FAQs

I heard Evergy recently filed for approval of KEEIA. How does KEEIA impact energy use and availability for customers going forward if this would pass?
Evergy's energy efficiency programs are currently available to Missouri customers. Evergy has filed for approval for similar programs for our Kansas customers. Our proposal will be subject to review and approval by the Kansas Corporation Commission. With the passage of KEEIA, we hope to provide our customers with innovative solutions through our energy efficiency programs, including smart thermostats and rebate incentives. The programs will benefit customers and the community, and customers will experience over a $2.00 benefit for each dollar Evergy invests in energy efficiency over the long term, regardless of direct participation.

What types of programs will be offered?
The KEEIA 2023-2026 DSM portfolio is comprised of four residential programs and four business programs that will deliver an effective and balanced portfolio of energy and demand savings opportunities across all customer segments. In addition to these eight residential and business programs, a pilot incubator will create pathways for generating ideas, creating program improvement, and testing new concepts for both residential and business customers.

RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS

Program	Whole Home Efficiency (Market Rate)	Home Energy Education	Home Demand Response	Hard-to-Reach Homes (IE & Rural)	Pilot Incubator
Component 1	Home Comfort  Heating and Cooling Insulation and Air Sealing On-bill financing	Marketing	Smart Thermostats Bring Your Own Do It Yourself Direct Install	Enhanced Home Comfort (IE) Heating and Cooling Insulation and Air Sealing On-bill financing	3 stages: Identify concepts Validate ideas Integrate into programs
Component 2	Home products Energy Efficient Products: LEDs, Air Purifiers, Smart Power Strips, etc. Appliance recycling Shade Trees School Kits	Behavioral (Online education and outreach)	Existing thermostats	Enhanced Home Products (IE) Energy Efficient Products: LEDs, Air Purifiers, Smart Power Strips, etc. Appliance recycling Shade trees School Kits
Component 3	No Cost Energy Assessment & Discounted Energy Savings Kit	Community Events	Water Heater Direct Load Control Bring Your Own Direct Install	No Cost Energy Assessment & Free Energy Savings Kit
Component 4		Rural Community Engagement		Weatherization Assistance
Component 5		KS LILIES
Component 6		Home Energy Education Report

BUSINESS PROGRAMS

Program	Whole Business Efficiency	Business Energy Education	Business Demand Response	Hard-to-Reach Business (SB & NP)	Pilot Incubator
Component 1	Business Comfort HVAC Insulation and Air Sealing	Customer Facing Business Marketing	Direct or Aggregator	Enhanced Business Comfort HVAC Insulation and Air Sealing	3 stages: Identify concepts Validate ideas Integrate into programs
Component 2	Business Operational Mechanical Refrigeration	Building Operator Education	Manual or Auto	Enhanced Business Operational Mechanical Refrigeration
Component 3	Business Products: LEDs Control Equipment	Small Business Behavioral		Enhanced Business Product: LEDs Control Equipment
Component 4	New Construction	Community Events		Enhanced New Construction
Component 5		Rural Community Engagement		No Cost Energy Assessment & Free Energy Savings Kits

Why is Evergy seeking to offer these programs?
As a regulated utility, by law, we must be able to provide the amount of electricity our customers need now and in the future. To meet that need, we can build a power plant or other additional generation sources, or we can utilize energy efficiency, which costs much less than building a power plant. Energy efficiency is a resource we can use to help meet demand in an affordable way long-term. When you make energy-efficient improvements to your home or business, you continue to benefit by saving energy each year. Through a variety of energy-efficiency programs, customers will have greater control over their energy use and costs, whether they participate in our programs. We’re excited to offer these programs because energy efficiency helps keep electricity affordable for everyone.

Who is the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC)?
The Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) is the public utilities commission of the state of Kansas run by three Commissioners appointed by the Governor with the approval of the Senate. The KCC utilities division establishes and regulates rates for public utilities, including electricity, natural gas, liquid, pipeline, and telecommunications.

