Description Spark Energy www.sparkenergy.comhttp://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/ Thu, 05 Jul 2012 14:52:00 GMT Thu, 05 Jul 2012 14:52:00 GMT Spark Energy Staff http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/july/peco-refrigerator-recycling-program/ When Pennsylvanians get new, energy-efficient refrigerators for their homes, old refrigerators often get relegated to a support role in garages or basements. After all, the old models still work, and they can be used to chill drinks and snacks for a basement game room or for bulk-purchased foods that homeowners hadn’t bought before because they lacked the space. Some consumers like to use things — cars, televisions, home appliances — as long as they can because they take pride in making things last, and, besides, they reason, smart consumers get value for their purchases and don’t buy something if they don’t need it. There are a lot of old refrigerators out there as a result of this philosophy, and many of them are 20, 30, or even 40 years old. In fact, there are more than 27 million pre-1993 refrigerators still in use, and about 26 percent of all U.S. homes have a second refrigerator, according to 2009 study by the U.S. Department of Energy. Unfortunately, old refrigerators that keep on working are a big problem for consumers, as well as for utilities, which are trying to avoid having to build new power plants to handle the growing demand for electricity. Old refrigerators are terribly inefficient, and can use up to four times the amount of energy as a modern, energy-efficient model for the same amount of cooling. Hanging on to that old refrigerator costs consumers a lot of money — between $150 and $200 a year — and pulls a lot of electricity from power grids like the one owned by Pennsylvania utility PECO Energy Co. PECO Helping Customers Save Energy Thankfully, PECO’s new Smart Appliance Recycling program helps customers start saving energy and saving money on monthly bills by giving them $35 for their old refrigerators. The utility will even send a truck to pick it up and have it shipped to a “demanufacturing” facility in Hatfield that sucks out the harmful refrigerant for responsible disposal and prepares the 150 pounds of metal, 25 pounds of plastic, and 3 pounds of glass in an average refrigerator for recycling. In its first year of operation, the facility has recycled 50,000 refrigerators with an average age of 22 years. Demanufacturing those refrigerators saved 85,000 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 7,000 homes for a year, according to Jaco Environmental, the company that runs the Hatfield facility. So far, PECO’s Smart Appliance Recycling program has helped customers of the utility recycle 15,662 old refrigerators at the facility, which saved 27,000 megawatt-hours of electricity, the equivalent of planting 30,000 trees or taking 30 million miles of automobile driving off the books, according to PECO spokeswoman Cathy Engel. PECO’s Smart Appliance Recycling program will also pay customers $35 to recycle freezers and $10 to recycle room air conditioners. PECO Smart Appliance Recycling Program Requirements There are several requirement that need to be met in order to qualify for PECO’s Smart Appliance Recycling Program: Homeowners must be PECO customers Refrigerator and freezer size must be between 10 and 30 cubic feet Units must be empty and working when they are picked up In order to be picked up, units must be accessible by the removal team by a clear and safe path Removal teams won’t risk injury, modify homes (remove doors and railings), or remove personal effects to remove units Sources “ GreenSpace: Cold War on the Inefficient Old Fridge ,” The Philadelphia Enquirer , March 21, 2011. PECO Smart Ideas website, “ PECO Smart Appliance Recycling .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/july/peco-refrigerator-recycling-program/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/july/peco-refrigerator-recycling-program/ Thu, 05 Jul 2012 14:52:00 GMT Spark Energy Staff http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/june/comed-finishes-improvements-in-northbrook/ Commonwealth Edison Co. (ComEd) is wrapping up its $2 million electricity infrastructure improvement project in Northbrook, Ill., a project village officials said should help prevent the kind of power outages that overwhelmed Northbrook last summer. Northbrook director of public works Kelly Hamill said that ComEd’s electricity infrastructure project has been designed to yield several improvements: The installation of almost 10,000 feet of new overhead power lines — called Hendrix cables, which are designed to better withstand punishment from storms and, especially, from contact with falling tree limbs — should help prevent power outages by 75 percent The relocation of the village’s mid-circuit recloser — an automatic switching device that helps minimize the number of customers affected by outages — to a more effective location near downtown The replacement of underground cables in areas that are prone to outages An increased tree trimming program to help prevent outages from falling limbs A revised strategy for communicating with village officials during storms Hamill said ComEd’s finishing touches involved switching power from the old lines to the new lines, transferring individual residential services to the new power lines and removing the old power lines. The village’s mid-circuit recloser will be moved in late June or early July, Hamill said. Sources “ ComEd Improves Electric Lines in Northbrook to Decrease Outages ,” Chicago Tribune , May 31, 2012. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/june/comed-finishes-improvements-in-northbrook/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/june/comed-finishes-improvements-in-northbrook/ Wed, 20 Jun 2012 16:08:00 GMT Spark Energy Staff http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/june/peco-rewards-electric-vehicle-owners/ Philadelphia-based electricity utility PECO announced June 4 that it will be rewarding customers who buy electric vehicles (EVs) or invest in EV technologies. As part of the PECO Smart Drive Rebates program, residential and business customers who let the utility know that they’ve purchased an EV will get $50 from the utility, per vehicle. The reward program also encourages investment in EV technologies that can make getting around town easier for EV owners. Government, institutional and non-profit customers who install Level 2 public EV charging stations in the utility’s area will get a $1,000 incentive per unit, up to two units, to help ease installation costs. Counties in PECO’s area will get up to $3,000 if they install a Level 2 public charging station.   Sources “ PECO Gets Charged Up About Electric Vehicles! ” MarketWatch, June 4, 2012. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/june/peco-rewards-electric-vehicle-owners/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/june/peco-rewards-electric-vehicle-owners/ Wed, 20 Jun 2012 15:55:00 GMT Spark Energy Staff http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/june/diy-home-energy-audits-lighting/ Conducting a four-part do-it-yourself home energy audit can help you find ways to cut cooling costs and save money off your electricity bill this summer. Once you've completed the first three parts of a DIY home energy audit — detecting and sealing air leaks , checking your home's insulation and inspecting your HVAC equipment — you're ready to move on to the final step: lighting. Evaluate the Type of Lighting You Use Since lighting your home accounts for up to 10 percent of your monthly electricity bill, it's important to take a closer look at the type of lighting you use. Incandescent Bulbs Incandescent bulbs are cheapest, but you're going to go through a lot more of them. Additionally, incandescent bulbs are incredibly inefficient and do a far better job of producing heat than making light. Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) CFLs can be four or five times the price of equivalent incandescent bulbs, but they can last eight times longer and use 75 percent less electricity to produce the same brightness. Drawbacks include environmental concerns — CFLs contain mercury — and shorter lifespans when turned on and off frequently and used in humid parts of the home, such as bathrooms. CFLs are also knocked by some for taking a short time to reach full brightness. Check out these tips for getting the most out of CFL bulbs . Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) LED lights are clearly the future champ of home lighting. While they're the most expensive to buy, they consume 20 percent or less of the electricity used by incandescent bulbs and last up to 25 times longer — without any of the drawbacks associated with CFLs. For more information, check out our post comparing the money-saving benefits of CFLs and LEDs . Upgrade to Energy-Efficient Lighting Where You Can Where you can, you should upgrade to energy efficient lighting. Not only will the bulbs pay for themselves in a short time — because you'll save electricity every time you turn on an energy-efficient bulb — but once the bulbs are paid for you'll start saving real money on your electricity bill. To make upgrading even more attractive, some utilities even offer retail discounts on energy-efficient bulbs to customers in their area. When Shopping for Energy-Efficient Bulbs, Use Lumens, Not Watts It's important to note that watts are not a measure of a light bulb's brightness. Instead, brightness is determined by something called lumens. When shopping for an equivalent CFL or LED, use the bulb's lumens rating – printed on the packaging – to find a similarly bright bulb. Develop an Overall Lighting Strategy There are certain things you can do to increase the lighting efficiency of your home that go beyond upgrading your light bulbs, like using more task lighting or using a brighter-colored paint for walls and ceilings. For these and other additional lighting tips, check out our post on energy-efficient home lighting . You can also browse our glossary of energy-efficient lighting terms to help you navigate your options when it comes to lighting and bulbs. Review the Do-It-Yourself Home Energy Audit There are four steps to a fairly comprehensive do-it-yourself home energy audit. Here are the other three parts, in case you need to review them or if you missed one earlier: Part 1: Detect Air Leaks Part 2: Check Insulation Part 3: Inspect HVAC Equipment Part 4: Lighting Sources U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, " Do-It-Yourself Home Energy Assessments ." http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/june/diy-home-energy-audits-lighting/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/june/diy-home-energy-audits-lighting/ Thu, 14 Jun 2012 16:32:00 GMT Spark Energy Staff http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/june/diy-home-energy-audits-inspecting-hvac/ Conducting a four-part do-it-yourself home energy audit can help you find ways to cut cooling costs and lower your energy bills this summer. Once you’ve completed the first two parts of a DIY home energy audit — detecting and sealing air leaks and checking your home’s insulation — you’re ready to move on to part three: inspecting your HVAC equipment. The efficiency of your home’s air conditioning system, also known as heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) equipment, plays a critical role in your ability to cool your home and maintain your comfort during hot summer days while keeping electricity bills from breaking the bank. To help your AC system run as efficiently as possible, you’ll need to inspect your equipment, check for leaks in your ductwork and insulate your ducts. Inspect Your HVAC Equipment It’s important that you inspect your HVAC equipment at least once a year. Twice a year — once before summer and once before winter — is ideal. For a summertime checkup, you’ll want to focus on your AC system. AC Air Filters Checking air filters and changing them out when they’re dirty is the most important maintenance task you can perform for your AC system: Clogged or dirty air filters restricts normal air flow, which can make your AC system work harder to cool your home Dirt that bypasses an air filter can make its way to the evaporator coil where it can reduce the coil’s ability to absorb heat Clean air filters can lower your energy consumption by 5–15 percent For central AC systems, air filters are generally located somewhere along the return duct. Filter locations can include walls, ceilings, furnaces or the air conditioner itself. If you have a room air conditioner, the filter will be mounted in the grill facing into the room. You should clean or replace your AC system’s air filters every month during the hottest summer months, when you run your AC a lot, and about every month or two during months in which you run your AC less frequently. AC Coils Your AC system’s evaporator coil and condenser coil will collect some dirt over time. Even if you change out your air filters regularly, the evaporator coil will eventually collect dirt over months and years of service. Dirt that does collect will reduce air flow and insulate the coil, which will in turn reduce the coil’s ability to absorb heat. Outside condenser coils can also become dirty over time, especially if the outdoor environment is dusty or you have a lot of foliage around your unit. Fix problems by cleaning your evaporator coil once a year before peak summer months and keeping dirt and debris near your condenser coil to a minimum. For best results, keep the area around the condenser coil clear of debris and trim foliage back at least 2 feet to allow for adequate air flow. Coil Fins The aluminum fins on evaporator and condenser coils can bend easily when you’re cleaning the coils, which can result in blocked air flow. Make sure to take care when cleaning your coils and consider using a fin comb (supplied by AC wholesalers) to remove dirt from the coils. Condensate Drains To clean your condensate drain, which can clog with dirt and debris and prevent an efficient reduction in humidity, pass a stiff wire through the unit’s drain channels. For best results, clean your condensate drains every two months. Checking for Duct Leaks Leaky ducts can reduce the efficiency of the air flow through your AC system and can also introduce dirt to the air flow after air has already passed through the system’s air filters. The best way to find out if your air ducts are leaking is to inspect them for dirt streaks, especially near the seams. Dirt streaks indicate air leaks. Thankfully, you can seal them easily enough with duct mastic. Insulating Air Ducts Insulating air ducts is a good, affordable way to preserve cooled air as it passes through ducts, especially ducts that maneuver their way through uncooled parts of your home, like your attic. Insulated air ducts will also help maintain heated air as it passes through the ducts in the cold winter months. When insulating your air ducts, make sure to use insulation with an R-value of 6 or above. Do-It-Yourself Home Energy Audits: Air Leaks, Insulation and Lighting Make sure to read up on the other steps involved in a four-part DIY home energy audit: There are four steps to a fairly comprehensive do-it-yourself home energy audit. Here are the other three parts, in case you need to review them or if you missed one earlier: Part 1: Detect Air Leaks Part 2: Check Insulation Part 3: Inspect HVAC Equipment Part 4: Lighting Sources U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, “ Do-It-Yourself Home Energy Assessments .” U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, “ Maintaining Your Air Conditioner .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/june/diy-home-energy-audits-inspecting-hvac/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/june/diy-home-energy-audits-inspecting-hvac/ Thu, 14 Jun 2012 15:58:00 GMT Spark Energy Staff http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/june/diy-home-energy-audits-checking-insulation/ When conducting a do-it-yourself home energy audit as part of an effort to cut your cooling costs this summer, the first thing you want to do is detect air leaks and seal them. After you’ve done that, you’re ready to check your home’s insulation, which plays a critical role in your home’s overall energy efficiency. If your home is older or has insulation levels that are less than today’s recommended minimum, you could be losing cooled air through the attic, ceiling and walls at a relatively rapid pace. To help shore up your insulation and prevent heat loss, you’ll need to check the insulation in your attic and walls. Checking the Insulation in Your Attic When checking your attic for proper insulation, make sure to inspect the hatch; openings for pipes, ductwork and chimneys; vapor barriers; areas around vents and electrical boxes; and the attic floor. Attic hatches should be at least as heavily insulated as the attic itself and should also be sealed with weather stripping so it closes tightly. Gaps around openings for pipes, ductwork and chimneys should be sealed tightly with an expanding foam caulk or other permanent sealant. A vapor barrier is critical for reducing the amount of water vapor that can pass through your ceiling, which can reduce the effectiveness of insulation and cause structural damage over time. Check underneath your attic insulation for typical vapor barriers such as a layer of tarpaper, Kraft paper attached to fiberglass batts or a plastic sheet. If you don’t have a vapor barrier you’ll need to add one. If it’s in bad shape, you’ll need to replace it. Areas around vents and electrical boxes need to be sealed tightly. Use flexible caulk to seal any gaps or cracks, from either the living room side or the attic side. And make sure that attic vents are not being blocked by insulation. Your entire attic floor needs to be covered with at least the current recommended amount of insulation, which is based on your home’s material construction and the part of the country in which you live. For more information, check with a professional insulation contractor. Checking the Insulation in Your Walls Checking the insulation in your walls is a little more difficult than checking it in your attic. For the best DIY results, just follow these simple steps: Choose a wall to check Turn off the circuit breaker or unscrew the fuse for any electrical outlets that are in the wall Test to make sure the outlets are not “hot” by plugging in a lamp or some other device and turning it on — if it doesn’t work, the outlet is “cold” and isn’t getting any electricity Once the outlets have been tested and verified cold, remove the cover plate from one outlet and gently probe into the wall with a thin stick or long screwdriver — if you feel resistance, there is some insulation in your wall; repeat for other outlets on the same wall if desired  Ideally, each wall should be entirely filled with insulation. Unfortunately, the DIY method for testing wall insulation described above can’t tell you if the entire wall is insulated. For that, you’ll need to swallow your DIY pride and hire a professional home energy auditor to perform a thermographic inspection. A Word on Caulking When sealing air leaks with caulk, make sure to choose the right kind of caulk and read up on how to apply it correctly . Do-It-Yourself Home Energy Audits: Air Leaks, HVAC Equipment and Lighting Make sure to read up on the other steps involved in a four-part DIY home energy audit: Part 1: Detect Air Leaks Part 2: Check Insulation Part 3: Inspect HVAC Equipment Part 4: Lighting Sources U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, “ Do-It-Yourself Home Energy Assessments .” U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, “ Attic Insulation .