keep costs low.
“PowerShift helps us to avoid the costs associated with building new power plants by minimizing the peak demand that is placed on the energy grid,” said Amanda Steeb, director of marketing and communications for the cooperative. “We are committed to keeping our rates affordable, and PowerShift is a great resource for avoiding unnecessary costs.”
Kankakee Valley REMC will offer a one-time $50 rebate to members who are accepted into the PowerShift Wi-Fi Thermostat Program. Members who participate also will receive an additional $25 annual payment for adding their Wi-Fi thermostat to the program. Members with eligible Wi-Fi thermostats already installed will immediately be eligible for the PowerShift program at launch and should receive a notification through their thermostat’s manufacturer’s notification platform. While most Wi-Fi thermostats will be eligible, there will be a few that are not; a complete list will be available when the program launches.
PowerShift is designed to minimize disruption and will pre-cool the home prior to any load shifting events. Events will only take place between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. during the week, never on weekends or holidays. The load shifting signals will not harm the thermostat or your air conditioner system and will not collect individual data. More information will become available next month.
“We offer several options so that residential members can participate in PowerShift in the way that they feel most comfortable,” Steeb said. “Our new Wi-Fi thermostat program and the thermostat rebate are a great incentives for people who have been interested in upgrading to a Wi-Fi thermostat.”
Watch for more information on this program in next month’s Indiana Connection magazine.
