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Members Prioritize Mental Health & Outdoor Recreation for Grants
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Tuesday | July 14, 2020
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Members focused again on relief for the community during this time, with a number of nominations for two organizations that support mental health and recreation.
United Power introduced its new Member Choice Grants program earlier this year, asking members to nominate a nonprofit organization in its service territory they would like to see the cooperative help support.
These grant nominations allow United Power to provide support for causes and organizations members truly care about. During the first round of nominations, members recognized food banks for meeting the needs of others during this time, awarding the Fort Lupton Food Bank and Carbon Valley Help Center with grants.
Members focused again on relief for the community during this time, with a number of nominations for two organizations that support mental health and recreation. United Power is happy to announce the two nonprofits receiving $1,000 Member Choice Grants.
Richard Lambert Foundation
The foundation provides care, support and essential resources for bereaved children and adults, allowing them to create a foundation for hope, healing and survival. The grant will be used to ensure mental health and grief support is accessible.
Barr Lake State Park
Barr Lake State Park is a quiet lake just northeast of Denver. There’s something for every type of outdoors person at Barr Lake, from fishing and bird watching to boating and kayaking. Grant funds will be used to support Lake Appreciation Day on July 11.
Nominations are now open for the third round of Member Choice Grants, which will be announced in the next United Newsline. To submit a nomination, fill out the form on our Member Choice page and provide a brief reason why you feel the organization should receive the grant.
Mutton Busting: Toughest Sport on Wool
Monday | July 2, 2018
For years, the Adams County Fair has provided an opportunity to channel that spirit into a popular rugrat rodeo activity – Mutton Bustin’. Mutton Bustin’ will return with the fair in August, but will introduce an exciting new change from previous event formats.
Read more >
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Myths of Energy Efficiency
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Monday | February 14, 2022
Card Teaser
As your cooperative, we want to provide you with the most useful information and applicable resources to help you save on bills.
As your cooperative, we want to provide you with the most useful information and applicable resources to help you save on bills. To help you make more informed decisions, we tackle some common energy efficiency myths in this column.
Reducing Energy Use is Too Expensive
A common and enduring myth about energy efficiency is cost. The stigma associated with it assumes it’s too expensive and not worth it. While costly energy efficiency upgrades are possible, many immediate steps you can take are simple behavioral and habitual changes. These include turning off lights in unused rooms, unplugging or shutting down unused electronics, closing doors to empty rooms while heating/cooling systems are running, limiting use of vents in the kitchen or bathroom and remembering to close your curtains in the summer – and conversely open them in the winter – to keep sunlight from affecting the temperature inside your home.
Setting Thermostat Higher Heats Home Faster
No matter what temperature you set your thermostat, your furnace will work equally as hard and fast to meet that goal. The only difference achieved by setting the temperature to a higher degree is that the system will work for a longer period of time, therefore using more energy. The same applies to air conditioners when set to a lower temperature than necessary. Although blasting your heater or air conditioning does not heat or cool your home more quickly, adjusting your thermostat up or down a few degrees, depending on the season, can help you save energy.
Closing Vents in Unused Rooms Saves Energy
Shutting vents in empty or unused rooms may seem logical to save energy. Heating or cooling an empty space does appear to waste energy. However, your system cannot detect closed vents and will continue trying to push air to them. When the air cannot escape, it reverses and can cause damage to your system. Instead of closing vents, practice closing doors to rooms that are not in use. When doors are open, it allows the hot or cold air from inside the room to escape and the air from outside the room to enter, which can force your system to work harder to maintain thermostat settings. Closed doors prevent air from entering or exiting so the system can properly heat or cool the room and maintain it more easily.
Using energy more efficiently isn’t as difficult as you may believe. Small behavioral changes make a big difference. To review more ways to save, check out our website at www.unitedpower.com/energy-tips or contact an Energy Management Specialist at 303-637-1300.
How to Monitor Your Energy Usage
United Power members looking for ways to use energy more efficiently this year and save on their energy bills can utilize free resources available exclusively to the cooperative’s members.
