Holiday Initiative: Energy Savings Program Saves You Money and Gets Energy Efficient CFL Light Bulbs to Food Pantries

As you know we recently kicked off our Energy Savings Program that allows participants to save 20% on their energy bills and gets them 4 CFL light bulbs by switching to our program at www.integrysenergy.com/esp (greater detail below).

As part of our Holiday Initiative one four pack of CFLs will be given out at local food pantries for every household/small business that signs up before New Years Day. 

We do this because there is a growing number of food insecure people in the Chicago Metropolitan Region and we hope that if we can help people reduce their energy bill through efficient light bulbs and lower priced energy through our program that they won't have to choose between food and electricity. 

Over 200 Residents Join the Energy Savings Program and 11 Municipalities Promote Program to residents

Since the last Clean Air Counts Newsletter 11 municipalities have decided to promote the Clean Air Counts Energy Savings Program to their residents.  The municipalities that have decided to provide the program to their residents have done so to help residents save money on energy.  Congratulations to Mettawa, Niles, Homewood, Prospect Heights, Glen Ellyn, Burr Ridge, Wauconda, Countryside, Round Lake, Roselle, Bartlett and we hope many more. Municipalities are considering the program for many reasons.  Some communities seek to reduce workload for staff by offering this instead of pursuing aggregation and other communities are providing this savings to residents while they explore planning an "Opt-out" program. 

Energy Savings Program Reduces the Amount You Pay for Energy and the Amount of Energy You Use.

Did you know that households and small businesses in northern Illinois are wasting almost $2 million per day because they haven't selected a cost-effective third party to supply their electricity?  That's an extra $50 million per month that could be used to help families and stimulate our state's economy.  But with so many residential suppliers and multiple pricing options, how does anyone know they are making the best choice?

Clean Air Counts and Energy Choices have the solution.  We are proud to present Clean Air Counts Campaign Energy Saving Program (ESP).   Through Integrys Energy Services the price of electricity is 6.2¢/kWh (compared to your  current rate of 7.733¢/kWh) and is guaranteed to save you money for every billing cycle through June 2013.   

In addition to this great rate, you will receive four energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) that will save you an additional $200 in avoided energy expense over their lives.  Unlike all other supplier "green energy" offerings (e.g., renewable energy certificates), using CFLs improves air quality where we live, work and breathe because they save energy that would come fossil-fuel generating plants in and around Chicago.   

So what are you waiting for?  See  www.integrysenergy.com/esp.   

Yes - Businesses can participate in ESP to lower employees' energy cost and their own.

Our previous newsletter did not provide adequate information on energy purchasing for businesses resulting in lots of questions.  I have responded to some questions below, but would like to offer a free conference call on the topic.

1-Can businesses participate in ESP?   

yes - we can serve all businesses currently served by ComEd that are under 300 kWh.  All you have to do is go to the enrollment page at

http://www.integrysenergy.com/Marketing/MEC/default.aspx.  

and punch in your account number.  If you are over 300 kWh we may be able to assist you, but not through ESP.  Please note that for businesses over 300 kWh it may make sense to purchase energy from an alternative retail electric suppliers (ARES) or to examine the various rate programs offered by ComEd to determine if you can save. 

We have consultant available to assist you. 

2-Can we promote to our employees/customers/members/residents.

Please do. You may use the blurb below:  

Did you know that households and small businesses in northern Illinois are wasting almost $2 million per day because they haven't selected a cost-effective third party to supply their electricity? That's an extra $50 million per month that could be used to help families and stimulate our state's economy. But with so many residential suppliers and multiple pricing options, how does anyone know they are making the best choice?

Clean Air Counts has the solution. We are proud to present Clean Air Counts Campaign Energy Saving Program (ESP).   Through Integrys Energy Services the price of electricity is 6.2¢/kWh (compared to ComEd's current rate of 7.753¢/kWh) and is guaranteed to save you money over ComEd's rates for every billing cycle through June 2013. In addition to this great rate, you will receive four energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) that will save you an additional $200 in avoided energy expense over their lives. Unlike all other supplier "green energy" offerings (e.g., renewable energy certificates), using CFLs improves air quality where we live, work and breathe because they save energy that would come from the burning of coal in generating plants in and around Chicago.

