Save Energy When It Matters Most & Earn Credits on Your Next Bill!
Voluntary Enrollment. Voluntary Participation. You are always in control!
Enroll in the Peak Power Rewards (PPR) Program, and you could earn credits on your next bill by reducing energy use during short periods of high electricity demand. Simple changes, like adjusting your thermostat a few degrees or delaying the use of large appliances, can put money back in your pocket while helping keep the grid reliable for everyone.
Please note: Completion of enrollment can take 5-7 business days to initiate participation and begin receiving notifications, this includes an initial email verification by the member. All participants, once enrolled, will receive email notifications as events are called (please check your spam folder). To receive text message notifications of events, the member must allow these permissions through SmartHub.
*If you have multiple accounts, you will need to complete and submit an application for each account you wish to enroll in the PPR program.
How the Peak Power Rewards Program Works
- Notification of Events: When our power supplier, Southern Illinois Power Cooperative (SIPC), predicts high electricity demand, they’ll call a “Peak Power Rewards Event.” Each event will last between 2 and 4 hours. Members enrolled in the PPR program will typically receive a 24-hour notice via email and/or text so they can plan to reduce energy usage.
- You Choose How to Participate: During an event, members decide if and how they want to reduce their energy use. Participation is voluntary, and there are no penalties for not participating.
- Earn Bill Credits: Members who reduce energy use below their personalized baseline during an event can earn $1 for each kilowatt-hour (kWh) saved. Each participant’s baseline is calculated using their recent energy usage. Pilot participants averaged about $5 in bill credits per event.
Ways to Save During a PPR Event
- Adjusting thermostat settings (in the winter, lower your thermostat by 4 or more degrees; in the summer, increase your thermostat by 4 or more degrees).
- Turning off unnecessary lights and electronics.
- Shifting clothes washing/drying, dishwashing and/or cooking usage to outside of the event time frame.
- Turning off pool pump, hot tub, or spa (if applicable).
- Reducing the use of multiple appliances at the same time.
- Waiting to use any other form of significant electricity until the event is over, or shifting that use to a time outside of the event.
- Delaying electric vehicle charging.
- Switching to a safely installed backup generator (if applicable).
Peak Power Rewards FAQ
What is the Peak Power Rewards (PPR) program?
The Peak Power Rewards (PPR) program is a voluntary program offered to members of Monroe County Electric Cooperative (MCEC). The program offers participants financial incentives in the form of bill credits for temporarily reducing their energy consumption during short periods of high demand or high market prices.
The program is provided through Southern Illinois Power Cooperative (SIPC), MCEC’s generation and transmission cooperative in Marion, Illinois, where MCEC sources 100% of its electricity needs via an all-purchase power agreement.
Am I eligible to enroll in Peak Power Rewards Program?
If you are an active residential member of MCEC — meaning you receive your electricity from MCEC — you are eligible to enroll in the Peak Power Rewards Program.
*If you have multiple accounts, you will need to complete and submit an application for each account you wish to enroll in the PPR program.
What are the benefits of joining the Peak Power Rewards Program? Earn bill credits.
Earn bill credits.
The biggest member benefit is the chance to earn credits on your bill by reducing your energy use during short periods of high demand or high market prices.
Help keep power costs down.
By lowering demand during peak times, you help MCEC and Southern Illinois Power Cooperative (SIPC) avoid purchasing high-cost power from the open market. As a member-owned cooperative, those savings ultimately benefit all MCEC members.
Support grid reliability.
Your participation strengthens the overall stability of the electric grid during times of high strain, helping keep power reliable for your home and the entire community.
What are Peak Power Rewards “events” and when will they happen?
Peak Power Rewards (PPR) events are short periods, usually 2–4 hours in duration, when participants are asked to reduce their energy use to help manage high electricity demand or high market prices. These events are called by SIPC when peak demand or high prices are expected. By participating, you can earn credits on your electric bill.
Events most often occur during extreme temperature seasons: summer (June–August) between 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and winter (December–February) between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. However, events can happen any time of year if SIPC predicts high demand, high prices, or a grid emergency.
How will I know when a peak event is happening?
Members enrolled in PPR will usually receive 24 hours’ notice of an event via email and text through SmartHub. If you are not enrolled in SmartHub, you will receive an email notification only. Some events may be called with less notice. Notifications will provide the exact date and time to reduce your energy use.
How are my Peak Power Rewards credits calculated?
PPR participants will be credited $1/kWh reduced under their personal, calculated baseline energy usage.
