Customers have until the end of December 2026 to apply for Ameren's Business Social Services program, which offers cash incentives for cost-effective energy efficiency projects to nonprofits.
The program, established in 2019, has supported over 330 customers, including Peter and Paul Community Services' recently-opened Jugan Shelter, Mission St. Louis and the St. Louis Urban League.
It runs annually, with applications due by December 31, 2026. Kenny Blair, Ameren BSS program manager, said the program was created to support nonprofit groups that do good deeds in the community, including those that offer social services to those with limited incomes.
In addition to the BSS program, Ameren also provides a Single Family Program, which launched in 2019 and helps income-eligible homeowners and renters lower their energy bills. And there's also a Multifamily Program, which launched in 2013, that provides managers of multifamily properties with low or no-cost energy-saving upgrades.
The BSS program provides elevated incentives on HVAC, electric water heating, commercial cooking equipment and refrigeration, he said, adding that lighting incentives are covered at 100% of the cost.
"The program exists because we discovered through all the good work these customers do, they just don't have the capacity to focus on their energy and cost savings needs," Blair said. "So as we were going to these customers, we (saw) outdated, inefficient equipment, and we wanted to help."
According to Ameren, qualifying applicants include nonprofit tax-exempt business customers that provide social services to the low-income public, such as food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, employment services, worker training, job banks and childcare providers.
Interested parties must give consent for the Ameren Missouri BSS service provider to submit the application on their behalf and be designated as the payee to receive the final incentive payment. An approved incentive amount will show as a credit on the invoice delivered to the customer, Ameren leaders said.
The program will continue until the end of 2026, but Blair said he's hopeful the program will continue after operational budgets are reviewed.
Ameren officials say customers have saved over $2 million in annual energy costs since the program's inception.
For details on how to apply, visit Ameren's Business Social Services Incentives page.
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