Continued Growth and Innovation

Friday | March 1, 2019
This is the final piece in a three part series chronicling the cooperative’s history leading up to its 80th Annual Meeting this April.

Title
National Lineman Appreciation Day on April 18, 2019
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/MarApr2019_NL_LinemanAppreciation.png?itok=_0a5T26q
Friday | March 1, 2019
Card Teaser
United Power is dedicated to keeping our members’ lights on. That wouldn’t be possible without the help of our skilled linemen, who work each day behind the scenes to improve our system and prevent outages before they happen.

United Power is dedicated to keeping our members’ lights on. That wouldn’t be possible without the help of our skilled linemen, who work each day behind the scenes to improve our system and prevent outages before they happen. On April 18th, we will join in celebrating National Lineman Appreciation Day, honoring the hard work, innovation and dedication of America’s electrical lineworkers.

Linemen must be prepared to face daily situations that may be less than ideal, regularly tasked with resolving intricate and hazardous problems in unknown or perilous conditions.

During the past year, our linemen have had to help restore power to members following severe hail storms and high winds, which caught many offguard. When severe weather hits our service territory, our linemen are ready to assess the situation and begin the process of restoring power. When the skies are clear and the wind is calm, our linemen are monitoring our system and making improvements to prevent outages where possible.

Our linemen are on call 24 hours a day, ready to respond to any situation in any type of weather. So next time you lose power, rest assured a highly trained United Power crew is on the way, dedicated to getting the lights back on quickly and safely.

Without our linemen, the power that makes our member’s homes comfortable wouldn’t be possible. We invite our members to take a moment to thank our United Power linemen for the work they do. Use #ThankALineman on social media to show your support, or take a moment to drop a kind note in the mail.

United Power
Thank a Lineman
500 Cooperative Way
Brighton, CO 80603

Title
United Power Celebrating 80th Annual Meeting
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/02_18_2019_AnnualMeet80_0.png?itok=8tOh-xiJ
Friday | March 1, 2019
Card Teaser
United Power will be celebrating a special cooperative milestone at its Annual Meeting & Director Election on April 17, 2019.

United Power will be celebrating a special cooperative milestone at its Annual Meeting & Director Election on April 17, 2019. The Brighton-headquartered electric utility will join a short list of rural electric cooperatives celebrating 80 years of providing safe and reliable power. The meeting will include a special tribute to United Power’s history and highlight the communities it serves.

All members are invited to connect with cooperative leadership at the annual meeting, enjoy the company of fellow cooperative members and have a chance to win one of several door prizes. United Power’s Annual Meeting will be held at the Adams County Fairgrounds/Regional Park located at 9755 Henderson Road, Brighton, CO 80601.

There are four candidates vying for a position on the cooperative’s board of directors. One seat in the East, West and South districts is up for election this year. Profiles of the 2019 candidates are included in this issue of the United Newsline.

Ballot packets will be mailed out to members in late March, and include profiles of each candidate. Members may cast their ballots in person at the Annual Meeting, drop them at a United Power office or mail them postage-paid prior to the deadline in the voting envelope.

While candidates live in and represent a geographic area of our territory, they are elected “at-large,” which means members should vote for one candidate in each district. Please follow voting and signature instructions carefully to ensure you return a valid ballot.

Member registration will be open from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Members who did not mail in their ballot or chose not to vote prior to the meeting will be issued a ballot and be able to cast their votes in the Director election. After members have cast their ballot, they can enjoy a barbecue dinner with us, visit the educational exhibit booths and be entertained by musician Dave Connelly.

The official business meeting of the members will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will include reports from the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer John Parker and a report from the Board Treasurer. Election results will be announced prior to adjournment and door prize drawings will conclude the meeting. To learn more about the Annual Meeting, or the candidates running for a seat on the cooperative’s board of directors, keep reading this issue, or visit www.unitedpower.com.

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 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.

Title
Questions about Demand?
/sites/default/files/styles/news_card_553x430_/public/news/Feb2019_NL_GotQuestions.png?itok=6ZkSglDA
Friday | January 25, 2019
Card Teaser
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.

Choosing Energy Efficiency Appliances

Friday | January 25, 2019
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.