Associated Electric Cooperative has announced that the Take Control and Save Appliance Rebate Program will come to an end effective June 1, 2012.  Until that time, the rebates will remain the same, listed as $50.00 for any Energy Star rated Dishwasher or $100.00 for any Energy Star rated Clotheswashers.  Appliances purchased after June 1, 2012 will no longer be eligible for a rebate.  In order to receive your rebate, Southwest Electric Cooperative members will need to submit a rebate application to the cooperative with a copy of the receipt showing proof of purchase within the past 90 days.  A rebate form can be picked up at any Southwest Electric Coopeative office, or you can download a copy by clicking here. 

Click here for the full rebate details.

If you are a High School Junior, you could win an ALL-EXPENSE-PAID trip to Washington, D.C., this June. Travel with other juniors from Missouri, and join hundreds of young men and women from across the country in Washington, D.C.  You will visit historic monuments and museums, meet with U.S. Representatives and Senators, and mingle with students from other states on Rural Electric Youth Day! It is a week you will never forget.

There is a new E-Biz option available when viewing your online account history. Members will now be able to view their DAILY USAGE from the Account History section of the E-biz site. Simply scroll down to the daily usage portion and enter a date range to view. You will also have the ability to view it in a horizontal or vertical format with the actual reading and kilowatt usage displayed.

When outside temperatures drop, it is common to turn up the heat in your home. However, because heating costs have been rising, many are looking for a more cost-effective way to heat. You may have heard claims that purchasing a “magic” space heater will slash your electric bill by up to 50 percent, or that you can heat your home for pennies a day. What is not said is how many pennies it will take. Southwest

Southwest Electric Cooperative will continue with the Take Control and Save Heat Pump Rebate program through 2012, however, Associtated Electric Cooperaive has announced some important changes to the program.

For Dual Fuel Heat Pumps:

Beginning January 1, 2012 all dual fuel heat pumps must be energy star qualified with a minimum SEER rating of 16.5.  The dual fuel heat pump must have a back-up, automatic thermostat controlled natural gas, propane, or fuel oil heating system for supplemental heat.  Please note: Wood burning systems are not eligible as back-up for heating.

Eligibility criteria include:

1. Must be a member of the cooperative (all classes of customers are included)

2. New home and building construction

3. Replacement of electric resistance heat

4. Replacement of an existing dual-fuel heat pump

The rebate for a dual fuel heat pump is $150.00 per ton.

For Ground Source Heat Pumps:

Beginning January 1, 2012 all Geothermal Heat Pumps must be energy star qualified with a minimum EER rating of 19.1.  The ground source heat pump must be installed with a Delta T of 80, with a Manual J calculation used to support the Delta T.  Heat pumps not installed to a Delta T of 80 will not be eligible for a rebate through Southwest Electric cooperative. The electric backup heat must be separated from the ground-source unit with a separate breaker and must be wired to only act as second stage supplemental heat on a two-stage thermostat or as emergency heat. The cooperative must determine if a minimum of R-38 insulation is present in the ceiling and a minimum of R-13 is present in the walls.

Eligibility Criteria include:

1. Must be a member of the cooperative (all classes of customers are included)

2. On new home and building construction

3. Replacement of electric resistance heat

4. Replacement of an existing dual-fuel or ground-source heat pump

5. Replacement of existing natural gas or propane heating system

The rebate for Geothermal Heat Pumps is $750.00 per ton on new units including a loop system, and $200.00 per ton for the replacement of indoor units. For the replacement of the indoor unit only (does not include loop system), it must be a gain of 3 EER ratings in addition to meeting the program requirements.

A 10 ton limit applies to residential installations and a 50 ton limit to commercial installations.

Click here for full rebate details.

As the senate begins debate on its version of a climate change bill, the nation’s electric cooperatives are asking them to include guarantees that new legislation will not cause electric bills to skyrocket. Armed with more than 500,000 postcards sent in by electric cooperative members urging senators to protect rates, representatives of the nation’s member-owned electric cooperatives recently converged on Washington, D.C., to deliver that message personally.