The Demand Conservation switch is a small radio receiver that is mounted near your outdoor air conditioning unit or heat pump. Once installed, we use it to briefly interrupt air conditioning cycles on "peak" summer days instead of burning more natural gas to generate electricity at higher costs.

We don't control the switch very often or for very long. In fact, we have a maximum number of days we are allowed to use the switches and customers participating in the program report that they feel little or no difference in their home's temperature on the days we control.

In short, Demand Conservation helps preserve the environment and keep down the costs of generating electricity on peak demand days.

Plus, you receive a credit on your electric bills during the summer months (June, July, August and September).

Our business partner, GoodCents, installs our switches at no cost to you. GoodCents is a company that specializes in the installation of these demand-saving devices and maintains all of the necessary licenses, permits and insurance. They have a proven track record of providing high quality installations and superior customer service.

You can sign up online or by calling 1-800-356-5467.

The first June, July, August or September bill you receive after the switch is installed on your home should include the $5 credit. Please allow several days after the installation for us to process your paperwork.

During periods of peak energy use in the summer months, a radio signal is sent to your switch to activate it. This signal will interrupt the flow of electricity to the compressor on your air conditioner or heat pump for a few minutes each half-hour. This is what reduces the peak demand for energy, helping to keep down the cost of electricity. Your indoor fan will continue to run if your thermostat calls for cooling. That means it will circulate the air that has already been cooled inside your home and keep you comfortable.

You should notice little, if any, difference in your home's indoor air temperature. Our experience has been that customers see little difference in overall comfort level. Programs similar to this have been in existence since the early 1980s, implemented by other large electric utilities, and customers rarely, if ever, notice any difference in their indoor air temperature.

Call us at 1-800-356-5467. Typically, we can troubleshoot the problem over the telephone and either solve the problem or send one of our technicians. Of the few calls we have received, more than 90% of the problems that have been identified are related to something other than the switch.

We will call for activation only on summer days when demand for electricity reaches a peak. Typically, cycling will occur for a few hours on no more than 20 days all summer, during the late afternoon and early evening. We will not activate your switch on weekends or holidays unless there is an extreme system emergency.

Generally, your switch will be installed within three to four weeks. This can vary depending on the time of year and the number of customers who have signed up for the program.

Not necessarily. Just be sure any gates that provide access to your outside air conditioning unit are unlocked and that there is not a lock on the electrical disconnect box located beside your air conditioning unit. We will leave a packet of information for you when we install the device.

Your switch has a window on the front of it. A light (either red or yellow) will show in the window when the switch has been activated. This light will be on during the few minutes that electricity is being interrupted to the compressor. When the light goes out, electricity will be restored to the compressor, and cooling will continue. This process will repeat every thirty minutes during the period the switch is activated. A green light may be on, off or momentarily flash, indicating that the switch is testing itself.

Please do not hesitate to contact us at 1-800-356-5467 anytime you have a question about your switch.

Your switch is an extremely reliable piece of equipment with a failure rate of well below 1%. It is designed to allow your cooling or heating to continue to work in the unlikely event of a failure. The switch fails in a positive mode, which means your cooling or heating will continue to operate normally even in the unlikely event the switch does fail.

First, we ask that you check your circuit breaker or fuses to make sure there is not a problem with them. Next, double check your thermostat to be sure it's set properly. If all of that checks out okay, call us toll-free at 1-800-356-5467 anytime day or night. We can often help you determine the problem over the phone. If there is a problem with the switch, we will send a technician to your home right away to make any necessary corrections.

While we have attempted to educate heating and air conditioning contractors about the Demand Conservation program, they may, on occasion, recommend that it be removed or disconnected. Please have your service technician call us at 1-800-356-5467 before allowing them to proceed with disconnection or removal. We have worked with the equipment manufacturers during the design of this device and program, and you can be assured your switch will not harm your air conditioner or heat pump in any way, and it will not affect your equipment's warranty.

The switch is connected to the low voltage wire (24 volts) that goes from your thermostat to your air conditioner's compressor. The switch turns off the compressor just as if you had manually adjusted your thermostat setting to a high enough temperature to turn your air conditioner off for a few minutes yourself. That's the simple part of the switch. Your switch is also a radio that receives the control signal from us.

This is one of the safety features. After a power interruption (outage) to the air conditioning unit or heat pump, the compressor is not allowed to operate for three to seven minutes to prevent short cycling, which could damage the compressor.

Call us toll-free at 1-800-356-5467 to let us know. We will arrange to have your switch installed on your new air conditioner or heat pump.

Yes, it does. If you have an electric water heater, we will install a Demand Conservation device and pay you $2 per summer month (June through September) per water heater. If you are interested in adding your water heater to the program, please sign up online or call us toll-free at 1-800-356-5467.

Call us toll free at 1-800-356-5467. We can arrange for a switch to be installed on the unit at your new house.

Have your friend, relative, or neighbor visit this site to sign up online or call us toll free at 1-800-356-5467 to sign up.

If you have any questions or comments, call us toll free at 1-800-356-5467.