TRAVERSE CITY -- Public utilities are powering up local efforts to help their residential and commercial customers consume less electricity.
Both Traverse City Light & Power and Cherryland Electric Cooperative launched programs to help their customers reduce energy use in response to state Public Act 295 signed into law last year.
Light & Power customers can obtain free coupons worth up to $8 toward purchase of Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) bulbs at the Governmental Center at 400 Boardman Ave. or the utility's main office at 1131 Hastings St. in Traverse City. The city utility is also planning a rebate program this fall that include a $60 incentive to recycle older refrigerators and freezers, and will offer other rebates for Energy Star appliances next year.
Commercial customers at Light & Power also can apply for up to $10,000 to offset the installation of new energy-efficient lighting and other non-energy equipment. Those incentives are tied to the availability of funding for the program, and customers should contact program coordinator Franklin Energy at 1(877) 674-7281 to determine if funds are available before they submit applications to Light & Power. More information on Light & Power's "Energy Smart" incentives is available at www.tclp.org.
Cherryland's program to recycle old refrigerators has already attracted about 75 utility customers, said Kevin Cragg, Cherryland's member services manager.
"Most of them are second ones (customers) are getting rid of," Cragg said.
Cherryland is also keeping members up to date about its other energy efficiency incentives with flyers, billing inserts and cooperative publications, Cragg said. It's planning a series of energy savings seminars next month at its headquarters at 5930 U.S. 31 in Grawn, including a program on net metering on Oct. 1 from 6 to 8 p.m. A "Bright Ideas" open house will be held Oct. 15 from 4 to 6:30 p.m. where members can receive free CFL bulbs, and an Oct. 29 program on home energy audits will be held from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
More information on Cherryland's energy incentives is available at www.cherrylandelectric.com
Light & Power will also offer free CFL bulbs to its customers on Oct. 3 at an open house from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the utility office on Hastings Street. It will include free food and beverages, tours and equipment demonstrations.
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