By helping customers in the AmerenUE service area reduce their consumption of electricity, the AmerenUE Lighting and Appliance Program will also help them lower their monthly electrical bill and lessen their impact on the environment. Here 's how:

Lighting and appliances have two price tags: the one you pay when you make the initial purchase and the one you pay each month for the electricity required to operate the appliance. ENERGY STAR® qualified lighting and appliances must meet specific energy-saving criteria to assure you will recover any extra up-front cost and then some over the lifetime of the product – without sacrificing quality or convenience.

To help you make the best decisions for you and your family, AmerenUE is working with manufacturers and Retail Partners to promote the following ENERGY STAR qualified products:

Ceiling fan/light combination units that have earned the ENERGY STAR are about 50% more efficient than conventional fan/light units. This can save you more than $15 per year on utility bills, depending on your usage.

While ENERGY STAR qualified ceiling fans use improved motors and blade designs, you can dramatically increase your savings with ENERGY STAR qualified lighting. If your fan doesn't include lighting, be sure to purchase an ENERGY STAR qualified light kit. This lighting is efficient and long lasting so you won't have to make frequent bulb changes.

Turn Off When Not In the Room

Ceiling fans cool people, not rooms. If the room is unoccupied, turn off the ceiling fan to save energy.

Using the Ceiling Fan Year-Round

In the summer, use the ceiling fan counter-clockwise. While standing directly under the ceiling fan you should feel a cool breeze. The airflow produced creates a wind-chill effect, making you feel cooler. In the winter, reverse the motor and operate the ceiling fan clockwise at low speed. This produces a gentle updraft, which forces warm air near the ceiling down into the occupied space. Remember to adjust your thermostat when using your ceiling fan—additional energy and dollar savings could be realized with this simple step.

ENERGY STAR Qualified Ceiling Fans with Lights

In the average U.S. home, lighting accounts for about 20% of the electric bill, so Americans can easily save money and protect the environment by installing ENERGY STAR qualified lighting.

ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs use about 75% less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer.

You can save about $30 or more in electricity costs over each bulb's lifetime.

And CFLs produce about 75% less heat, so they're safer to operate and can cut energy costs associated with home cooling.

Fun Fact: Replacing just one incandescent light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified CFL in every American home would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year and more than $600 million in annual energy costs. This would also prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars.

ENERGY STAR Qualified Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs)

In the average U.S. home, lighting accounts for about 20% of the electric bill, so Americans can easily save money and protect the environment by installing ENERGY STAR qualified lighting.

ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs use about 75% less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer.

You can save about $30 or more in electricity costs over each bulb's lifetime.

And CFLs produce about 75% less heat, so they're safer to operate and can cut energy costs associated with home cooling.

Fun Fact: Replacing just one incandescent light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified CFL in every American home would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year and more than $600 million in annual energy costs. This would also prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars.

CFL FAQs

Q: What are CFLs, and why should I use them in my home?

A: ENERGY STAR qualified Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs) use about 75% less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last up to ten times longer. CFLs are available in a wide variety of brightness, color, style, and rated life. They offer superior light quality, low maintenance, cool operation, and an excellent way to reduce electricity use. Be sure to look for ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs.

Q: How are CFLs more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs?

A: Standard incandescent bulbs waste 90% of their energy on producing heat and spend only 10% on producing light. However, CFLs use only 60% on producing heat and 40% on producing light.

Q: When replacing an incandescent bulb with a CFL, how do I know which one is comparable (in terms of wattage)?

A: Use the general rule of thumb that a replacement CFL is about a quarter of the wattage of an incandescent bulb. For example, a 100-watt incandescent = a 23 watt CFL. The products are often marked with their comparable incandescent wattage.

Q: What precautions should I take when using CFLs in my home?

A: CFLs are made of glass and can break if dropped or roughly handled. Be careful when removing the bulb from its packaging, installing it, or replacing it. Always screw and unscrew the lightbulb by its base (not the glass), and never forcefully twist the CFL into a light socket.

Q: What should I do with a CFL when it burns out?

A: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends that consumers take advantage of available local recycling options for compact fluorescent light bulbs. The EPA is working with CFL manufacturers and major U.S. retailers to expand recycling and disposal options. Consumers can contact their local municipal solid waste agency directly, or go to www.epa.gov/bulbrecycling or www.earth911.com to identify local recycling options.

Q: What should I do if a CFL accidently breaks inside my home?