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/june/diy-home-energy-audits-checking-insulation/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/june/diy-home-energy-audits-checking-insulation/ Thu, 14 Jun 2012 14:05:00 GMT Spark Energy Staff http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/june/diy-home-energy-audits-detecting-air-leaks/ As the weather starts to really warm up and you begin to run your AC more often, you probably also start thinking about how that will impact electricity bills this summer. That's why now is a great time to think about your home's energy efficiency and the different ways you can lower your cooling costs . The first thing you'll need to do is conduct a home energy audit, which will give you a better idea of what kind of energy efficiency improvements you can make. You can always hire a professional to perform the audit. But, if you're like us, you'd rather take the do-it-yourself approach. Thankfully, a DIY home energy audit is a pretty simple and straight-forward, four-part process. 5 Steps for Detecting Air Leaks There are five steps you can take to complete a thorough DIY air leak inspection: 1. Make a list of obvious targets for indoor air leaks Grab a piece of paper, a clipboard and a pencil. Make a list of obvious places inside your home that have potential gaps or cracks that can allow air to flow in and out: Attic hatches Baseboards Electrical Outlets Fireplace dampers Mail slots Pipes Switch plates Wall- or window-mounted AC units Weather stripping around doors Window frames 2. Perform a visual inspection A quick visual inspection of the potential problem areas on your list should be able to reveal significant air leaks. Make sure that all caulk and weatherstripping is applied properly, in good condition and without gaps or cracks. If you see daylight around a door or window frame, then there's definitely a leak. Also, try and rattle your windows and doors. If you can move one by shaking it gently, then there's probably an air leak. Seal any gaps that you can see with calk or weather stripping. If your doors and windows are old, you may want to consider upgrading to new, energy-efficient doors and windows . 3. Fine tune your search for air leaks Once you complete a visual inspection for obvious air leaks you can fine tune your search for the leaks that aren't as obvious. You can do this by conducting a basic building pressurization test, which makes leaks easier to detect: Close all exterior doors, windows and fireplace flues Turn off all appliances with pilot lights, such as gas water heaters and gas-burning furnaces Turn on all exhaust fans, such as those in the kitchen and bathrooms Then, light a stick of incense and hold it next to the locations on your list. If the smoke is sucked in or blown out, then you know you have an air leak. Caulk is usually your best choice for sealing these smaller leaks. 4. Take your search for air leaks outside Next, take your clipboard and pencil and search for air leaks on the outside of your home. As a general rule, you want to check any part of your home where two different building materials meet: Areas where the foundation meets the bottom of exterior brick or siding Exterior corners Places where pipes, electrical outlets and wiring enter the home (through brick mortar, siding or the foundation) Where siding and chimneys meet You're going to have to rely more on a visual inspection (since a pressurization test won't work outside, for obvious reasons) to check for exterior air leaks. For best results, make sure that all external areas are appropriately sealed. If not, or if you can see gaps or cracks in the mortar, siding or foundation — even if they're not around things like pipes or wiring — seal them with the appropriate material. 5. Beware of indoor air pollution and appliance backdrafts Sealing your home up tight is a good idea, but, if no air is able to get in or out, you'll create a potential hazard from indoor air pollution or appliance backdrafts (when an exhaust fan pulls combustion gasses from gas-powered water heaters and furnaces into the living space). When sealing air leaks, make sure combustion appliances have adequate air supplies. As a general rule, one square inch of vent opening is required for each 1,000 Btu of appliance input heat. If you have questions about sealing air leaks and combustion appliances, play it safe and contact a professional ventilation contractor or your utility company. A Word on Caulking When sealing air leaks with caulk, make sure to choose the right kind of caulk and read up on how to apply it correctly . Do-It-Yourself Home Energy Audits: Air Leaks, HVAC Equipment and Lighting Now that you know how to detect and repair air leaks, make sure to read up on the other steps involved in a four-part DIY home energy audit: Part 1: Detect Air Leaks Part 2: Check Insulation Part 3: Inspect HVAC Equipment Part 4: Lighting Sources U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, " Do-It-Yourself Home Energy Assessments ." http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/june/diy-home-energy-audits-detecting-air-leaks/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/june/diy-home-energy-audits-detecting-air-leaks/ Tue, 12 Jun 2012 16:19:00 GMT Spark Energy Staff http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/june/saving-water-means-saving-money/ You may not think about it, but every time you use hot water in your home, you’re also using energy. After all, that water has to be heated by something, which usually means your electric or natural gas water heater has to go to work. Water and energy use in your home is so interconnected that if you’re looking to cut energy costs , decreasing your water use may be one of the easiest ways. Every time you use hot water in your home — for things like showers, laundry and dish washing — you also use electricity or natural gas. In fact, water heating is the second largest energy expense in your home, accounting for about 18 percent of your utility bill. Average Hot Water Use   Here’s a breakdown of the use of hot water in an average U.S. home: Activity Average Use Shower 10 gallons per day Clothes washer 7 gallons per day Dishwasher 6 gallons per day Kitchen faucet 2 gallons per minute Bathroom faucet .05 gallons per minute Total Daily Average 64 Gallons   Water (and Energy) Saving Tips There are plenty of ways to cut back on the amount of hot water (and energy) that you use, and increase the efficiency of heating your water: Improvement Average Water Heating Savings Install low-flow showerheads and aerators in your kitchen and bathroom faucets 25 to 60 percent (and about 7,800 gallons of water per year) Repair leaks Variable, but a leak of one drip per second can cost $1 per month in hot water costs Upgrade to an energy-efficient dishwasher About 50 percent over older models (an additional 7 percent energy savings can be gained by using a “no-heat” drying cycle) Wash clothes with cold water Variable, but since 85 to 90 percent of the energy used to wash clothes is spent heating water, the savings can really add up Set back the thermostat on your water heater to 120°F From 3 to 5 percent for each 10 degree reduction in water temperature Install a heat recovery system Variable, depending on how it’s used Install a whole-home tankless water heater About 30 percent each month, compared with gas water heaters (more when compared with electric water heaters) Install a solar water heater Variable, depending on several factors Install heat traps on your water heater tank About $15–$30 off water heating costs each month Insulate your water heater tank If your tank’s R-value is less than R-24, about 4 to 9 percent   Sources Flex Your Power, “ Showerheads .” U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, “ Install Heat Traps on a Water Heater Tank for Energy Savings .” U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, “ Insulate Your Water Heater Tank for Energy Savings .” U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, “ Lower Water Heating Temperature for Energy Savings .” U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, “ Reduce Hot Water Use for Energy Savings .” U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, “ Tips: Water Heating .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/june/saving-water-means-saving-money/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/june/saving-water-means-saving-money/ Tue, 12 Jun 2012 09:59:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/comed-storm-tools/ Illinois electricity utility Commonwealth Edison Co. (ComEd) has released an online map and a smartphone app to help better communicate with customers about power outages during storms and provide information about how the utility is responding. ComEd announced May 7 that it had a new color-coded map on its website that would allow customers to easily find clear information about power outages. The map, which is auto-updated every 30 minutes, provides details such as crew status and estimated power restoration time. Presumably, customers who are experiencing a power outage and can’t access the map on their computers could still access the map with a battery-powered mobile device with a cellular data plan, such as an iPhone, iPad or Android smartphone or tablet. The utility also announced a free mobile app for iPhone and Android smartphones that will help customers easily report power outages and check restoration status. The app can be downloaded from ComEd’s website or the Apple and Android app stores. Sources “ ComEd Adds Map, Mobile App to Storm Response Tools ,” Bloomberg Businessweek, May 8, 2012. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/comed-storm-tools/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/comed-storm-tools/ Thu, 31 May 2012 09:04:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/top-7-lighting-tips/ There are countless ways to reduce energy costs, but few are as easy as changing your home’s lighting. In fact, lighting consumes about 10 percent of the average home’s electricity use, and using energy-efficient lighting strategies can reduce the average home’s lighting costs by up to 75 percent. To help you get started, here are seven tips for saving money by making your home lighting more energy efficient. 1. Use more direct “task” lighting Task lighting is direct, overhead lighting for desks, kitchen cooking areas, tool benches, craft tables and other areas. In cases like this, you don’t need to light the whole room to accomplish your task. You can just light the area you need illuminated, thereby preventing waste and cutting lighting costs. 2. Install energy-efficient light bulbs Energy-efficient light bulbs are designed to provide the same amount of light while using less electricity:  --Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) will provide the same quantity of light as incandescent light bulbs while using about 75 percent less electricity. They also last from about 8 to 10 times longer. And don’t forget to check out the special CFLs that are compatible with dimmer switches.  --High-efficiency halogen lighting is a good option if you don’t like the look of CFLs. You can replace a 100-watt incandescent bulb with a 72-watt or 70-watt halogen bulb or replace a 60-watt incandescent bulb with a 42-watt or 40-watt halogen bulb and still get the same amount of light.  --Light emitting diode (LEDs) bulbs are the most energy-efficient and long-lasting types of light bulbs. You can replace a 60-watt incandescent bulb with a 12-watt LED that will last more than 20,000 hours, or about 10 years. 3. Shop for lumens, not watts Remember to shop for light bulbs using lumens, not watts. Lumens describes the amount of light a bulb produces, while watts determines the amount of electricity the bulb uses. Energy-efficient light bulbs will produce the same lumens but use fewer watts (which is how a 12-watt LED, for example, can produce as much light as a 60-watt incandescent bulb). 3. Consider changing the surface color of your room The way interior surfaces reflect light can be a major player in lighting efficiency. Since lighter colors reflect more light than darker surfaces, you should consider repainting your walls and ceilings with lighter colors and choose lighter colors for your floors and furniture. Conversely, darker colors will absorb more light and require you to use higher wattage bulbs to create the same level of illumination. 4. Use fewer, higher-wattage bulbs If your home has lamps and light fixtures with multiple sockets for two or more incandescent bulbs, you should consider using fewer, higher-wattage bulbs instead of filling all the sockets with lower-wattage bulbs. Doing so will actually allow you to produce more light. A 100-watt bulb, for instance, produces 50 percent more light than four 25-watt bulbs but uses the same amount of energy. And that’s just for incandescent bulbs. If you use CFLs or LEDs in a similar fashion, your electricity use will be dramatically lower. 5. Locate lamps in corners of rooms When possible, you should place or install floor, table and hanging lamps in the corners of rooms rather than against a flat wall. Doing so will allow the light from the lamp to reflect off of two wall surfaces instead of one, providing you with greater illumination from the same bulb(s). 6. Clean your lighting fixtures regularly Make sure to dust and otherwise clean your lighting fixtures regularly. Any dirt or grime that gets on bulbs or reflectors will decrease lighting efficiency. 7. Use multiple circuits for large areas In the case of large areas that use high levels of lighting some of the time but not all of the time, such as family or living rooms, consider installing fixtures on two or three circuits. That way, you can control the lighting of separate areas of the room (similar to the way that task lighting works, but on a larger scale) without having to light the entire area. How have you managed to cut you home lighting costs? Let us know what you’ve done and how it’s worked for you. Sources Edison Electric Institute, “ More Than 100 Ways to Improve Your Electric Bill .” U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, “ Lighting .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/top-7-lighting-tips/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/top-7-lighting-tips/ Wed, 30 May 2012 08:33:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/connecticut-housing-investmend-fund/ Residents of Connecticut, if you’re thinking about investing in home improvements to cut your energy use and save money off electricity bills , you may be able to get attractive financing for your improvements through the Connecticut Housing Investment Fund, or CHIF. CHIF’s Residential Energy Efficiency Financing Program offers low-interest loans for a wide variety of energy efficiency improvements, from insulation to ENERGY STAR–certified heating and cooling systems. Here’s how it works: Basic CHIF Eligibility Requirements To take part in CHIF’s Residential Energy Efficiency Financing Program, your residential electricity must be delivered bythe Connecticut Light & Power Company (CL&P) or the United Illuminating Company (UI). Before you can apply for a low-interest CHIF loan , you’ll need to schedule a professional Home Energy Solutions (HES) Energy Assessment from an approved HES contractor to test your home’s efficiency and recommend energy-efficient improvements. An HES Energy Assessment can be scheduled by calling 877.947.3873. After you have your assessment, you’ll need to getan estimate from an approved CHIF contractor and apply for your CHIF loan online at www.CHIF.org or by phone at 800.992.3665. Amount of Loans All energy efficiency loans that homeowners apply for under CHIF’s Residential Energy Efficiency Financing Program must be between $2,500 and $20,000. Program Categories, Interest Rates and Terms Program Categories and Interest Rates CHIF’s Residential Energy Efficiency Financing Program offers two main categories of programs, which qualify for one of two interest rates, either 2.99 percent or 4.99 percent. When you bundle qualifying improvements or equipment upgrades from both categories, the entire package qualifies for the lower 2.99 percent interest rate. A third category specifically for residential electricity customers of CL&P offers market-rate loans to help cover the cost of installing geothermal heat pump systems. Loan Terms CHIF offers unsecured, fixed-rate loans with repayment terms up to 10 years. There are no fees or prepayment penalties. The homeowner assumes the loan and CHIF pays the contractor directly. Repayment begins 30 days after the work is complete. UI customers make monthly payments directly via their utility bills. CL&P customers can choose to make monthly payments to CHIF or directly via their utility bills. Improvements that qualify for 2.99 percent financing include insulation, ductless heat pumps, heat pump water heaters and tankless natural gas water heaters:  -High efficiency insulation must meet current HES rebate requirements  -Ductless heat pumps must meet the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund’s ductless heat pump criteria for the $1,000 incentive level; ductless heat pumps must be installed in a zone that has electric resistance heat as the primary source of heat  -Electric heat pump water heaters must have an Energy Factor (EF) of 2.0 or greater  -Tankless natural gas hot water heaters must have an EF of 0.082 or greater Improvements that qualify for 4.99 percent financing include central air and heat pump systems, air to air heat pumps, natural gas furnaces and boilers, and replacement windows:  -Central air and heat pump systems must meet equipment early retirement criteria and utilize heating and cooling system rebates and the QIV rebate program ; they must also have minimum ratings of 14.5 SEER, 12 EER, 8.2 HSPF  -Air to air heat pumps must be used to replace electric resistance heat; they must have minimum ratings of 14.5 SEER, 12 EER, 8.2 HSPF  -Natural gas furnaces must be CEE TierII–certified with a 92 percent AFUE rating and have an air handler performance level of 2 percent or lower  -Natural gas boilers must have a 90 percent AFUE rating and feature temperature reset or purge control  -Replacement windows must meet HES program eligibility and replacement criteria and must be used to replace single-paned windows  -Geothermal heat pump systems may be eligible for financing under the CHIF Residential Energy Efficiency Financing Program at standard market interest rates. To qualify, homeowners must be residential electricity delivery customers of CL&P and homes must meet current geothermal program guidelines . ENERGY STAR–Certification Requirement All new or upgraded equipment, including replacement windows, must be ENERGY STAR–certified to qualify for a low-interest loan under CHIF’s Residential Energy Efficiency Financing Program. For More Information For more information about the CHIF Residential Energy Efficiency Financing Program and qualifying improvements, download the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund’s Residential Energy Efficiency Financing brochure or call the Connecticut Housing Investment Fund at 800.992.3665. Sources Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund brochure, “ Residential Financing .” Connecticut Housing Investment Fund, “ Residential Energy Efficiency Financing Program .” DSIRE, “ Connecticut: Energy Efficiency Fund (Electric and Gas) — Residential Energy Efficiency Financing .