United Power has been using recorded phone messages to let members know when a preplanned outage has been scheduled in their area for maintenance work. As new software becomes available, the cooperative may have more options to send important communications to members electronically.

Electronic communications are tied to individual member accounts and use the phone numbers and/or email addresses the cooperative has on record. If the contact information on record isn’t up-to-date or is entered incorrectly, you may be missing out on important notifications from United Power.

You can check your contact information and make necessary updates using the free online payment portal, SmartHub. To set up an online account, go to www.unitedpower.com and click on Online Account Services under My Account. Contact information can also be updated by calling the Member Services Team at 303-637-1300.

Nothing has the charm of an older home on a family farm or a cute cottage in a historic district. But cosmetic and structural upgrade needs are often packaged with the cozy charm. Upgrades to your home may include a fresh coat of paint or installing new fixtures, but have you considered the unseen needs, such as wiring behind a switch plate or outlet? Do you know the hidden dangers of aged wiring? Here are a few clues to find out if your home’s electric network needs a professional switch. 

Type of Wiring

Modern wire used in homes is either copper (for conductivity) or aluminum (for cost effectiveness) and covered in a plastic or rubber insulation. Older homes, usually built before the 1940s, may use an outdated wiring method known as “knob-and-tube,” a two-wire system with no ground. Over time, corrosion can cause insulation to wear away, exposing wires to combustible materials and leading to loose connections, increasing fire risk in a home. This can be a concern in older homes regardless of wiring method. If your home has aluminum wiring, use only aluminum approved switches, outlets and other accessories. 

Plugs Falling Out of Outlets Easily

Over time, the contacts in a plug can begin to fail. When contacts loosen, they aren’t able to securely grip your plug. That missed connection can cause electrical arcing, a major risk for house fires. The good news is it’s an easy fix. Consult an electrician for directions. 

Not Enough Outlets

The increasing use of chargers for electronic devices, including phones, tablets and gaming devices, means outlets are in high demand. A lack of outlets can result in the overuse of power strips, which could overload an outlet. Overloading can cause heat, leading to fire risk. 

Danger in Wet Areas

GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) outlets are now required in areas around water, like near a kitchen or bathroom sink or outdoors. However, older homes may not have been upgraded to these types of outlets. It is fairly simple to replace old receptacles with GFCIs. 
If your home needs upgrades and repairs to its wiring, consider hiring a licensed electrician. An electric professional can safely make wiring updates needed in your home or tell you what inspections and permits are needed to make necessary repairs. 

United Power is committed to providing members with the tools and resources they need to take control of their energy use. As we enter a new year, and a new decade, it’s never been easier to control your energy and become more energy efficient. Take advantage of the resources the cooperative provides for its members and discover quick home upgrades and behavior changes to see immediate savings. Here are some ways United Power is empowering its members to take control.

Find a Rate that Works for You

United Power’s residential rates are designed so members have the option to choose one that most closely fits how they use energy. When the cooperative’s demand rate debuted in January 2019, it separated the energy and demand components and allowed the cooperative to more fairly charge members for both their energy use and impact on the grid. Along with it, the cooperative also rolled out the Smart Choice Rate, which provided two different peak demand charges and a much lower energy charge. This rate remains unchanged for 2020. New this year, United Power added a Peak Time of Day rate, which encourages members to switch their usage to off-peak hours. The new rate charges a higher demand for on-peak usage, but does not charge for demand during off-peak hours. The cooperative’s standard and time of day rates also remain options for members. However you use your energy, the flexibility of the cooperative’s residential rates should meet most members’ needs. 

Link: United Power Residential Rates

Register for the Power Portal to Monitor Your Usage

Curious to see when you used the most energy this past month or how it compares to your usage throughout the year? Was it the high or low temps causing you to use more energy than you expected? Or was it the new hot tub? New major appliances and recreational equipment often use more energy than we initially expect. To find out what’s driving your energy use, register for the Power Portal. 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. Armed with this information, you can make small behavior changes to save you over time, helping keep bills lower and more manageable.

Link: Find out more about the Power Portal here.

Free Online Resources Help You Take Inventory of Your Usage

How energy efficient are your behaviors? The Power Portal may arm you with the information you need to begin making changes, but what are those changes exactly? What “quick wins” can you implement to see a difference? A home energy assessment tool can show you just how energy efficient certain behaviors are, and how you can change them to get the most out of your energy. These and other tools are available on the United Power website. Just go to Energy Programs and click on Managing My Energy or click below.

Link: Managing My Energy

Install a Smart Thermostat

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, heating and cooling our homes accounts for nearly half of our annual energy usage, making it the most expensive part of our bills. Experts agree adjusting your thermostat a few degrees when you’re not home is the best way to save. With a programmable thermostat, like the Nest Learning Thermostat, you can set your temp when you leave for work and adjust it remotely so it’s comfortable when you get home. Smart thermostats learn your schedule and adjust automatically, respond to changes in local weather and analyze your energy use.

Buy Energy Star® Appliances and Get Money Back

Replacing your old appliances with newer, more energy efficient products is a quick way to see immediate savings on your monthly bill. United Power members qualify for exclusive rebates through the cooperative and its wholesale power supplier, Tri-State Generation and Transmission. Rebates are available on select Energy Star® appliances (including refrigerators/freezers, dishwashers and clothes washers). Additional rebates are available on heat pumps, electric water heaters and electric heating systems.

