Cooperative Rewards FAQ

• Your electric cooperative’s voluntary demand response program is designed to reward members for reducing their electricity use during periods of high demand or critical need. This decreases the use of less efficient and more expensive power sources and contributes to the reliability of the grid. That’s good for the environment, and it helps keep energy costs lower for everyone.

• Program participants agree to brief control events that will adjust their thermostats during high electric demand or critical need periods throughout the year.

• During the summer season (April 1 - October 31), adjustments may be called between 1 and 7 p.m. During the winter season (November 1 - March 31), adjustments may be called between 6 and 10 a.m. In both seasons the total number of planned adjustments will not exceed 80 hours of control, however; in the unlikely case of critical need past over 80 hours in either winter or summer, additional events may be called. More information on critical need is below.

• During the summer and winter seasons, critical controls may be called at any time of the day or night if there is a critical need. A critical need may be the result of extreme high demands, loss of generation, sudden loss of a renewable resource, or the need to balance energy reserves. Absent cases of critical need, adjustments will not occur on the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.

• Your electric cooperative is offering this program to members who have a qualifying internet-connected smart thermostat controlling their central air conditioning, heat pump, or other electric heat source.

The program:

• Gives us more control over our energy usage.

• Helps contribute to a reliable grid.

• Helps the environment by lowering energy use in your community.

To be eligible to enroll, you must meet the following qualifications:

• You are an electric cooperative residential account holder. You must be a member of Central Florida Electric Cooperative, Clay Electric Cooperative, Glades Electric Cooperative, Peace River Electric Cooperative, Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative, Talquin Electric Cooperative, Tri-County Electric Cooperative, or Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative to be eligible for Cooperative Rewards.

• You use your thermostat to control your central air conditioning, heat pump, or other electric heat source for summer cooling and winter heating.

• If your heating source is gas you may still enroll for summer controls. You will not be eligible for the $10 winter incentive.

• You have an eligible internet-connected thermostat.

Participants will receive a $20 bill credit per residential account after acceptance into the program and an additional $10 bill credit for participation in winter/heat controls in October. After the first year of the program, the $20 bill credit will be made in March of each year, and the heat/winter incentive of $10 will be paid in October of each year.

• You will receive your $20 bill credit for Cooperative Rewards within 2-3 billing cycles of acceptance into the program.

• You will receive your $10 bill credit for winter season heating controls in October. If you do not have an electric heat source, you will not receive a bill credit.

If you stay enrolled and take part in both summer and winter controls, you may be entered for a chance to win a $250 VISA/MC gift card at the conclusion each program year (March). NOTE: You must take part in at least 75% of all event minutes (summer and winter) to be entered for a chance to win.

You can find the program terms and conditions for all thermostat providers below:

Confirm your eligibility for Cooperative Rewards with these four questions:

1. Are you an electric cooperative residential electric member?

2. Do you use your thermostat to control your central air conditioning, heat pump, or other heat source?

3. Will you allow your electric cooperative to make short, low impact thermostat adjustments on high-energy usage days or critical event days throughout the program?

4. Your thermostat is located in a residence that is occupied by you, the account holder.

If you confirm these four questions, go to thermostatrewards.com/cooperative-rewards to choose whether you have an internet-connected thermostat to enroll in Cooperative Rewards.

• If you have an existing thermostat, please select your thermostat among the eligible models.

• Click the Enroll Now button to go to your thermostat’s enrollment site, where you’ll follow a series of simple steps to enroll.

Once your eligibility is confirmed by your electric cooperative, you will be enrolled in the program. You will receive notification on your eligibility status by email.

Depending on your thermostat provider, notifications will appear on the thermostat or in your web/mobile application.

• At the start of a temperature adjustment, your thermostat will be automatically adjusted up to 4 degrees above or below the current temperature.

• Events/adjustments will typically approximately last less than one hour. Absent cases of critical need, adjustments will not occur on the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.

• During the summer season (April 1 - October 31), adjustments may be called between 1 and 7pm up to 80 hours. During the winter season (November 1 - March 31), adjustments may be called between 6 and 10am for up to 80 hours. If a critical need event is called it may be called any time of the day or night, and more than 80 hours of control may be called in either season. More information on critical need is above.

• Once the temperature adjustment is over, or your thermostat reaches the 4-degree set point, your thermostat will return to its normal set point and schedule.

Adjustment events will only affect the temperature by a few degrees, with minimal impact on comfort. In addition, you can easily opt out of an event at any time, for any reason. Your participation is voluntary.

Yes. During an event, you can opt out from your mobile device, web app, or thermostat.

Send an email to cooperativerewards@energyhub.com, requesting to end your participation in the program. Once you have been removed from the program, your thermostat(s) will no longer be controlled, and you will not be eligible for further bill credits or the $250 participation drawing at the conclusion of the program.

Please email cooperativerewards@energyhub.com.

The Cooperative Rewards program structure or continuation is not guaranteed year over year.