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/connecticut-housing-investmend-fund/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/connecticut-housing-investmend-fund/ Tue, 29 May 2012 08:55:00 GMT Sales Tax Holiday for Energy-Efficient Appliances Comes to Texas May 26–28, 2012 http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/tax-free-weekend-in-texas-2012/ This Memorial Day weekend, Texans can save on sales tax on ENERGY STAR appliances using the state’s fifth annual sales tax holiday. The state-wide promotion runs from May 28–30 and will help residents cut energy costs by allowing them to purchase one of the following ENERGY STAR–certified appliance upgrades without having to pay a single cent in sales tax: --Air conditioners, up to $6,000 --Ceiling fans --Clothes washers, but not clothes dryers (ENERGY STAR doesn’t label clothes dryers because most use about the same amount of energy) --Dehumidifiers --Dishwashers --Light bulbs, incandescent and fluorescent --Programmable thermostats manufactured up to December 31, 2009 (ENERGY STAR no longer rates programmable thermostats, but any ENERGY STAR–rated programmable thermostats manufactured before January 1, 2010 that are still in stock are eligible) --Refrigerators, up to $2,000 What if I Want to Buy Online or Through a Catalog? You can shop online or through a catalog and still qualify for the sales tax exemption as long as the ENERGY STAR–certified appliance is paid for and the retailer accepts the order between May 26–28. In such cases, the appliance may be shipped after May 28. What About Out-of-Stock, Backordered and On-Order Appliances? If the ENERGY STAR–certified appliance is backlogged, temporarily out of stock or on order by the retailer, you’ll still qualify for the sales tax exemption as long as you purchase the appliance between May 26–28. How Does the Sales Tax Holiday Work With Layaway Plans? You’ll be able to qualify for the sales tax exemption as long as you complete your order and the ENERGY STAR–certified appliance is accepted into layaway between May 26–28. You can also qualify for the sales tax exemption on an ENERGY STAR–certified appliance already in layaway if you make your final payment between May 26–28. Are Delivery Charges Tax Exempt? Some delivery charges will qualify for the sales tax exemption. Several factors determine the tax-exempt status of your order — including if you have a mix of eligible ENERGY STAR–certified appliances and non-eligible items and whether you are charged a flat delivery fee or not — so make sure to ask your retailer for more information on delivery charges before you place your order. Are the Installation Charges for My New Appliance Also Tax Exempt? Whether or not the installation of ENERGY STAR–certified appliances qualifies for the sales tax exemption is somewhat complicated and depends on several factors like the type of installation and the nature of the jobsite. For more information on the tax-exempt status of installations, contact the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, your installer or contractor. Sources Window on State Government, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, “ ENERGY STAR Sales Tax Holiday Information for Sellers Memorial Day Weekend: May 26-28, 2012 .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/tax-free-weekend-in-texas-2012/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/tax-free-weekend-in-texas-2012/ Fri, 25 May 2012 08:30:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/party-balloons-cause-power-outages/ You know those helium-filled Mylar party balloons that you get at the grocery store for birthday parties? They might light up your kids’ faces, but they could also end up turning out the lights. According to Commonwealth Edison Co. (ComEd), Illinois’ largest public utility, Mylar balloons that are released from outdoor birthday parties, graduations and weddings have a tendency to wander gently into the sky — and right into power lines. In a news release warning customers of the dangers of Mylar balloons released outside, ComEd said that so far this year, the festive floaters have caused power outages affecting roughly 11,000 customers, which is significantly higher than the 6,700 customers that were affected by balloon-related outages during the same period last year. The utility said the number will rise even more this summer, as the temperature increases and more parties are held outside, unless families take precautions and secure balloons that are used outdoors. ComEd said that when the metallic skin of a Mylar balloon contacts a power line or a part of substation equipment, it can create an electric surge that may lead to a short-circuit, power outage or even a fire. To help cut down on power outages from Mylar balloons, ComEd recommends that you take a few precautions: 1. Make sure balloons are tethered or secured and attached to weights or sturdy structures at all times 2. When you’re done with balloons, puncture them to let the helium escape and dispose of them properly 3. You should always assume that power lines are live; make sure that you, your belongings and anything you are carrying are least 10 feet away from power lines at all times Under no circumstances should you try to recover a balloon or other toy that’s become entangled in an overhead power line; instead request assistance by calling ComEd at 800.334.7661 Sources “ ComEd Warns: Balloons Can Cause Power Outages ,” Buffalo Grove Patch, May 5, 2012. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/party-balloons-cause-power-outages/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/party-balloons-cause-power-outages/ Thu, 24 May 2012 09:20:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/increase-ac-efficiency/ It’s May, which means summer is right around the corner. And that means folks across the country are going to start using their air conditioners a lot more. If you’re like us, then you’re not looking forward to the prospect of your AC cranking away during brutal summer afternoons when you can actually see the heat rise off the pavement. After all, it’s expensive. And when your AC is working overtime, small unseen problems have a tendency to become big-time headaches. Here are four things you can do before the heat arrives to ensure that your AC is in good shape and running efficiently this summer. 1. Change Your Air Filter Probably the easiest way to improve the efficiency of your AC this summer is to replace your AC filter with a clean, new one. Keeping a relaxed airflow through your AC system — as opposed to a restricted airflow from dirty, clogged filters — will help keep your AC equipment from working harder than it needs to in order to cool your home. That means not only a more efficient AC, but also lower electricity bills . Clean filters will also help keep dirt and other particles from collecting on critical parts of your AC, which will help prevent performance–related inefficiency and damage to your cooling system. For the best results, you should replace your AC filter now and then every month heading into the summer. During the warmest months, when your AC works the hardest and pulls the most air, you may want to replace your AC filter more often than each month, depending on how often your AC system kicks on and what type of filters you use. 2. Have an HVAC Technician Inspect Your Equipment You should have an HVAC technician inspect your AC equipment at least once a year. In parts of the country that depend heavily on air conditioning, the best time to get your AC inspected is now, before summer hits and repair wait times grow. The technician will make sure your equipment is in tip-top shape and running as efficiently as it can. If your equipment has issues, you’ll get a heads-up about what the problems are. And, if you get your system inspected now, you’ll have time to fix them before summer heat has a chance to turn small issues into bigger problems. 3. Check Your Air Ducts for Leaks The ducts that carry air into and around your home are an important feature when determining the efficiency of your AC. Just think of your AC as your home’s heart and the air ducts like its arteries and veins and you’ll understand how critical they are. If your ducts have holes on the way to your AC system, dirty air can find its way to your equipment, hurting its efficiency or even damaging it. If your ducts have leaks on the way to vents in your home’s living spaces, cool air can seep out before it gets to you. In either case, your AC system’s efficiency will suffer. Pro tip: Don’t close the vents in unused rooms to try and save a buck. Not only does this not work, but the increased pressure it places on your ducts can cause leaks . You can have an HVAC technician check for leaks or you can do it yourself. To check yourself, inspect the ducts for tears or holes and then take a close look at each exposed duct joint. If you see dust or lint near a suspected problem spot or feel cool airflow while your AC is running, you know you have an air leak. You can seal these kinds of leaks easily with mastic sealant or metal tape. Avoid duct tape, as it doesn’t last very long. For bigger leaks, or larger duct problems, you might have to hire a professional. 4. Keep Your AC Equipment Clean Dirt, grime and obstructions make your AC equipment work harder than it needs to, which can cause your electricity bill to climb alongside rising summer temperatures. To increase your AC unit’s efficiency, and avoid equipment damage from dirt-buildup on individual components, follow these cleaning tips: -Once a year, sometime before summer, hire a duct cleaning service to thoroughly clean your ducts. -Routinely check your outside AC unit to make sure that it’s clear of obstructions. Trim back shrubs, plants and other greenery that get too close. -Once a month, use a shop vacuum to suck the dirt out of your ducts and clear dirt from around AC equipment. Sources National Geographic, “ How to Increase Efficiency of a Central Air Conditioner .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/increase-ac-efficiency/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/increase-ac-efficiency/ Wed, 23 May 2012 08:49:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/clp-customers-switch-electricity-provider/ More and more electricity customers in Connecticut are discovering the benefits of switching to a retail electricity supplier . Over 40 percent of residential customers that have their electricity delivered by Connecticut Lighting & Power (CL&P) now buy their electricity from a retail electricity supplier, according to the most recent data released by the utility. That’s 446,000 Connecticut homes that have already switched. “Increasingly, electricity customers are switching their electricity supply from their utilities to retail suppliers as more people begin to understand the advantages of switching, which can include the ability to lock in lower electricity prices for extended periods,” said Jim Head, Vice President of Marketing and Sales at Spark Energy. “More people are also aware of how electricity deregulation works in Connecticut— even though the utility will still deliver electricity to their homes, people can shop around and buy electricity from any retail electricity supplier they choose that services their area.” Head said that now may be a good time for electricity customers to lock in electricity prices. “It’s always smart to shop around for a good deal, and smart shoppers across Connecticut are choosing Spark Energy,” said Head. “With summer prices coming soon, families everywhere could benefit from locking in a low fixed electricity price with a retail electricity supplier like Spark Energy.” Sources Connecticut Light & Power, “ Summary Data: Electric Supplier MWh Load and Customer Count ,” March 19, 2012. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/clp-customers-switch-electricity-provider/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/clp-customers-switch-electricity-provider/ Tue, 22 May 2012 10:05:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/comed-upgrades-begin-in-illinois/ Commonwealth Edison Co. (ComEd) announced in March that it was beginning its massive 10-year, $2.6 billion grid modernization project, which will affect the electricity utility’s entire service area. In a news release, ComEd said it plans the following improvements to be completed by the end of the first quarter: 1. Replace or reinforce utility poles at approximately 250 locations, to help maintain the grid and improve reliability in storm conditions. 2. Replace or inject more than 506,000 feet of underground residential distribution (URD) cable — the electrical cable they bury under the ground in neighborhoods to take electricity to homes — in order to reduce the number of cable failures. 3. Other enhancements designed to improve performance and reduce service interruptions include lighting enhancements, installing nearly 600 distribution automation devices, replacing more than 32,000 feet of mainline cable, assessing manholes at 660 locations and testing 12 sections of cable. Additional work planned throughout 2012 includes replacing or reinforcing utility poles at 1,400 locations, replacing or injecting more than 1.6 million feet of URD cable, performing additional lighting enhancements, installing more than 430 distribution automation devices, trimming trees in approximately 2,300 locations, replacing more than 15,000 feet of mainline cable, conducting testing on nearly 100 sections of cable and assessing manholes at more than 3,200 locations. Planned Upgrades in the Suburbs About 65 suburbs in ComEd’s service area will be targeted for upgrades. Here’s a sampling of the affected areas, according to the Daily Herald : Arlington Heights First quarter of 2012: Replace more than 8,900 feet of URD cable. Installing six distribution automation devices, replacing 20 feet of mainline cable and testing. Remainder of 2012: Replace more than 18,900 feet of URD cable. Tree trimmings in four locations. Des Plaines First quarter of 2012: Replace over 270 feet of URD cable. Installing four distribution automation devices and testing. Remainder of 2012: Replace about 560 feet of URD cable. Replace and reinforce utility poles in one location. Tree trimming in eight locations. Elgin First quarter of 2012: Replace more than 680 feet of URD cable. Replace more than 2,700 feet of mainline cable. Later in 2012: Replace about 30,400 feet of URD cable. Tree trimming in more than 20 locations. Gurnee First quarter of 2012: Replace more than 150 feet of URD cable. Installing eight distribution automation devices. Remainder of 2012: Replace more than 17,890 feet of URD cable. Tree trimming in more than 15 locations. Hoffman Estates First quarter of 2012: Replace more than 19,320 feet of URD cable. Replacing more than 1,500 feet of mainline cable. Remainder of 2012: Replace more than 18,000 feet of URD cable. Tree trimming. Lombard First quarter of 2012: Install lighting enhancement and one distribution automation device. Remainder of 2012: Replace nearly 27,900 feet of URD cable. Tree trimming in 14 locations and installing three distribution automation devices. Palatine First quarter of 2012: Replace more than 45,300 feet of URD cable. VLF testing in one section. Remainder of 2012: Replace more than 49,600 feet of URD cable. Schaumburg First quarter of 2012: Replace more than 46,900 feet of URD cable. Remainder of 2012: Replace more than 38,400 feet of URD cable. Installing four distribution automation devices and tree trimming in eight locations. Wheaton First quarter of 2012: Replace nearly 11,400 feet of URD cable. Remainder of 2012: Replace more than 14,050 feet of URD cable. Installing four distribution automation devices and tree trimming in 14 locations. Wheeling First quarter of 2012: Replace more than 3,250 feet of URD cable. Lighting enhancement and installing two distribution automation devices. Remainder of 2012: Replace more than 50,600 feet of URD cable. Over the course of ComEd’s 10-year grid modernization project, which was approved in October, the utility will spend $1.3 billion on infrastructure and equipment maintenance and upgrades and another $1.3 billion on installing smart meters while digitizing and upgrading the electric grid. Sources “ ComEd Outlines Upgrade Plans for Suburbs ,” Daily Herald , March 8, 2012. “ Significant Electric Grid Modernization Work Coming to ComEd Service Area ,” ComEd press release, March 8, 2012. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/comed-upgrades-begin-in-illinois/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/comed-upgrades-begin-in-illinois/ Mon, 21 May 2012 11:37:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/top-10-electric-guitars-part-two/ If you checked out part one of our list of the 10 most iconic electric guitars of all time, then you know how our dedicated music fans at Spark Energy feel about the music-changing instrument. Simply put, we love it and we couldn’t imagine how different music over the past 60 years would be without it. That’s why we decided to gather around a table, put on a pot of coffee and hammer out a list of what we think are the top electric guitars of all time. Still, there was some disagreement about where the guitars on this list should rank. Make sure to take our poll at the bottom to vote on how you would have ranked these 10 guitars and let us know about any sweet six strings you think we missed. 6. Gibson Flying V Apparently, 1958 was a good year for guitars. That’s when Jimi Hendrix rocked the Isle of Wight with the original Gibson Flying V, a unique “V”-shaped guitar that looks like an arrow shot from a bow. With an inspired look matched only by the uniqueness of its sound, there is, simply put, nothing else like it in the world of electric guitars. Year introduced : 1958 Key players : Marc Bolan, Dave Davies, Billy Gibbons, Steve Jones, Kirk Hammett, Jimi Hendrix, Joe Perry, Keith Richards, Michael Schenker, Paul Stanley, Eddie Van Halen 7. Gibson ES-335 The distinctive double f-holes and plummy yet cutting tone of the Gibson ES-335 has made it a favorite electric guitar of blues players everywhere. Of course, BB King may have had something to do with that. His 335, “Lucille,” may be one of the most recognizable guitars in the world. Year introduced : 1958 Key players : Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Larry Carlton, Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow, The Edge, Eric Johnson, BB King, Bobby Krieger, Alex Lifeson, Roy Orbison, Joe Perry, Eddie Van Halen, T-Bone Walker 8. B.C. Rich Mockingbird The B.C. Rich Mockingbird is one axe that actually looks like an axe. Its sharp, angular lines, a signature feature of most B.C. Rich guitar designs, are both distinctive and polarizing; you either love it or you hate it. But regardless of how you feel about its looks, the Mockingbird has some serious shred pedigree. And it also has the equivalent of a lifetime achievement award from Guitar World, which ranked the Mockingbird as “the coolest guitar of all time,” ahead of rock luminaries like the Gibson Les Paul Standard and the Fender Stratocaster. Year introduced : 1976 Key players : Craig Chaquico, Paul Crook, Lita Ford, Steve Hunter, Neil Gilrado, Kerry King, John Moyer, Dave Mustaine, Joe Perry, Slash, Dick Wagner 9. Gibson Explorer Another iconic electric guitar that debuted in 1958 (what was it with that year?), the Gibson Explorer bears the dubious distinction of being somewhat of a flop. However, in the wildly-styled guitar’s defense — too wildly-styled for its day, perhaps — its initial production run is estimated at less than 50. But with its famous drooping headstock and aggressive, asymmetrical design, it roared into reissue in 1976 and would go on to gain cult status, thanks to a fuzzy version wielded by ZZ Top’s Bill Gibbons. Year introduced : 1958–59 (reissued 1976) Key players : Eric Clapton, Allen Collins, The Edge, Billy Gibbons, Dave Grohl, James Hatfield, Matthais Jabs, Gary Moore, Bill Spooner, Paul Stanley 10. Danelectro DC The Danelectro DC holds the distinction of having possibly the most humble beginnings of any electric guitar on this list. Danelectro made its electric guitars for U.S. department store Sears, but the DC looked way cooler than its pedigree because its design, including chromed “lipstick” pickups, was borrowed from 1950s automakers. Year introduced : 1959 Key players : Syd Barrett, Beck, Eric Clapton, Jerry Garcia, Mark Knopfler, Jimmy Page, Billy Squire Sources “ 25 Most Iconic Guitars Ever ,” Stuff , Sept. 16, 2010. Wikipedia, “ B.C. Rich Mockingbird .” Wikipedia, “ List of Danelectro Players .” Wikipedia, “ List of Gibson Players .” Wikipedia, “ Gibson Explorer .