- Keep your cool... and your cash
- Why sign up for Paperless Billing?
- Your online project professional
- Dip your toes in solar hot water
- $10 off – special pricing on LEDs
- Help us, help you – tips to better customer service
Keep your cool… and your cash
When temperatures rise, it’s easy to turn on the air conditioning and forget about the dent it can make in your pocketbook. Here are a few tips to plan ahead and fight unnecessarily high cooling bills.
Close drapes and blinds during the day
By keeping the hot sun out during the day, your air conditioner won’t have to work as hard.
Properly program your thermostat
If you program your thermostat to adjust your air conditioner from 70 to 80 degrees while you are away (eight hours or more per day), you’ll save about $20 on summer cooling bills (based on the average annual Alliant Energy residential cooling bill of $201).
Put your ceiling fans to work
A ceiling fan is a cheap way to give your air conditioner a boost and help save about $28 on cooling costs this summer (source: ENERGY STAR). Turn your air conditioner a degree or two warmer, and then turn on the ceiling fan. Make sure the breeze is blowing down.
Maintain your air conditioner
Change or clean the furnace filter once a month. Spray off the outside compressor with a garden hose every spring, but be sure to shut the power off at the service panel or unplug before doing so for safety. Cover it up with a tarp during winter months.
What to look for in a new air conditionerWith central air conditioners, the higher the SEER rating, the better. If you replace an older unit with a new 14.0 SEER unit, you can lower your cooling costs by at least 30 percent. Also, look for the blue ENERGY STAR® label.
Ask your installing technician if the unit is “right-sized” for your specific square footage. A unit that’s too large will just cost you more up front, drive up cooling bills and leave your home feeling cool, yet damp. To find a quality local cooling professional, visit alliantenergy.com/dealerlocator.
Alliant Energy A/C Rebates
Central air conditioners – up to $200
Room air conditioners – $25
Learn more and download claim forms or call 1-866-ALLIANT.
Looking for more ways to keep cool this summer? Check out powerhousetv.com and search “cooling”. Or, call 1-866-ALLIANT and ask for your free Cooling Your Home booklet.
Why sign up for Paperless Billing?
With Paperless Billing, we email you when your bill is ready to view.
If the following statements apply to you, consider signing up for Paperless Billing.
- You value your time – cut bill paying down to a few quick clicks.
- You don’t like clutter – fewer envelopes to sort, store and send.
- You like convenience – view and pay
your bill anytime, night or day. - You are smart with your money – why use a stamp when you don’t need to?
- You are on the go – manage your bill from anywhere.
- You want to use less paper – cut the clutter!
Learn more and enroll. It’s easy, fast and free!
Your online project professional
Do you have a summertime do-it-yourself (DIY) project coming up? Make powerhousetv.com your first stop. You’ll find a library of hundreds of DIY videos ready to help. And you can be confident that each project is done with safety and energy-efficiency in mind. These videos are smart phone-ready, so you can watch step-by-step as you complete your project. Some sample DIY videos include:
- Installing a motion detector light
- Installing a dimmer switch
- Insulation tips and tricks
- How to install a clock-programmable thermostat
- Installing an energy-saving dryer vent
These same videos are also viewable on the PowerHouse YouTube channel.
Be the first to know about energy-efficiency events and money-saving tips by following Powerhouse(@aepowerhouse) on Twitter and liking PowerHouse on Facebook.
Dip your toes in solar hot water
Solar water heaters are an environmentally friendly way to produce hot water for your home. They can be used in any climate, and the fuel they use – sunshine – is free.
A solar water heating system can cut your annual hot water costs in half, and is generally designed for use with an electric or gas back-up water heater. According to ENERGY STAR® you can save up to $190 annually if you combine solar with a backup gas-storage water heater instead of using the gas water heater alone. If you have an electric tank water heater for back-up, you’ll save about $250 each year on electricity bills.
Solar water heaters usually cost more to purchase and install than conventional water heating systems. However, a solar water heater can usually save you money in the long run. You may also qualify for a rebate from Alliant Energy to help defray the cost.
If you’re building a new home or refinancing, adding a solar water heater to the mix may actually save you money each month, all things considered.
To determine whether a solar hot water system is right for you and your home, begin by completing a free online screening. When your screening is completed, Alliant Energy will contact you to discuss next steps.
In order to qualify for an Efficiency First Renewable Rebate from Alliant Energy, an on-site Home Performance with ENERGY STAR audit and site assessment are required. Audit details and pricing are available by clicking here.
If you have specific questions about rebates for solar water heaters or renewable energy in general, contact Alliant Energy’s Distributed Resources and Renewable Energy Hotline at 1-800-972-5325, Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. or visit us online.
Iowa only customers.
$10 off – special pricing on LEDs
Thinking about trying out the new energy-efficient LED light bulbs?
Now is the perfect time, because from now until December 31, 2012, you can get $10 off special in-store pricing on qualifying ENERGY STAR® LED light bulbs. The special low price will be marked on store shelves – there is no additional mark-down once you get to the register.
Just confirm you are an Alliant Energy electric customer, and the special low price is given to you automatically at the register. The average LED light bulb for home use can cost from $15-$30, so the special price is a great opportunity to try out the next generation of energy-efficient light bulbs. Qualifying stores include:
- Costco
- Home Depot
- Lowes
- Menards
- Sam’s Club
- Van Meter
- Wal-Mart (select stores)
With the low price, switching out to LED light bulbs can easily pay for itself in one year. Let’s say your monthly electric bill is $150. Since lighting accounts for about 11 percent of the average residential electric bill (source: Department of Energy), you’d be paying about $16.50 a month to light your home with incandescent bulbs. If you were to switch out all your incandescent bulbs to LEDs, your monthly lighting costs would go down by about $12.38 a month – a savings of about $148.56 a year.
Beyond dollar savings, LED bulbs:
- Light up to full intensity instantly (no warm-up period)
- Are dimmable
- Use about 10 percent less energy than a CFL
- Last up to 20 years
- Contain no mercury
To take advantage of the $10 off special in-store price on LED bulbs, just look for the special signage when shopping at your local hardware or home store.
Help us, help you
Three tips to better customer service
If you need to dial 1-800-ALLIANT (1-800-255-4268), keep these tips in mind for a smoother call.
- Call from a quiet space. Background noise makes it hard for you to hear and be understood.
- Have your Alliant Energy account number handy.
- Making a payment? Be ready with your bill, bank routing number, bank account number, and the last four digits of your Social Security number.
Every call is important to us! Following these tips will help us answer your question or resolve your issue so you can get on with your busy day.
Follow these tips when using our automated phone system to:
- Report an outage
- Make a payment
- Access account information
- Set up a payment arrangement
Call us
For customer service, call 1-800-ALLIANT (1-800-255-4268).
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