A: For more information about compact fluorescent bulbs and mercury, visit www.energystar.gov/mercury

ENERGY STAR Qualified Dehumidifiers

With more efficient refrigeration coils, compressors, and fans than standard models, an ENERGY STAR qualified dehumidifier removes the same amount of moisture as a similarly sized standard unit, but uses 10 to 20% less energy. A 40-pint model can save $20 per year. This can add up to more than $250 over the life of the unit.

Fun Fact: The energy saved by an ENERGY STAR qualified dehumidifier could power your refrigerator for six months.

ENERGY STAR Qualified Dishwashers

Replacing a dishwasher manufactured before 1994 with an ENERGY STAR qualified dishwasher can save you more than $30 a year in utility costs by using at least 41% less energy than the federal minimum for standard units.

Qualified dishwashers feature advanced technologies that reduce energy and water consumption and improve performance. A qualified dishwasher uses less hot water compared to a new conventional model and saves about $90 over its lifetime.

Fun Fact: Using an energy efficient dishwasher is less expensive than washing your dishes by hand. In fact, one costs less to operate than the amount of a single postage stamp.

ENERGY STAR Qualified Freezers

ENERGY STAR qualified freezer models use at least 10% less energy than required by current federal standards. If you are mindful of how much energy you and your family use, then you will want to buy a model that will meet your energy efficiency standards. Manual defrost models use about 40% less electricity than frost-free models. Other factors that affect the energy cost of a freezer include how much food you store (a unit operates best when 2/3 full), and how long you keep the door open when retrieving food.

ENERGY STAR Qualified Light Fixtures

ENERGY STAR qualified light fixtures:

Use 1/4 the energy of traditional lighting.

Save money on energy bills and bulb replacements, with bulbs that must last at least 10,000 hours (about seven years of regular use).

Distribute light more efficiently and evenly than standard fixtures.

Come in hundreds of decorative styles including portable fixtures — such as table, desk and floor lamps — and hard-wired options for your front porch, dining room, kitchen ceiling, under-cabinet area, hallway ceiling and wall, bathroom vanity fixtures, and more.

Deliver convenient features, like dimming on some indoor models and automatic daylight shut-off and motion sensors on outdoor models.

Can be found at most home centers, lighting showrooms, and specialty stores.

Carry a two-year warranty — double the industry standard.

ENERGY STAR Qualified Refrigerators

ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerators use at least 20% less energy than required by current federal standards and 40% less energy than the conventional models sold in 2001. In fact, they use about half as much energy as models manufactured before 1993 and provide energy savings without sacrificing the features you want, including automatic ice makers and through-the-door ice dispensers, high-efficiency compressors, improved insulation, and more precise temperature and defrost mechanisms to improve energy efficiency. They are also available in top, bottom and side-by-side freezer models.

Q: My refrigerator is older (I believe early '90s), but it works just fine. Should I consider replacing it with a new ENERGY STAR model?

A: Yes; Since ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerators require about half as much energy as models manufactured before 1993, they provide energy savings without sacrificing the features you want.

ENERGY STAR Qualified Room Air Cleaners

A room air cleaner is a portable, electric, cord-connected appliance that removes fine particle matter from room air. A typical room air cleaner, operating continuously, uses approximately 800 kilowatt hours (kWh) per year in electricity — this is 50% more than the power used by a new refrigerator.

ENERGY STAR qualified room air cleaners are 35% more energy efficient than standard models, saving consumers 215 kWh/year, or $16 annually on utility bills. These savings could add up to as much as $150 over the life of the air cleaner. ENERGY STAR qualified room air cleaners use less energy to remove particles such as dust and pollen from indoor air. Qualified models that offer secondary features such as clocks and remote controls consume less than 2 watts (W) while in standby mode.

ENERGY STAR Qualified CFL Torchiére Lamps

ENERGY STAR qualified CFL torchiére lamps operate 400 degrees to 600 degrees cooler than halogen floor lamps, so they 're safer to use. Plus, they use up to 75% less energy, which can save up to $150 in energy costs over the lamp 's lifetime.

ENERGY STAR Qualified Water Coolers

A standard hot and cold bottled water cooler can use more energy than a large refrigerator. An ENERGY STAR qualified model requires about half as much energy as a standard unit through:
Improved separation of hot and cold water to prevent mixing.
More insulation to better keep heated water hot and chilled water cold.
Improved chilling mechanisms.

ENERGY STAR Qualified Window Air Conditioners

ENERGY STAR qualified room air conditioners use at least 10% less energy than conventional models. They also exceed minimum federal standards for energy efficiency by at least 10% due to features, including:

High-efficiency fan motors that use less energy to circulate the air and produce less noise.
Advanced compressors that draw in more heat from the air into the coils than conventional models, saving the energy required to compress the refrigerant.
Timesaver included with many models so that they only run when needed.
Advanced heat transfer surfaces.
Improved insulation.

