Save up to 20% on your summer 2012 electric bill

If you reduce your electricity usage this summer, you’ll save two times over – on your reduced usage and on special incentive credits.

In order to deal with predicted electricity shortages, the Public Utility Authority in cooperation with the Israel Electric Corporation (IEC / חברת החשמל) is encouraging consumers to reduce their usage by rewarding them with credits!

Registration is required
First and foremost, you must register by 31 May 2012!  Only customers who register on time are eligible.

• Registration requires that you send a request to IEC.
• From your electric bill, you will need your contract number (מספר חוזה), found on the front of your bill, and the last four digits of your meter number (מונה מספר), found on the back of your bill.
• You must receive a confirmation by email or mail.  (I received an email confirmation after about an hour.)

How does the program work?
Household usage from June, July, August, and September 2012 will be compared to usage from the same months in 2011.  For each month that a household is able to reduce usage by the minimum percentage, a credit will be issued in or after December 2012.

After registering, you should receive an email listing your summer 2011 usage and your targets for summer 2012.  A reduction in electricity usage during one month in 2012 compared to the same month in 2011 will yield a credit based on the following ranges:

• 15 to 20% reduction in usage > 10% credit
• 20 to 30% reduction in usage > 20% credit
• A reduction of over 30% (or under 15%) will not yield any credit or discount!

A few other points to remember:

• You must have been registered with IEC as a customer at your present address since 31 May 2011.
• Electricity usage is still measured by someone physically checking the meter at your home, and it doesn’t necessarily happen on the first of the month.  Thus, comparing one month from this year and one month from last year requires a bit of estimation.  In order to better ensure your ability to receive the discount, the IEC recommends that you begin reducing usage even before 1 June 2012 and continue past 30 September 2012.
• Only customers who are using the regular, home rates are eligible.  (Those who pay differential rates based on time of day are not eligible.)

Hopefully, you can reduce your usage and qualify for the credits.  Either way, there’s no cost to register and it only takes a minute, so give it a shot!