News : Alliant Energy to initiate Appliance Cycling in parts of Iowa today

Today’s event impacts about 20,000 customers in central portion of state

Interstate Power and Light Co. (IPL), an Alliant Energy company, announced today it will cycle air conditioners for participating Iowa customers in the central region of the state, approximately south of highway 20 and north of interstate 80. Weather conditions are such that from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. today customers enrolled in the Appliance Cycling program will have their air conditioner cycled in 15-minute intervals to reduce overall energy usage.

Participating residential customers have a small control switch placed on or near their central air conditioner. Today, Alliant Energy will send a signal to the switches in the targeted areas. Some of the major communities included in this cycling event include Cedar Rapids, Marshalltown, Clinton, Newton, and Grinnell. The control switch will cycle the outdoor cooling unit off and on every 15 minutes. The furnace fan will continue to circulate the cooler, drier air already in the home.

Alliant Energy pays each participating residential customer $8 per month from June through September – whether the air conditioner is cycled or not. A similar program for electric water heaters is also included in today’s event. Customers enrolled in that program receive a $2 per month discount during the same June through September time period.

Appliance Cycling events typically occur between May 15 and September 15 on weekdays from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. They are not initiated on weekends or holidays.

Interstate Power and Light Company (IPL), based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, provides electric service to 525,000 customers and natural gas service to 233,000 customers in more than 700 communities throughout Iowa and southern Minnesota. IPL is committed to providing the energy and exceptional service its customers and communities expect – safely, reliably, and affordably. IPL is a subsidiary of Alliant Energy Corporation, for more information, visit alliantenergy.com or call 1-800-ALLIANT (800-255-4268).