Many United Power members have spent much of the past ten months making necessary lifestyle changes to accommodate recommended precautions for the COVID-19 pandemic. Working from home and distance learning have become common throughout our territory and may continue throughout the first part of the new year. With more time spent at home and more devices being used, it’s important our members consider the electrical safety implications of the current period.

Secure Wall Outlets

Over time, standard wall outlets may become loose, causing power cords to hang loose rather than hold firmly. This may not seem like a safety risk, especially if you’ve regularly used these outlets in the past. However, power cords hanging from loose outlets can cause arcing, which may lead to a fire. If your outlets are not firmly holding a plug, contact a certified electrician to make necessary repairs.

Don’t Overload Home Circuits

An additional safety concern with outlets in your home is overloading, which is when more power is requested of an outlet than it can deliver. This can be the result of either high-powered appliances or many small devices plugged into a single outlets. Overloaded outlets can trip circuit breakers or blow fuses, but it may also melt the plastic or rubber protection around power cords, exposing the wires. This poses another fire risk to households. An electrician can install additional outlets in your home to avoid the risks of overloaded circuits.

Don’t Daisy Chain Power Strips

One way people may add sockets to a wall outlet is using a power strip. Daisy chaining is the process of plugging an additional power strip into a power strip already in use, creating a “chain” of power strips, and is another way to easily overload your circuit.

This past year may have challenged many of our members to find ways to use energy more efficiently with many families staying home for both work and school during the pandemic. While the end may be in sight, members should remain vigilant about using energy efficiently to help keep bills low and manageable. United Power is committed to providing members with the information and resources they need to take control of their energy usage throughout the pandemic and after it is over.

Rates that Work for You

With families spending more time at home over the past year, our members may have become increasingly aware of how they use energy. As we roll into the new year, now is a good time to ask your cooperative about your rate and choose one that works for you and your family.

United Power expanded its menu of residential rates over the past couple years so we now offer several rates designed to fit a variety of lifestyles. The flexibility of available rates enables our members to review their energy use habits and select one that most closely fits their usage patterns. For example, if you’ve effectively managed to switch your usage to off-peak hours, perhaps the Peak Time of Day rate, which does not charge for demand during those hours, would be the best option for your household. The cooperative’s Board of Directors also approved a budget this past year that allowed rates to remain unchanged in 2021, which may come as a relief for many United Power members.

For more information on United Power’s residential rates, you can flip to page 6 or go to our Rates page. To have a dedicated Energy Management Specialist review your usage and recommend a rate option, call 303- 637-1300.

Take Advantage of Free Member Resources

United Power has rolled out several programs and tools to help members understand their usage. While our online account portal provides information related to your energy usage, the Power Portal is a member tool that goes deeper into your usage patterns. With the Power Portal, you can access your complete energy consumption portfolio in 15-minute intervals throughout the day to get a clear look at how you use your energy. You can then compare days or months to determine what behaviors are driving your usage and make small or large changes to save you over time and help keep bills manageable. You can find out more about the Power Portal here.

In addition to this resource, the cooperative has also launched calculators to help members understand what drives their demand or how charging an electric vehicle can impact their usage. More resources may be coming in the future, and all these tools are available free to United Power members.

The ‘Smart’ Way to Save on Heating this Winter

Nearly half of our energy use comes from keeping our homes at a comfortable temperature year-round, making it the most expensive part of our electric bills. A simple adjustment to your thermostat may be all it takes to realize quick savings on heating and cooling your home, and it’s unlikely you’ll even notice the slight change in temperature. The Department of Energy estimates a savings of approximately 1 percent per degree adjustment per 8 hours. Adjusting the temperature to a greater degree when you’re away from home may result in savings up to 10 percent annually. The most efficient way to manage your heating and cooling is installing a smart thermostat, which gives you control even when you’re not home. Many smart thermostats can also learn your schedule, analyze weather and adjust automatically.

Have you ever considered your water heater as a potential user of excess energy? Turns out, keeping your water warmer than necessary can also cause small spikes in energy use. Consider turning down the temperature to the warm setting (120°F) to save a little extra.

Watch for Vampire Loads

The way many families use energy makes it difficult to notice the small things that use energy, but those small uses can quickly add up. Over time, small loads may lead to noticeable changes on your electric bills. This is increasingly the case as more members make the switch to chargeable devices and electronics that use energy even when they appear to be off. These are known as “vampire loads.” Gaming systems or TVs set to standby or chargers left plugged in when not in use are examples of small things that can contribute to these loads, which account for approximately 10 percent of the average household’s energy use. Many devices are now available that can control the flow of energy to devices that might cause these loads, such as smart power strips or plugs that can be turned off or on either manually or remotely (some via WiFi and others Bluetooth).

Talk to a United Power Energy Management Specialist

A United Power Energy Management Specialist is available to advise and assist you with your energy concerns. An Energy Management Specialist can walk through your concerns, analyze your usage and provide you with practical information you can use to control your energy usage. They can walk you through available rates, programs and rebates to ensure you’re maximizing your energy savings.

Ultimately, energy savings comes down to the small things. Turn off lights and ceiling fans when you aren’t in a room. Turn off power strips to televisions, gaming systems and other electronics, including chargers, that are not in use. Take shorter showers. Consolidate loads of laundry and dishes to make the best use of hot water. Stagger the use of appliances to avoid a higher demand. Remind everyone in your family to make energy savings a priority. Work with them to start a conversation about saving energy, and you’ll see the savings every month. Enter into the new year resolved to be more energy efficient.

United Power has completed construction on its newest solar project, which is expected to be powered before the end of the year. The Rattlesnake Solar Farm, located adjacent to the cooperative’s largest utility-scale solar farm near Platteville, will provide an additional 6 megawatts of energy to United Power’s renewable portfolio.

“United Power set the stage for cooperative solar when it powered the community solar garden more than ten years ago,” said New Business Director Joel Danforth. “This new expansion reinforces our commitment to bringing members alternative energy options that are both affordable and renewable.”

The Rattlesnake Solar Farm was built in cooperation with Silicon Ranch, which has worked with United Power on several other solar projects in previous years, including the nearby Platte Solar Farm. The Platte Solar Farm, built and energized in 2017, has a capacity of 16 megawatts, enough to power approximately 3,000 homes. The cooperative has also partnered with Silicon Ranch on the Fort Lupton and Mavericks Solar Farms, both powered in 2016.

With the addition of the Rattlesnake Solar Farm project, United Power now has more than 43 megawatts of utility-scale solar connected to its system, in addition to more than 5,500 residential rooftop systems.

United Power launched its first solar project in 2010 with the innovative community solar garden. A first of its kind in Colorado, the project allowed members who were unable to install rooftop solar to rent panels from the cooperative and receive a credit for the energy it produced. Two years later in 2012, the cooperative’s first utility-scale solar farm — Hangar 160 — was powered.

“Time and again our members have shown us they would like to see us invest more in renewable resources like our solar farms,” Danforth said. “We are constantly looking for ways to add affordable and reliable renewable projects to our portfolio. But these projects aren’t just for looks; they’re also a means for us to be able to offer competitive rates to our members.”

United Power has been a part of several innovative energy projects over the past few years. To learn more about the cooperative’s energy projects, go to Innovative Energy.