Controlled Electric Heating & Cooling Programs

About 30% of Crow Wing Power members participate in our Controlled Electric Programs, (load management programs) saving them significant amounts of money in heating and cooling their homes.

Because of the high costs of natural gas, propane and fuel oil last year, members signed up for load management programs in record setting numbers.

Load Management programs protect our environment by reducing electric demand during high use periods, which reduces plant emissions.

Controlling these peak electric loads can also help to reduce the wholesale cost of electricity, keeping our rates as low as possible.

The programs available from Crow Wing Power include:

Off-Peak: These systems are "ON" at night, typically 11pm to 7am, and store heat for use the following day. You can save almost 60% as compared to standard electric rates. Heat storage systems qualify for Off-Peak rates of 3.8 cents/kwh. More...

Dual Fuel: This uses 2 heating systems, consisting of electric backed up by an automatic fossil fuel source. Most of the time the electric system provides heat for your home at only 4.3 cents/kwh. During peak demand times, the electric heating is shut down and your fossil fuel heating system takes over. More...

Freedom Heating: This also uses 2 heating systems; consisting of electric backed up by a non-automatic fossil fuel source. Wood heating would qualify as a backup under this program. More...

Air Conditioning: You can also run your central air conditioning system through a controlled program at a reduced electric rate. Air conditioning is "cycled" More...

Controlled Water Heaters: Heating your domestic hot water is a significant energy cost for most families. This can be controlled either by itself, or through one of the above programs. More...

Leased Water Heater Program: If a controlled water heater doesn't fit your needs, you may consider leasing a standard tank from Crow Wing Power. For a lease payment of $3 a month you get a 50 gallon electric water heater from us. This monthly payment also covers future maintenance or replacement of this tank.

Tankless Water Heaters: Recently, a different type of electric water heater has appeared on the market. These are described as “Tankless” or “Instant” and advertise some impressive energy savings. Unlike a conventional water heater with a large storage tank, these consist of a small water vessel with a series of high wattage elements. More...

*includes PCA effective 01/01/08