A new Evergy program could lower your utility bill. Here’s what to know about it

Utility giant Evergy recently launched Pay As You Save, a program designed to encourage energy efficiency improvements in customers’ homes. The program aims to reduce utility bills while preventing expensive energy waste.

Here’s what you need to know about PAYS.

How does the PAYS program work?

Evergy customers who enroll in the program receive a free home energy audit to determine where energy might be getting wasted. That means someone would come to your home and see if issues like poor insulation or outdated fixtures are causing you to use more energy than you need. The company offers small improvements like LED light bulbs and faucet aerators for free during these audits.

Evergy then determines whether any bigger home improvements, like new insulation or an HVAC upgrade, could help prevent energy waste.

The company calculates the cost of these improvements and decides whether the energy they save will make up for the price of getting them done. If so, Evergy will pay for the upgrades to your home up-front and add a small amount to your utility bill over the next 12 years to make up for the cost.

In order to qualify for the program, the amount of money you would save from getting the improvements done has to be higher than the amount Evergy would add to your bill. That means that even with the added amount each month, your bill would still be lower than it was, and less energy would be wasted.

“This is going to be one of the best pro-consumer policies that’s been pursued in recent memory,” said James Owen, executive director of Renew Missouri, a nonprofit energy policy group that helped advocate for the PAYS program to be implemented. “This has been a program that has seen really big success in other parts of the country.”

Who is eligible?

All residential Evergy customers in Missouri are able to apply for the PAYS program. This includes people who live in houses, apartments, condos and some mobile homes. Renters can apply, but need approval from their landlord.

The following buildings are NOT be eligible for the program:

• Buildings with structural problems, like water damage or a hole in the roof

• Mobile homes that are older than 25 years or are not on a permanent foundation

• Commercial buildings like stores and restaurants

• Rented properties without owner approval

• Homes in Kansas

Are PAYS improvements a “loan” from Evergy?

No. The cost of improvements to your home are tied to the home itself, not to you. This means you will not have to take on any personal debt to get these improvements done. No credit checks are required, and your payment history to Evergy will not be taken into account if you choose to participate.

What if I move before the payments are complete?

If you move within the 12 years after PAYS improvements are made, the next people to live in your home will make payments through their energy bill until the work has been paid off.

Will this program save me money?

The PAYS program is designed to lower your energy bill-- but these savings aren’t guaranteed.

Evergy pays for the improvements in the short term, and you pay Evergy back in the long term through small charges added to your energy bill. The program is designed to make these charges lower than the amount you would have paid for wasted energy without the home improvements, so your monthly bill should go down.

But if you start using more electricity, or if Evergy raises their rates, your bill could eventually be higher than it was before. This detail has critics of the program concerned for customer outcomes.

“I’m not sure if this is something that will truly lower rates for people,” said Raymond Forstater, a spokesperson for Kansas City’s chapter of the Sunrise Movement, a youth-led environmental action organization. He adds that severe weather could also lead to higher energy rates in future years, which may cancel out your savings from the PAYS program.

“Evergy is completely unprepared with their infrastructure to face the growing extreme weather that we’re going to be continuing to face here,” he said. “And then what they end up doing is putting those costs back on the ratepayers.”

Will this program help the planet?

The purpose of this program is to reduce energy waste. When done successfully, this does help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which helps the planet.

“I always say the best kind of renewable energy is the energy you don’t use,” said Owen.

However, critics argue that Evergy needs to take bolder action to curb the climate crisis.

“They are excellent at propping themselves up as a beacon for sustainability and renewable energy in the area, yet they are constantly going back on their climate goals,” said Forstater. “They’ve been very resistant to developing more renewables that are not subsidized by the government, despite the fact that they are a multi-billion dollar company.”

Where can I learn more about PAYS?

More information about the PAYS program is available on Evergy’s website. You can apply there too, or you can call Evergy during business hours at 855-907-6930.

Have you signed up for the PAYS program? Do you have other questions about your utilities in Kansas City? We want to hear about your experiences and questions. Contact the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com or fill out this form.