SSP

 

Get Paid to Reduce Energy

REC's Summer Savings Plan is a free, voluntary pilot program that allows 1,000 member-owners to receive a rebate for using less electricity on specific days in the summer. Extreme heat during the summer often results in more electricity being used as people spend more time indoors. This impacts the price REC pays for the electricity delivered to its member-owners. You can help and get paid to do it!

Member-owners who choose to participate will receive a bill credit based on how much energy they save during these times. For every kilowatt hour (kWh) saved, you will earn 75 cents in bill credits, which adds up quickly.

The Summer Savings Plan runs from June to September. After you sign up, REC will notify you by text, email or from the MyREC SmartHub app signaling you to save energy during specific days and times when electricity is expected to be in high demand. If you are enrolled in REC's Summer Savings Plan, here are some things to do during a Summer Savings Event:

  • Increase the normal temperature setting on your AC thermostat by several degrees (REC recommends a setting of 78 degrees or higher.)
  • Avoid or discontinue the use of stoves, ovens, dishwashers, or other appliances or machinery.
  • Turn off your pool pump.
  • Delay using hot water during peak times.
  • Avoid charging your electric vehicle, electric power tools or lawnmowers during this time.
  • Turn off and unplug electronics such as gaming systems, computers, TVs and DVD players.
  • Avoid charging electronic devices such as cell phones, tablets or laptop computers.

The more you reduce your energy use, the bigger your rebate. For more energy saving tips click here

Frequently Asked Questions

Of the nearly 9,000 hours in a year, just five hours in the summer help determine a significant portion of the cost that REC pays for wholesale electricity the following year. The goal of the Summer Savings Plan is to reduce energy use during those key five hours.

The REC Summer Savings Plan is a pilot program. That means this is a limited, small-scale experimental trial that helps REC learn how a large-scale program might work in practice. Being that this a pilot program, we are limiting the number of participants who can join to only 1,000.

REC will invite randomly selected member-owners to participate in the pilot program. Once 1,000 member-owners have enrolled, the program will close to new participants.

Participants will be paid 75 cents for every kilowatt-hour of electricity not used during the specified hours compared with what they would normally use during those hours.

The Summer Savings Plan will run from June 1 through Sept. 30.

Unfortunately, member-owners who participate in these programs are not eligible for this pilot program.

The Summer Savings Plan is completely voluntary. There is no penalty for not reducing energy use. Participants stand only to benefit through a rebate and through their reduced energy use - should they choose to participate in any or all events. There are no fees to participate.

REC is able to review a members’ energy-use history to make comparisons over time.

Yes and in MyREC SmartHub, you must enable text and/or email. If you don’t already use MyREC SmartHub to pay your bill, monitor your energy use and other features, you can join here. You will need your REC account number to sign up.

REC expects to ask participants to take action typically between the hours of 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays.

No.

No. Your rebate will not be instant, however. The amount will appear on your next electric bill.

No.

REC expects to request participants to reduce their energy use 12 to 15 times from June through September. That’s because only five hours during the summer determine the rate REC pays for electricity. Steps you take to reduce energy when requested can help reduce future costs for all member-owners.

Participants will be notified the day before REC needs you to help save energy. REC will send an alert by text, email and using the MyREC SmartHub mobile app.

Participants who have downloaded the MyREC SmartHub mobile app can receive push notifications to their mobile device, as long as the setting is enabled.

Participants can reduce their energy usage during the hours when energy is in the most demand by manually adjusting their AC’s thermostat, by turning off electric appliances or devices, or by using smart energy-saving technology that is now available.