Message from CEO/General Manager - Rhett Reid

Time Away Can Be a Time To Save

    THIS TIME OF YEAR, it seems like my family and I are away more than we're home. Between celebrating graduations, weddings, and birthdays, weekends at home are rare. Throw in some quality time with kids while they're out of school for the summer, and our schedule is jam-packed. If your calendar is like mine, one advantage of all that travel is that it's a good time to give your home's air conditioning system and electronics a break.  That will give the electric bill a bit of a break as well to help pay for the travel and the gifts for weddings and birthdays.

    Here are some tips for making the most of your time away from home. Unplug some of your household appliances. Many devices use electricity while they are plugged in, even when turned off. Unplugging not only saves energy but also can prevent fires during your absence. Start with TVs, gaming consoles, computers, microwaves, coffee pots, and other small kitchen appliances. Make sure all ceiling fans are off-they cool people, not rooms.

    A smart power strip can help turn off and on multiple appliances or electronics all at once. They can be purchased with various features, including remote controls, and make it easy to manage those vampire loads that draw power even when turned off. Set the air conditioner to 80 degrees. Raising the thermostat 7-10 degrees above its normal setting for eight hours a day can save as much as 10% on your cooling bill. If you have a programmable or smart model, you can set it to bring the temperature back to a more comfortable level in time for your return.

    Turn down the water heater. Much of the cost of running a water heater comes from just keeping the water at the selected temperature. Consider using timers to turn lights on and off every night. Timers can save energy and also give the appearance that someone is home, deterring burglars. For the light that will be on the longest inside and outside, use LED bulbs. They use at least 75% less power than traditional bulbs and last longer.