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/top-10-electric-guitars-part-two/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/top-10-electric-guitars-part-two/ Fri, 18 May 2012 08:20:00 GMT ComEd Offers Tips to help Customers Avoid ComEd Impersonators http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/comed-scam-warning/ Illinois electricity utility Commonwealth Edison Co. (ComEd) is offering a few tips about how to avoid a rare, but important problem reported by a few of its customers– people impersonating ComEd employees for personal gain. There have been less than 30 reported incidents in which individuals have shown up at customers' homes or businesses claiming to be from ComEd but, in reality, are unaffiliated with the utility. The small number of impersonators have reportedly tried to assert their fake ComEd identities to get access to customers’ personal information, but ComEd says there are a few things to watch for, and a few things customers can double-check, that make it easy to avoid problems with ComEd impersonators: Customers should always ask to see a company photo ID before allowing any ComEd utility worker into their home or business ComEd employees never ask for cash payments or personal banking information, such as credit card numbers, so you should never pay on-site for services ComEd employees don’t engage in telemarketing activities or door-to-door sales activities If anyone comes to your home or business wearing clothing with old or defaced company logos, make sure to double-check their authenticity by asking to see a company photo ID — and if you have any doubt, don’t let the individuals into your home Customers can verify if a ComEd worker is in the neighborhood by calling toll-free 800-EDISON-1 (800-334-7661) ComEd said that customers who believe they’ve had a run-in with an impersonator should call the police and report the incident. Sources “ ComEd Warns Customers of Impersonation Scams ,” Morton Grove Champion , March 26, 2012. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/comed-scam-warning/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/comed-scam-warning/ Thu, 17 May 2012 08:45:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/cool-roofs-help-save-money/ It’s May, which means it’s time to start thinking about things you can do to cut your energy use this summer and save money off utility bills . If you’re into energy-efficiency, then you probably already know about how you can save energy by installing energy-efficient lighting or washing your clothes in cold water. But there’s also something you can do to your roof that can have a big impact on your cooling costs, and we’re not talking about installing a radiant barrier. We’re talking about cool roofs, those white-painted roofs you may have seen if you’ve ever been to the Mediterranean or watched a program about it on television. Cool roofs have been used to cool homes since ancient times in places like Greece and are becoming popular here in the U.S. in places like New York, California and Hawaii. Cool roofs offer several benefits: Reduce your monthly electric bills by decreasing the need to use your air conditioner to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature Improve the comfort of spaces in your home that aren’t air conditioned Extend the life of your roof by decreasing its average operating temperature But making your roof cool isn’t just about painting it white. In fact, there are all sorts of ways to turn your home’s roof into a cool roof, as well as a few questions you should ask to make sure a cool roof is right for you. For more information about whether you should upgrade to a cool roof and what your options are, contact a cool roof professional in your area. Do you already have a cool roof? Drop us a line in the comments below and let us know what you did and how it’s working for you. Sources U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, “ Cool Roofs .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/cool-roofs-help-save-money/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/cool-roofs-help-save-money/ Wed, 16 May 2012 09:40:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/unt-car-charging-stations/ The Mean Green just got a bit nicer to owners of electric vehicles. The University of North Texas campus is getting six new EV charging stations, thanks to the school’s We Mean Green Fund (WMGF), Office of Sustainability and partner ECOtality. The charging stations, each equipped with a 60-inch charger and a handicap-accessible charger, will be installed at the Radio, Television, and Film Building; the Murchison Performing Arts Center; and Wooten Hall. UNT joins the University of Texas at Arlington; University of California, Los Angeles; University of Colorado, Boulder; and Vanderbilt University as the only colleges in the nation with EV-charging capabilities. Helen Bailey is UNT’s director of facility management and construction, and the University’s facilities representative for the WMGF subcommittee that green-lit the project. Bailey said she hopes the charging stations will encourage more people in the Denton, Texas area to invest in more hybrid and EV automobiles. Sources “ UNT to Add Six Electrical Vehicle Charging Stations ,” North Texas Daily , March 29, 2012. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/unt-car-charging-stations/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/unt-car-charging-stations/ Wed, 09 May 2012 08:12:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/nest-smart-thermostat-update/ In terms of gadgets that can reduce your energy use and help you save money on monthly utility bills , the Nest Learning Thermostat is one of the coolest. And it just got cooler. Nest Labs announced the release of what is essentially version 2.0 of its wireless smart thermostat’s software, which can be accessed by an Internet-connected Web browser or by apps on mobile devices using Apple’s iOS operating system or Google’s Android operating system. The Nest thermostat uses a person’s temperature settings to “learn” about heating and cooling habits and preferences so it can “auto-program” itself. The software upgrade enables the thermostat to present history data over 10 days, generate monthly reports, communicate when heating and cooling systems are turned on and show if setting changes were cause by the weather, a manual adjustment or an auto-away setting. According to Nest Labs, the software upgrade will help thermostat users better understand how changes to temperature settings affect energy use. One cool feature of the upgrade, called Airwave, keeps an air conditioner fan running, instead of both the fan and the compressor, to keep cool air circulating and reduce energy use. According to Nest Labs, the feature can reduce electricity use by 30 percent for people in dry climates. An EPA study found that while programmable thermostats can result in energy savings of 20 percent to 30 percent, the study found that only about 10 percent of people who have programmable thermostats program them. In a Nest Labs survey, however, the company found that almost all users of its learning thermostat use its automatic setback feature. The company says that’s because the thermostat only has to be used manually for a few days before beginning to program its own setback based on user preferences. Do you use a programmable thermostat? If so, do you program it? If not, why? Sources “ Nest's Smart Thermostat Chills Out With New A/C Feature ,” CNET, April 5, 2012. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/nest-smart-thermostat-update/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/nest-smart-thermostat-update/ Tue, 08 May 2012 08:32:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/flexible-solar-cells/ Thanks to one UCLA scientist, the future of solar power may be more flexible than you had imagined. Yang Yang, a researcher with the university’s School of Engineering, announced on Feb. 13 that he had set a new power-conversion world record for his signature brand of cheap, flexible organic polymer solar cells. After integrating a new infrared-absorbing material into the polymer, Yang was able to record a power-conversion efficiency of 10.6 percent. The new world record, which was certified by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, eclipsed Yang’s previous organic polymer power-conversion efficiency world record of 8.62 percent set in July 2011. Yang says that in five years, he fully expects to increase his solar cells’ efficiency to 15 or 20 percent, which would result in solar cells strong enough to power cars and cell phones. And since the organic polymer solar cells can be manufactured in thin, bendable sheets, the possibilities for use are almost endless. Not only could they be cut and pasted on an electric car’s roof or the back of a cell phone, but they could be hung in front of windows like roll-down shades or stuck on house rooftops. Personally, we’re already looking forward to the rolled-up solar cell sheet that we can stick in the trunk of our car for instant battery power wherever we go. A few universal adapters that connect the sheet to the battery compartments or recharging ports in consumer electronics and the possibilities really will be endless. Sources “ UCLA Scientists Invent Cheap, Bendy Solar Panels That Could Charge Your Car, Phone ,” LA Weekly , Feb. 13, 2012. “ UCLA Engineers Create Tandem Polymer Solar Cells That Set Record For Energy-Conversion ,” UCLA press release, Feb. 13, 2012. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/flexible-solar-cells/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/flexible-solar-cells/ Mon, 07 May 2012 08:10:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/tree-trimming-greenwich/ Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P) has kicked off a campaign to trim trees in Greenwich, Conn. to help prevent power outages in the city from storm-related damage. The electricity utility’s $600,000 tree trimming project began in March and is expected to be completed by the end of the year. The focus of the effort will be on trimming trees back to help prevent damage to power lines and other electrical equipment from falling tree limbs – the number one cause of power outages. The project will involve about a quarter of CL&P’s power lines in Greenwich. Trimming will take place primarily south of Route 1; in the Lake Avenue area between Round Hill Road and the Merritt Parkway; and in the Valley Road, Cat Rock Road and Cognewaugh Road neighborhoods. Additional, or “enhanced,” tree trimming will also be conducted in areas that have experienced tree-related power outages in the past. The actual trimming will be performed by crews from Lewis Tree Service Inc. For a list of affected streets, CL&P electricity customers can visit www.clpbringspower.com and click on the “Vegetation Management” link. For more information or to ask questions, customers can call CL&P’s Doug Pistawka at 860.665.6146 or Lewis Tree Service’s Brian Fuegen at 860.818.3818. Sources “ CL&P Trims Trees in Greenwich to Avert Outages ,” The Daily Greenwich, March 27, 2012. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/tree-trimming-greenwich/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/tree-trimming-greenwich/ Fri, 04 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/juiceboxes-mobile-charging-stations/ Imagine this scenario: You’re out and about around town when suddenly your cell phone beeps or vibrates in your pocket. Thinking you’ve got a call or a text, you grab your phone only to realize that it isn’t a friend trying to contact you. It’s your phone. Letting you know that its battery is running out of juice. You realize you’re not going to be anywhere near a charger anytime soon, and it becomes clear that your fate is sealed. Your phone is going to die. And there’s nothing you can do to stop it. While such a bleak scenario may seem like a nightmare to you, it’s the stuff of dreams for a pair of Manhattan entrepreneurs. The duo invented Juicebox, a simple, public credit-card-operated phone charging station that could forever put an end to the dangers of hitting the town without a fully-charged phone. For a flat fee of $2, you can charge your phone for an unlimited time in one of these cool-looking boxes, which are incredibly easy to use. Just swipe a credit card and one of several locked compartments pops open. Inside are various charging connections that are compatible with all major phone manufacturers. Plug your phone in, close the door, and your phone happily charges away, safe in its own little compartment, which stays locked until you come back and swipe your card again. Then the compartment pops back open and you grab your phone, empowered with a full bevy of social mobility that only a fully-charged battery can provide. Juiceboxes can be installed anywhere: restaurants, movie theaters, malls, bowling alleys, you name it. To encourage venue owners to adopt the devices, the company behind Juicebox designed them to look more like good-looking pieces of furniture than out-of-place kiosks. The company also decided it would install them for free. Since no ultra-modern electronic device comes without its own ability to communicate, Juiceboxes are also equipped with 4G connections that alert headquarters when they need maintenance. We can’t wait to see Juiceboxes start popping up at our favorite places. In our hyper-connected and always-on world, a couple of bucks seems like a small price to pay to stay up and running when your phone’s battery starts running out. Sources “ Juicebox Wants to Be Your Phone Charger Away From Home ,” Mashable, Jan. 27, 2012. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/juiceboxes-mobile-charging-stations/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/juiceboxes-mobile-charging-stations/ Thu, 03 May 2012 08:52:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/doe-most-fuel-efficient-cars-2012/ If you think the all-electric Nissan Leaf is a super fuel-efficient car (on account of the fact that it doesn’t actually use any gas) you’d be right. But if you think it’s the most fuel-efficient 2012 model you can buy, you’d be wrong. That designation goes to the diminutive 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV, a mighty mouse of an all-electric car that gets the equivalent of 112 miles to the gallon. Miles to the what? You heard right. To make sure that its list is able to evaluate gas cars, hybrid cars, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) and electric vehicles (EV) equally, the Department of Energy compared fuel costs with the assumption that a gallon of gas is equivalent to 33.7 kilowatt-hours of electricity. It’s no surprise that the top fuel-sippers of 2012 don’t actually sip any fuel at all, or that there are no gas-only cars on the list, but here’s a breakdown of the top 10 so you clearly see how the rest of the best stack up. 1. Mitsubishi i-MiEV Engine: EV Mileage: City 126 / Highway 99 / Combined 112 Cost to Drive 25 Miles: 90 cents Annual Fuel Cost: $540 2. Nissan Leaf Engine: EV Mileage: City 106 / Highway 92 / Combined 99 Cost to Drive 25 Miles: $1.02 Annual Fuel Cost: $612 3. Ford/Azure Dynamics Transit Connect Van/Wagon Engine: EV Mileage: City 62 / Highway 62 / Combined 62 Cost to Drive 25 Miles: $1.62 Annual Fuel Cost: $972 4. Chevy Volt* Engine: PHEV Mileage: City 58 / Highway 62 / Combined 60 Cost to Drive 25 Miles: $1.08 (elec. only), $2.54 (gas only) Annual Fuel Cost: $648 (elec. only), $1,524 (gas only) * Individual driving habits, especially range, make it difficult to determine average fuel costs. As a result, the DOE has separated electricity and gas costs for the Volt. 5. Toyota Prius c Engine: Hybrid Mileage: City 53 / Highway 46 / Combined 50 Cost to Drive 25 Miles: $1.74 Annual Fuel Cost: $1,044 6. Toyota Prius Engine: Hybrid Mileage: City 51 / Highway 48 / Combined 50 Cost to Drive 25 Miles: $1.74 Annual Fuel Cost: $1,044 7. Honda Civic Hybrid Engine: Hybrid Mileage: City 44 / Highway 44 / Combined 44 Cost to Drive 25 Miles: $1.98 Annual Fuel Cost: $1,186 8. Toyota Prius V Engine: Hybrid Mileage: City 44 / Highway 40 / Combined 42 Cost to Drive 25 Miles: $2.07 Annual Fuel Cost: $1,243 9. Lexus CT 200h Engine: Hybrid Mileage: City 43 / Highway 40 / Combined 42 Cost to Drive 25 Miles: $2.07 Annual Fuel Cost: $1,243 10. Honda Insight Engine: Hybrid Mileage: City 41 / Highway 44 / Combined 42 Cost to Drive 25 Miles: $2.07 Annual Fuel Cost: $1,243 Do you drive one of the cars on this list? Let us know what kind of gas mileage you really get. Sources U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Transportation & Air Quality, “ Fueleconomy.gov’s Top Ten .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/doe-most-fuel-efficient-cars-2012/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/doe-most-fuel-efficient-cars-2012/ Wed, 02 May 2012 08:42:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/wireless-charging-technology/ If one company’s vision of the future comes to pass, all of the electronic devices we use in our lives — from cell phones to computers to televisions to electric cars — will be powered or charged without having to use a single wire, power cord or plug. What’s cooler than that, you ask? Well, you know those wireless cell phone chargers that simply have you rest your phone on top of them to transfer electricity? How about the ability to power and charge electronic devices without having to make any physical contact at all? That’s the goal shared by the folks at WiTricity, a Massachusetts–based startup that has developed a pretty cutting edge way of transmitting electricity from a power source to an electronic device over short distances. The technology uses magnetic fields to transfer electricity between two points in a process called resonance. While you can’t use WiTricity’s technology to transfer electricity over long distances, electricity can be transferred from far enough away to do away with wires, cords and plugs. The technology is so promising that WiTricity has already reached agreements with two significant companies, MediaTek and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, to jointly develop power and charging technologies for wireless communications, digital multimedia and electric vehicles. We really like the idea of being able to park electric vehicles in normal-looking parking spaces and recharge them from a device hidden under the ground; not having to worry about big, anaconda-like vehicle recharging cords is definitely a plus. According to Mitsubishi, WiTricity’s magnetic resonance wireless charging system can already deliver up to 3.3 kilowatts of charging power over 20 centimeters, or about eight inches, with an efficiency of more than 90 percent. While that’s actually a pretty impressive first step, we can only imagine where this technology might be after a few years of development in collaboration with major tech players. We also really like the idea of being able to hang our widescreen LCD TV in the middle of our wall without having to drill a lot of holes or run power cords down the wall like some sort of robotic vine forest. What’s the next step? Being able to dump all our audio and video cables and cords when somebody develops streaming capabilities for all of our audio, video and data. Now that would be wireless. Sources “ MediaTek Inc. Signs Technology Transfer and License Agreement with WiTricity Corp. for Wireless Charging ,” MediaTek press release, July 11, 2011. “ WiTricity Corporation, IHI Corporation, and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation Combine to Develop Easily Deployable Wireless Charging Systems for Electric Vehicles ,” Mitsubishi Motors Corporation press release, Sept. 27, 2011. WiTricity, “ WiTricity Technology: The Basics .