A member’s baseline energy usage is calculated using their average usage on similar, recent days. After an event occurs, your actual energy consumption during the event will be subtracted from your baseline and multiplied by $1/kWh. The credit will be applied to the following month’s electric bill.
There are no penalties associated with this program for non-participation during events.
What are the best strategies to reduce my energy consumption and maximize my savings?
Here are some simple ways to lower your energy use during a PPR event:
- Manually adjust thermostat temperature setting (4° up or down depending on season)
• Reduce lighting, delay washing/drying, taking showers/baths and/or cooking usage until PPR event is over
• Reduce use of multiple appliances at the same time
• Delay EV charging
• Switch off non-essential loads such as water heaters, pool pumps, hot tubs, etc.
• Switch to back up generators
Can I track my earned credits?
At this time, you will not be able to see your savings per event, however you will be able to see your usage during each event using the Usage Explorer tool in SmartHub. If there are multiple events during the billing period, your savings accumulate in one line item on your monthly bill.
How do I change how I receive notifications or update my details?
The program requires each member to receive email notifications for each event. If you are not enrolled in SmartHub and would like to receive text notifications simply enroll in SmartHub, add your phone number as a contact method and you will be set to receive both notifications. If you would like to add or remove a contact method, you can do this by going to SmartHub -> Settings -> Contact Methods -> to add or remove an email or phone number. If you want to learn more about SmartHub visit eeca.coop/smarthub.
What is the process for leaving the program?
If you would like to unenroll in the program for any reason, please email us at demandresponse@mcec.org or call our office and we can assist you. Please keep in mind, participation in events is completely voluntary and there is no penalty for not reducing your usage.
Will we share your information when you enroll in PPR?
We will provide a third party Distributed Energy Resource Management (DERMS) company the information provided on your application, as well as your meter data so we can accurately calculate your rewards. They are not permitted to sell your data to any other entities for any other purposes or use your data for any other programs without your consent. The DERMS vendor controls the management of the events, calculation of baselines, and savings calculations.
What if I am a pre-pay member?
At the time your PPR credit is applied to your account, it will be prorated based on the remaining days in the month.
For example, if you earn a $10 credit and it is applied on June 20, you will receive a $1 per day credit through the end of June, which will be reflected in your daily prepaid billing transactions.
Why am I not notified of my savings following each PPR event?
Currently, we do not have the capability to notify each member of the savings during each event. We are working on a solution to this, however, you will be able to see your monthly savings on your billing statement and see your usage during each event in SmartHub.
If I have multiple accounts, do I need to sign up for each account?
Yes, you will need to complete and submit an application for each account you wish to enroll in the PPR program.
Does this program allow MCEC to modify or control any of my devices?
No. There will be no load modifications or controlling of any devices in this program. This is a voluntary program that rewards members for decreasing usage during periods of high demand or high market prices and has no ability to control devices owned by the consumer-member.
I received an error message when trying to submit my application.
If you have an error while trying to submit your application, please call our office at 618-939-7171, and we will be happy to assist you.
What if I have solar?
Members who have solar generation are welcome to participate in our PPR program!
What if I don’t have a SmartHub account?
If you don’t have a SmartHub account, please call our office to ensure your preferred email address is on file so you receive event notifications.
On the enrollment form, the field for “Account Number” shows “10 characters left,” but my account number is only 8 digits long. Will my number be accepted?
Yes! The form allows up to 10 characters in the “Account Number” field, but shorter account numbers, such as 8-digit numbers, are valid and will be accepted. Members should enter their full account number as it appears on their bill.
I have not received notifications about Peak Power Rewards (PPR) events. What should I do?
Please try the following steps to make sure you receive notifications:
- Check other inboxes – Sometimes notifications go to your spam, promotions, or other folders. Adding us to your contacts list can help ensure messages arrive in your main inbox.
- Verify SmartHub settings – If you have a SmartHub account:
- Go to More → Settings → Contact Methods and confirm your email and/or phone number is correct and enrolled to receive notifications.
- Then go to Settings → Manage Notifications → Marketing, scroll down to “Program Event Scheduled”, and make sure you the toggle switch is green and you are enrolled for text and/or email notifications.
If you still do not receive notifications, please call our office at 618-939-7171.
I’m trying to enroll in Peak Power Rewards (PPR) using the app, but I have an Android phone. What should I do?
Android users have reported difficulty enrolling through the app. We recommend trying to enroll using an internet browser on your phone or a desktop computer instead. This method should allow you to complete your enrollment without issues.