View Usage With Power Portal
Power Portal was launched as an ancillary feature of the cooperative’s online account tool for members to view advanced data on their energy use over the course of days, weeks, months and more. The software breaks your energy usage down into 15-minute segments to provide you with a detailed picture of what activities or habits are controlling your energy usage. Members can even use the tool to evaluate on- and off-peak energy usage.
Armed with the ability to diagnose behaviors that lead to excess energy usage, members can begin taking real steps toward using energy more efficiently. Members can even use this tool to gauge the effectiveness of energy efficient updates to their home.
For more information, go to the Power Portal page.
Demand Calculator
Adding or upgrading an appliance in your home? United Power recently debuted its new demand calculator, which allows members to toggle different appliances on and off to see what demand they could require in your home. To use the calculator or learn more about the demand rate, go to the Understanding Demand page.
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Myths of Energy Efficiency
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Friday | February 5, 2021
Card Teaser
As your cooperative, we want to provide you with the most useful information and applicable resources to help you save on bills.
As your cooperative, we want to provide you with the most useful information and applicable resources to help you save on bills. In a previous newsletter, we tackled some common energy efficiency myths. This follow up to that article dives into a few more myths to help you make more informed decisions.
Reducing Energy Use is Too Expensive
The first and most common misconception about energy efficiency is cost. There’s a stigma associated with it that assumes it’s far too expensive to be worth it, which is incorrect. While members can begin to see increased savings by upgrading insulation and replacing old appliances, many of the immediate steps you can take toward using energy efficiently are behavioral changes. Some of these will be addressed below, but others include turning off lights when you leave a room, limiting use of kitchen and bathroom vents, closing doors to empty rooms while heating or cooling systems are running, and remembering to close your curtains in the summer – and conversely open them in the winter – to keep sunlight from affecting the temperature inside your home.
Myth or Truth: Myth
Adjusting the Thermostat Saves Energy
Adjusting your thermostat up or down a few degrees, depending on the season, can help you save energy. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates this little behavioral change could save consumers as much as 10 percent per year on their energy bills. Since heating and cooling our homes accounts for approximately half of our annual energy usage, that could result in significant savings. To see additional savings on your energy bills, you can adjust the thermostat a few more degrees when you and your family won’t be home. It is recommended to practice adjusting your thermostat 6-8 degrees when your home will be empty for several hours, such as when you’re at work. It’s important to note you may not see savings from this practice when you’re only away from the home for a couple hours. This practice is easily paired with a smart thermostat, which can either adjust your thermostat automatically based your location relative to the home or on a pre-programmed schedule. If you and your family are traveling for the holidays, you can set your thermostat to an even lower temperature, roughly 50 degrees, to both save energy and protect your pipes from winter temperatures. In certain situations, it may even be possible to turn your system off altogether, such as a family vacation in the summer or at night when you can allow Colorado’s mild climate to cool your home naturally by opening windows.
Myth or Truth: Truth
Ceiling Fans Keep Rooms Cool
Sitting in a room with a running ceiling fan may feel more comfortable than a room without one, but that’s not because the ceiling fan is actually cooling the air in the room. Instead, the room feels cooler because the ceiling fan keeps air in the room flowing constantly, cooling those who are in the room rather than the air itself. To use ceiling fans efficiently, run them only in occupied rooms while adjusting your thermostat up a few degrees. Leaving a ceiling fan running in an empty room just wastes energy.
Myth or Truth: Myth.
Setting Thermostat Higher Heats Home Faster
No matter what temperature you set your thermostat, your furnace will work equally as hard and fast to meet that goal. The only difference achieved by setting the temperature to a higher degree is that the system will work for a longer period of time, therefore using more energy. The same applies to air conditioners when set to a lower temperature then desired.
Myth or Truth: Myth
Appliances Don’t Use Power When Turned Off
You may have heard the term “vampire loads,” but do you know what causes them? When you turn off an electronic device or appliance, many don’t actually turn off. They go into a “standby” mode, which still draws a small amount of energy. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates these loads are approaching nearly 10% of our annual energy usage, due in large part to the increased number of electronics we use daily. To save energy, make sure your electronics are turned off rather than in standby and unplug unused chargers. Using a smart power strip may be an effective way to combat these loads, as well.
