June is here and summer is just around the corner. With many people still working from home as we approach summer, electricity usage is going to be important to watch.

Your air conditioning is one of the most demand intensive appliances in your home, accounting for more than 15 percent of your total energy usage. This means members will begin to see their demand charge rise to include the use of this additional appliance. However, United Power was able to prevent rates from increasing this year, which means summer electric bills should remain fairly similar to bills from a year ago, depending on the weather.

United Power provides free member tools to assist in monitoring and controlling your energy usage. The Power Portal, for example, provides a custom dashboard detailing energy usage patterns and identifying peak demand allowing members to determine what behaviors are driving their demand. The cooperative’s custom demand calculator can give members an idea of what appliances are consuming the most energy and are the greatest contributors to demand charges. With air conditioning being the main driver of summer energy usage, United Power also starting offering rebates on ENERGY STAR A/C units this past summer.

The majority of summer energy efficiency tips revolve around creative ways to keep your home cool without overburdening your air conditioning, which has already been difficult during the early part of the summer. 

You can find some of these energy saving tips on our website. For these tips, information about demand, available rebates and more, please visit the Understanding Demand page. For quick and simple energy tips, visit our Energy Savings page.