Link: Rebates & Programs

Change a Little, Save a Lot

While United Power provides a wealth of rebates, programs and tools that members can take advantage of to become more energy efficient, some changes are as quick and easy as investing in power strips or closing curtains. Using power strips can help limit infamous “vampire loads,” which happen when devices use energy although they appear to be turned off. Vampire loads are approaching 10 percent of the average household’s electric use, according to the EPA. Upgrading to smart power strips adds the ability to remotely control outlets, either as a whole or individually. Lowering water heater temps to the “warm” setting can save on energy and scalding when washing hands. Leaving your curtains open in the winter lets the sun naturally warm your home, and closing them in the summer keeps heat out. These are a few quick and efficient options to save immediately on your bill.

Link: Find saving tips at Energy Tips

Talk to a United Power Energy Management Specialist

United Power has a team of Energy Management Specialists, available to advise and assist you with your energy concerns. Energy Management Specialists 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 decade resolved to be more energy efficient. 
 

More Residential Rate Options Available to Members

Residential Rates Understanding Demand

A modest increase in residential rates proposed by the United Power board of directors in November became effective in January. Members on the Standard Residential rate will see a 1.5% rate increase, which amounts to an average increase of $1.58 per month. Members on the residential Time of Day and Irrigation rates will see a 2% increase, or an average monthly increase of $3.23. While the increase became effective beginning with usage on January 1, 2020, members won’t see the increase on their bills until February statements are mailed out.

Changes to residential rates include a small increase to the demand component, which was introduced to members beginning in 2019, and a corresponding reduction in the energy charge. For example, in the Standard Residential rate, the demand charge increased by 50¢ per kW while the energy charge dropped from 10.15¢ per kWh to 9.95¢ per kWh. The separation of the demand and energy elements allows the cooperative to more accurately, and fairly, charge members for their usage and impact on the system.

In addition to the rate change, residential members now have more options with the addition of the new Peak Time of Day Rate. Members who opt into the new rate will pay a slightly higher demand charge than on the standard residential or time of day rates, but are only charged for demand during on-peak hours (2 p.m. – 10 p.m., Monday – Saturday), providing more incentive and savings when members switch usage to off-peak hours.

“United Power is constantly looking into its rates and trying to find the best way to serve its members both individually and collectively,” said Dean Hubbuck, Director of Power Supply and Rates. “The addition of the Smart Choice and Peak Time of Day rates over the past two years has given members more options to find something that’s flexible and works for them.”

The new Peak Time of Day rate offers relief to members who utilize energy-intensive appliances that can cause spikes in demand overnight, such as electric thermal storage. With the new rate, members can charge their storage off-peak without worrying about demand. Electric vehicle owners who charge at night will also benefit from the new rate.

United Power will also be adding a new component to its billing statements that shows members exactly when they hit their peak demand. While this information is available through the Power Portal, it is not currently printed on bills. To find detailed information on United Power’s available residential rates for 2020, go to Residential Rates. There you can compare the demand and energy charges of each rate and choose one that works best for you.

The cooperative has also compiled a helpful list of resources to better understand the demand rate, including videos, printable materials and frequently asked questions. To view these resources and more, go to Understanding Demand.

When used safely and properly, portable space heaters provide a nice relief from the frigid chills of winter temperatures, which can often invade poorly insulated or ventilated rooms in older homes. Although space heaters are safe to use indoors because they don’t require combustion, they still pose burn and fire hazards and should be used with caution. 

Before operating, review the manufacturer’s instructions, including warning labels. Space heaters may seem like simple, easy to use electronics, but each brand and version has its own unique quirks and features. It’s better to be safe than sorry. After reviewing the instructions, inspect the space heater for cracks or broken plugs. 

Next, be sure to place the heater in a safe location. They should be located at least three feet away from anything that can burn, such as clothing and other fabrics, papers, rugs, etc. Do not place space heaters on furniture, such as chairs or tables. Place heaters on a firm, flat location on the ground away from heavily trafficked areas. 

Space heaters place a heavy load on an outlet. For this reason, do not plug any other electrical devices into the same outlet. Extension cords or power strips could also overheat and result in a fire, so plug the heater directly into the wall outlet. 

Most importantly, never leave space heaters unattended. Turn it off before you leave a room or go to sleep, and don’t let animals or children play too close to the heater. When you’re done using the space heater, always unplug it and store it safely. 

Space Heater Sticker Shock

Winter weather has arrived just in time to greet us for the holidays, and that means the cold temperatures that accompany it have also arrived. Heating is our biggest energy consumer in the winter, and when you are able to do it efficiently, you’ll notice savings on your bill. 

Unfortunately, try as we might, some rooms in our homes just don’t seem to stay as warm as others, whether that’s a room away from the furnace in an older home or a large open room that just needs a little extra warmth in the winter. 

A nice, cozy solution for providing some additional warmth in these rooms can be to use a portable space heater. However, the cost of using one of these heaters can add up quickly over the course of a few days if you’re not careful.

Space heaters are big consumers of electricity, most commonly sold as either 750- or 1500-watt models at retailers like Home Depot or Lowe’s. 

Using your space heater for as little as two hours per day over the course of a month can end up costing you nearly $10 extra on your monthly energy bill. The more hours your space heater is operating, the faster those extra charges add up.

Before you consider space heaters to solve your heating issues, try addressing some of these alternatives. 

• Search and seal. Cool air can find small cracks to get through. Sealing and caulking windows, doors and floors helps keep rooms free of cold air.
• Insulate. Upgrade your insulation or add to your existing insulation to trap more warm air in your home. 
• Install storm windows. These provide an added layer of insulation, which helps retain more heat.