Myth or Truth: Myth
Using energy more efficiently isn’t as difficult as you may believe. Many of the quickest ways to see results are to make small behavioral changes. If you’re curious about more ways you can save, check out our website at www.unitedpower.com/energy-tips or contact an Energy Management Specialist at 303-637-1300.
National Lineman Appreciation Day on April 18, 2019
Friday | March 1, 2019
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.
Read more >
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National Preparedness Month 2023
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Wednesday | September 13, 2023
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This year’s theme, “Preparing for Older Adults,” touches how to plan ahead.
Colorado is no stranger to weather-related disasters and record-breaking storm systems. Strong storms may dump feet of snow, generate destructive wind speeds, or spark a devastating wildfire. Each September, the Federal Emergency Management Agency recognizes National Preparedness Month to educate and empower Americans to take simple steps to prepare for and respond to potential emergencies that could affect us where we live, work, and visit. This year’s theme, “Preparing for Older Adults,” touches how to plan ahead.
Make a Plan. Expecting the unexpected begins with having a plan in place. Coordinate with your family, loved ones, or caregivers to respond quickly in the event of a disaster or weather-related emergency. A plan should include the following:
Create a support network of family, friends, and others, including caregivers, who can assist you during an emergency. Establish two-way communications, transportation, and living arrangements between you and your care community, especially if power is interrupted. Consider how any pets or service animals can continue receiving care, if necessary.
Make sure at least one person in your support network has an extra key to your home, knows where you keep your emergency supplies, and knows how to use life-saving equipment or administer medicine.
If you undergo routine treatments at a clinic or hospital, find out their emergency plans and work with them to identify backup service providers.
If you rely on any devices for physical assistance, plan on how you will have those with you during an evacuation, if required.
Build a Kit. Gather supplies for several days, considering your unique needs. Include items such as food and water; medications and medical supplies; any necessary medical documentation, such as Medicaid, Medicare, and other insurance cards; pet supplies; batteries and chargers; etc. You may also include items such as a first aid kit, flashlight, and/or radio. Remember to keep your kit updated.
Electronic Benefits. If you depend on Social Security or other regular benefits, switching to electronic payments is a simple, important way to protect yourself financially. You can sign up for direct deposit by calling 800-333-1795 or visiting www.godirect.gov/gpw.
For more information on National Preparedness Month, including sample emergency communications plans, organizations you can volunteer with during disasters, and more, visit www.ready.gov.
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National Work Zone Awareness Week
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Monday | March 8, 2021
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National Work Zone Awareness will be Recognized April 26-30, 2021.
National Work Zone Awareness will be Recognized April 26-30, 2021
United Power would like to remind our members of the importance of staying aware when entering and exiting roadside work zone areas for both your safety and our crews’ safety. Transportation accidents are one of the leading causes of on-the-job deaths nationwide.
As an electric utility, our work is fundamentally different from most highway construction work zones. When United Power conducts roadside construction work, it usually involves small crews working for short periods of time when compared to major highway and road construction. This poses challenges to keeping our lineworkers safe.
Major traffic construction will warn drivers in advance with signs posted hundreds of feet or even miles prior to the beginning of work. However, because the nature of our work is different, our crews use different warning techniques when preparing for roadside work. Traffic cones are typically used to delineate our work, which are quicker and easier for our crews to haul and set up when work near roadways is required. Much of our electrical infrastructure is located in high traffic areas, such as shoulders and right-of-ways, intersections and road medians.
To maintain high-powered electrical lines and equipment, our crews work in large vehicles, such as a bucket truck. When you see a United Power bucket truck located on a roadside, remember to look for signs and cones that it may be a work zone. Slow down and move over when possible to give our crews a wide enough path to continue working safely.
Please try to avoid distractions like cell phones or changing radio stations when entering a roadside work zone and be prepared for the unexpected.
We thank you for helping keep our crews safe!
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New Fort Lupton Payment Kiosk
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Friday | February 5, 2021
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United Power members living in and around Fort Lupton now have access to a new payment kiosk. The new kiosk is located inside the Bank of Colorado’s Operations Center, 605 4th St.
United Power members living in and around Fort Lupton now have access to a new payment kiosk. The new kiosk is located inside the Bank of Colorado’s Operations Center, 605 4th St.
