CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa—Alliant Energy’s Iowa energy company is taking proactive steps to reduce costs for customers because of today’s heat. Energy prices can increase during intensely hot summer days.

To reduce energy use, we are activating our voluntary Appliance Cycling program for Tuesday and Wednesday. We’ll continue to monitor the conditions to determine if it is needed throughout the rest of the week.

We will remotely control central air conditioners for participating customers in the north, central and southern zones in Iowa. Participants will see their central air conditioner cycled in 15-minute intervals from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. The blower fan will continue to circulate the cooler air already in the home.

The program reduces peak energy use on the overall energy grid, which lowers costs for customers. Alliant Energy last activated the program on July 19, 2019.

This is a voluntary program for Alliant Energy’s Iowa residential customers. Our program syncs air conditioners across the state to reduce the number running at any one time. This reduces the amount of energy we need to generate or purchase on peak days. The energy cost, or fuel cost, line item on bills reflects the cost of generating and purchasing energy for customers, which changes every month based on actual costs.

Residential customers who have enrolled their central air conditioning unit get an $8 credit per month on their bill from June through September – even if it doesn’t get warm enough to cycle appliances.

Learn more at alliantenergy.com/appliancerecycling.

(contributed press release, Alliant Energy)