I’ve heard these programs are the result of legislation—the Kansas Energy Efficiency Investment Act (KEEIA). What is KEEIA?
The Kansas Energy Efficiency Investment Act (KEEIA) encourages Kansas electric utilities to invest in energy efficiency. The goal for KEEIA programs is to offer innovative and personalized energy efficiency products that provide customers with more choices and help them use less energy. It became law in 2014 when Governor Brownback signed Senate Bill 2482. Rules associated with this legislation allow utilities to recover costs and earn performance incentives for successful programs. Evergy has similar legislation in Missouri, called MEEIA (Missouri Energy Efficiency Investment Act). Since inception, nearly half of Missouri residential customers have participated in a MEEIA program. We are hopeful that this success will also be seen with our Kansas customers.

If this was passed by legislature in 2014, why are you just now starting it?
Over the years we have proposed comprehensive program offerings, but were not able to come to an agreement on terms with the Kansas Corporation Commission. However, we have taken a different approach this time around and are much more confident in our likelihood of coming to an agreement.

What is the approval process for KEEIA and when will these programs become available and for how long?
We are seeking approval for KEEIA to begin January 1, 2023 and run through December 31, 2026. In the filing process, we host discussions for feedback from stakeholders and interested parties and hope to hear back on approval status around Q3 of 2022.

Are KEEIA and MEEIA the same thing, and why are the programs different by state?
The state commissioners, staff and stakeholders in Kansas and Missouri regulate our energy efficiency and demand response programs. Currently, Missouri regulators have approved our programs, and we are filing for approval in Kansas in December 2021. While there are slightly different customer needs, the two primary differences are program maturation achieved over time in MO vs. minimal engagement in KS and different stakeholder interests.

What has been the overall response from Missouri customers since MEEIA was approved?
As the first utility in Missouri to make a strong commitment to energy efficiency, Evergy has helped over 270,000 residents and 6,000 businesses save energy. Our customers benefit from highly innovative and effective solutions to save energy and money. Since 2013, over 900 million kWh of electricity has been saved, over 74,000 homes have been powered with energy saved, and 50+ jobs have been created locally, along with many other indirect jobs.

How are these programs paid for?
Kansas customers will continue to see an Energy Efficiency Rider (EER) charge as a separate line item on monthly Evergy bills.

How will KEEIA impact customers' rates if it is approved? Will a customer’s bill go up as they pay for these programs, while I use less energy at the same time?’
A rider (Energy Efficiency Rider – EER) is added onto customer’s bills for the investment in energy efficiency. However, the programs are designed to reduce energy use for those that participate. Those that do not participate, however, will also benefit by the offset need to build a power plant or other additional generation sources that would have a greater impact on bills with a higher invest cost.

Why does it make sense for Evergy to help me with energy efficiency? Can’t I make energy efficient improvements to my home on my own?
We believe it makes sense for us to help our customers save energy and manage their costs. We can serve as a trusted resource to help you locate discounted LED light bulbs or learn how to install your own smart thermostat. And, if you want to make more complex and resource-intensive home improvements, like new HVAC equipment, we can help you know what to look for and find the best local provider to install it. And while you can do these things on your own, our programs give you rebates and incentives that help lower the cost of making improvements to your home or business and incentive you to spend the extra money to get the more efficient options by offsetting the upfront cost difference.

Why should Evergy be allowed to recover the costs for these programs and earn an incentive on them?
When it comes to energy efficiency programs, we need to be able to recover our costs and earn upon our investments, as we do in other resource investments.

Is Evergy asking customers to be more energy efficient because it can’t meet customer demand?
Even though we do not need additional capacity now, we must make long-term planning decisions to ensure we are always able to effectively power our region, not just for years but decades. Energy efficiency must be ramped up over time, so starting to prepare before we need the capacity will help meet future demand, help build a more sustainable energy future and help keep costs affordable in the long term.

How do these programs support economic development in our community?
Everyone benefits from affordable electricity because it helps attract economic growth and jobs to our area. We also work with local contractors that help provide services to our customers such as HVAC replacement or home energy audits. Their businesses are supported when we offer rebates and incentives for customers to utilize their services. In addition, a business that retrofits all its lighting in a large facility, for example, receives a rebate from us and reduces their electricity usage. As a result, they may be able to grow their business in other ways that bring prosperity to our community.

Are the programs the same for all Evergy customer types (Residential, Commercial, Industrial, Small Biz, City/Municipality) and the same in both Kansas jurisdictions?
The programs are very similar but have some slight differences based on customer type.

Are renewables or fleet electrification incentives and rates a part of Evergy KEEIA filing?
No