Now’s the Time to Flip Your Fridge and Save!

Recycle that old energy-wasting refrigerator and replace it with a new ENERGY STAR® certified model.  You’ll save energy and you can save even more with a utility rebate!

 

SMMPA member utilities offer rebates of $25 on the purchase of new ENERGY STAR Refrigerators, plus an additional rebate to pay for recycling your old working refrigerator.

 

Rebate forms are available by clicking here and selecting your utility.

 

Refrigerators that are 15 years or older use twice as much energy as a new ENERGY STAR certified refrigerator.  Replacing that old energy-wasting refrigerator with a new ENERGY STAR certified refrigerator could save you more than $300 in energy costs over the next five years.  Get guidance choosing the right refrigerator for your home here: www.energystar.gov/flipyourfridge.

 

Flip Your Fridge to ENERGY STAR, the simple choice for energy efficiency!

 

Tips for Buying a Smart Thermostat

Our member utilities offer rebates of $10-$100 for ENERGY STAR® certified Smart Thermostats designed to save up to $100 each year on their customers’ heating and cooling bills.

 

A “smart” thermostat is a Wi-Fi enabled thermostat that allows you to control your home’s heating and cooling temperature settings from your “smart” devices - phone, tablet, or computer.  Smart thermostats offer greater convenience, energy savings, and control than manual or programmable thermostats.

 

Here are some tips to help you select a smart thermostat:

  • Make sure it’s compatible with your heating and cooling system. 

  • Consider using the same brand as your furnace, AC, or heat pump manufacturer.

  • Check that you have a compatible home network to connect the thermostat – most work on WiFi.

  • Look for the ENERGY STAR label!  Smart thermostats that have earned the ENERGY STAR go through an independent certification process to verify energy savings.

Not only do smart thermostats save you money and provide better comfort, they also help protect the environment by operating your AC, furnace, or heat pump only when needed.

 

Click here and select your utility for more ways to save energy and money.

 

Click here for our latest "Current" newsletter

Our newest issue highlights fiscal actions taken by SMMPA to reduce the amount of risk associated with the energy market cost variances, spotlights the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission accepting the Agency’s Integrated Resource Plan, identifies benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act and more. This edition of the Current is available here and in the Financials section of the website.

 

If you would like to be put on the mailing list to receive Current directly (either by mail or electronically via email) please click here and provide your name and mailing or email address.

Make Your Energy Choices Count in 2023

Our member utilities offer programs to help their customers use energy wisely and lower their electric bills.  Last year, they collectively paid rebates of over $195,000 to their residential customers who invested in energy-efficient equipment.

 

Click here for a summary of this year’s residential rebate programs.  Want to get in on the action and save energy and money this year?  It's easy!  Rebate forms are available online – simply click here and select your utility. 

 

Starting this year, we have added rebates for standard-capacity ENERGY STAR® certified heat pump clothes dryers.  Heat pump clothes dryers use up to 50% less energy than standard electric dryers – helping you save on your utility bills!  Learn more about these efficient clothes dryers from the experts at This Old House.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provides additional incentives to help make it more affordable for families to make energy efficient upgrades to their homes and save money on their electric bills.  Qualified customers may be eligible for federal rebates and tax credits on heat pumps, heat pump clothes dryers, heat pump water heaters, and more.  Visit whitehouse.gov/cleanenergy for more information. 

 

Helping customers use energy wisely is a win-win.  Reducing energy consumption saves you money and helps make our member communities a little greener by reducing generation emissions. 

 

Gifts That Do a World of Good

The hottest gifts this season are in electronics and home entertainment.  But the best gifts are also good for the environment.  ENERGY STAR® certified home electronics go beyond the latest features and functions to deliver great energy efficiency.   

 

ENERGY STAR certified TVs offer the most popular features and technologies – Smart TV functionality, Ultra High Definition, large screens, LED backlighting – and they're 25% more energy efficient than standard models.

 

An ENERGY STAR certified tablet uses 10 times less power to stream movies or video than a game console, 7 times less power than streaming to a TV, and 4 times less than streaming to a laptop.

 

So look for the ENERGY STAR label when buying home electronics this holiday season. Your loved ones will appreciate it!

 

Click here and select your utility for more ways to save energy and money.

Is Your Home Full of Energy Vampires?

According to ENERGY STAR®, the average household spends $100 per year on vampire power in their home.  Vampire power is the electricity consumed by electronic devices while they are switched off or in standby mode.

Our guide can help you find the “vampires” in your home.  A few simple changes like making sure you unplug the charger once your phone and tablet are both fully charged is a step in the right direction.

 

Also, shop for products that have earned the ENERGY STAR.  They use less standby power than conventional models.  Plus, you’ll get rebates on your purchase of qualifying ENERGY STAR products through our rebate programs.

Don’t let Vampire Power take a bite out of your electric bill!