Depending on the climate, this could mean saving $20 to $300 over the lifetime of the unit.

Fun Fact: Making every room air conditioner sold in the U.S. an ENERGY STAR® qualified unit would prevent 1.3 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions—the equivalent emissions from 115,000 cars.

CLICK HERE to locate Retail Partners in your area as well as any current promotions. Check back often to view the latest promotions.

More about ENERGY STAR

The ENERGY STAR program is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) designed to identify, label, and promote products that have met stringent energy efficiency guidelines.

In 2007, with the help of ENERGY STAR, Americans cut their utility bills by $16 billion, while saving enough energy to avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 27 million cars.
Energy efficient choices in the home can save you and your family up to a third on your energy bill, with a similar reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
ENERGY STAR helps you make energy efficient choices without sacrificing features, style or comfort.

By helping customers in the AmerenUE service area reduce their consumption of electricity, the AmerenUE Lighting and Appliance Program will also help them lower their monthly electrical bill and lessen their impact on the environment. Here's how: lighting and appliances have two price tags: the one you pay when you make the initial purchase and the one you pay each month for the electricity required to operate the appliance. ENERGY STAR® qualified lighting and appliances must meet specific energy-saving criteria to assure you will recover any extra up-front cost and then some over the lifetime of the product – without sacrificing quality or convenience.

To help you make the best decisions for you and your family, AmerenUE is working with manufacturers and Retail Partners to promote the following ENERGY STAR qualified products:

Ceiling fan/light combination units that have earned the ENERGY STAR are about 50% more efficient than conventional fan/light units. This can save you more than $15 per year on utility bills, depending on your usage.

While ENERGY STAR qualified ceiling fans use improved motors and blade designs, you can dramatically increase your savings with ENERGY STAR qualified lighting. If your fan doesn't include lighting, be sure to purchase an ENERGY STAR qualified light kit. This lighting is efficient and long lasting so you won't have to make frequent bulb changes.

Turn Off When Not In the Room

Ceiling fans cool people, not rooms. If the room is unoccupied, turn off the ceiling fan to save energy.

Using the Ceiling Fan Year-Round

In the summer, use the ceiling fan counter-clockwise. While standing directly under the ceiling fan you should feel a cool breeze. The airflow produced creates a wind-chill effect, making you feel cooler. In the winter, reverse the motor and operate the ceiling fan clockwise at low speed. This produces a gentle updraft, which forces warm air near the ceiling down into the occupied space. Remember to adjust your thermostat when using your ceiling fan—additional energy and dollar savings could be realized with this simple step.

ENERGY STAR® Qualified Ceiling Fans with Lights

Ceiling fan/light combination units that have earned the ENERGY STAR are about 50% more efficient than conventional fan/light units. This can save you more than $15 per year on utility bills, depending on your usage.
While ENERGY STAR qualified ceiling fans use improved motors and blade designs, you can dramatically increase your savings with ENERGY STAR qualified lighting. If your fan doesn't include lighting, be sure to purchase an ENERGY STAR qualified light kit. This lighting is efficient and long lasting so you won't have to make frequent bulb changes.

Turn Off When Not In the Room
Ceiling fans cool people, not rooms. If the room is unoccupied, turn off the ceiling fan to save energy.

Using the Ceiling Fan Year-Round
In the summer, use the ceiling fan counter-clockwise. While standing directly under the ceiling fan you should feel a cool breeze. The airflow produced creates a wind-chill effect, making you feel cooler. In the winter, reverse the motor and operate the ceiling fan clockwise at low speed. This produces a gentle updraft, which forces warm air near the ceiling down into the occupied space. Remember to adjust your thermostat when using your ceiling fan—additional energy and dollar savings could be realized with this simple step.

ENERGY STAR® Qualified Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs)

In the average U.S. home, lighting accounts for about 20% of the electric bill, so Americans can easily save money and protect the environment by installing ENERGY STAR qualified lighting.

ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs use about 75% less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer.

You can save about $30 or more in electricity costs over each bulb's lifetime.

And CFLs produce about 75% less heat, so they're safer to operate and can cut energy costs associated with home cooling.

Fun Fact: Replacing just one incandescent light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified CFL in every American home would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year and more than $600 million in annual energy costs. This would also prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars.

CFL FAQs

Q: What are CFLs, and why should I use them in my home?