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/wireless-charging-technology/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/may/wireless-charging-technology/ Tue, 01 May 2012 08:38:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/drain-water-heat-recovery-system/ Did you know that when you use hot water in your home, you’re wasting 80–90 percent of the energy used to heat that water? Your water heater spends natural gas or electricity — and you spend money — heating water that shoots right out of a shower or a faucet and right down the drain, taking most of its heat energy with it. But, with the right drain-water heat recovery system, you can put that used hot water right back to work for you. What is a Drain-Water Heat Recovery System? Drain-water, or greywater, heat recovery systems capture the energy of hot water as it’s discarded down drains and use that captured energy to heat incoming cold water so your water heater doesn’t have to work as hard. That’s why drain-water heat recovery systems help you save money on energy costs . How does a Drain-Water Heat Recovery System work? Drain-water heat recovery systems work well with all kinds of water heaters but especially with tankless on-demand and solar water heaters. There are two kinds of drain-water heat recovery systems: storage-type systems and non-storage systems. Storage-type systems typically have three parts: 1) a tank containing a reservoir of clean water, 2) a drain water coil at the bottom of the tank and 3) a water heater intake coil at the top of the tank. As hot drain water flows through the spiral tube at the bottom of the reservoir tank it warms the tank’s water. The warmed water rises to the top of the tank, which contains a preheating coil. The preheating coil feeds intake water from your house’s main line to your water heater. Before cold water in your main line reaches your water heater, it passes through the coil at the top of the tank, where it’s preheated. As a result, whenever you use hot water in your home, your water heater uses less energy to bring new intake water up to the desired temperature. Non-storage systems typically replace a section of your main waste drain with a copper heat exchanger. As hot water flows down the waste drain, it passes through the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is wrapped around the main water intake line prior to your water heater and warms the cold intake water before it reaches your water heater. And since the water is partially preheated by the time it reaches your water heater, just as it is with a storage-type system, your water reaches your desired temperature while using less energy. Drain-water heat recovery systems also have the added benefit of extending water heating capacity, which can be a big improvement if you have an undersized water heater or several family members tend to take back-to-back showers. What’s the Payback Period? Based on information from the U.S. Department of Energy, prices for drain-water heat recovery systems range from about $300 to $500. Add the cost of professional installation by a qualified plumbing and heating contractor, and you’re looking at a payback period from about 2.5 to 7 years, depending on how much you use the system. Sources U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, “ Drain-Water Heat Recovery .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/drain-water-heat-recovery-system/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/drain-water-heat-recovery-system/ Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:25:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/100-mpg-ford-focus/ If you’ve been waiting for someone to make a car that breaks the lofty 100 mile-per-gallon milestone of automobile efficiency, your wait is officially over. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has just certified Ford’s new all-electric Focus compact car to offer the combined city and highway equivalent of 105 miles per gallon of gasoline. The electric Focus, which is rated at 99 mpg-equivalent on the highway and 110 mpg-equivalent in the city, is the first gas, hybrid or electric car to top the 100 mile efficiency threshold. The all-electric Nissan Leaf comes in just under the threshold at 99 mpg-equivalent for combined city and highway driving, while the Chevy Volt, the next most efficient car, comes in at a combined 94 mpg-equivalent. The Ford Focus electric car is expected to go on sale in the U.S. during the first half of 2012. Sources “ Ford Focus Electric Car Rated at 105 MPG Equivalent by EPA ,” FuelFix, March 2, 2012. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/100-mpg-ford-focus/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/100-mpg-ford-focus/ Fri, 27 Apr 2012 09:49:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/triad-energy-efficiency-monitor/ Erica Pozzey, a graduate student from the Queensland University of Technology in Australia, has developed a new, super sleek and stylish way to monitor your home’s energy consumption. The system, called Triad Energy, combines an award-winning design with captivating real-time infographics to keep you engaged and motivated enough to monitor your home’s energy use on an ongoing basis. It even allows you to see the energy usage of other Triad Energy users near you. That way, you can know how efficient you have to be to become the most energy-efficient household in the neighborhood. The system’s wall mounted display, called Triad Wall, looks like a piece of triangular technology from the future. The three truncated points each represent a separate energy consumption measurement: how much energy you are using, how close your energy use is to the target you set for yourself and how your energy use compares with homes in your area that also have Triad Energy monitors. The display uses a smooth, organic triangle graphic to visually communicate your energy use, with each point indicating one of the three categories. It even comes with pleasing ambient backlighting that changes color, presumably to signify the amount of energy you’re using. If you’re not a visual person, however, there’s no need to worry. The system comes with a sophisticated web-based interface that gives you plenty of detailed data to look through to better understand your energy habits. The web interface also allows communication to and from Triad Wall, tracks and provides detailed reports of your energy use and can be set up to send alerts to your mobile device to make sure you’re always in the loop. On the one hand, the system encourages self-monitoring with its futuristic Triad Wall and well-featured web platform. On the other, it works as a kind of social media device, allowing you to share energy information with other users so you know who your neighborhood queen or king of energy efficiency is. With everyone competing for the top spot by using less energy, we all win. Whether or not you decide to vie for the crown of “most energy efficient” in your neighborhood, (we suspect you’ll be able to shut off the social feature if you prefer) we love the idea of a simple, at-a-glance way to check our energy consumption. If Pozzey is right, it may be just the thing that motivates us to use less energy. And that’s something that's good for everyone. Sources “ Futuristic Wall Display Shows Real-Time Energy Usage ,” Physorg, Feb. 27, 2012. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/triad-energy-efficiency-monitor/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/triad-energy-efficiency-monitor/ Thu, 26 Apr 2012 08:58:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/tesla-electric-suv/ If you’re an enviro-friendly urban warrior who has been crossing your fingers for somebody to build an all-electric, all-wheel drive SUV, your wait is officially over. In early February, Tesla Motors announced that it was taking preorders for its brand new Model X electric SUV, which comes in rear-wheel and all-wheel drive versions, costing from $60,000 to more than $100,000. Just days later, the company had already taken orders for $40 million worth of the plug-in SUV. To get their hands on one, folks had to put down deposits of $5,000 for the base model and $40,000 for the top-of-the-line Signature model. Speed is an important consideration for Tesla, which has built its brand on the idea that fast can also be green. Tesla claims top end versions of the Model X will go from zero to 60 in 4.4 seconds, which is the sort of acceleration you’d normally associate more with a Porsche than an SUV. But the car’s cool factor, at least visually, may be the “falcon wing” back door design, which allows the doors to go almost straight up and channels the way-before-its-time DeLorean. With these visually striking and functional doors, passengers and cargo can easily get in and out in tight spaces, such as parking lots. As an extra feature, Model X buyers will be able to choose from a variety of battery pack sizes to customize their driving range. In addition to the Model X, Tesla makes the Model S, an all-electric sport sedan, and the Roadster, the all-electric sports coupe that launched the brand. Tesla is also building battery packs and motors for an electric version of the Toyota RAV4, battery packs for an electric version of Daimler’s Smart Fortwo and a full powertrain for an all-electric Mercedes-Benz. Sources “ Tesla Racks Up $40M Worth of Model X Orders ,” CNN Money, Feb. 15, 2012. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/tesla-electric-suv/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/tesla-electric-suv/ Wed, 25 Apr 2012 09:30:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/when-were-power-tools-invented/ Humankind has used tools for quite some time, but throughout most of our history our ability to perform tasks was limited by our strength and endurance. However, a single invention just 117 years ago helped break the shackles of human limitation and unleashed an era of productivity that continues to this day. In 1895, 16 years after Thomas Edison invented the incandescent electric lamp, the German engineering company C&E Fein combined the power of an electric motor with a manual drill to develop the world’s very first power tool. The heavy drill, which weighed 16.5 pounds, was powered by a large but relatively weak DC electric motor that didn’t turn very fast. To use the drill, the operator had to use both hands, grab it by two handles opposite the motor and lean against a chest plate at the back of the drill to help press it into the work surface. The world’s first power tool may seem unwieldy and unproductive by modern standards, but it was another 20 years before someone improved upon the design. In 1910, a tool and die worker by the name of Duncan Black sold his car for $600 and used the money to start a small machine shop in Baltimore, Maryland with his friend Alonzo Decker. In 1914, the two arrived at the same idea to improve the C&E Fein power drill by adapting the design of the Colt .45 automatic pistol. By 1916, Black & Decker had begun making their famous pistol-grip, trigger-switch electric drill, from which all modern handheld electric drills are descended. The Black & Decker drill was not only lighter, but it used a more powerful motor and could be easily operated by one person, two critical features missing from C&E Fein’s original electric drill. After that, the power tool industry was off and running and Black & Decker was soon followed by new companies with new kinds of power tools. A new era of human productivity was born. Sources History, “ The World’s First Power Tools .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/when-were-power-tools-invented/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/when-were-power-tools-invented/ Tue, 24 Apr 2012 09:07:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/national-safe-digging-month/ It might not seem like it, but digging in the yard around your home can be pretty dangerous. Digging can cause power outages and can even be hazardous to your health if you hit an underground power line that’s carrying electricity to your home. That’s why the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC), the public utility regulator in Illinois, has passed a resolution declaring April 2012 National Safe Digging Month. The ICC said it wants to use National Safe Digging Month to remind Illinois excavators and residents to call 811 before they dig. Doing so will connect them with their local One Call Center to request that utility lines be marked anywhere that digging needs to be done. Like the ICC says, “safe digging is no accident.” Speaking of safe digging, check out our post about electricity safety when working outdoors around the home. And if you’re planting trees on your property, we’ve got a post about some things you should consider when planting trees near power lines , including how close — or how far away — you should plant them. Good luck, and don’t forget to call 811 before you dig. Sources Illinois Commerce Commission, “ Resolution 12-0268: Supports 811 — the Call Before You Dig to Locate Utility Lines .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/national-safe-digging-month/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/national-safe-digging-month/ Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:29:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/win-rockets-tickets/ The Houston Rockets’ season is winding down. If you want to catch a game, you had better act fast. Spark Energy is giving away two club-level seats for the April 26 game against the New Orleans Hornets. To enter our drawing, go to this page on Facebook and submit your information by 5:00 p.m. on April 23. We’ll notify the winners on April 24. Good luck! http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/win-rockets-tickets/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/win-rockets-tickets/ Mon, 23 Apr 2012 07:59:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/texans-consider-locking-in-prices-before-summer/ If you live in Texas, now might be a good time to start thinking about locking in your electricity price. In February, both the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) told state lawmakers that there is likely not going to be enough electricity supply to meet demand this summer. It’s a problem that can hurt electricity customers in the state who wait to sign up for fixed-price plans . “Basically, what ERCOT and the PUCT told lawmakers was that falling natural gas prices are hurting the construction of new power plants that are desperately needed to meet the electricity demand in Texas ,” said Jim Head, Spark Energy Vice President of Marketing and Sales. “And whenever supply fails to meet demand, the price of electricity usually increases.” “Once electricity prices rise, the only thing that electricity customers can do to help offset the increase is to use less electricity or spend money on energy efficiency improvements,” Head said. “What people should really consider doing is looking at their options for locking in their electricity price before prices have a chance to increase.” Sources “ Top Texas Officials Warn of Power Plant Shortages ,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram , Feb. 9, 2012. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/texans-consider-locking-in-prices-before-summer/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/texans-consider-locking-in-prices-before-summer/ Fri, 20 Apr 2012 09:31:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/heat-traps-save-monthly-water-costs/ Did you know that water heating is the second largest energy expense in your home and can account for about 18 percent of your utility bill? Thankfully, there are several things that you can do to save on water heating costs, including performing some easy and inexpensive fixes. If you have an electric or natural gas water heater, adding heat traps to your water heater tank is one such fix. The heat traps, which are valves or loops of pipe, allow water to flow into the tank while preventing unwanted hot-water flow out of the tank. The separately designed hot- and cold-water valves are designed with balls inside that either float or sink into a seat, which stops convection and prevents heat losses through the inlet and outlet pipes. A set of hot- and cold-water heat traps only costs about $30 and can save you between $15 and $30 a month on water heating costs, depending on how much hot water you use. Heat traps are most cost effective if they’re installed at the same time as your water heater, but your tank can be retrofitted with a set by a professional installer if you’re not a do-it-yourselfer who knows how to properly solder a pipe joint. If you’re in the market for a new water heater, many of the new storage tanks have factory-installed heat traps or offer them as an option. With the potential to save hundreds of dollars a year in water heating costs, we recommend you take the heat trap option if it’s offered. Sources U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, “ Install Heat Traps on a Water Heater Tank for Energy Savings .