Payment kiosks are hassle-free and easy to use. To make a payment, bring your United Power account number and a form of payment. Kiosks accept cash, credit card or check payments. Cash and credit card payments made using the kiosk are applied to your account immediately, and accounts subject to disconnection are restored immediately upon payment.
Over the past few years, the cooperative has seen a steady increase in demand from members who prefer to use self-serve and digital account and payment options, and a corresponding reduction in visits to our offices.
“The installation of payment kiosks demonstrates our commitment to providing the types of services our members want,” said Francis Ashu, Member Services Director. “Through our many convenient account management and payment options, we are able to provide the same level of quality service without costs associated with operating a storefront location.”
United Power now operates four payment kiosks, conveniently located throughout the service territory, with the addition of the Fort Lupton kiosk. The other kiosks are located at the cooperative’s office locations in Brighton, Carbon Valley and Coal Creek.
Find more information on payment kiosks and other payment options on our payments page.
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New Hours for Brighton & Ft. Lupton Walk-In Services
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Thursday | April 27, 2017
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More Hours to Serve You!
More Hours to Serve You!
United Power’s Brighton and Ft. Lupton offices will offer expanded hours beginning on May 1st. Both offices will now be open from 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Monday–Friday to serve walk-in members with account changes and in-person payments. United Power’s Brighton office is located at 500 Cooperative Way along the I-76 frontage road in Brighton, and the Ft. Lupton office is located at 1200 Dexter Street in the Safeway shopping center in Ft. Lupton. United Power’s Coal Creek office hours will stay the same, offering walk-in services and payments from 7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., Monday–Friday and we will continue to offer 24 hour dispatch for outages and emergencies.
Walk-in payment locations are one of many convenient options for United Power members to make a payment and access account information. Members can pay 24 hours per day over the phone and online through SmartHub. In addition, United Power members can also make cash payments at any MoneyGram location. Check out all of our payment and billing options here.
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New Rates Effective Jan 1, 2020
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Tuesday | December 31, 2019
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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.
More Residential Rate Options Available to Members
Residential RatesUnderstanding 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.
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Members Prioritize Mental Health & Outdoor Recreation for Grants
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Tuesday | July 14, 2020
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Members focused again on relief for the community during this time, with a number of nominations for two organizations that support mental health and recreation.
United Power introduced its new Member Choice Grants program earlier this year, asking members to nominate a nonprofit organization in its service territory they would like to see the cooperative help support.
These grant nominations allow United Power to provide support for causes and organizations members truly care about. During the first round of nominations, members recognized food banks for meeting the needs of others during this time, awarding the Fort Lupton Food Bank and Carbon Valley Help Center with grants.
Members focused again on relief for the community during this time, with a number of nominations for two organizations that support mental health and recreation. United Power is happy to announce the two nonprofits receiving $1,000 Member Choice Grants.
Richard Lambert Foundation
The foundation provides care, support and essential resources for bereaved children and adults, allowing them to create a foundation for hope, healing and survival. The grant will be used to ensure mental health and grief support is accessible.
Barr Lake State Park
Barr Lake State Park is a quiet lake just northeast of Denver. There’s something for every type of outdoors person at Barr Lake, from fishing and bird watching to boating and kayaking. Grant funds will be used to support Lake Appreciation Day on July 11.
Nominations are now open for the third round of Member Choice Grants, which will be announced in the next United Newsline. To submit a nomination, fill out the form on our Member Choice page and provide a brief reason why you feel the organization should receive the grant.
Mutton Busting: Toughest Sport on Wool
Monday | July 2, 2018
For years, the Adams County Fair has provided an opportunity to channel that spirit into a popular rugrat rodeo activity – Mutton Bustin’. Mutton Bustin’ will return with the fair in August, but will introduce an exciting new change from previous event formats.
Read more >
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Myths of Energy Efficiency
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Monday | February 14, 2022
Card Teaser
As your cooperative, we want to provide you with the most useful information and applicable resources to help you save on bills.
As your cooperative, we want to provide you with the most useful information and applicable resources to help you save on bills. To help you make more informed decisions, we tackle some common energy efficiency myths in this column.