A: ENERGY STAR qualified Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs) use about 75% less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last up to ten times longer. CFLs are available in a wide variety of brightness, color, style, and rated life. They offer superior light quality, low maintenance, cool operation, and an excellent way to reduce electricity use. Be sure to look for ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs.

Q: How are CFLs more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs?

A: Standard incandescent bulbs waste 90% of their energy on producing heat and spend only 10% on producing light. However, CFLs use only 60% on producing heat and 40% on producing light.

Q: When replacing an incandescent bulb with a CFL, how do I know which one is comparable (in terms of wattage)?

A: Use the general rule of thumb that a replacement CFL is about a quarter of the wattage of an incandescent bulb. For example, a 100-watt incandescent = a 23-watt CFL. The products are often marked with their comparable incandescent wattage.

Q: What precautions should I take when using CFLs in my home?

A: CFLs are made of glass and can break if dropped or roughly handled. Be careful when removing the bulb from its packaging, installing it, or replacing it. Always screw and unscrew the lightbulb by its base (not the glass), and never forcefully twist the CFL into a light socket.

Q: What should I do with a CFL when it burns out?

A: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends that consumers take advantage of available local recycling options for compact fluorescent light bulbs. The EPA is working with CFL manufacturers and major U.S. retailers to expand recycling and disposal options. Consumers can contact their local municipal solid waste agency directly, or go to www.epa.gov/bulbrecycling or www.earth911.com to identify local recycling options.

Q: What should I do if a CFL accidently breaks inside my home?

A: For more information about compact fluorescent bulbs and mercury, visit www.energystar.gov/mercury

ENERGY STAR® Qualified Dehumidifiers

With more efficient refrigeration coils, compressors, and fans than standard models, an ENERGY STAR qualified dehumidifier removes the same amount of moisture as a similarly sized standard unit, but uses 10 to 20% less energy. A 40-pint model can save $20 per year. This can add up to more than $250 over the life of the unit.

Fun Fact: The energy saved by an ENERGY STAR qualified dehumidifier could power your refrigerator for six months.

ENERGY STAR® Qualified Dishwashers

Replacing a dishwasher manufactured before 1994 with an ENERGY STAR qualified dishwasher can save you more than $30 a year in utility costs by using at least 41% less energy than the federal minimum for standard units.

Qualified dishwashers feature advanced technologies that reduce energy and water consumption and improve performance. A qualified dishwasher uses less hot water compared to a new conventional model and saves about $90 over its lifetime.

Fun Fact: Using an energy efficient dishwasher is less expensive than washing your dishes by hand. In fact, one costs less to operate than the amount of a single postage stamp.

ENERGY STAR® Qualified Freezers

ENERGY STAR qualified freezer models use at least 10% less energy than required by current federal standards. If you are mindful of how much energy you and your family use, then you will want to buy a model that will meet your energy efficiency standards. Manual defrost models use about 40% less electricity than frost-free models. Other factors that affect the energy cost of a freezer include how much food you store (a unit operates best when 2/3 full), and how long you keep the door open when retrieving food.

ENERGY STAR® Qualified Light Fixtures:

Use 1/4 the energy of traditional lighting.

Save money on energy bills and bulb replacements, with bulbs that must last at least 10,000 hours (about seven years of regular use).

Distribute light more efficiently and evenly than standard fixtures.

Come in hundreds of decorative styles including portable fixtures — such as table, desk and floor lamps — and hard-wired options for your front porch, dining room, kitchen ceiling, under-cabinet area, hallway ceiling and wall, bathroom vanity fixtures, and more.

Deliver convenient features, like dimming on some indoor models and automatic daylight shut-off and motion sensors on outdoor models.

Can be found at most home centers, lighting showrooms, and specialty stores.

Carry a two-year warranty — double the industry standard.

ENERGY STAR® Qualified Refrigerators

ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerators use at least 20% less energy than required by current federal standards and 40% less energy than the conventional models sold in 2001. In fact, they use about half as much energy as models manufactured before 1993 and provide energy savings without sacrificing the features you want, including automatic ice makers and through-the-door ice dispensers, high-efficiency compressors, improved insulation, and more precise temperature and defrost mechanisms to improve energy efficiency. They are also available in top, bottom and side-by-side freezer models.

Q: My refrigerator is older (I believe early '90s), but it works just fine. Should I consider replacing it with a new ENERGY STAR model?

A: Yes; Since ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerators require about half as much energy as models manufactured before 1993, they provide energy savings without sacrificing the features you want.

