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

Interstate Power and Light Co. (IPL), an Alliant Energy company announced today that it will cycle air conditioners for participating Iowa customers north of Interstate 80. Weather conditions are such that between 1 p.m. and 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 customers have a small control switch placed on or near their central air conditioner. Today, Alliant Energy will be sending a signal to the switch in and around Cedar Rapids, Clinton, Mason City, Decorah, Oelwein and Dubuque. 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 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 between 1 and 7 p.m. They are not initiated on weekends or holidays. Participation in the program is limited.

This is the fifth cycling event in Iowa this year. If the forecasted heat index continues through this week, more cycling events are possible for the same group of customers.

Alliant Energy is an energy-services provider with subsidiaries serving approximately 1 million electric and over 400,000 natural gas customers. Providing its customers in the Midwest with regulated electric and natural gas service is the company’s primary focus. Interstate Power and Light, the company's Iowa utility subsidiary, serves approximately 530,000 electric and 235,000 natural gas customers. Alliant Energy, headquartered in Madison, Wis., is a Fortune 1000 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol LNT. For more information, visit the company’s Web site at www.alliantenergy.com.