Reducing Energy Use is Too Expensive
A common and enduring myth about energy efficiency is cost. The stigma associated with it assumes it’s too expensive and not worth it. While costly energy efficiency upgrades are possible, many immediate steps you can take are simple behavioral and habitual changes. These include turning off lights in unused rooms, unplugging or shutting down unused electronics, closing doors to empty rooms while heating/cooling systems are running, limiting use of vents in the kitchen or bathroom and remembering to close your curtains in the summer – and conversely open them in the winter – to keep sunlight from affecting the temperature inside your home.
Setting Thermostat Higher Heats Home Faster
No matter what temperature you set your thermostat, your furnace will work equally as hard and fast to meet that goal. The only difference achieved by setting the temperature to a higher degree is that the system will work for a longer period of time, therefore using more energy. The same applies to air conditioners when set to a lower temperature than necessary. Although blasting your heater or air conditioning does not heat or cool your home more quickly, adjusting your thermostat up or down a few degrees, depending on the season, can help you save energy.
Closing Vents in Unused Rooms Saves Energy
Shutting vents in empty or unused rooms may seem logical to save energy. Heating or cooling an empty space does appear to waste energy. However, your system cannot detect closed vents and will continue trying to push air to them. When the air cannot escape, it reverses and can cause damage to your system. Instead of closing vents, practice closing doors to rooms that are not in use. When doors are open, it allows the hot or cold air from inside the room to escape and the air from outside the room to enter, which can force your system to work harder to maintain thermostat settings. Closed doors prevent air from entering or exiting so the system can properly heat or cool the room and maintain it more easily.
Using energy more efficiently isn’t as difficult as you may believe. Small behavioral changes make a big difference. To review more ways to save, check out our website at www.unitedpower.com/energy-tips or contact an Energy Management Specialist at 303-637-1300.
How to Monitor Your Energy Usage
United Power members looking for ways to use energy more efficiently this year and save on their energy bills can utilize free resources available exclusively to the cooperative’s members.
View Usage With Power Portal
Power Portal was launched as an ancillary feature of the cooperative’s online account tool for members to view advanced data on their energy use over the course of days, weeks, months and more. The software breaks your energy usage down into 15-minute segments to provide you with a detailed picture of what activities or habits are controlling your energy usage. Members can even use the tool to evaluate on- and off-peak energy usage.
Armed with the ability to diagnose behaviors that lead to excess energy usage, members can begin taking real steps toward using energy more efficiently. Members can even use this tool to gauge the effectiveness of energy efficient updates to their home.
For more information, go to the Power Portal page.
Demand Calculator
Adding or upgrading an appliance in your home? United Power recently debuted its new demand calculator, which allows members to toggle different appliances on and off to see what demand they could require in your home. To use the calculator or learn more about the demand rate, go to the Understanding Demand page.
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Myths of Energy Efficiency
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Friday | February 5, 2021
Card Teaser
As your cooperative, we want to provide you with the most useful information and applicable resources to help you save on bills.
As your cooperative, we want to provide you with the most useful information and applicable resources to help you save on bills. In a previous newsletter, we tackled some common energy efficiency myths. This follow up to that article dives into a few more myths to help you make more informed decisions.
Reducing Energy Use is Too Expensive
The first and most common misconception about energy efficiency is cost. There’s a stigma associated with it that assumes it’s far too expensive to be worth it, which is incorrect. While members can begin to see increased savings by upgrading insulation and replacing old appliances, many of the immediate steps you can take toward using energy efficiently are behavioral changes. Some of these will be addressed below, but others include turning off lights when you leave a room, limiting use of kitchen and bathroom vents, closing doors to empty rooms while heating or cooling systems are running, and remembering to close your curtains in the summer – and conversely open them in the winter – to keep sunlight from affecting the temperature inside your home.
