This summer, you can upgrade to a WiFi thermostat and save energy to beat the heat with the newest addition to our PowerShift® program.
In mid-May, Marshall County REMC will launch a new WiFi 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% 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 Kenny Eggleston, member services manager at Marshall County REMC. “We are committed to keeping our rates affordable, and PowerShift is a great resource to avoid unnecessary costs.”
Marshall County REMC will offer a one-time $50 rebate to members who are accepted into the PowerShift WiFi Thermostat Program. Members who participate also will receive an additional $25 annual payment for adding their WiFi thermostat to the program. Members with eligible WiFi 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 WiFi 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 noon and 9 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 in the coming months.
“We offer several options so that residential members can participate in PowerShift in the way that they feel most comfortable,” Eggleston said. “Our new WiFi thermostat program is one more way, and the thermostat rebate is a great incentive for people who have been interested in upgrading to a WiFi thermostat.”
