Frequently Asked Questions - Overall
How do I sign up?
Visit
here to enroll your existing thermostat. If you need to purchase a qualifying thermostat visit the
Ameren Missouri Online Store. Once you receive and install your new thermostat, visit
here to complete your enrollment.
How is this different from just having a smart thermostat?
The Peak Time Savings Program makes your smart thermostat even smarter. Most smart thermostats offer custom schedules, but these schedules often do not account for variations in weather, how your home uses energy, Peak Demand events, or energy pricing. Peak Time Savings Program learns your preferences and proactively manages your thermostat daily to meet them, all while keeping your home comfortable.
Does the program save money on my bill?
In addition to participating in Peak Time Savings Program events, the program will help to optimize your daily thermostat settings to ensure your comfort and help save you money on your bill.
What thermostats are eligible?
The following thermostats are eligible for the program: ecobee3, ecobee3 lite, ecobee4, ecobee Smart Thermostat, Google Nest Learning Thermostat (all generations), Google Nest E Thermostat.
Can I participate with my Nest thermostat?
The Peak Time Savings Program is actively working to include additional thermostat models including Nest. Please check back with us for additional information on when this will be available.
Can I use my existing ecobee thermostat?
Yes! You can enroll your existing thermostat in the program by going to the
enrollment page.
What if I don't have a qualifying thermostat?
If you don't have a qualifying thermostat, simply visit the
Ameren Missouri Online Store. There you can select and purchase a qualifying thermostat. Once you receive and install your new thermostat, visit
here to complete your enrollment.
What do I get for participating?
You will receive a $50 sign up bonus for enrolling your thermostat into the Peak Time Savings Program. Additionally, you will receive $25 each year you continue to participate in the Peak Time Savings Program.
When will I receive my incentive?
When you enroll your existing thermostat in the program, your sign-up bonus check will be received within 4 weeks of completed enrollment. In addition, for continued participation in the Peak Time Savings Program, the annual incentive will be received within 4 weeks of the anniversary of your enrollment.
Who do I contact if I have additional questions?
Frequently Asked Questions - Event Questions
What is a Peak Time Savings event?
On certain days during the summer, the Peak Time Savings Program will run an event to save energy during high demand times. During these events, the Peak Time Savings Program will manage your cooling schedule to reduce the runtime of your HVAC system when there is the most demand for energy. To ensure your comfort, we cool your home in advance of a Peak Time Savings event when energy demand is low. By doing this, we can prepare your home for the Peak Time Savings event to keep it comfortable while your air conditioning is off during the Peak Time Savings event.
When could an event occur and how often?
Events can occur Monday through Friday in the months of May through September. Typically, events are called in the late afternoon. Up to 10 events can be called each summer. Peak Time Savings Program events can last up to four hours.
How do I know when an event is occurring?
The program will send an email to you let you know that an event is planned the same day as the event is scheduled. The program will also send an email letting you know when an event is beginning and ending.
Can I adjust my thermostat during Peak Time Savings Events?
The Peak Time Savings Program takes into consideration your comfort preferences and will always operate within a comfort band based on your thermostat settings to make sure you and your family stay comfortable throughout the event. Average indoor temperature typically increases around two degrees Fahrenheit.
If you wish to opt out of the event and adjust your thermostat settings, then you can call the Peak Time Savings Program at 877.215.5752. Ameren Missouri reserves the right to remove participants from the Peak Time Savings Program or make the customer ineligible for the next annual incentive if they opt out of three or more events in the year.
Frequently Asked Questions - Thermostat Optimization Questions
What is Peak Time Savings doing when it is optimizing on Energy Efficiency days?
Peak Time Savings uses the weather, the unique characteristics of your home, and your preferences to create a personalized thermostat schedule for the day that keeps you comfortable and helps you save. This may mean that you see some different setpoints on your ecobee!
The temperature in my home is uncomfortable on Energy Efficiency days. What can I do?
In general, the key ingredient in Peak Time Savings' energy efficiency algorithms are your preset home, sleep, and away schedules. So, if you're uncomfortable during certain parts of the day, the best and easiest thing to do is check your standard home, sleep, and away schedules and adjust them accordingly: if you're too warm, try lowering the set temperature of your schedule.
Have you already recalibrated your schedule? Simply adjust your thermostat. You're always in control of your thermostat.
Why should I set my smart thermostat schedule?
Setting your smart thermostat schedule will help us understand how you like to keep your home. Do you like it a little warmer in the morning? A little cooler at night? Adjust your schedule to reflect these preferences, and we'll do the rest.
Can I adjust my thermostat during Energy Efficiency Days?
When the program sees an opportunity to help you save even more on non-event days, it may set your thermostat above or below your settings by around two degrees. The goal is for this change to be so small that you stay comfortable. These optimizations are always provided to you for your energy savings.
If you are not comfortable, make sure your thermostat schedule is set to temperatures that you like. Setting your thermostat schedule will help us understand how you like to keep your home. You can change your thermostat schedule at any time. The Peak Time Savings Program will adjust to your new preferences to continue to help you save the most.
Also, you can adjust the set point on your thermostat. The Peak Time Savings Program will resume when the next EE schedule is dispatched, which is typically at a 2-hour cadence.
It looks like my Smart Home, Smart Away, or Smart Recovery is off. Is that a change you made?
When Peak Time Savings sees an opportunity to help you save even more, it may turn off certain features on your ecobee, including your Smart Home, Smart Away, and Smart Recovery settings. Our goal is for these changes to be so small that you don't even notice, but if you are uncomfortable, you can adjust your thermostat set point.
When Peak Time Savings isn't optimizing your schedule for more savings, we'll always follow your regular thermostat settings.
Does Peak Time Savings work with my ecobee sensors?
Yes. If your ecobee came with sensors, you can use them with Peak Time Savings. Peak Time Savings will look at the temperatures on each of your sensors, and your thermostat, to create a custom schedule.
To get the best schedule, avoid putting your sensors close to a place that is drafty or unusually warm, such as a vent, fan, window, or oven.
How does Peak Time Savings operate with my sensors?
Peak Time Savings respects your sensor configurations. If you have a sensor in your bedroom, make sure that it is set up to align with your sleep schedule. If you're still too hot
at night, try adjusting your sleep schedule to a lower temperature.
Can I unenroll from daily energy efficiency optimization and stay in Peak Time Savings events?
Not at this time. Peak Time Savings is working to make your smart thermostat even smarter. You save more energy on a daily basis and help to shift energy out of peak demand windows when Peak Time Savings events are called.