ENERGY STAR® Qualified Room Air Cleaners

A room air cleaner is a portable, electric, cord-connected appliance that removes fine particle matter from room air. A typical room air cleaner, operating continuously, uses approximately 800 kilowatt hours (kWh) per year in electricity — this is 50% more than the power used by a new refrigerator.

ENERGY STAR qualified room air cleaners are 35% more energy efficient than standard models, saving consumers 215 kWh/year, or $16 annually on utility bills. These savings could add up to as much as $150 over the life of the air cleaner. ENERGY STAR qualified room air cleaners use less energy to remove particles such as dust and pollen from indoor air. Qualified models that offer secondary features such as clocks and remote controls consume less than 2 watts (W) while in standby mode.

ENERGY STAR® Qualified CFL Torchiere Lamps

ENERGY STAR qualified CFL torchiére lamps operate 400 degrees to 600 degrees cooler than halogen floor lamps, so they 're safer to use. Plus, they use up to 75% less energy, which can save up to $150 in energy costs over the lamp 's lifetime.

ENERGY STAR® Qualified Water Coolers

A standard hot and cold bottled water cooler can use more energy than a large refrigerator. An ENERGY STAR qualified model requires about half as much energy as a standard unit through:
Improved separation of hot and cold water to prevent mixing.
More insulation to better keep heated water hot and chilled water cold.
Improved chilling mechanisms.

ENERGY STAR® Qualified Window Air Conditioners

ENERGY STAR qualified room air conditioners use at least 10% less energy than conventional models. They also exceed minimum federal standards for energy efficiency by at least 10% due to features, including:

High-efficiency fan motors that use less energy to circulate the air and produce less noise.
Advanced compressors that draw in more heat from the air into the coils than conventional models, saving the energy required to compress the refrigerant.
Timesaver included with many models so that they only run when needed.
Advanced heat transfer surfaces.
Improved insulation.

Depending on the climate, this could mean saving $20 to $300 over the lifetime of the unit.

Fun Fact: Making every room air conditioner sold in the U.S. an ENERGY STAR qualified unit would prevent 1.3 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions—the equivalent emissions from 115,000 cars.

CLICK HERE to locate Retail Partners in your area as well as any current promotions. Check back often to view the latest promotions.

More about ENERGY STAR

The ENERGY STAR program is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) designed to identify, label, and promote products that have met stringent energy efficiency guidelines.

In 2007, with the help of ENERGY STAR, Americans cut their utility bills by $16 billion, while saving enough energy to avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 27 million cars.

Energy efficient choices in the home can save you and your family up to a third on your energy bill, with a similar reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

ENERGY STAR helps you make energy efficient choices without sacrificing features, style or comfort.

To learn how to become a Retailer Partner in the AmerenUE Lighting & Appliance Program, CLICK HERE.

The AmerenUE Multifamily Energy Efficiency Program builds partnerships with a network of trained and qualified energy consultants and contractors to provide energy assessments of multifamily buildings and installation of energy efficiency measures in these buildings.

These measures, made on a voluntary basis, will make cost-effective improvements that will lower the cost of operating and maintaining your property, and in some cases, create savings within each unit that can be passed on to your residents.

If you are a building owner or property manager and want to learn more about the Multifamily Energy Efficiency Program, CLICK HERE.

Or, if you are a renter or condo owner and would like to refer your building owner or property manager to the program, call 1-888-389-1446 (toll free), or email info@uefficiency.com with the property name and contact info and one of our AmerenUE Residential Energy Efficiency Specialists will follow through on the lead.

The AmerenUE Multifamily Income Qualified Program helps building owners and managers of federally subsidized multifamily rental properties reduce energy consumption and operating cost while increasing resident satisfaction. The program will reimburse building owners for up to 100% of the installed costs of Program-eligible energy efficiency measures.

The program currently offers incentives on these energy efficiency measures:

• CFL Lighting
• New ENERGY STAR^® Qualified Refrigerator Replacements
• New ENERGY STAR Qualified Window Air Conditioner Replacements
• New ENERGY STAR Qualified Dehumidifier Replacements
• Programmable Thermostats
• New Water-Conserving Flow Restrictor Faucets, Aerators and Showerheads
• New Heat-Conserving Jacket and Pipe Insulation for Electric Hot Water Heaters

If you are a building owner/manager or contractor and want to learn more about the AmerenUE Multifamily Income Qualified Program, CLICK HERE.

If you are a tenant and would like to refer your building owner or property manager to the program, call 1-888-389-1446 (toll free), or email info@uefficiency.com with the property name and contact info and one of our AmerenUE Residential Energy Efficiency Specialists will follow up on the lead.