Kankakee Times

In a Nov. 26 Facebook post, Sen. Jason Barickman (R_Bloomington) shared that Ameren is offering a free Google Nest Thermostat until the end of the year.

“Ameren, in partnership with Google, is offering customers a FREE Google Nest Thermostat through the end of the year,” he wrote on Facebook. “This initiative is an effort to help customers better maintain comfort in their homes while also helping to manage their energy uses and cut down on cost. Some qualifying customers may also receive a free professional installation of their smart thermostat through Ameren Illinois’ Smart Savers Initiative."

He included a link with more information about the program and to see who qualifies for free installation.

This summer, Barickman shared information on Ameren rates, which were set to increase as of June 1. "In April of this year, Ameren electric received electric rate results from the regional grid operator (MISO), which include an increase from $5/megawatt to $236/megawatt and will now cause Ameren electric rates to increase beginning June 1," Barickman posted. "This increase is unrelated to the increase in natural gas prices and different from what was experienced beginning in Fall 2021 when Ameren gas rates increased, causing heating bills to rise over the winter months. Not only will this rate increase lead to higher electric bills that customers can expect to see in late June/early July, but there is also the potential that customers could experience electricity disruptions this summer, such as controlled brownouts due to reliability issues within the MISO territory."

In May, Barickman announced that Ameren was offering a 12-month repayment plan for customers who were behind on their utility bills. "Ameren Illinois has rolled out a 12-month repayment plan to help customers who have fallen behind on energy bills. The repayment application is open from now until July 31," Barickman posted.

Ameren is a utility that provides power to Illinois and Missouri. 

Barickman has run unopposed since 2018.