What’s On Tap: Ways to Save, Learn, Speak Out

  • August 21, 2024
870 450 Tom Content

 

It’s almost fall and a lot is happening in the coming months that could affect your energy prices in the years ahead.

Today we want to highlight three key opportunities for you to take action — first, new ways you can save on your energy bills, new educational webinars from CUB, and ways you can have your say about rate hikes being proposed by your utility.

Home Energy Rebates

The state Focus on Energy program has rolled out its new program of rebates and incentives with funding supported by the federal Inflation Reduction Act.

Beginning this month, rebates are available through the Home Efficiency Rebate Program (HOMES) program.

HOMES offers rebates for energy-saving home improvements, including insulation and efficient heating/cooling equipment. Participants need a home energy assessment to be eligible. Rebate amounts are based on a household’s income level and predicted energy savings from recommended upgrades.

The new programs represent an infusion of dollars to Wisconsin to help people save on their energy bills. Together with a program that’s still in the works, a total of $149 million will be available to help Wisconsinites take steps to shore up energy efficiency and save on energy costs.

More details here.

Unsure about your next steps when it comes to saving on energy bills? CUB will be presenting two webinars in September that will put the current challenges and the new savings opportunities into context.

Join us at noon Wednesday, Sept. 4 for a small business webinar focused on steps a business can take to reduce energy costs, with a focus on energy efficiency for facility management and operations as well as tax credits for clean energy, renewable energy, alternative fuel vehicles, and buildings. You’ll get insights from Godfrey & Kahn, the U.S. Green Building Council and the Wisconsin Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy.

Click here to find out more and register.

Homeowners and renters will want to join us two weeks later, on Sept. 18. We’ll present a webinar focused on ways to save on energy bills at home, with a spotlight on the new inflation Reduction Act programs — the HOMES program mentioned above. We’ll have a speaker from Focus on Energy to help explain it all, plus Tom Content will provide an overview on what’s proposed for energy cost increases for 2025.

Click here to find out more and register.

Have Your Say:

Get Your Voice Heard on Rate Hikes

We Energies and WPS: There are two high-profile rate cases going on this year, involving We Energies and Wisconsin Public Service Corp. and their proposal to add $800 million in costs over the next two years.

The public comment period is open and dates for public hearings have been set for these cases. 

We Energies

Provide a comment during the public hearing, either in person or over Zoom, at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1 in Racine and 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3 in Milwaukee.

  • Attend the Oct. 1 Racine hearing in person in the gym at Cesar Chavez Community Center, 2221 Douglas Ave., Racine 53402.
  • Attend the Oct. 3 Milwaukee hearing in person at Drury Plaza Hotel, Great Lakes Ballroom, 700 N. Water St., Milwaukee 53202.

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Wisconsin Public Service Corp.

Provide a comment during the public hearing, either in person or over Zoom, at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. in Ashwaubenon, just south of Green Bay.

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Superior Water Light & Power: For utility customers in far northwest Wisconsin, now is the time to speak out if you’re as concerned as we are about the size of the increases and their impact on you.

We have all the details about what’s proposed and CUB’s recommendations on our Superior Active Cases page, which highlights the hikes in electricity, natural gas and water sought by the utility. This page also includes a summary of CUB’s recommendations for paring back these proposed hikes, and a link to file your comment on the PSC website.


You have three ways to let the PSC know what you think (just pick one of these three options):


1) Attend the in-person public hearing for the Superior case is set for Monday, Sept. 9 at 2 p.m. and 6 in Room 270, Douglas County Courthouse, 1313 Belknap Street, Superior.

2) Attend the same hearing on Sept. 9 virtually via Zoom and submit your comment over Zoom. Here’s how: Attend via Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/my/pschearings or by calling (312) 626-6799, using Meeting ID 809 513 2930.


3) Submit a written comment on the PSC website by Sept. 12, 2024.








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