Changes Coming To Ameren Incentive
November 15, 2018

Changes Coming To Ameren Incentive. Energy efficiency and being green is a goal for many companies. Recycling programs, going paperless, and retrofitting costly existing lighting with LED or fluorescent lamps can help businesses realize exceptional cost savings, and at the same time help the environment.

If you’re considering retrofitting the lighting at your company, now is the perfect time to pull the trigger on those projects. You’d better act fast, though, because the clock is ticking on incentives that can save you even more money upfront (up to $500,000!).

Ameren Missouri has announced that they’ll be discontinuing their incentive program as of January 31, 2019. Just like car dealerships offering incentives on a purchase, there’s no guarantee that they’ll renew the program or make changes to it if they do decide to re-boot the rebates down the road. As an example of a potential change, this year we started out with phenomenal incentives, but in early August Ameren changed the program and lowered them by approximately 25 to 30%.

How do I apply for the Ameren incentive?
The process for applying for the incentive is easy, but there’s time involved, which is why noting that January 31 deadline is so important. If the incentive you’re calculated to receive is $10,000 or less, we can purchase the products, install your new lighting, and file the incentive paperwork for you. However (and this is a big however), if your project is calculated to receive an incentive of more than $10,000 or if it’s an exterior project, then Ameren has to inspect the site and give us pre-approval before we can order products and start the work. Inspections are currently being scheduled between 1 ½ – 2 ½ weeks out from the initial request, but with the deadline drawing near and more companies rushing to get their projects in the queue, we expect Ameren to run into a significant inspection backlog.

To give us some leeway to help ensure that every “i” is dotted and “t” is crossed, we’d like to have all retrofit projects completed by January 25th so we can be sure to get your paperwork filed correctly and on time. As long as the project is completed, and the application is submitted prior to January 31st, your incentive is guaranteed.

How much of an incentive will I receive?
Your incentive is based on how many watts are saved. For example, if you go from a 32-watt lamp down to a 12-watt lamp, you’d save 20 watts per lamp. A retrofit using fluorescent lamps receives 30¢ per watt. Replacing A-Style household-type bulbs with LEDs results in an incentive of $3 per lamp. Specialty lamps such as parlor lamps and spotlights receive $6 per lamp.

Do the math and see how much of an incentive you stand to receive to help you with your company’s project. If you’ve been on the fence about a retrofit, the time to get your project on the schedule is now. Don’t miss the January 31st deadline! Contact us today!

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