Statement From CUB Executive Director David Kolata On Successful Launch Of Ameren Illinois Peak Time Rewards Program

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Aug 23, 2016, 11:33 ET

CHICAGO, Aug. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- "Many Illinoisans probably don't think it's possible to save money on their electric bills during hot summer days, but thousands did recently, thanks to Ameren Illinois' Peak Time Rewards program. CUB is pleased to hear that in the first Peak Time Rewards event, more than 7,000 customers—about 70 percent of those enrolled in the program—saved an average of $6.10, for total savings of $45,456. This is a promising start to a program that has a lot of potential to save consumers energy and money. In fact, if you expand those results to all Ameren Illinois residential customers, total potential savings in the program could reach about $1.8 million annually. CUB believes that the cheapest electricity is the electricity you don't use, and Ameren Illinois' Peak Time Rewards program proves it. We encourage Ameren Illinois customers with advanced electric meters to enroll in this program for next year, so they can receive credits too."

Background

Ameren Illinois plans to install 780,000 new advanced electric meters by the end of 2019.
Peak Time Rewards is a voluntary, no-cost program offered to Ameren Illinois customers with the advanced electric meters. It provides eligible customers with a bill credit if they reduce energy usage at designated hours on "peak" days, when electricity demand is high. The program encourages participants to take simple, effective actions around the house, such as bumping up the thermostat a few degrees or delaying household activities like laundry and running the dishwasher until after the Peak Time Rewards hours.
The first Peak Time Rewards hours were on Aug. 11, when the heat index shot up to 110 degrees. During designated hours that day, more than 7,000 Ameren Illinois customers, or about 70 percent of those in the program, earned bill credits of $1.51 for each kilowatt-hour (kWh) they saved below a personal baseline. The average credit was $6.10. Collectively, participants earned $45,456 in credits for saving 30,100 kWh. Ameren said that's about how much electricity three typical Illinois households use in a year.
Enrollment for this summer's Peak Time Rewards program is closed. For more information on Ameren Illinois' program, or to enroll for next summer, please visit PeakTimeRewards.com or call 1-844-787-7874.

CUB is Illinois' leading nonprofit utility watchdog. Created by the Illinois Legislature, CUB opened its doors in 1984 to represent the interests of residential and small-business utility customers. Since then, it has saved consumers more than $20 billion by helping to block rate hikes and secure refunds. For more information, call CUB's Consumer Hotline, 1-800-669-5556, or visit its award-winning website, www.CitizensUtilityBoard.org.

SOURCE Citizens Utility Board