QUAD CITIES, (KWQC) – When the temperatures are extreme, air conditioners are working overtime and MidAmerican has a program that customers use to save energy and money.
The SummerSaver program by MidAmerican is where 67,000 people in Iowa and Illinois are using less energy to save some cash.
SummerSaver works during the hours in which the program is activated. Participants with a smart thermostat will have their temperature raised by three degrees, then it will return to normal after the designated time period.
If a customer has a remote control receiver, when activated it cycles the air conditioner compressor for a few minutes every hour.
MidAmerican has issued three SummerSaver days this year.
“The summer saver program is designed for days like this, when it’s really hot, approaching triple digits, the heat index is north of 100, people are uncomfortable,” said Geoff Greenwood, Media Relations Manager at MidAmerican Energy. “They want air conditioning, and that takes a lot of energy. So the SummerSaver helps our customers use a little bit less energy for a few hours out of the afternoon during peak time, and in exchange, they save money at the end of the season, they get a rebate back. So it’s a win, win.”
Greenwood says there’s no magic formula that decides when they kick on the SummerSaver program.
“We know that customers on very hot days, especially as you approach triple digit temperatures, use a lot of air conditioning,” said Greenwood. “So we know hat will create extra demand on our system, and we can reduce that demand a little bit by calling on our SummerSaver event, and that helps our customers use a little bit less energy, save money, and reduces the strain on the grid.”
People in the program with a smart thermostat get a $40 credit at the end of the season and people with remote control thermostats get $20 back.
Greenwood says other ways to save if your not in the program is by turning your thermostat up a few degrees, using a smart thermostat, using a ceiling fan, and using large appliances in the morning or evening hours.
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