Q: Who can benefit from Power Smart Pricing?
Q: Are there certain customers who are not likely to save money with Power Smart Pricing?
Q: I don’t use much electricity, is Power Smart Pricing a good option for me?
Q: I have medical equipment that needs to run 24 hours a day. Is Power Smart Pricing a good option for me?
Q: I have an all-electric house (electric heat). Is Power Smart Pricing a good option for me?
Q: I use a geothermal pump to heat and cool my home. Is Power Smart Pricing a good option for me?
Q: Will Power Smart Pricing save me money if I have a swimming pool with a filtration system?
Q: Will Power Smart Pricing save me money if I have an irrigation system or pump?

Q: Who can benefit from Power Smart Pricing?

Power Smart Pricing is a good option for many consumers. In particular, this program could be good for you if:

• You are interested in saving money by using energy wisely.
• You want to learn more about using energy efficiently.
• You want to be part of a program that helps reduce peak demand on the electric grid and improves the environment.
• You can shift some of your electricity use from higher-priced, peak-demand hours to lower-priced, off-peak hours. (For example, turn up your air conditioner setting a few degrees on summer afternoons when prices are high, and run major appliances such as clothes dryers and dishwashers during evening and weekend hours when prices are low.)

Q: Are there certain customers who are not likely to save money with Power Smart Pricing?

While many customers can benefit from Power Smart Pricing, the program is not for everyone. In particular, it might not be your best choice if:

• You are an Ameren CIPS or AmerenIP customer and you heat your home with electricity.* If you have all-electric heat and use significantly more than 800 kWh per month during the winter, you are not likely to save with Power Smart Pricing.
• You are an AmerenCILCO customer or former Union Electric Company customer and have extremely high winter electricity usage.** (If you use more than 1,800 kWh per month during the winter, consult CNT Energy for assistance in determining whether you are likely to benefit.)
• You use very little electricity (less than 300 kWh per month or electric bills less than $30 per month). If your usage is very low, the small monthly fee of $2.25 may not be offset by your potential savings.
• You are not able to or prefer not to adjust your electricity usage during hours when prices are higher.

* The rate for AmerenCIPS and AmerenIP customers formerly receiving the electric space heat rate offers a lower price for electricity usage over 800 kWh per month during non-summer months. (This lower price is not available for new electric heat installations.)

**AmerenCILCO residential customers and AmerenCIPS residential customers who were formerly served by Union Electric Company pay a lower price for electricity usage over 800 kWh per month during the non-summer months.

Q: I don’t use much electricity, is Power Smart Pricing a good option for me?

Power Smart Pricing is not recommended for customers who use less than 300 kWh per month (electric bills of around $30 per month) since your savings may not offset the $2.25 monthly charge.

Q: I have medical equipment that needs to run 24 hours a day. Is Power Smart Pricing a good option for me?

Power Smart Pricing is not a good option for customers who have medical equipment that must run at all times since these customers cannot easily alter the times when they use this equipment in order to avoid high price periods.

Q: I have an all-electric house (electric heat). Is Power Smart Pricing a good option for me?

This depends on what Ameren utility you have, how much electricity you use during non-summer months and whether you have access to electric space heat rates.

AmerenCIPS and AmerenIP customers formerly receiving the electric space heat rate pay a lower price for electricity usage over 800 kWh per month during non-summer months. (This lower price is not available for new electric heat installations.)

In addition, all AmerenCILCO residential customers and AmerenCIPS residential customers who were formerly served by Union Electric Company pay a lower price for electricity usage over 800 kWh per month during the non-summer months. See Understanding Hourly Prices for more details.

If you have access to the former space heat rate or are an AmerenCILCO or AmerenCIPS-ME with high non-summer usage, then Power Smart Pricing may not be your best option. To learn more, please contact us at 1-877-655-6028.

Q: I use a geothermal pump to heat and cool my home. Is Power Smart Pricing a good option?

Power Smart Pricing can be a good option for people with a geothermal heat pump, especially Ameren IP and Ameren CIPS customers not on the former space heat rate.* If you are an Ameren CILCO customer, please consult CNT Energy for assistance in determining whether you are likely to benefit.**

To take full advantage of hourly prices and your geothermal system, the following actions are recommended:

• During the winter months keep the thermostat set at a constant temperature. Large fluctuations to the temperature setting on the thermostat can increase your overall electricity usage.
• During the summer months limited use of a programmable thermostat can help to shift air conditioning use to low priced hours of the day. Set the thermostat to a cooler temperature overnight and raise it during the afternoon to cut back on electricity use during high priced times.

* The rate for AmerenCIPS and AmerenIP customers formerly receiving the electric space heat rate offers a lower price for electricity usage over 800 kWh per month during non-summer months. (This lower price is not available for new electric heat installations.)

**AmerenCILCO residential customers and AmerenCIPS residential customers who were formerly served by Union Electric Company pay a lower price for electricity usage over 800 kWh per month during the non-summer months.

Q: Will Power Smart Pricing save me money if I have a swimming pool with a filtration system?

It could if the filtration system does not need to run 24-hours a day and can be adjusted to run at night when electricity prices are generally low. But the program is not a good option for customers who have equipment that runs 24-hours a day since these customers cannot easily alter the times they use this equipment to avoid high price periods.

Q: Will Power Smart Pricing save me money if I have an irrigation system or pump?

It could if you can adjust your system to run at night and when the price of electricity tends to be low, and can avoid running it on hot summer afternoons when prices generally increase.