So what are you waiting for?   Sign up here: http://www.integrysenergy.com/Marketing/MEC/default.aspx

Four options for Municipalities: Do one, Do the other, Do none or do both?

With so much information about electricity purchasing in the media currently, it can be difficult for municipal representatives to decide what approach to undertake in their communities. Here are four straightforward options that are available to all municipalities:  

1.     Maintain the status quo, i.e. allow families and local businesses to decide individually to stay with or switch from ComEd;

2.     Begin process of municipal aggregation;

3.     Sign up for CAC's Energy Savings Program (the ESP);

1.     Sign up for the ESP and pursue municipal aggregation.

The first option is to take no action as a community and continue leaving it to households and small businesses to individually decide the best course of action for themselves. Although easy, this option has downsides for communities: most families and many small businesses do not have the time or resources to adequately research their electricity supplier choices and will often miss the greatest opportunities to save.

Another option for municipalities is to begin the process of aggregation, so that community residents can, as a group, work to establish an energy plan, including a decision to the electricity supply issue. Working as an aggregated municipality can give a community the ability to negotiate good electricity pricing for its members, and so pursuing aggregation makes sense for some municipalities. However, the process of aggregating is time consuming for municipal representatives and can take up to two years to implement and residents in these communities will not receive better electricity pricing until the process is complete.

Third, communities can take part in CAC's newly established Energy Savings Program (ESP). Since it is an opt-in program, the ESP can be implemented immediately. As a result of the effort of CAC's partner, the energy-consulting firm, Energy, Choices, P.C., households and small businesses that sign up for the ESP receive their electricity a rate much reduced from that they're paying now to ComEd. Through an agreement with Integrys Energy, a certified third-party supplier of electricity, those who sign up for the ESP pay 6.2¢/kWh for their electricity instead of the 7.733¢/kWh ComEd is currently charging (and will continue to charge through May 2012). Households and local businesses will benefit from this rate starting only one billing cycle after they sign up and continuing through May 2013. In addition to helping community members save money on their electric bill, the ESP stands up to its name by giving every family that signs up four Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs). These CFLs will reduce energy consumption, save families more money and make our communities greener by decreasing the need for pollution-emitting fossil fuel generation plants.

One final option is available to communities unsure of what route to follow: continue or begin pursuing municipal aggregation and concurrently implement the Energy Savings Program. As the savings for families and small businesses offered by the ESP can be seen almost immediately, it makes sense to start promoting this program now. However, the ESP's contract with its members ends in June 2013 and, afterwards, households and local businesses will once again be able to switch their electricity supplier. Therefore, it will be possible to include provisions for incorporating the households and businesses that join the ESP into any municipal energy plan. This way, community members can be guaranteed excellent electricity pricing beginning now and continuing far into the future.

Illinois Alternate Fuels Rebate Program

The Illinois EPA will issue rebates for approved applications based on the amount of funding available in the Alternate Fuels Fund.

The Illinois Alternate Fuels Rebate Program is available to any resident, business, local government or organization in Illinois. It offers rebates to anyone using E85 or biodiesel fuels (20% blend or higher), for purchasing a new alternate fuel vehicle, or for converting a conventional vehicle to alternate fuel.  

All E85 and Biodiesel Fuel Rebate applications for 2011 are to be submitted by January 31, 2012. For Vehicle Rebate and Conversion Rebate application due dates, please see the instructions at the link below.  Please read all instructions and forms before applying. For more information and to verify the eligibility of a certain type of vehicle, call (800) 635-2380.

Get started here! 

Small Business Energy Savings Program  

Quick Links

• Application Form 

Through this partnership with ComEd, small businesses that use less than 60,000 therms of natural gas and less than 100 kilowatts of electricity annually can receive free on-site energy assessments and the following:

Free installation of:

• Low-flow showerheads
• Low-flow faucet aerators
• Pre-rinse sprayers
• Compact fluorescent light bulbs

Financial assistance (up to 70 percent of cost) for:

• Steam trap repairs/replacements
• Boiler tune-ups
• Boiler reset controls
• Programmable thermostats
• Furnace tune-ups

Rebates of up to:

• $500 on boilers
• $225 on furnaces
• $200 on condensing unit heaters
• $50 on water heaters