Get Paid to Reduce Energy

Evergy's Business Demand
Response program

Get Rewarded for Saving Energy

Our Business Demand Response (BDR) program rewards businesses like yours for limiting energy usage on high-demand days. Complete our interest form today to find out how you can earn cash incentives.

How does it work?

When demand for energy is high, like during summer's hottest afternoons, Evergy may call a Business Demand Response (BDR) event. 

Participants can decide how much to reduce energy usage, and then Evergy pays businesses for their energy savings. 

  • We work with you to create a customized plan that suits your unique operational needs.
  • You'll be notified of events before they occur.
  • At the end of the season, we pay you for the load you reduced! 

Interested? Fill out the form to get started and a member of our team will contact you to discuss your options.

 

Chat with the Business Demand Response team. Our team is ready to talk with you about how the program works, including the benefits to your business and how much you may be able to earn by enrolling.

For example: Factory, distribution, fabrication, education, retail, etc.

Examples of how businesses can reduce load

illustration of a building

Utilize self-generation where possible. Examples include backup generators or an on-site solar array.
illustration of a factory

Temporarily shut down non-essential equipment/production lines and perform routine maintenance during downtime.
illustration of a fan

Pre-cool and reduce cooling loads with small temperature adjustments throughout the day.
illustration of a fork lift

Reschedule some shifts from high-demand periods to off-peak times, such as evenings or weekends.
illustration of an engine

Reduce motor loads where possible in elevators, compressors, conveyors, etc.
illustration of a light bulb

Dim lights in non-critical areas or consider dimming outdoor lighting.

What are the benefits? 

 

Earn incentives and manage your bill

Evergy will pay your business for the load you reduce when we call for it. And you're not limited to managing your demand only when we call for it! When we co-develop a custom load curtailment plan for your facility, your staff can leverage those insights for savings on your monthly bill. 

Promote grid reliability 

The BDR program gives you the tools to be a better grid citizen. You can help reduce the risk of costly outages and support your business's and your neighbors' access to power during an outage. 

You choose when to participate

Your participation in the program and in any given curtailment event is entirely voluntary. Evergy does not control any equipment within your facility and businesses reserve the right to opt out of any BDR event when operational needs dictate, without penalty.

To schedule a facility assessment to determine your demand reduction opportunities and incentive potential, email bdr@evergy.com or fill out the interest form. You can also call the Business Demand Response team at 888-363-7662. 

Business Demand Response Program FAQs

Any Evergy business customer is eligible to participate in BDR.

Ideal candidates include:

  • Cold storage facilities
  • Schools and universities
  • Large offices with centralized controls
  • Industrial operations (e.g. manufacturing, pipeline, aggregate processing)
  • Large retail stores

Many participants choose to temporarily power down select equipment or processes and perform routine maintenance, rather than shutting down their entire operation. The BDR team is here to help you develop a customized plan for your facility. Some examples of how businesses participate are:

  • Pre-cooling before an event and adjusting HVAC or refrigeration setpoints during the event
  • Temporarily shutting down or shifting operations
  • Using backup generation to reduce grid use
We look at your energy use on several non-holiday weekdays leading up to the event day and create an average “baseline” to represent the energy you would have used on the event day. If the event day is hotter than the prior days (as it often is), we adjust for the weather to ensure the baseline is fair. Then, we compare your actual energy use on the event day to the baseline to determine your average performance for the event window (often, 4 hours). We report that performance back to you after each event; and at the end of the summer, we take the average of all the events to determine your seasonal average performance.
Before summer starts, we work with you to set your energy reduction goal and how often you’ll participate. The more you commit to reducing, the more you can earn. From June 1 to September 30, we’ll keep you updated on your progress. At the end of the season, we calculate your total incentive based on how well you performed, relative to your personalized goal.
No penalties! We understand that your business operations are your top priority, so we make requests, and you remain in control. BDR is a pay-for-performance program, so you get paid for what you do.
The first step is a consultation. If you would like support from the team to determine your best path to participate and develop a plan together, we’re here to help. If you already know what you’d like to do, we can verify your eligibility and get you signed up in the first meeting!

Business Demand Response Program Case Studies

Watch to find out how saved energy costs helps Harvesters' mission of feeding those who experience food insecurity.

Watch to find out how Alewel's Country Meats shifts their oven and refrigeration use during Demand Response event days.

Watch to find out how Northwest Missouri State University makes small adjustments on campus to save energy on Demand Response days.