Myth or Truth: Myth
Adjusting the Thermostat Saves Energy
Adjusting your thermostat up or down a few degrees, depending on the season, can help you save energy. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates this little behavioral change could save consumers as much as 10 percent per year on their energy bills. Since heating and cooling our homes accounts for approximately half of our annual energy usage, that could result in significant savings. To see additional savings on your energy bills, you can adjust the thermostat a few more degrees when you and your family won’t be home. It is recommended to practice adjusting your thermostat 6-8 degrees when your home will be empty for several hours, such as when you’re at work. It’s important to note you may not see savings from this practice when you’re only away from the home for a couple hours. This practice is easily paired with a smart thermostat, which can either adjust your thermostat automatically based your location relative to the home or on a pre-programmed schedule. If you and your family are traveling for the holidays, you can set your thermostat to an even lower temperature, roughly 50 degrees, to both save energy and protect your pipes from winter temperatures. In certain situations, it may even be possible to turn your system off altogether, such as a family vacation in the summer or at night when you can allow Colorado’s mild climate to cool your home naturally by opening windows.
Myth or Truth: Truth
Ceiling Fans Keep Rooms Cool
Sitting in a room with a running ceiling fan may feel more comfortable than a room without one, but that’s not because the ceiling fan is actually cooling the air in the room. Instead, the room feels cooler because the ceiling fan keeps air in the room flowing constantly, cooling those who are in the room rather than the air itself. To use ceiling fans efficiently, run them only in occupied rooms while adjusting your thermostat up a few degrees. Leaving a ceiling fan running in an empty room just wastes energy.
Myth or Truth: Myth.
Setting Thermostat Higher Heats Home Faster
No matter what temperature you set your thermostat, your furnace will work equally as hard and fast to meet that goal. The only difference achieved by setting the temperature to a higher degree is that the system will work for a longer period of time, therefore using more energy. The same applies to air conditioners when set to a lower temperature then desired.
Myth or Truth: Myth
Appliances Don’t Use Power When Turned Off
You may have heard the term “vampire loads,” but do you know what causes them? When you turn off an electronic device or appliance, many don’t actually turn off. They go into a “standby” mode, which still draws a small amount of energy. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates these loads are approaching nearly 10% of our annual energy usage, due in large part to the increased number of electronics we use daily. To save energy, make sure your electronics are turned off rather than in standby and unplug unused chargers. Using a smart power strip may be an effective way to combat these loads, as well.
Myth or Truth: Myth
Using energy more efficiently isn’t as difficult as you may believe. Many of the quickest ways to see results are to make small behavioral changes. If you’re curious about more ways you can save, check out our website at www.unitedpower.com/energy-tips or contact an Energy Management Specialist at 303-637-1300.
National Lineman Appreciation Day on April 18, 2019
Friday | March 1, 2019
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.
Read more >
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National Preparedness Month 2023
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Wednesday | September 13, 2023
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This year’s theme, “Preparing for Older Adults,” touches how to plan ahead.
Colorado is no stranger to weather-related disasters and record-breaking storm systems. Strong storms may dump feet of snow, generate destructive wind speeds, or spark a devastating wildfire. Each September, the Federal Emergency Management Agency recognizes National Preparedness Month to educate and empower Americans to take simple steps to prepare for and respond to potential emergencies that could affect us where we live, work, and visit. This year’s theme, “Preparing for Older Adults,” touches how to plan ahead.
Make a Plan. Expecting the unexpected begins with having a plan in place. Coordinate with your family, loved ones, or caregivers to respond quickly in the event of a disaster or weather-related emergency. A plan should include the following:
Create a support network of family, friends, and others, including caregivers, who can assist you during an emergency. Establish two-way communications, transportation, and living arrangements between you and your care community, especially if power is interrupted. Consider how any pets or service animals can continue receiving care, if necessary.
Make sure at least one person in your support network has an extra key to your home, knows where you keep your emergency supplies, and knows how to use life-saving equipment or administer medicine.
If you undergo routine treatments at a clinic or hospital, find out their emergency plans and work with them to identify backup service providers.
If you rely on any devices for physical assistance, plan on how you will have those with you during an evacuation, if required.
Build a Kit. Gather supplies for several days, considering your unique needs. Include items such as food and water; medications and medical supplies; any necessary medical documentation, such as Medicaid, Medicare, and other insurance cards; pet supplies; batteries and chargers; etc. You may also include items such as a first aid kit, flashlight, and/or radio. Remember to keep your kit updated.
