MADISON— Eligible Wisconsin customers can now enroll in the Alliant Energy® Smart Hours program to save on energy bills and earn rewards. This new program helps customers with a smart thermostat lower their energy usage when demand spikes, and rewards participants with seasonal benefits for participating.
“Smart thermostats give customers more control over their energy use and make it easier than ever to reduce their energy bills,” said Kari Gehrke, manager of demand-side management at Alliant Energy. “Our Smart Hours program allows customers to personalize their temperature preferences and increase the flexibility of their heating and cooling systems. In addition to the energy savings, customers earn rewards just for signing up.”
By enrolling in Alliant Energy’s Smart Hours program, participants allow Alliant Energy to adjust their smart thermostat a few degrees — based on the customers’ preferred comfort levels — during occasional periods of extreme temperatures. While customers can always control their thermostats, Alliant Energy finds the best times to shift some energy use to periods when energy demand is lower. By cooling or heating the home at different times of the day, customers stay comfortable and reduce the overall energy demand.
“For customers, this is a simple way to save money and reduce their carbon footprint at the same time,” said Gehrke. “Empowering customers to be more energy efficient is one more way we deliver on our purpose-driven strategy to serve customers and build strong communities.”
Customers can reduce their bills an average of 10% by installing a smart thermostat. If customers do not have a smart thermostat, they can purchase one through the Focus on Energy Marketplace and get an instant $50 discount. Every customer who enrolls in Smart Hours will receive a $25 signup reward and an additional $25 incentive each summer and each winter season they are eligible to participate in.
The program helps Alliant Energy use more environmentally friendly energy sources to meet electricity demand on extremely hot and cold days. By relying on cleaner, more energy-efficient sources, Alliant Energy can keep electricity costs lower for all customers. To learn more about Smart Hours and to enroll, visit alliantenergysmarthours.com.
Customers can find other ways to save energy and money by following the tips at alliantenergy.com/waystosave and by taking advantage of energy efficiency rebates at alliantenergy.com/rebates. Customers are also encouraged to enroll in My Account to track their energy use and set up high-usage alerts.