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/heat-traps-save-monthly-water-costs/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/heat-traps-save-monthly-water-costs/ Thu, 19 Apr 2012 08:23:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/why-is-my-electric-bill-so-high-part-2/ If you’ve made your way here after reading part one of our post on reasons your electricity bill might be so high, then you’re already familiar with how to determine if your bill is abnormal and figure out if you simply used more electricity or paid more for it than you did during your previous billing cycle. For part two, we take a closer look at some other reasons why your electricity bill might be high, including changes to utility charges, changes to your electricity usage that you might not have considered and technical problems with your meter. Did your utility charges increase? Sometimes the public utility that delivers electricity to your home increases the amount it charges for delivery, which could be the reason for a sudden spike in your electricity bill. But there are also a lot of other utility charges that can go up, too. Just go through your bill line by line and see if any of these other charges have gone up. Some are related to the amount of kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity you use, such as sales taxes, so if you used more electricity on your new bill, some of these charges will likely reflect that. For a full explanation of utility charges, visit your utility’s website. It should have a detailed breakdown and explanation of each charge and how it relates to the amount of electricity you use. Are There Reasons You Used More Electricity That You Haven’t Considered? Sometimes you can use more electricity without realizing it. If your electricity consumption is up, here are some things that you might not have considered that could cause you to use more electricity: Has the weather been unseasonably warm or cold? Check last year’s bill during the same billing period. Don’t look at the price per kWh (because the price may have increased). Instead, look at the amount of kWh you used. If you used more electricity during the same period this year, it’s likely that the weather may have been unseasonably warm or cold and caused you to run your air conditioner or heater more to maintain the same level of comfort. Did you have out of town guests? When you have more people in your house, especially for extended periods, the extra body heat actually makes your air conditioner work harder to maintain the same temperature. Did you add appliances? If you bought any new appliances during the last billing cycle, you can probably attribute some of your increased electricity use to simply having more devices in the house that consume electricity. Did you have any trouble with existing appliances? If you had some trouble with an appliance that uses a lot of electricity, like your air conditioner, for example, it’s likely that the appliance used more electricity than normal, which would drive up your electricity consumption from the previous billing cycle. Is your usage based on an actual read or estimated usage? In some instances, utilities may estimate your usage for a particular billing period, rather than come out to actually read the meter. The estimates are normally based on things like historical usage or normal average usage for a particular month, and would be clearly indicated as “estimate” rather than “actual” on your bill. If this is the case, the difference will be made up in a subsequent bill once your actual usage is read by the meter-reader. Is there something wrong with your meter? Like any piece of equipment, electricity meters can break or otherwise develop problems. If you suspect you might have a problem with your meter, you should consider performing the following checks: To verify your meter is running properly, shut off all the breakers in your home’s breaker box. If the meter is still spinning or the electronic indicators are still ticking away, the meter might be broken. This is extremely rare, but not impossible. You should hire an electrician to check this out. If the electrician confirms your meter is broken, have the electrician sign a statement to that effect so you have proof when you work with the utility on reimbursement. For extra documentation, you can videotape the electrician’s explanation or take photographs. If you live in a duplex or a multi-family dwelling and you shut off all the breakers but the meter still runs, chances are one of your neighbor’s circuits is wired into your meter. Hire an electrician to confirm the problem and fix it. If you shut off all the breakers and your meter stops cold, you’re probably okay. However, if you’re convinced the meter is improperly recording your electricity use, you should consider checking to make sure you don’t have an electricity leak somewhere, which means one or more of your appliances or electronic devices is drawing power when it’s plugged in but turned off. This is usually due to a problem with your wiring. You can try to check this yourself by unplugging everything in the house and then plugging items back in one by one and checking your meter to see if it starts running, but you’re better off hiring an electrician to do this work for you. Have You Exhausted All the Possibilities? If you’ve followed our advice and exhausted all the possibilities for why your electricity use may have increased and you still think there’s been an overcharge, you can, as a last resort, contact your utility company and request a meter re-read or a further review of the month’s electricity use. However, some utility companies will charge you a fee if the re-read comes back normal, so be sure to ask what that amount is before they come out for a re-read. Sources Saving Electricity, “ Why Is My Electric Bill So High ?” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/why-is-my-electric-bill-so-high-part-2/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/why-is-my-electric-bill-so-high-part-2/ Wed, 18 Apr 2012 08:35:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/baltimore-gas-electric-emergency-contact-info/ If you live in the Baltimore, Maryland area and Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) delivers gas or electricity to your home, here’s the information you need to contact the utility in case of an emergency or power outage: For emergencies, call 800.685.0123, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If there’s a downed or damaged power line or if you smell natural gas, first make sure you’re safe by leaving the area immediately, then call BGE to report the emergency. For power outages , call 877.778.2222, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If there’s a power outage, BGE relies on you to call it in. Make sure the phone number on your account is handy, as the utility will use it to verify your identity and location. For streetlight outages , call 410.470.9446 or 800.685.0123. You can also fill out an outage report online . If you need assistance, foreign-language interpreters are available for Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Korean and other non-English speaking customers. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/baltimore-gas-electric-emergency-contact-info/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/baltimore-gas-electric-emergency-contact-info/ Tue, 17 Apr 2012 09:13:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/houston-led-bulb-discounts/ If you’re a residential electricity customer who lives in the Houston, Texas area, you have a few choices when it comes to the type of light bulb you can buy. You can get the standard incandescent bulb or you can shop for energy-efficient compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), halogen bulbs or ultra-efficient light-emitting diodes (LEDs). People buy incandescent bulbs, CFLs and halogen bulbs all the time, but not as many folks invest in LEDs because of their cost. However, thanks to a money-saving program by Houston–area electricity utility CenterPoint Energy that’s been carried over to 2012, you can actually save some real money off ENERGY STAR–certified LED light bulbs. The program offers discounts on a variety of LEDs at all Houston–area Home Depot, Lowe's, Sam's Clubs and Costco stores. The great thing is that you won’t get some sort of rebate card or check in the mail. The discount is built in and applied right at the register. (Although the utility’s website still lists information for the 2011 program, we’ve confirmed with them that the 2012 program is, in fact, underway.) What are the benefits of LEDs? LEDs, compared with incandescent bulbs, use 80 percent less energy, last 15 times longer, and save $50 in electricity costs over the life of a single bulb. Installing just one LED can save you from $5 to $11 a year in electricity costs. Installing five LEDs can save you $250 over their lifetime. Which LEDs are part of the discount program? There are several distinct types of LEDs that qualify for discounts under CenterPoint’s program: A-line LEDs look most like normal incandescent bulbs and are used to replace typical 40W to 100W incandescent bulbs in cases where the bulb is visible or has a downward-facing socket. 7W decorative LEDs are used for decorative lighting fixtures, such as chandeliers. Globe LEDs are meant to replace 40W to 60W incandescent globe bulbs in cases where the bulb is visible, like above or around a bathroom vanity mirror, and in downward-facing sockets. MR16 LEDs replace 20W halogen bulbs, which are typically used for task lighting in things like desk lamps. PAR38 flood LEDs are used to replace 90W to 120W outdoor floodlights and work equally well with motion sensors or photo cells. R30 flood LEDs are perfect for replacing 65W to 90W R lamps used in recessed cans. R40 flood LEDs are for stronger 65 W to 120W R lamps in recessed cans and are great for providing bright lights in bathrooms. How Do I Shop for LEDs? Since LEDs use fewer watts than incandescent bulbs — which is why they’re so efficient in the first place — you can’t look to replace your 40W incandescent bulb with a 40W LED. In fact, they don’t even make 40W LEDs. Instead, incandescent bulbs and LEDs are compared by lumens, or the amount of light they produce, rather than watts, or the amount of electricity they use (more on watts vs. lumens here ). Here’s a chart to help you compare watts between incandescent bulbs and LEDs: Incandescent Bulb LED Equivalent 40W 7–12W 60W 10–15W 75W 16–20W 90W 16W 100W 16W Sources CenterPoint Energy, “ Advanced Lighting Program — Residential .” CenterPoint Energy, “ Make Your Mark with ENERGY STAR LEDs .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/houston-led-bulb-discounts/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/houston-led-bulb-discounts/ Mon, 16 Apr 2012 13:40:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/how-appliances-can-drive-up-natural-gas-bill/ If your natural gas bill is high, there are several things you can do to help control your energy costs , including simply using less natural gas. One of the ways you can use less natural gas is to replace old and inefficient appliances with new, more efficient appliances. This guide will show you how much energy common natural gas appliances consume over the course of a year and how much, on average, it costs to operate them. You can use this information to make informed decisions about upgrading the natural gas appliances in your home that have the greatest effect on your natural gas bill. Appliance Typical Consumption Per Year (therms)* Cost Per Month** Cost Per Year** Furnace 489 th $43 $518 Pool heater 360 th $32 $381 Outdoor yard light 302 th $27 $320 Water heater 258 th $23 $273 Gas fireplace with gas logs 72 th $6.33 $76 Clothes dryer 69 th $6.08 $73 Free standing range 40 th $3.50 $42 Outdoor grill 15 th $1.32 $16 A few Notes on Appliance Costs Furnace, Pool Heater and Gas Fireplace The average gas costs associated with a furnace, pool heater and gas fireplace are skewed somewhat heavily toward the cold winter months, resulting in high usage for a certain period of time followed by little usage the rest of the year. Therefore, while we’ve provided average monthly costs for using these appliances, these numbers will almost certainly be much higher during the winter and much lower during the summer, depending on your climate. The important figure to note regarding these appliances is average cost per year. Furnace numbers are based on an average gas furnace with a 92 percent efficiency rating. Pool heater numbers are based on using 300,000 Btu/hr over 120 hours of annual operation. Gas fireplace numbers are based on burning gas logs (as opposed to using a gas-starter fireplace) at 60,000 Btu/hr over 120 hours of annual operation. To increase the energy efficiency of your furnace without investing in a new furnace, try changing out the furnace filters on a regular basis. You can save money when operating your furnace setting back your programmable thermostat least 10 degrees for eight hours a day. To save money on pool heating costs, consider using a pool cover to prevent heat from escaping or turning down the pool temperature a degree or two (each degree of setback will save 10 to 30 percent off pool heating costs). Outdoor Yard Light Outdoor yard light numbers are based on using a triple mantle gas light that burns 3.451 Btu/hr and operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Water Heater Water heater numbers are based on 40-gallon models with a 0.63 EF rating using 40,000 Btu/hr and based on the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) national average of 64 gallons of hot water use daily. To save money on water heating, the DOE suggests shortening your showers and washing your clothes in cold water . Besides simply using less hot water, you can also set your water heater as low as 120 degrees. Every 10 degree reduction in water heater temperature can save three to five percent in monthly energy costs, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Other energy-saving options include insulating your water heater tank and hot water pipes and installing heat traps on your water heater tank. Clothes Dryer Clothes dryer numbers are based on a 5.8 cu. ft. model using 20,000 Btu/hr over 275 hours of annual operation. The most direct way to save money when it comes to drying clothes is to hang your clothes to air dry, which will also increase the lifespan of your clothes. Other energy-saving options include using moisture sensors instead of timers, cleaning the lint filter after every load and drying towels and heavy cottons in a separate load from lighter-weight clothes. * Therm (th) is a measure of natural gas equivalent to 100,000 British thermal units (Btu) or one CCF. You may be billed for natural gas by the MCF (thousands of cubic feet), CCF (hundreds of cubic feet), or therm, depending on how your natural gas delivery utility records your natural gas use. ** Based on an average monthly gas price of $1.059 per therm. Sources Metropolitan Utilities District, “ Annual Operating Costs for Gas Appliances ,” April 2010. U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, “ Energy-Efficient Water Heating .” U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, “ How to Read Residential Electric and Natural Gas Meters .” U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, “ Laundry .” U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, “ Managing Swimming Pool Water Temperature for Energy Efficiency .” U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, “ Swimming Pool Covers .” U.S. Energy Information Administration, “ Natural Gas Prices (Release Date: Jan. 30, 2012) .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/how-appliances-can-drive-up-natural-gas-bill/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/how-appliances-can-drive-up-natural-gas-bill/ Fri, 13 Apr 2012 08:14:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/outdoor-lighting-tips-for-main-entryway/ When shopping for outdoor lighting fixtures for your home’s main entryway, it’s important to choose a fixture style and finish that complements the design of your home. However, the size and location of the fixtures you choose are just as important as the style you settle on. While aesthetic tastes can vary greatly, there are a few general tips for picking the right sized fixtures and installing them in the best location near your entryway or front door: Avoid choosing fixtures that are too small for your entryway or door. Keep in mind that the fixtures, when viewed from 50 feet away, will appear about half as large as they really are. When using a single side lantern to light your main entryway, the fixture should be about one-third the height of your door. When using two lanterns to light your main entryway, one on each side of your door, the fixtures can be slightly smaller, about one-quarter the height of the door. When mounting the fixtures, make sure they are slightly above eye-level. Typically, this means the filament should be situated about 66 inches above the bottom of your door’s threshold. Before you buy lighting fixtures for your main entryway, grab a tape measure and take some measurements of your door. No matter which lighting fixture you end up choosing, at least you’ll know it’s the right proportion for your home’s main entryway. Sources Lamps Plus, “ Quick Guide: Choosing the Right Sized Exterior Lighting .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/outdoor-lighting-tips-for-main-entryway/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/outdoor-lighting-tips-for-main-entryway/ Thu, 12 Apr 2012 10:50:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/electricity-costs-to-run-home-entertainment-system/ Ever since we wrote a post about our dream home theater system , we’ve been wondering exactly how much electricity our mind-blowing mega-theater would consume to show a movie and how much that electricity might actually cost us. That got us curious about how much electricity the modest home theater of one of our staff writers uses when he watches a movie and how much he might actually be spending on electricity to indulge his inner movie lover. In order to run this little experiment, we examined the electricity consumption of our movie-buff staff writer’s 65-inch Samsung flat-panel TV, Sony home theater in a box (HTIB) and XBOX 360 game console, since that’s what he uses to play DVDs. Then we compared his setup to the absurdly-awesome dream home theater we recently explored, which included a Ronco 103” plasma TV, Goldman Blu-ray player, and separate Anthem preamp and amplifier. To compare the two systems, we made a few assumptions, including the number of movies our staff writer watches on average each week (which turns out to be about three), the average length of a movie (two hours) and the price of electricity (which we set at 10 cents/kWh for the sake of easy math). Just in case you’re wondering, our staff writer’s setup cost about $2,200, while our dream home theater’s price tag is a little north of $160,000. Our Staff Writer’s System: Samsung UN65D6000 65-inch LCD TV: 160 W Sony STR-K850P HTIB: 330 W Microsoft XBOX 360: 126 W Total: 616 W The Math: (616 W x 2 hours) ÷ 1,000 = 1.232 kWh 1.232 kWh x 10 cents/kWh = 12.32 cents per movie 12.32 cents x 3 movies per week = $19.20 per year Our Dream System: Runco PlasmaWall XP-103DHD 103-inch Plasma TV: 1,500 W Goldmund Eidos 20BD Blu-ray Player: 35 W Anthem AVM 50v Preamp: 150 W Anthem MCA 50 Amplifier: 530 W Total: 2,215 W The Math: (2,215 W x 2 hours) ÷ 1,000 = 4.43 kWh 4.43 kWh x 10 cents/kWh = 44.3 cents per movie 44.3 cents x 3 movies per week = $69.10 per year Our Conclusion Watching movies at home requires little in the way of electricity expense, but we had no idea exactly how cheap it was until we crunched the numbers. Even watching a movie on the Ferrari of home theater systems still costs less than a trip to the local Redbox. Sources Anthem, “ AVM 50v .” Anthem, “ MCA 50 .” Goldmund, “ Eidos 20BD .” Hardcoreware, “ Power Usage in Movies .” Runco, “ Runco PlasmaWall XP-103DHD Display .” U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, “ Estimating Appliance and Home Electronic Energy Use .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/electricity-costs-to-run-home-entertainment-system/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/electricity-costs-to-run-home-entertainment-system/ Wed, 11 Apr 2012 09:15:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/top-10-electric-guitars/ Electric guitars have been a staple of the music world for over 60 years. To many people, including a group of dedicated music fans at Spark Energy , the electric guitar is the defining instrument in contemporary music ensembles. So we decided to sit down and rate what we think are the 10 most iconic electric guitars of all time. The discussion was opinionated, to say the least, and the final list of 10 guitars was easier to agree upon than their individual rankings. So, without further ado, here’s part one of our list of the 10 most iconic electric guitars of all time. Make sure to check out part two for the rest of the best, to vote on how you would have ranked these 10 guitars and to set us straight about any electric guitars you would have put on the list instead. 