Have you been wondering how you can save money on your MidAmerican Energy bill? Luckily for you, there are plenty of ways to save each month with MidAmerican Energy. MidAmerican was founded in 1995 and services parts of four states. We want to help their customers in Iowa, Illinois, South Dakota, and Nebraska all find ways to save!
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Maintain a Predictable Bill Through Budget Billing
Electrical bills can be tough on a budget. Your energy bills can vary wildly depending on the season which can turn your budget upside down. That’s why MidAmerican Energy offers Budget Billing. Budget billing isn’t a discount and won’t actually save any money over the course of the year. What it will do is even out your payment amounts over the course of the year so you budget the same amount each month. This consistency will help you keep your budget on track. When you take part in Budget Billing MidAmerican will take your average monthly bill over the previous 24 months. You then pay that amount a month each month instead of not knowing what your energy bill is going to cost you until it arrives in your mailbox.
Lower Your Bill Through Energy Audits and Rebates
It’s also possible to lower your bills by receiving a HomeCheck energy audit. MidAmerican Energy will send an expert to your home to analyze it and determine if there is any inefficiency that can be improved. There are a number of energy-saving items that the expert can install free of charge that will lower your bill each month. These experts check everything from your thermostat to kitchen and laundry appliances.
Once the audit is completed you’ll be eligible for several rebates that can lower or eliminate some of your payments. When you install certain energy efficient appliances and fill out the appropriate forms you will be eligible for some one-time rebates. There are rebates for kitchen appliances like freezers and refrigerators. There are also rebates for heating and cooling appliances such as natural gas furnaces, programmable thermostats, and much more. The highest single rebate is for $700 so the potential savings are substantial.
Get Help With Your MidAmerican Energy Bill.
It’s also possible to get direct help with your MidAmerican Energy bill if you qualify. In the states that MidAmerican Energy cover that assistance comes in the form of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program known as LIHEAP. Established in 1981, LIHEAP is a program established by the federal government to assist low-income citizens to meet their home energy needs. While the program is federally funded, states are tasked with forming programs to distribute these funds.
In Iowa, a patchwork of state agencies is charged with distributing aid to families that need it. Iowa has a helpful interactive map that will show you which agency to contact. Applications are accepted first come / first served until the funding runs out. The signup period runs from November 1 to April 30.
The LIHEAP sponsored program in Illinois is called Keep Illinois Warm and includes assistance from other state-level programs like the Illinois Home Weatherization Assistance Program (IHWAP). It not only provides energy bill assistance for low-income residents but also provides free energy audits and some tax incentives.
In South Dakota, the program is known simply as Energy Assistance. The amount of assistance you’re eligible for depends on your household income and the number of people that live in your home. Like Iowa, these funds are distributed on a first come / first served basis.
In Nebraska, the Department of Children and Family Services operates the LIHEAP Energy Assistance program. Nebraska’s program will provide anyone who qualifies for energy bill subsidies. This program will also at times make one-time crisis payments for qualifying citizens who have receive a utility shutoff notice. The requirements depend on how many people live in your home and your maximum household income. For a household of 1, the maximum annual income to receive LIHEAP funding is $15,301. In a household of 8, the maximum household income is $53,157.
Take Advantage of Some of MidAmerican’s Other Benefits
MidAmerican Energy has a number of other helpful benefits you might not know about. They have an appliance recycling program that will not only haul off your old refrigerator, freezer or window air conditioner for free but also pay you a rebate for doing so.
MidAmerican Energy also offers several tree services at no charge. Their forestry services department is constantly pruning back trees away from power lines and will come prune your trees back at no charge. What’s more, in the Des Moines area the wood chips and mulch that come from all of this pruning are given away free of charge.
