About the Energy Smart Program
Bay City Electric Light & Power's Energy Waste Reduction program, Energy Smart, is a portfolio of energy efficiency programs designed to assist our residential and business electric customers in reducing their electric energy usage. Energy efficiency became a statewide requirement for all utilities under the Clean, Renewable and Energy Efficiency Act of 2008 (Public Act 295) and amended by 2016 PA 342. Basically, these programs help us give options to our customers – to meet their needs in a more environmentally friendly manner and be more cost efficient versus purchasing power or by building new generating plants. At the same time, these programs will help create jobs for local contractors who install products and vendors who sell the products.
The goal of the program is to reduce our customer's energy consumption, which has both a long-run and short-run benefit. In the short-run, customers who participate will experience lower electric bills by reducing their energy consumption. In the long-run, energy optimization programs reduce the need to construct fossil-fuel burning generation facilities by reducing the overall demand on the grid. Avoiding the construction of new facilities helps reduce our customers' cost.
There are three types of programs: residential, low income, and commercial/industrial. Each program type has different goals and program offerings to help meet our customers' needs of lowering energy. Since customers pay into these programs with monthly surcharges, it is mandated that customers only participate in programs that relate to their customer type (i.e. residential customers can only participate in residential programs).
To meet Energy Waste Reduction goals, Bay City Electric Light & Power has created several types of programs. For residential customers, the Energy Smart program consists of Home Rebates and New ENERGY STAR Homes. Customers with qualifying incomes can participate in any of the residential programs, plus specialized programs such as the Helping Neighbors Program and our Refrigerator Replacement Program. Commercial & Industrial customers can participate in our Business Rebate or our Small Business Direct Install programs. Additionally, Bay City Electric Light & Power offers educational and pilot programs throughout the year.
The goal of the program is to reduce our customer's energy consumption, which has both a long-run and short-run benefit. In the short-run, customers who participate will experience lower electric bills by reducing their energy consumption. In the long-run, energy optimization programs reduce the need to construct fossil-fuel burning generation facilities by reducing the overall demand on the grid. Avoiding the construction of new facilities helps reduce our customers' cost.
There are three types of programs: residential, low income, and commercial/industrial. Each program type has different goals and program offerings to help meet our customers' needs of lowering energy. Since customers pay into these programs with monthly surcharges, it is mandated that customers only participate in programs that relate to their customer type (i.e. residential customers can only participate in residential programs).
To meet Energy Waste Reduction goals, Bay City Electric Light & Power has created several types of programs. For residential customers, the Energy Smart program consists of Home Rebates and New ENERGY STAR Homes. Customers with qualifying incomes can participate in any of the residential programs, plus specialized programs such as the Helping Neighbors Program and our Refrigerator Replacement Program. Commercial & Industrial customers can participate in our Business Rebate or our Small Business Direct Install programs. Additionally, Bay City Electric Light & Power offers educational and pilot programs throughout the year.