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United Power to Hold 80th Annual Meeting April 17
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Monday | February 18, 2019
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United Power will celebrate its 80th Anniversary at the 2019 Annual Meeting of members on Wednesday, April 17, 2019, at the Adams County Fairground and Regional Park Complex. Registration and balloting open at 4:30 p.m. and the meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m.

Director Election Ballots to Be Mailed in March

United Power will celebrate its 80th Anniversary at the 2019 Annual Meeting of members on Wednesday, April 17, 2019, at the Adams County Fairground and Regional Park Complex. Registration and balloting open at 4:30 p.m. and the meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m.

The annual business meeting will include a barbecue dinner, director election, cooperative update, anniversary celebration, and door prizes. All United Power members are invited to attend the annual business meeting of the not-for-profit electric cooperative and cast their ballots in the 2019 Director Election.

A seat in the East, West and South director districts will be up for a three-year term in the 2019 Director Election. Nominations by written petition were due to the cooperative on Friday, Feb. 15. The candidates running in the 2019 Director Election are as follows:

 

District E (East):
Elizabeth Martin

District S (South):
Keith E. Alquist, II
Bradley J. Case

District W (West):
Ursula J. Morgan

 

United Power will host four Meet the Candidate Forums where members can learn more about each candidate.

  • March 18 at 6:30 p.m. at Adams County Fairgrounds
  • March 19 at 7:30 a.m. at Fort Lupton Recreation Center
  • March 21 at 7:30 a.m. at Coal Creek Canyon Community Center
  • March 22 at 7:30 a.m. at E.L.F. Grill

In addition, profiles provided by each candidate will be included in the ballot packets mailed to all members at the end of March. Members should return their ballots via postage-paid mail prior to Apr. 15, or vote in person at the Annual Meeting on Apr. 17.  Members may also return ballots in a ballot drop-box located at each of United Power’s offices. Ballot drop boxes will close at 2 p.m. on Apr. 17.

To learn more about the candidates, for more information about the Meet the Candidate Forums, or for more information about the cooperative’s 80th Annual Meeting please visit the Annual Meeting page.

2019 Official Posting of Nominations for Director by Petition

Friday | February 15, 2019
The following persons have been nominated by petition to run for Director of United Power, Inc., in conjunction with the Annual Meeting of Members scheduled April 17, 2019.
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Questions about Demand?
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Friday | January 25, 2019
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United Power’s new rate structure went into effect on January 1st, and members will begin to see the 2019 rates reflected as separate demand and energy charges on their February bills. While energy is the total power used, demand refers to the capacity needed to serve your location. The new rates break apart the costs for demand and energy to more fairly charge each member for their impact on the electric system and the energy they use.

United Power’s new rate structure went into effect on January 1st, and members will begin to see the 2019 rates reflected as separate demand and energy charges on their February bills. While energy is the total power used, demand refers to the capacity needed to serve your location. The new rates break apart the costs for demand and energy to more fairly charge each member for their impact on the electric system and the energy they use.

Why did you change to this rate structure?

The way our members use power has changed, and we now have more detailed information about how each member uses that power. On the blended rate, some members were paying more than they should, while others were not paying enough. The demand component allows us to more fairly charge each member in a way that is more closely aligned with our costs to provide that service.

How do I see when I hit my demand?

Demand measures the highest 15-minute interval of power consumption over the billing period and your bill will show you the kilowatt (kW) demand measurement of that highest interval. If you’d like to investigate what contributed to your demand charge, the Power Portal will show you the day and time that your demand peaked. Pinpointing the day and time will give you the information to reflect on how you were using energy.

Perhaps your demand was highest on a cold Saturday afternoon when you had soup on the stove, bread in the oven, the kids were downstairs gaming with a space heater on, and it was marathon laundry and cleaning day for the family. Operating all of these appliances at once required more system capacity for United Power to serve you, and your demand charge for the month is a fairer representation of how you used the electric system.

How can I reduce my demand?

Monitoring your use in the Power Portal will help you understand what is driving your demand. You’ll see the effect of using multiple appliances at once and what your energy profile looks like when you stagger appliances. If you’d like to keep your demand charges as low as possible, small changes in the way you use energy can make a difference. Here are some easy ways to reduce your demand:

  • Spread out the use of major appliances. Major electrical appliances that may contribute to high demand costs include air conditioners, electric clothes dryers, electric water heaters, electric ranges and ovens.
  • Use small cooking appliances or an outdoor grill.
  • Use a programmable or smart thermostat to pre-heat or pre-cool your home before you get home and operate kitchen appliances.
  • Use a timer on your water heater, dishwasher and pool pump.
  • Set a timer on your electric vehicle charger for the middle of the night after other major appliances are not in use.

2018: A Year in Review

Friday | January 25, 2019
United Power works tirelessly behind the scenes year after year to bring our members safe and reliable power and the tools they need to monitor and control usage patterns that could save them money.
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Choosing Energy Efficiency Appliances
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Friday | January 25, 2019
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If you’re holding on to older household appliances, now may be a good time to consider swapping them out for newer, more energy efficient models.

If you’re holding on to older household appliances, now may be a good time to consider swapping them out for newer, more energy efficient models. Old appliances are among the biggest consumers of energy in your home, but as technology evolves, so does energy efficiency. A new energy efficient appliance can be operated using as much as 75 percent less energy than outdated appliances. 

Old refrigerators are the biggest culprit of excessive energy usage among daily household appliances. While older refrigerators can cost upwards of $16/month to use, a new model may cost as little as $4/month. Newer, high-definition LED TVs also use a fraction of the electricity older liquid-crystal displays (LCD) and plasma screens do. And don’t forget about other appliances and electronics you use daily.

Not only can new appliances save big on energy use, but they may also qualify for exclusive rebates from United Power and our wholesale power provider, Tri-State G&T. Select ENERGY STAR appliances are eligible for rebates, but must be requested within 120 days of purchase. For more information about United Power rebates, contact the energy management team at 
303-659-0551 or go to www.unitedpower.com/rebates. 

Tips for Purchasing New Appliances

With all the new information available about energy efficiency, it may be a little confusing to know what exactly to look for when shopping for new appliances and household electronics. Here are a few tips to help you out:

  • Look for the ENERGY STAR label. ENERGY STAR-qualified products exceed the federal minimum standards for efficiency and quality, meaning they’ll use less energy over their lifetimes than other models.
  • Carefully review the EnergyGuide label. This yellow label provides information about how much energy an appliance uses compared to similar models.
  • Consider the purchase price and cost to operate. These prices are important because you may be paying for the appliances energy use over the next 10-20 years, depending on when you choose to replace it again. 
  • Compare prices. Keep in mind, many retailers will match a lower price offered by competitors. Keep looking until you find the right appliance for the right price.

A New Name: Union REA Becomes United Power

Friday | January 25, 2019
This is the second in a three part series chronicling the cooperative’s history leading up to its 80th Annual Meeting this April.
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What are Vampire Loads?

Friday | January 25, 2019
All of these items are responsible for contributing to your “vampire load,” also known as the “phantom load.” Vampire loads come from devices that use electricity even when they appear to be off.
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United Power Becomes Sole Electric Provider to Town of Frederick, Welcomes 2,400 New Members

Thursday | January 17, 2019
United Power welcomed approximately 2,400 new members on Jan. 17th as the co-op became the sole electric provider to the Town of Frederick.
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