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Rebates / Load Management
Load Management
The City of St. James offers a load management option to all customers with central air conditions and electric water heater. This program is to reduce the cost to the utility and to you the customer. By lowering your demand for electricity at certain times of the day, you help lower the City’s cost of electricity and reduce your own cost of electricity. If you have a direct wired air conditioner and/or electric water heater this applies to you.
How It Works
A load control unit will be mounted to your house at the utility’s expense which will be wired to your air conditioner and/or water heater. When load conditions indicate that peak demand for electricity is approaching, a signal will be sent to the load control unit to turn off your air conditioner and/ water heater for 7 ½ minutes. After 7 ½ minutes the air conditioner and/or water heater will turn back on. This will not happen again for at least another 15 minutes, if the demand is still high after 15 minutes it will turn it off again for 7 ½ minutes. This process will continue until the demand has been reduced.
This will not be a daily occurrence. Your air conditioner and/or water heater will be controlled only when there is a peak demand for electricity - usually in the hottest summer months. Interrupting air conditioner for 7 ½ minutes should not result in more than a couple degree change in your house temperature.
Eligible Appliances
Any new air conditioner that is installed and rebate is requested is required to install a load control box. Any existing air conditioner and/or water heater can sign up at City Hall to have a load control box installed.
Benefits
Every customer that is signed up with City Hall is eligible at the end of year for a $30 bill credit for every device connected to a load control device.
Contact City Hall
Sign up for this program by December 31 in the year before usage in order to be eligible for the annual rebate. Sign up by filling out the on-line load management application or by calling City Hall at (507) 375-3241.