For Wisconsin customers
Vol 16 Issue 11
- Budget-friendly green energy
- Give the gift of warmth this holiday season – an Alliant Energy gift certificate
- Keep winter heating bills under control
- Helping neighbors in need with Paperless Billing
- Installing farm tile? Call 811 first!
Budget-friendly green energy
You see tall wind turbines dotting the countryside. You hear of biogas projects that turn landfill waste into energy. Wouldn’t it be great if you could directly affect the growth of renewable energy, right here in the Midwest?
With Second NatureTM, you can. And the good news – it’s far easier and more affordable than installing your own wind turbine or solar panels. Your participation in Second Nature helps cover the cost of harvesting renewable energy for Alliant Energy customers.
How much does it cost? You choose your level of support (25 percent, 50 percent or 100 percent). From there, your contribution is calculated based on your home’s actual monthly electric usage (kWh). This amount is then added to your regular monthly Alliant Energy bill.
If you are an agricultural customer or a small business, you simply choose a flat-rate monthly contribution, instead of selecting a participation level.
To enroll, residential customers click here and business customers click here or call 1-800-ALLIANT (1-800-255-4268).
Give the gift of warmth this holiday season – an Alliant Energy gift certificate
Gift certificates are available in any dollar amount and are a perfect, practical gift for college students, newlyweds, new home owners and more!
Download the order form or call 1-800-928-4328.
Keep winter heating bills under control
Upcoming cold and stormy weather days means it's time to rev up the furnace.
There are several effective ways to control winter heating costs if you have the financial resources to invest in the latest technologies, but the upfront costs of larger energy efficiency projects are out of reach for many homeowners. For those that don’t have the funds to make big changes, how do we take action to keep heating bills from becoming budget busters?
- Budget Billing (free)
Spread your heating costs over the entire year. To determine the amount you’ll pay each month, we look at 12 months of your bills and calculate the average. You pay that amount every month instead of worrying about unexpectedly high bills. - Set back your thermostat (free)
Lower the temperature 10 degrees for at least eight hours a day (when you are asleep or away from home), and you can save ten percent on your energy bills - without sacrificing your comfort. Leave a blanket at the top edge of your couch so it’s available when you want to read or watch television. - Weatherize doors and windows (low cost)
A few inexpensive tubes of caulk and rolls of weather stripping can help reduce heating bills by 20 percent and cooling bills by 10 percent. - Check your furnace filter
Failing to clean or replace a filter can make your furnace and central air conditioner run harder, quickly reducing its operating efficiency and life span.
Helping neighbors in need with Paperless Billing
When you sign up for Paperless Billing it’s a win for everyone. You’ll cut the clutter of paper bills, and from now through January 31, 2013, we’ll contribute a dollar to the Hometown Care Energy Fund each time someone enrolls in Paperless Billing!
There are many reasons families fall behind on their heating bills. Contributions to the Hometown Care Energy Fund provide confidential financial assistance with energy bills for the elderly, disabled and families trying to make ends meet.
Donations are administered by local energy assistance programs and go directly to those in need in your area.
To make a direct contribution to the Hometown Care Energy Fund, send your check to:
Hometown Care Energy Fund
Alliant Energy
P.O. Box 3003
Cedar Rapids, IA 52406-3003
Installing farm tile? Call 811 first!
When it comes to working in the field, farmers know their ground better than anyone else. However, they might not know what is under the ground. That is why anytime you dig the soil 15 inches or deeper you need to call 811 first and have pipelines located in the area. A few examples of when a farmer should call 811 include: chisel plowing, ripping, tiling, terracing, water way projects, etc.
Calling 811 is a free service provided by the utility operators in your area. State law requires you to call 811 at least three days before digging or tiling. When you don’t call, you not only risk fines and penalties, you risk your life.
This year, there were two separate explosions when farmers dug into natural gas pipelines while installing drainage tile in Iowa. Both hits could have been prevented.
Even if you know the general location of pipelines on or near your land, call 811 to reach the local One-Call Center to verify the location of all utilities on your property or to obtain the one call guidelines associated with farming activities.