1. Fender Stratocaster Outside of the Gibson Les Paul Standard, no electric guitar says rock-and-roll like the dual-horned Fender Stratocaster. It could be the most easily-recognized and widely-played electric guitar in the world, by pros and amateurs alike. Exactly how iconic is this axe? Well, Jimi Hendrix set fire to it, Eric Clapton bought six at once, Stevie Ray Vaughn singlehandedly resurrected blues with it, and Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour owns serial number #0001. Year introduced : 1954 Key players : Randy Bachman, Jeff Beck, Adrian Belew, Eric Clapton, The Edge, John Frusciante, David Gilmour, Buddy Guy, George Harrison, Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Holly, Eric Johnson, Mark Knopfler, John Lennon, Alex Lifeson, John Mayer, Pete Townshend, Robin Trower, Ritchie Valens, Stevie Ray Vaughan 2. Gibson Les Paul Standard One of two of the most recognized electric guitars in the world along with Fender’s Stratocaster, the Gibson Les Paul Standard has been THE electric guitar for generations of rock-and-rollers. There’s nothing quite like the universal appeal of the Standard’s beautiful, simple design and smooth lines. After all, it’s not called the Standard for nothing. Year introduced : 1958 Key players : Duane Allman, Billie Joe Armstrong, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Ace Frehley, Billy Gibbons, Steve Jones, Mark Knopfler, Bob Marley, Paul McCartney, Jimmy Page, Joe Perry, Randy Rhoads, Slash, Zakk Wylde 3. Gibson SG Standard The best-selling Gibson guitar of all time, the SG (officially renamed the SG Standard in 1963) was originally intended as a redesign of the Les Paul Standard. When the SG hit in 1961, it sold more than three times the number of Les Paul Standards sold in the guitar’s entire three-year run from 1958–60. Maybe that’s because the SG looks as hard as it rocks. Year introduced : 1961 Key players : Eric Clapton, Elliot Easton, Jerry Garcia, Jimi Hendrix, Tony Iommi, Robby Krieger, Pete Townshend, Thom Yorke, Angus Young, Frank Zappa 4. Fender Telecaster Originally introduced as the Broadcaster, the Telecaster, or Tele, hasn’t evolved much over the years, and with good reason. After all, when you’re the revolutionary model that finally put solid-body electric guitars on the map and started the rock-and-roll lead guitar phenomenon, what exactly do you need to improve on? The original’s simple design and fluid lines have been retained throughout the Tele’s production, which has gone uninterrupted since its debut over 60 years ago. Year introduced : 1950 Key Players : Syd Barrett, Jeff Beck, Frank Black, Jeff Buckley, Bob Dylan, David Gilmour, Jonny Greenwood, Merle Haggard, Chrissie Hynde, George Harrison, PJ Harvey, Waylon Jennings, Alex Lifeson, Mike Oldfield, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Robbie Robertson, Bruce Springsteen, Pete Townshend, Muddy Waters 5. Rickenbacker 300 Series The Rickenbacker 300 Series is instantly recognizable by its single, straight-cut modern f-hole and oversized headstock. The “Ricky” was wildly popular during the 1960s and served as the backbone of pop music during the decade, most notably as the main axes of The Beatles. It was also among the first electric guitar models to get a 12-string edition, called the 360/12. Year introduced : 1958 Key players : Peter Banks, Peter Buck, The Edge, Noel Gallagher, George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Jimmy Page, Tom Petty, Pete Townshend, Hilton Valentine, Thom Yorke Sources “ 25 Most Iconic Guitars Ever ,” Stuff , Sept. 16, 2010. Gibson, “ 15 Iconic Les Paul Players .” Gibson, “ 15 Iconic SG Players .” Gibson, “ The Best-Selling Gibson of All Time: The SG Standard .” Wikipedia, “ Fender Telecaster .” Wikipedia, “ List of Gibson Players .” Wikipedia, “ List of Rickenbacker Players .” Wikipedia, “ List of Stratocaster Players .” Wikipedia, “ List of Telecaster Players .” Wikipedia, “ Rickenbacker 330 .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/top-10-electric-guitars/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/top-10-electric-guitars/ Tue, 10 Apr 2012 08:45:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/ultimate-home-theater-setup/ We love movies. But we hate going to movie theaters, with all the talking and texting and sticky floors. Like many other movie lovers, our 21st century sanctuary is the modern home theater, with its moderately-priced flat-panel TVs, surround-sound receivers and satellite speakers. For many film snobs, our budgets play a huge role in what we’re able to piece together. And for the most part, we’re able to live with the results. But what if money wasn’t an issue? What if you could build the home theater of your dreams? This, then, just might be the result: the most mind-blowing high-end home theater system that money can buy. Out of the (Gilded) Gate: This is Stupid Expensive! Yes, the ultimate high-end home theater system is undeniably and ridiculously expensive, almost embarrassingly so. You’ll need to make room for several zeros after the number you scribble in your checkbook, but it’s a necessary expense for the equipment, consultants, furniture and remodeling that you’re going to need to pay for to achieve this kind of awe-inspiring system. The TV Front projector or flat-screen HDTV? Well, that depends on how much space you have. If you have the room and don’t need to tear down a wall in your spacious, beautifully-designed home, you can get the Runco VideoExtreme VX-33 three-DLP-chip front-projection system ($49,995). The VX-33 can give you a whole lot more 1080p visual real estate than even the largest flat-panel HDTVs. The list of features is hard to wrap your mind around. All you need is a screen to project it on. If, however, you don’t have the space for your own personal theater, a big-screen flat-panel HDTV is still the way to go. Runco’s PlasmaWall XP-103DHD (about $45,000) is a 103-inch monster of a 1080p HDTV that is, according to the company, the world’s largest plasma display. You want a plasma technology for your flat-screen, not LCD. That way you can get a truer black and avoid annoying artifacts that pop up in action scenes caused by the refresh rate of pixels in LCD panels. The Blu-Ray Player Blu-ray is dead, you say? Not so fast — especially if you want the very best movie experience possible. If you’ve ever seen the Blu-ray version of Planet Earth then you know what we mean. Image and audio quality actually vary quite a bit among high-end Blu-ray players and you may not need to spend $16,900 for Goldmund’s Eidos 20 BD Blu-ray player, even if does come with something called “AC-Curator” for Swiss-watch precision audio and visual stability. But you will. Because this is your dream system. The Preamp/Amplifier Combo While most of us in the real world get decent audio with a simple amplifier, which is also called a receiver, in the dream world, you’re going to want some extra muscle. That’s where the preamp comes in. Also called the processor, the preamp receives and processes audio signals before sending them to the amplifier (and video signals before sending them to a projector or HDTV). The two-stage process is normally handled by an amplifier. But you’re going to want to separate these processes because amplifiers work best when they’re cool and not overheated by doing double-duty to create the type of earth-shattering symphonic sound you’re going to be producing. Audiophiles swear by Anthem’s AVM 50v preamp ($5,000) and its MCA 50 amplifier ($2,000), which combined provide eight HDMI inputs and 225 continuous watts per channel for all 7.1 channels. The Speakers Like the tires on a half-million dollar Lamborghini, your speakers are the only part of your dream home theater audio system that metaphorically touch the road. So you need them to be great. We’re talking $30,000 great from companies such as Escalante Design or Wilson Audio. But worry not, because what you’ll get are a set of seven satellite speakers — one center, two sides and four surround speakers — and a powered subwoofer that provide such high dynamic range that they’ll sound just as good on “1” as they will on “10,” just not as loud. The effect, according to Alex Brinkman of Music Lover, is “visceral.” A Word on Room Acoustics No dream home theater system would be complete without hiring a professional consultant to analyze and improve the acoustic performance of the actual room where you plan to set up all this top-of-the-line equipment. Acoustic tiles, sound diffusers and even rugs can be used to shape the sound of a room. A good consultant will even take into account the aesthetic qualities of the room, much like an interior designer, to make sure it helps produce the best sound possible. What’s an extra four to ten grand at this point? So there you have it. The greatest, most mind-blowing collection of audio and video components ever gathered into one room. The total bill for the home theater system of your dreams? About $160,000. Sound a little over the top? That’s why they call it a dream system. Sources “ The Ultimate Home Theater ,” PCWorld, May 27, 2010. “ World’s Most Expensive Blu-ray Player 2011 ,” Exploredia, May 6, 2011. Anthem, “ AVM 50v .” Anthem, “ MCA 50 .” Runco, “ PlasmaWall XP-103DHD .” Runco, “ VideoXtreme VX-33 Projector .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/ultimate-home-theater-setup/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/ultimate-home-theater-setup/ Mon, 09 Apr 2012 11:00:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/why-is-my-electric-bill-so-high/ Whenever I get a new electricity bill, I make sure to look at it carefully. Call me crazy, but I’m not one to just get a bill and pay it without checking it out first. Sometimes I get a bill that’s higher than the one I got the month before. When that happens, I usually grumble to myself for a minute or two and then focus on finding out why. Here are a few things to look at if you think your electricity bill is too high. For part one of our discussion, we’ll take a look at determining if your bill really is high and whether or not you used more electricity or paid more for the electricity you used. Make sure to check out part two for a few words on increased utility charges, damaged meters and more. Is your electricity bill really all that high? So you get your electricity bill for the month and it says you owe $400. If you’re taken aback by the amount and you think it’s abnormally high, the first thing you need to determine is whether you’re right. You can do that by figuring out what’s normal for your home. If you go back and look at some old electricity bills and they’re all right around $400, then you know that your new bill, while seemingly high, is actually pretty much the same as your previous bills and everything’s fine. However, if your bill has gone up, then you need to take a look at two other areas of your bill: how much electricity you used during the month and how much you paid for electricity. Did you use more electricity? This one’s easy. When you compare your new electricity bill with your previous bill, find out how much electricity you used. Just look at the number of kilowatt-hours, or kWh, you used. If that number increased from the month before, then you have your answer. Your electricity bill is higher because you used more electricity. In this case, the only thing you can do is cut the amount of electricity you use. At Spark Energy, we offer all sorts of energy-saving tips that can help you cut energy costs , from behavioral changes like setting your thermostat back to home improvements like upgrading to modern electrical outlets and installing energy efficient windows and doors . If the amount of electricity you used was close to or the same as the previous month, then you need to take a look at how much you paid for electricity. Did you pay more for electricity? If you’re on a fixed-price plan, then the amount you pay for each kWh you use should be the same. You can check this by comparing the amount you paid per kWh on your new bill with you last bill. If you’re on a fixed-price plan and there’s a difference, then chances are your contract expired and you were placed on a different plan. That’s one of the reasons I look at my electricity bills closely. Your electricity supplier will give you at least a month’s notice when your plan is about to expire, which is plenty of time to renew or explore what other options are available to match your needs. Many utilities have their customers on fixed-price plans that fluctuate twice a year so that you’ll have one price for the six months surrounding winter and one price for the six months surrounding summer. If you buy your electricity from your supplier and your price jumps, then you could be getting the new seasonal rate. For example, Illinois residents who buy their electricity from ComEd pay one price from October through May and a different price from June through September. If you’re on a variable-price plan, it’s possible your bill is higher because you paid more for electricity during your most recent billing cycle. Just compare the amount you paid per kWh on you new bill to the amount you paid on your last bill. If the number is higher, you paid more. The only thing you can do to prevent electricity prices from climbing higher each month is to learn more about the fixed-price plan options – which essentially lock in your electricity price for six months or a year or even two years at a time – and determine what best meets your home or business’ needs and budget. If you’ve gone through these questions and you still think there’s a problem with your electricity bill, click on over to part two for some information about utility charges and other possible drivers of high bills. Sources Saving Electricity, “ Why Is My Electric Bill So High ?” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/why-is-my-electric-bill-so-high/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/april/why-is-my-electric-bill-so-high/ Tue, 03 Apr 2012 10:31:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/app-for-charging-electric-vehicles/ Electric vehicle (EV) owners and enthusiasts have a cool new way to communicate with their cars, get personalized data and analyze the operation and performance of their vehicles. GreenCharge, a new iOS app for iPads, iPhones and iPod touches, fully connects drivers with their Nissan LEAFs and Chevrolet Volts: Seamlessly syncs a car’s data to a driver’s iOS devices Connects driving data with local electricity pricing to give personalized feedback about the cost of operating an electric car Provides environmental impact information by letting drivers know how many pounds of CO2 emissions they’ve offset by driving an electric vehicle instead of a gasoline vehicle Allows drivers to see the cost savings of driving an electric vehicle instead of a gasoline vehicle Provides real-time charging, battery and range information Breaks down mileage and electricity price by day, week and month Offers a social media outlet so that drivers can share their information via email, Facebook or Twitter And, just in case you don’t have an EV but are thinking about getting one, there’s even a feature that lets you test out a demonstration vehicle, simulate your driving habits and generate cost information so you can make more informed comparisons. GreenCharge looks like a pretty cool app. And at just $9.99 — or the average cost of operating an EV for a week (according to the developer behind the app, Xatori Inc.) — we’re pretty sure EV drivers will geek out over it. Source “ GreenCharge App for Electric Vehicle Enthusiasts Launches Today in the iOS App Store ,” Xatori Inc. press release, Jan. 31, 2012. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/app-for-charging-electric-vehicles/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/app-for-charging-electric-vehicles/ Thu, 29 Mar 2012 08:48:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/johnson-space-center-lighting-upgrade/ As a building owner or commercial energy manager, you’re probably more than interested in figuring out a way to make a lighting upgrade work for your building or portfolio of buildings. Not only will you save money in the long-term, but upgrading to more efficient lighting will save on energy costs right now. If you want hard data that might make your decision easier, just check out what Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas — the folks behind the lunar landings — was able to accomplish with its lighting upgrade. In 2011, JSC decided to install HID high bay lighting in 24 buildings and re-retrofit over 18,000 office lighting fixtures (that were originally retrofit in 1999) with 28-watt T8 lamps and high-efficiency ballasts. Overall, the high bay lighting upgrade cut electricity costs by 50 percent and the office lighting upgrade cut costs by and additional 25 percent: Total Facility Size all areas retrofit: 1,250,000 square feet Facility Type: Manufacturing, Warehouse & Office Location: Houston, TX Annual Savings: $216,911 Demand Savings: 359 kW Energy Savings: 2,078,504 kWh Project Size: $925,456 EPACT Tax Deductions: NA Utility Rebates: $121,039 Return on Investment: 27% Environmental Benefits: CO2 reduction: 3,117,756 lbs. annually Sources Maneri-Agraz, “ Johnson Space Center Case Study .