Sussex Rural Electric Cooperative is not like other utilities. Those utilities provide electricity to customers to generate profit for those investors and the company. Sussex Rural Electric is not-for-profit and owned by our members, the consumers that live on our lines and use our power (that's you!). Because we answer to local members rather than far-away, profit-motivated shareholders, we only take in as much money as we need to operate and expand our grid.
One of our main expenses is purchasing electricity. If you use less electricity, that's less power we have to buy. In short, energy efficiency saves both you, the member, and us, your Co-op, money! We want to encourage our members to do everything they can to reduce their energy use and cut down their monthly bill.
SREC has various informational programs and offers designed to help our members be more energy efficient and save money:
- Beat the Peak - Our Load Control program involves members volunteering to have a DRU (Demand Response Unit) installed on their water heaters, central air conditioners, ETS units, and other equipment. This DRU allows your Co-op to automatically shift the use of your equipment to off-peak times, when it is cheaper to purchase electricity. This will reduce demand for electricity during peak times across our system and is designed so you don't even notice that your equipment is not running. Enrollment in Beat the Peak is not just a way to take advantage of off-peak rates and bill credit incentives, but also a means to reduce costs for all members in our community.
- Appliance Rebates - Sussex Rural Electric wants to reward our members who make responsible, energy-conscious purchasing decisions. We currently offer rebates in the form of bill credits for ENERGY STAR certified refrigerators, washers, dryers, and central air conditioners. Visit our Appliance Rebate page for more information on the amount of money offered with each rebate and how to apply.
- #MondayMoneySavers - Each week, SREC posts energy efficiency tips on our Facebook and Twitter pages as a way to give our members easy ways they can take steps to reduce their energy use and the size of their electric bills. Like and follow these pages to see every week's tip as it's posted, or check back at our website's archive as the collection expands weekly!
- Home Energy Analysis Tool - Touchstone Energy offers an online tool designed to tailor energy efficiency tips to your home! Simply follow the prompts and give details on your area and the type of home you live in. From here, you'll be provided with customized tips on how your home could be made more energy efficient.
- Home Energy Adventure - Another offering of Touchstone Energy, the Home Energy Adventure combined education and entertainment. This game tests your knowledge of energy efficiency and provides many examples of simple ways you can reduce energy use in your own home. The topics covered here are really expansive, so take advantage of t