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Cool Rewards
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Technology is cool.
Especially when you play a role to help conserve energy during the times that usage is at its highest with our Cool Rewards program. When you enroll, you can get up to $85 the first year. Find discounts on smart thermostats at APS Marketplace and enroll in Cool Rewards today.
Program Overview
Every summer, June 1 through September 30, there may be up to 20 Cool Rewards conservation events. Here are some other things to know about how an event will work:
- Prior to a conservation event, we will send you an email to notify you an event is occurring later in the day. You may also be notified by your thermostat manufacturer just prior to an event through the app or display on your thermostat.
- Your smart thermostat manufacturer may lower your thermostat(s) temperature a few degrees to pre-cool your home to help preserve your comfort during the conservation event or you may pre-cool your home yourself. Check with your manufacturer (see chart below) to see if they will pre-cool your home. NOTE: ecobee does not currently offer pre-cooling.
- During a conservation event, your thermostat manufacturer will raise your thermostat(s) temperature a few degrees above your set temperature for 2-3 hours. Remember, you can always adjust your thermostat(s) at any time during an event.
- After a conservation event, your thermostat(s) will return to your original setting or schedule.
What You Get for Participating in Cool Rewards
$50 One-Time Enrollment Credit:
- Customers who purchase smart thermostats from retailers or manufacturers and enroll their smart thermostat(s) will receive their $50 enrollment bill credit per smart thermostat within one to two billing cycles.
- If you purchased your smart thermostat from the APS Marketplace, you received your one-time enrollment $50 credit at the time of purchase.
$35 Annual Participation Credit:
- Customers who purchase smart thermostats from retailers or manufacturers and enroll their thermostat(s) prior to or during event season (June 1 - September 30) will receive their first $35 participation bill credit per smart thermostat at the end of their first season. Or, if customers enroll their smart thermostat(s) outside the event season (October 1 – May 31) they will receive their first participation bill credit at the end of the next conservation event season.
- After your first season, you will receive the $35 participation bill credit annually at the end of the season, as long as you are enrolled in the program, and it is available.
- If you purchased your smart thermostat from the APS Marketplace, you received your first season $35 participation credit at the time of purchase.
Have questions? Check out our FAQs below, or watch our helpful videos that answer commonly asked questions.
- How does pre-cooling help APS integrate more renewable energy into the grid? Why wasn't my home pre-cooled?
- Why did I receive notifications of events under a different name than Cool Rewards?
- Why hold events on the hottest days?
Cool Rewards Promise
- Conservation events are held during times of high energy use and you will be notified in advance.
- Conservation events are designed to help preserve your comfort.
- You are always in control of your thermostat and can adjust it at any time.
Cool Rewards Event Details
Our Cool Rewards program is a demand response program, DR for short, that helps to manage energy use when energy demand is high, typically on very hot days. We have partnered with seven well-known smart thermostat manufacturers and each may name the program and manage it differently, but they all help us to manage energy use.
| Manufacturer | Event Name | Event Notifications | Typical Manufacturer Pre-Cooling Prior to Event | Typical Event Start Time | Typical Event Duration | ||
| Mobile app | On-Device | Weekdays during off-peak hours |
Weekends all day off-peak hours |
Weekend start times may vary |
|||
Nest |
|
 |
|
Noon - 3 p.m. or 1-4 p.m. (depends on rate plan) |
3 or 4 p.m. | 5 or 6 p.m. | 2-3 hours |
Honeywell Home |
|
|
|
Noon - 3 p.m. or 1-4 p.m. (depends on rate plan) |
3 or 4 p.m. | 5 or 6 p.m. | 2-3 hours |
ecobee |
|
|
|
- | - | 5 or 6 p.m. | 2-3 hours |
Sensi |
|
|
|
Noon - 3 p.m. or 1-4 p.m. (depends on rate plan) |
3 or 4 p.m. | 5 or 6 p.m. | 2-3 hours |
ADC/Vivint |
|
|
Noon - 3 p.m. or 1-4 p.m. (depends on rate plan) |
3 or 4 p.m. | 5 or 6 p.m. | 2-3 hours | |
Lux |
|
|
|
Noon - 3 p.m. or 1-4 p.m. (depends on rate plan) |
3 or 4 p.m. | 5 or 6 p.m. | 2-3 hours |
Amazon |
|
|
|
Noon - 3 p.m. or 1-4 p.m. (depends on rate plan) |
3 or 4 p.m. | 5 or 6 p.m. | 2-3 hours |
Manufacturer: Nest
Event Name
- APS DR Energy Rush Hour
- Energy Rush Hour
Event Notifications
Mobile App:
On-Device:
Typical Manufacturer Pre-Cooling Prior to Event
Weekdays during off-peak hours
Noon - 3 p.m. or 1-4 p.m.
(depends on rate plan)
Weekends all day off-peak hours:
3 or 4 p.m.
Typical Event Start Time
Weekend start times may vary
5 or 6 p.m.
Typical Event Duration
2-3 hours
Manufacturer: Honeywell Home
Event Name
- Savings Event
- Energy Savings Event
Event Notifications
Mobile App:
On-Device:
Typical Manufacturer Pre-Cooling Prior to Event
Weekdays during off-peak hours
Noon - 3 p.m. or 1-4 p.m.
(depends on rate plan)
Weekends all day off-peak hours:
3 or 4 p.m.
Typical Event Start Time
Weekend start times may vary
5 or 6 p.m.
Typical Event Duration
2-3 hours
Manufacturer: ecobee
Event Name
- Community Energy Savings
- APS Cool Rewards Program
- High Energy Demand
Event Notifications
Mobile App:
On-Device:
Typical Manufacturer Pre-Cooling Prior to Event
Weekdays during off-peak hours
-
Weekends all day off-peak hours:
-
Typical Event Start Time
Weekend start times may vary
5 or 6 p.m.
