Enroll Today in MyREC SmartHub
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Under Reason for Inquiry, select Summer Savings Plan
Get Paid to Reduce Energy
REC's Summer Savings Plan is a free, voluntary program that allows most residential member-owners and some business members 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:
Top 5 SUMMER Savings Tips and Tricks:
1. Increase the standard temperature on your AC thermostat by at least 4-5 degrees, for ultimate savings, REC recommends a setting of 78 degrees or higher
- This includes window AC, portable AC units, mini-split AC units, and dehumidifiers
- The HVAC system fan should be set to AUTO during AC season
2. Avoid or discontinue the use of stoves, ovens, dishwashers, and/or other major appliances and machinery
- Other major appliances include washer and dryer, air compressors, welders, kilns, clothes iron, steamers, and treadmills
3. Turn off your pool pump
- This includes pool heaters, hot tubs, saunas, pond pumps, and water feature pumps
4. Delay using hot water if you have an electric water heater
5. Avoid charging your Electric Vehicles (EV), electric power tools, and/or lawnmowers
- Schedule to charge your EV during REC's Smart Hours (9 PM to 5 AM and 10 AM to 2 PM)
Don't forget to check the Garage, Barn, or Shed!
- Turn off any large fans, if possible
- Turn off unnecessary lighting
- Turn off tools and machinery
We understand some of these tasks may seem tedious, but the more actions you take, the higher the chance of earning a 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.
No. The program is open to all residential member-owners, with the exceptions of a small percentage of members who already participate in the AC Switch Program, WiFi thermostat control, Cooperative Sunshare and Net Metering. The Summer Savings Plan is also open to select small business and commercial members. For business members, to find out if you qualify please check your electric bill to see if you are on the B-1 electric rate schedule.
In your MyREC SmartHub Account, click Contact Us and then select Report an Issue and, finally, select Summer Savings Plan.
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 over the previous 10 business days.
The Summer Savings Plan will run from June 1 through Sept. 30.
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 7 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 on the day 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.