Have you heard of the Smart Cooling Rewards Program? This Dominion Power program will pay you $40 a year to let them install an A/C cycling switch that occasionally cycles off your air-conditioning on the warmest days of summer.
Turn off my air conditioning – are you kidding? Nope, more than 2,100 homes in Arlington have already signed up!
On the few days when A/C cycling is used, the indoor temperature may increase slightly but the fan stays on to circulate already cooled air. The compressor will cycle off for no more than 4 hours per event on weekdays only between 2-6pm, when most people aren’t home. That might not seem like much, but when thousands of homes simultaneously reduce the demand for electricity, the strain on the entire electrical distribution system is reduced.
Why is this important? The highest electrical demand (called “peak load”) occurs on the hottest summer days when electricity is the most expensive and dirty to produce. The Smart Cooling Rewards program is designed to specifically manage peak load capacity. That’s a good thing.
The Smart Cooling Rewards program helps use the electrical system more efficiently. This technology is available now to Arlington residents in owner-occupied single-family homes, townhouses, and some condos.
Get all the details and sign up today: Smart Cooling Rewards