No, you must sign up and remain in the Peak Thermostat Program to receive your bill credits.

Electricity purchased by NREMC to power our members’ homes is more expensive during peak times across the 13-state region we belong to. While members don’t see a fluctuation in energy costs on their bills based on time, we do.

If more energy is needed during these peak times, the co-op's energy costs will increase and can lead to rate increases the following year. This program is one of the ways we try to prevent rate increases.

When you enroll in this program, you’ll help save energy during “peak” usage times. This means you’ll be alerted prior to a Peak event when your smart thermostat will automatically adjust temperatures before/during a peak time to reduce energy use across the power grid.

But don’t worry, if you ever get uncomfortable, you can simply change the temperature on your smart thermostat.

After enrollment, any changes to your smart thermostat will happen between June 1 and September 30 and will only change by 2-3 degrees. A Peak thermostat event can occur up to five times per week, with a maximum of 15 peak thermostat events per Peak program season. (Weekends and holidays are excluded from peak thermostat events.)

Please remember that your smart thermostat must be connected to your wi-fi for these changes to take place.

When a Peak Event is identified, normally your smart thermostat will pre-cool your home by 1 or 2 degrees for 1 hour before the peak thermostat event, then automatically change the temperature setpoint up by 2- 3 degrees in your home on that day without any manual intervention by you as long as your smart thermostat is connected to your wi-fi.

Peak thermostat events could occur anytime between 2 pm – 7 pm, and will last between 2-4 hours normally (not including the pre-cooling hour preceding the event).

Peak thermostat events will only occur during weekdays. Weekends and holidays are excluded from peak thermostat events. Peak thermostat events can occur up to 5 times per week, with a maximum of 15 peak thermostat events per program year.

Because NREMC is part of a 13-state transmission region, we will have peak events even when it doesn’t seem like a day where there’s high demand on the energy grid. For example, if there’s a heat wave affecting New Jersey, that will ultimately affect us too because it increases demand in our region.

In the event you terminate your enrollment in the peak thermostat program before the end of the initial enrollment year, you will be ineligible to receive an enrollment credit for any future participation in the peak thermostat program. Upon re-enrollment in the program for a subsequent peak thermostat year, you will be eligible to again receive the annual participation incentive.
 

Members will receive a $50 bill credit within 35 days of enrollment in NREMC’s Peak Thermostat Program. Maximum of two enrollment rebates per member. The annual rebate can include up to four thermostats. 

For each year that you participate in this program, you will receive a $50 annual participation credit on your bill within 35 days of September 30, unless participation is terminated by you or NREMC prior to the end of that year’s peak thermostat Year. To receive the annual participation credit, no more than three “opt-outs” are allowed per peak thermostat year.