Typical Event Duration
2-3 hours
Manufacturer: Sensi
Event Name
- APS Active Savings Event
Event Notifications
Mobile App:
On-Device:
Typical Manufacturer Pre-Cooling Prior to Event
Weekdays during off-peak hours
Noon - 3 p.m. or 1-4 p.m.
(depends on rate plan)
Weekends all day off-peak hours:
3 or 4 p.m.
Typical Event Start Time
Weekend start times may vary
5 or 6 p.m.
Typical Event Duration
2-3 hours
Manufacturer: AC?Vivint
Event Name
- APS Cool Rewards
Event Notifications
Mobile App:
On-Device:
Typical Manufacturer Pre-Cooling Prior to Event
Weekdays during off-peak hours
Noon - 3 p.m. or 1-4 p.m.
(depends on rate plan)
Weekends all day off-peak hours:
3 or 4 p.m.
Typical Event Start Time
Weekend start times may vary
5 or 6 p.m.
Typical Event Duration
2-3 hours
Manufacturer: Lux
Event Name
- Demand Response Event
Event Notifications
Mobile App:
On-Device:
Typical Manufacturer Pre-Cooling Prior to Event
Weekdays during off-peak hours
Noon - 3 p.m. or 1-4 p.m.
(depends on rate plan)
Weekends all day off-peak hours:
3 or 4 p.m.
Typical Event Start Time
Weekend start times may vary
5 or 6 p.m.
Typical Event Duration
2-3 hours
Manufacturer: Amazon
Event Name
- Energy Savings Event
Event Notifications
Mobile App:
On-Device:
Typical Manufacturer Pre-Cooling Prior to Event
Weekdays during off-peak hours
Noon - 3 p.m. or 1-4 p.m.
(depends on rate plan)
Weekends all day off-peak hours:
3 or 4 p.m.
Typical Event Start Time
Weekend start times may vary
5 or 6 p.m.
Typical Event Duration
2-3 hours
Smart Thermostat Instant Rebates on APS Marketplace
Virtual Installation Support
Cool Rewards Business
Join the Virtual Power Plant
At APS, our virtual power plant is a partnership with customers that creates a network of home smart devices — like smart thermostats and battery storage — that help reduce energy demand during peak times. This smart technology reduces the need to start up an additional power plant, cuts costs, protects the environment and enhances power grid reliability.
Learn more about the virtual power plant
Frequently Asked Questions
To be eligible to enroll, you:
- Are an APS residential customer
- Use your smart thermostat to control your central air conditioning
- Have an installed, eligible internet-connected thermostat at your residential address in APS service territory
You don’t have to do anything during an event – adjustments to your thermostat are made automatically. You do have to maintain a continuous connection to the internet and your thermostat provider. If you have any issues with connectivity, firmware, or the thermostat, you will need to assist us in troubleshooting and resolving the problem.
Some smart thermostat manufacturers will pre-cool your home prior to an event during low-cost, off- peak hours to help keep you comfortable during the event. If your manufacturer doesn’t, you can pre- cool your home yourself. When you get an email notification of a Cool Rewards event happening that day, lower your thermostat(s) a few degrees until 3 p.m., then put it back to your normal set temperature.
Yes, simply adjust your thermostat (up or down) on your mobile app, web browser or at your thermostat at any time during an event. You will always have control of your thermostat and will never be kept from adjusting your thermostat setting.
No, you do not need to be on a particular service plan to participate in the program.
Your bill credit will appear under “Other charges and credits" on your bill (page 3) and be applied to your energy cost for the month. The credit is not applied directly to your Budget Billing amount. When your Budget Billing payment is recalculated by our system, it will average your monthly energy costs over time and update your Budget Billing payment.
Yes. Customers with rooftop solar systems may participate in the program.
Please note, if you are a grandfathered solar customer on a frozen service plan with on-peak hours from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. or 12 p.m. to 7 p.m., participation could result in increased energy use in on-peak hours and higher energy costs.
If you move and take the thermostat(s) to your new home, you will need to unenroll the thermostat(s) from the previous home and re-enroll them in the new home. If the thermostat(s) are left in the home, the new owner will need to enroll in the program.
Send an email to aps@energyhub.com requesting to end your participation in the program. Un-enrolling from the program will end your participation for all of your enrolled thermostats and annual participation bill credits.
Smart thermostats help conveniently save energy by making slight adjustments to your heating/cooling energy usage patterns to maximize efficiency. To save on time-of-use plans, smart thermostats can also help you reduce your on-peak energy use by scheduling the thermostat to pre-heat or cool your home before on-peak hours start on weekdays. You may consider turning off the ‘geofencing’ or ‘occupancy sensing’ feature on your smart thermostat that recognizes when the house is occupied and automatically adjusts the thermostat. This feature can result in higher energy use during on-peak hours if you are typically away from home during the day and you arrive home during the on-peak period weekdays.
Smart thermostats help conveniently save energy by making slight adjustments to your heating/cooling usage patterns to maximize efficiency. Smart thermostats can recognize when you are and are not home and automatically adjust the temperature. This is called “geofencing” or “occupancy sensing”. These features don’t mix well with demand-based plans because they can result in higher energy demand during on-peak periods weekdays. If you are on a plan that includes a demand charge, we recommend you turn off the geofencing or occupancy sensing feature. Instead, schedule the thermostat to pre-cool your home before on-peak hours weekdays.
Who can I contact if I still have questions?
For questions regarding your thermostat, please contact your thermostat manufacturer.
For questions regarding enrollment in the APS Cool Rewards Business program, email aps@energyhub.com.
For all other questions, contact APS at coolrewards@aps.com.