Electronic Benefits. If you depend on Social Security or other regular benefits, switching to electronic payments is a simple, important way to protect yourself financially. You can sign up for direct deposit by calling 800-333-1795 or visiting www.godirect.gov/gpw.
For more information on National Preparedness Month, including sample emergency communications plans, organizations you can volunteer with during disasters, and more, visit www.ready.gov.
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National Work Zone Awareness Week
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Monday | March 8, 2021
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National Work Zone Awareness will be Recognized April 26-30, 2021.
National Work Zone Awareness will be Recognized April 26-30, 2021
United Power would like to remind our members of the importance of staying aware when entering and exiting roadside work zone areas for both your safety and our crews’ safety. Transportation accidents are one of the leading causes of on-the-job deaths nationwide.
As an electric utility, our work is fundamentally different from most highway construction work zones. When United Power conducts roadside construction work, it usually involves small crews working for short periods of time when compared to major highway and road construction. This poses challenges to keeping our lineworkers safe.
Major traffic construction will warn drivers in advance with signs posted hundreds of feet or even miles prior to the beginning of work. However, because the nature of our work is different, our crews use different warning techniques when preparing for roadside work. Traffic cones are typically used to delineate our work, which are quicker and easier for our crews to haul and set up when work near roadways is required. Much of our electrical infrastructure is located in high traffic areas, such as shoulders and right-of-ways, intersections and road medians.
To maintain high-powered electrical lines and equipment, our crews work in large vehicles, such as a bucket truck. When you see a United Power bucket truck located on a roadside, remember to look for signs and cones that it may be a work zone. Slow down and move over when possible to give our crews a wide enough path to continue working safely.
Please try to avoid distractions like cell phones or changing radio stations when entering a roadside work zone and be prepared for the unexpected.
We thank you for helping keep our crews safe!
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New Fort Lupton Payment Kiosk
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Friday | February 5, 2021
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United Power members living in and around Fort Lupton now have access to a new payment kiosk. The new kiosk is located inside the Bank of Colorado’s Operations Center, 605 4th St.
United Power members living in and around Fort Lupton now have access to a new payment kiosk. The new kiosk is located inside the Bank of Colorado’s Operations Center, 605 4th St.
Payment kiosks are hassle-free and easy to use. To make a payment, bring your United Power account number and a form of payment. Kiosks accept cash, credit card or check payments. Cash and credit card payments made using the kiosk are applied to your account immediately, and accounts subject to disconnection are restored immediately upon payment.
Over the past few years, the cooperative has seen a steady increase in demand from members who prefer to use self-serve and digital account and payment options, and a corresponding reduction in visits to our offices.
“The installation of payment kiosks demonstrates our commitment to providing the types of services our members want,” said Francis Ashu, Member Services Director. “Through our many convenient account management and payment options, we are able to provide the same level of quality service without costs associated with operating a storefront location.”
United Power now operates four payment kiosks, conveniently located throughout the service territory, with the addition of the Fort Lupton kiosk. The other kiosks are located at the cooperative’s office locations in Brighton, Carbon Valley and Coal Creek.
Find more information on payment kiosks and other payment options on our payments page.
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New Hours for Brighton & Ft. Lupton Walk-In Services
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Thursday | April 27, 2017
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More Hours to Serve You!
More Hours to Serve You!
United Power’s Brighton and Ft. Lupton offices will offer expanded hours beginning on May 1st. Both offices will now be open from 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Monday–Friday to serve walk-in members with account changes and in-person payments. United Power’s Brighton office is located at 500 Cooperative Way along the I-76 frontage road in Brighton, and the Ft. Lupton office is located at 1200 Dexter Street in the Safeway shopping center in Ft. Lupton. United Power’s Coal Creek office hours will stay the same, offering walk-in services and payments from 7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., Monday–Friday and we will continue to offer 24 hour dispatch for outages and emergencies.
Walk-in payment locations are one of many convenient options for United Power members to make a payment and access account information. Members can pay 24 hours per day over the phone and online through SmartHub. In addition, United Power members can also make cash payments at any MoneyGram location. Check out all of our payment and billing options here.
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New Rates Effective Jan 1, 2020
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Tuesday | December 31, 2019
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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.
More Residential Rate Options Available to Members
Residential RatesUnderstanding 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.
