REYNOLDS/WARNER ROBINS/UPATOI/PERRY - Due to the successful operation of its Smart Select load management program this past summer, Flint Energies has assigned $344,425 as $25 bill credits to 13,777 of its current members. Members received their bill credit as a separate line item on their October bills.
“Participating members get $25 each fall when the program saves energy and dollars for their non-profit member-owned cooperative,” said Sr. VP Jimmy Autry.
Smart Select is a voluntary program designed to reduce peak electric demand during the hottest summer afternoons when air conditioners are used the most. These switches reduce peak use and save Flint Energies from purchasing additional power during the summer months when costs are at their highest.
Members who participate in Smart Select allow the cooperative to attach a load control switch to their central AC/heat pump and electric water heater and or pool pump, at no cost. The switch allows Flint to safely cycle the air conditioner off for brief periods on peak usage days. Members report noticing little to no difference inside their homes because the fan continues to run and circulate cooled air.
By reducing peak demand, Smart Select members are helping the environment by reducing the consumption of gas, coal and oil fuels used to generate electricity. This reduces the need to build new power plants. In addition, Smart Select participants are ensuring system reliability by reducing the chance of blackouts.
“By participating in this volunteer program, residential members will save themselves and Flint Energies money on future power purchases,” Autry said. “Over 18,000 load control switches have been installed; however, Flint still needs more volunteers. The more participation the cooperative achieves, the more money saved…which keeps bills lower for all members.”
To sign up for Smart Select and to receive a $36 one-time installation bill credit, members can call 1-866-988-3902 or sign up Annual bill credits of $25 will continue each fall when Flint has a successful peak-shaving summer.
About Flint Energies www.flintenergies.com
Flint Energies is a not-for-profit cooperative owned by thousands of members in parts of 17 central Georgia counties. Flint directly employs 233 employees and serves more than 88,400 electric meters. We are 100% locally-controlled and democratically governed by 11 members elected from among the membership. In 1937, Flint Energies was created to bring people together to meet common needs like reliable electric energy, and our mission remains focused on improving the quality of life in Middle Georgia.
Touchstone Energy www.touchstoneenergy.com
Flint Energies is also a Touchstone Energy Cooperative, part of a nationwide family of electric cooperatives exhibiting the core values of integrity, accountability, innovation and commitment to community. Flint’s members give their cooperative an American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) score of 83, which rates higher than most investor-owned utilities in the country.
American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI)
http://theacsi.org/industries/energy-utilities
The ACSI is a uniform and independent measure of household consumption experience. As an economic indicator, the ACSI tracks trends in customer satisfaction and provides benchmarking insights of the consumer economy for companies, industry trade associations and government agencies.” The ACSI is produced by the Stephen M. Ross Business School at the University of Michigan, in partnership with the American Society for Quality (ASQ) and the international consulting firm, CFI Group.