Celebrate ENERGY STAR® Day!

Today is ENERGY STAR Day! To celebrate, we wanted to take a moment to thank you and share resources to help you save energy in your home.

SMMPA and its member utilities have a long history of partnering with U.S. EPA’s ENERGY STAR program to help members’ customers save energy, save money, and protect the environment. Improving the energy efficiency of your home will save energy, while also making your home more comfortable, lowering your energy bills, and reducing your impact on the environment.

Our member utilities offer rebates on ENERGY STAR products to make those energy efficiency upgrades more affordable for all their customers. Rebate forms are available by clicking here and selecting your utility.

Together with ENERGY STAR, SMMPA and our members invite you to explore all the ways you can save today, save tomorrow, and save for good! Visit energystar.gov/saveforgood to learn more.

FINAL YEAR of Discounted LED Bulbs!

Be Bright this fall!  Through December 31, while supplies last, residential electric customers of SMMPA member utilities are eligible for reduced pricing on ENERGY STAR® qualified LED light bulbs at participating retailers for as little as $0.25 each!

 

ENERGY STAR-labeled LEDs use 80% less energy and last up to 25 times longer than incandescent light bulbs - but less watts doesn’t mean less light!  LEDs produce bright light for less cost because they use less electricity and last longer than incandescent and compact fluorescent bulbs - saving time and money on replacements.

 

By replacing the five most used bulbs in your home with energy-efficient LEDs, you can save about $40 in energy costs during the first year alone. LEDs also produce less heat than traditional bulbs - improving safety. 

 

While these financial savings are a big draw, LEDs also offer environmental benefits to help make our community a little greener.

 

This is our FINAL YEAR and supplies are limited, so get your discounted LEDs before they sell out!  Discounted LEDs purchased during this promotion are not eligible for our LED rebate program.

Click here for our latest "Current" newsletter

Our newest issue focuses on energy efficiency efforts of Nu-Tek BioSciences in Austin, spotlights the mutual aid recovery efforts involving SMMPA members following Hurricane Ian, and spells out the Agency’s effort to provide 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040. 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.

Hot Savings on Hot Water!

Did you know that your home’s water heater uses more energy than your refrigerator, clothes washer and dryer, and dishwasher combined?  Switching to an ENERGY STAR® certified heat pump water heater (HPWH) can save a household of four about $550 each year on electric bills compared to a standard electric water heater – that’s more than $5,600 over its lifetime!

 

While a HPWH costs more upfront, the savings will pay back the difference in about three years for a household of four.  Plus, SMMPA member utilities offer rebates of up to $400 on the purchase of ENERGY STAR qualified HPWHs that replace an existing electric storage tank water heater or are installed in a new home.  Rebate forms are available by clicking here and selecting your utility.

 

Qualified customers may also be eligible for federal incentives for HPWHs through the Inflation Reduction Act.  Visit whitehouse.gov/cleanenergy/ for more information.

 

Heat pump water heaters are so efficient because they move heat from one place to another instead of generating heat directly.  Imagine a refrigerator working in reverse.  While a refrigerator removes heat from an enclosed box and expels that heat to the surrounding air, a HPWH takes the heat from surrounding air and transfers it to water in an enclosed tank.

 

Heat pump water heaters are unique compared to other water heaters because their performance and efficiency are dependent on the conditions in which they operate.  Determine if a HPWH is right for you by reviewing ENERGY STAR’s installation guidance here.

 

Consider an ENERGY STAR certified HPWH for your next water heater purchase and enjoy big savings, a smart investment, and a product that protects the environment.

SMMPA releases 2023 carbon report

The SMMPA 2.0 strategic initiative being implemented by Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency (SMMPA) and its 18 member utilities will reduce our 2030 cabon levels 90% when compared to 2005 levels, and more importantly puts us on a path toward being 80 percent carbon-free going forward. Along with retiring our coal plant and adding new wind and solar generation to our portfolio, we will help facilitate the transition to cleaner electric vehicles, maintain our commitment to building out the transmission system and build on our award-winning energy efficiency programs.


We are taking action – we are reducing carbon emissions today all while continuing to provide reliable and affordable wholesale energy to our member utilities. Below you will learn about our continued progress in doing to reduce our carbon footprint and help address the issue of climate change.

Click here to download our brochure, which highlights some of the activities that are part of SMMPA’s overall commitment to reducing carbon.