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/johnson-space-center-lighting-upgrade/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/johnson-space-center-lighting-upgrade/ Wed, 28 Mar 2012 15:02:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/appliance-electricity-usage-guide/ When you get your electricity bill, you may wonder why it’s so high. Sometimes it has to do with the amount you pay for electricity, especially if you’re on a variable-price plan and the price increases. Sometimes, though, it has to do with the appliances you use and how much you use them. After all, if you use more kilowatt-hours of electricity from one month to the next, you’re going to pay more, maybe even in cases where your electricity price falls. To get an idea of how much energy electrical appliances use, and how much they can cost you, here’s a peek at some common electricity-consuming appliances and the amount of energy they use every hour: Appliance Typical Consumption Per Hour Cost Per Hour (at 10 cents per kilowatt-hour) Central air conditioner/heat pump 15,000 watts $1.50 Clothes dryer/water heater 4,000 watts 40 cents Water pump 3,000 watts 30 cents Space heater 1,500 watts 15 cents Hair dryer 1,200 watts 12 cents Electric range burner 1,000 watts 10 cents Refrigerator 1,000 watts 10 cents Desktop computer and monitor 400 watts 4 cents Incandescent light bulb 60 watts 0.6 cents A Few Notes on Appliance Costs Air Heating and Cooling If your house has electric heat, you’ll see a big spike on your electricity bill in the middle of winter when you use a lot of power. If you have a heat pump and use it a lot, you may run it somewhere between 10 and 15 hours a day. If your electricity costs 10 cents an hour, that could cost you $15 to $22 a day. The same applies to homes with central air conditioning in the middle of summer. To save money, install a programmable thermostat and set it back at least 10 degrees for eight hours a day. Doing so can save you 10 percent on your energy costs every year, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Water Heating and Clothes Drying Heating water for showers and clothes washing is especially pricey, especially if you consider that your electric water heater might have to run for an hour after each shower or load of laundry just to reheat the water in its tank. That’s 40 cents right there. And every load of laundry you wash and dry can cost between $1 and $2 each. To save money, shorten your showers and wash your clothes with cold water . You can also set your water heater to at most 120 degrees. Every 10 degree reduction in water heater temperature can save between 3–5 percent in monthly energy costs, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Refrigeration Refrigerators are big-time energy hogs because they use electricity all the time, in many cases for 10 hours or more every day. That comes to about $1 a day, which you can double if you have a second refrigerator. To save money, make sure your refrigerator is set on the optimal temperature and reconsider that extra fridge in the garage. Light Bulbs Individual incandescent light bulbs don’t use that much electricity, comparatively speaking, but costs can add up quick. Many light fixtures use more than one bulb and it’s easy to leave lights on throughout your house when you’re not using them. Ten light bulbs use 6 cents an hour. If you use those bulbs for 6 hours a day, it’ll cost you 36 cents a day or about $10 a month. That may not sound like a lot, but $120 a year for lights that you may not be using all the time does. To save money, upgrade to energy-efficient CFLs or LEDs when your incandescent bulbs expire. And don’t forget to turn off the lights when you’re not using them. Sources TLC, “ Why Are My Power Bills So High? Which Appliances Use the Most Power? ” U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, “ Lower Water Heating Temperature for Energy Savings .” U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, “ Thermostats and Control Systems .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/appliance-electricity-usage-guide/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/appliance-electricity-usage-guide/ Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:01:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/low-interest-energy-efficiency-loans-illinois/ There’s a lot of talk these days about saving money off utility bills by making simple, energy-efficient improvements around your home and changing the way you do certain things. Upgrading to CFL light bulbs or setting back your thermostat when you’re not home can be good first steps to cut energy costs , but some energy efficiency improvements, such as upgrading to an energy-efficient furnace or installing high-efficiency windows, can carry significant price tags. While some expensive improvements may be worth it in the long run, the upfront costs might be too high for many Illinois residents. But since the benefits of energy efficiency include everything from lower utility bills to less pollution to less strain on the electric grid, it’s important that financing be available for homeowners who need it. To help Illinois homeowners, Energy Impact Illinois (EI2), an organization led by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), has partnered with several local banks and credit unions to make sure homeowners can get low-interest energy efficiency loans. Which Energy Efficiency Improvements Qualify? There are two main categories of energy efficiency improvements that qualify for EI2’s low-interest loan program: Boiler or furnace with additional items Illinois homeowners who upgrade their boilers or furnaces are eligible for low-interest energy efficiency loans. Homeowners are also eligible for low-interest loans to finance water heaters, programmable thermostats, central air conditioners and other ENERGY STAR appliances and equipment as long as the upgrades are done in conjunction with boiler or furnace upgrades. Improvements must be installed by participating heating and cooling contractors. Whole home improvements Illinois homeowners are also eligible for low-interest energy efficiency loans to cover whole home improvements, which are considered to be any recommendation by a certified energy auditor that results in an estimated comprehensive energy savings of 15 percent or more. Improvements must be installed by participating energy upgrade contractors. Who Are the Participating Lenders and What Are the Loan Terms? EI2 has partnered with Green Choice Bank, Members Alliance Credit Union and North Side Community Credit Union to offer the low-interest energy efficiency loans. All of the institutions offer unsecured loans with minimal paperwork and quick approvals. Each institution has its own loan terms. In some cases, the institutions will offer secured loans for amounts exceeding their stated maximums for unsecured loans. Green Choice Bank serves homeowners in the seven county Chicago region. Loan amounts range from $2,500 to $10,000 with a maximum repayment term of 7 years. Home equity loans are available for more expensive energy efficiency projects. For more information, call 773.799.9400 or visit www.greenchoicebank.com . Members Alliance Credit Union offers low-interest energy efficiency loans to homeowners who live or work in the City of Rockford. The minimum loan amount is $500. The maximum loan amount is subject to the borrower’s ability to repay. The maximum repayment term is 5 years. Eligible members must be existing or new Members Alliance Credit Union members that meet certain income and financial requirements. For more information, call Pat Smith at 815.226.3278 or visit www.membersalliance.org . North Side Community Federal Credit Union offers low-interest energy efficiency loans to existing or new members who live, work or worship in the Chicago neighborhoods of Uptown, Edgewater, Lakeview or Rogers Park. Loans are offered up to $6,500 with a maximum repayment term of 5 years. Eligible members must meet certain income and financial requirements. For more information, call Jennifer Sierecki at 773.769.5800, extension 227, or visit www.northsidecommunityfcu.org . For More Information For basic loan details or for information on the EI2 low-interest energy efficiency loan program, call EI2 at 855.9.IMPACT (855.946.7228). EI2’s list of participating heating and cooling contractors . EI2’s list of participating whole home contractors . Sources Energy Impact Illinois, “ Energy Impact Low Interest Loans .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/low-interest-energy-efficiency-loans-illinois/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/low-interest-energy-efficiency-loans-illinois/ Mon, 26 Mar 2012 10:52:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/save-energy-in-illinois-in-2012/ You’ve probably heard a lot of talk about how you can cut energy costs in 2012 by decreasing the amount of electricity, natural gas and water you use. After all, who doesn’t want to save money this year? But many of the types of changes you’d have to make go beyond simply turning off the lights when you leave the room. A lot of the things you can do to make your use of electricity, natural gas and water more efficient require you to spend money on home improvements. If only there were a convenient way for Illinois residents to quickly compare the costs and benefits of common home improvements and other efficiency projects. That’s where we come in. We’ve taken data from Energy Impact Illinois (EI2), an organization led by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, and analyzed it so that you can get a quick idea of home improvements you can make to lower your monthly bills, how much the improvements cost and how soon you can expect to make your money back and start saving. Top 10 Most Efficient Home Improvements It’s important to understand how efficient home improvement projects are. One of the best ways to rank the efficiency of a home improvement is to compare the cost of the improvement to the amount of money you can expect to save every year after making the upgrade. That will let you know how soon you can recoup your investment and when you’ll really start to save some money. According to EI2, here are the top 10 most efficient home improvements Illinois residents can make. Rank Improvement Average Cost Average Annual Savings Annual Payback % 1. Install a faucet aerator $5 $10–25 200–500% 2. Upgrade to CFL light blubs $15 $28–75 186–500% 3. Dry clothes on drying rack or clothesline $20 $23–70 115–350% 4. Upgrade to a low-flow showerhead $25 $25–82 100–328% 5. Change out your furnace filter $10 $10–30 100–300% 6. Install a programmable thermostat $50 $131 262% 7. Insulate your water heater $25 $10–27 40–108% 8. Seal air leaks around your home $200 $150 75% 9. Insulate your home’s attic/roof $1,000 $300 30% 10. Install a solar water heater $1,000 $209–323 20–32% Top 10 Home Improvements with the Highest Annual Savings For those who’d like to see which home improvements simply save the most bucks, here’s a list of the top 10 home improvements that produce the highest annual savings, according to EI2. Rank Improvement Average Cost Average Annual Savings Annual Payback % 1. Install solar panels on your roof $12,000 $259–863 2–7% 2. Insulate your home’s exterior walls $2,500 $90–350 4–14% 3. Insulate your home’s attic/roof $1,000 $300 30% 4. Install a solar water heater $1,000 $209–323 20–32% 5. Upgrade to a tankless water heater $700 $80–200 11–29% 6. Upgrade to a high efficiency gas furnace or boiler $1,000 $66–180 7–18% 7. Seal air leaks around your home $200 $150 75% 8. Install a programmable thermostat $50 $131 262% 9. Upgrade to a high efficiency clothes washing machine $600 $80–120 10–20% 10. Upgrade to a heat pump water heater $1,000 $49–101 5–10% Top 9 Free Ways to Save Money off Energy Bills What list of efficiency improvements would be complete without a look at the top free ways you can lower energy costs? Most of these ways simply require that you make a decision or change a behavior and all of them can start saving you money right away. Rank Improvement Average Annual Savings 1. Lower your thermostat in the winter * $28–132 2. Wash clothes in cold water $60–110 3. Raise your thermostat in the summer* $34–93 4. Get rid of a second refrigerator $20–80 5. Lower your water heater temperature** $28–61 6. Use celling fans instead of your air conditioners $37–53 7. Use a power strip for electronics and appliances $22–35 8. Close your blinds or curtains during summer days $15–35 9. Clean your air conditioner filter $10–30 * At least 10 degrees for eight hours a day, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. ** To at most 120 degrees. Every 10 degree reduction in water heater temperature can save between 3–5 percent in monthly energy costs, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Sources Energy Impact Illinois, “ Find Energy-Saving Actions & Incentives .” U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, “ Lower Water Heating Temperature for Energy Savings .” U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, “ Thermostats and Control Systems .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/save-energy-in-illinois-in-2012/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/save-energy-in-illinois-in-2012/ Fri, 23 Mar 2012 08:38:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/does-closing-air-vents-save-power/ To try and save money off heating costs during the winter and cooling costs during the summer, some people close the registers in unused rooms with the impression this makes their HVAC system work less. The strategy of closing registers — those vents in your rooms through which heated and cooled air from your furnace and air conditioner is pumped — seems to make sense. After all, with fewer rooms to heat and cool, your equipment shouldn’t have to work as hard, right? Unfortunately, it turns out that closing your registers to save energy and money not only causes your equipment to work harder, it can also lead to safety issues and repair bills. In 2003, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory conducted a study to find out if closing registers in unused rooms worked. What they found may surprise you: Closing registers to cut energy use actually caused homes to use more energy, as duct leaks from increased pressures in duct systems caused energy losses that outweighed energy savings from heating or cooling only a part of the homes Closing too many registers (more than 60 percent) resulted in air flow resistance that severely restricted air flow through the HVAC systems and lead to safety concerns, such as furnaces that operated on the high-limit switch, and damage to systems, such as cooling systems that suffered from frozen coils Closing registers farthest from the air handlers caused fewer leaks and tended to affect only the closed off branches, but closing registers nearer the air handler tended to increase duct pressures the most and cause air leaks throughout the whole system Not surprisingly, the laboratory concluded that “the register closing technique is not recommended as a viable energy saving strategy.” Looks like it’s time to break out those wool sweaters and turn on those ceiling fans . Sources California Energy Commission’s Consumer Energy Center, “ Closing Off Vents and Rooms to Save Energy .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/does-closing-air-vents-save-power/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/does-closing-air-vents-save-power/ Thu, 22 Mar 2012 10:57:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/baltimore-refrigerator-recycling/ If you’re a residential electricity customer of Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) and you have an old refrigerator or freezer you’re thinking about ditching, the utility has an offer that just might help you make your decision. BGE, through its Smart Energy Savers Program, is willing to swing by your home, pick up your unwanted refrigerator or freezer, recycle it, and give you $50 for your trouble. According to the utility, more than 95 percent of each refrigerator and freezer is recycled by the program, which means that less than 5 percent of each appliance makes its way into a landfill. Plus, BGE says that you can cut your annual energy use by about $100 if you get rid of that second refrigerator or freezer in your garage or basement. If you’re interested in taking advantage of BGE’s refrigerator and freezer recycling program, here are a few things you should know: Regardless of whether you buy your electricity from BGE or an alternative Baltimore electricity supplier like Spark Energy, BGE must be the company that delivers your electricity and you must have a valid BGE account number You must own the refrigerator or freezer Appliances must have a capacity of between 10 and 27 cubic feet The appliance must work The appliance will be picked up at the address listed on your BGE billing account for no charge You can have up to two appliances recycled through the program You’ll get a check for $50 for each appliance recycled; checks will be mailed to your billing account address within four weeks of the time your appliance is picked up To recycle a refrigerator or freezer through BGE’s Smart Energy Savers Program, you can call the utility at 866.898.1901 to schedule a pickup. Sources Refrigerator and Freezer Recycling , BGE Smart Energy Savers Program. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/baltimore-refrigerator-recycling/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/baltimore-refrigerator-recycling/ Wed, 21 Mar 2012 09:06:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/texas-electricity-rates-to-increase/ The relatively low electricity rates that many Texans have enjoyed in recent years will likely rise over the next two years as the price of natural gas increases and power supplies struggle to keep pace with rising demand, experts said recently. Experts offered the prediction to an audience of electricity retailers and brokers at the annual Texas Electricity Professionals Association’s conference in Dallas. David Givens, who follows energy prices for Argus Media, predicted that the confluence of rising natural gas prices and tight electricity supplies could result in electricity prices that increase 10 percent in both 2012 and 2013. As a result, electricity retailers and brokers should encourage customers to sign up now for one- or two-year fixed-rate electricity plans so they can secure lower prices, said Brandon Schwertner, a consultant with Sumer Capital. “Just tell them to lock in prices,” he said. Trip Doggett, who heads the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which manages the state’s largest electric grid, told audience members that electricity supplies this summer were especially tight because of a record-setting heat wave that strained the system and caused several unexpected power plant shutdowns. During the heat wave, ERCOT experienced record-high electricity demand on three consecutive days in August, peaking at 68,000 megawatts on Aug. 3. The result, Doggett said, was that ERCOT’s reserve power margin was severely reduced from 17.5 percent to 3.8 percent. While Doggett said ERCOT’s grid was strained by high temperatures and plant shutdowns, he said that he was more concerned that the state’s relatively low electricity prices hadn’t motivated more power generation companies to build power plants or otherwise add generating capacity to meet growing demand in the state. One of the central ideas behind electricity deregulation is that power generators would want to add power to the grid whenever there is demand. In the state’s large deregulated market, generators earn money only when they sell power. To help relieve stress on the grid, Doggett said that ERCOT is looking at its options, including studying how to get more large power users to agree to contracts that require them to accept power interruptions during periods when electricity supplies are especially tight. One idea being explored would involve offering lower rates to such users in exchange for agreeing to the contracts. Other speakers at the conference suggested that the state modify its deregulated market to allow for capacity payments, which are paid to generators to set and maintain a certain amount of spare electric capacity for emergencies. Sources “ Texas Electric Rates Expected to Climb Over Next Two Years ,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram , Nov. 3, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/texas-electricity-rates-to-increase/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/texas-electricity-rates-to-increase/ Tue, 20 Mar 2012 13:20:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/con-ed-switching-tips/ If you live in New York and are a customer of Con Edison (Con Ed), the state’s largest public utility, electricity and natural gas are delivered to your home by Con Ed. You may even buy your electricity and natural gas from Con Ed. But you don’t have to. Con Ed’s service territory is deregulated, which means you’re allowed to shop around and buy your electricity and natural gas from among several competing energy companies, called Energy Service Companies, or ESCOs. The idea behind deregulation is that competition from energy companies will drive down prices as the companies compete for your business. The good thing is that you don’t have to worry about your electricity and natural gas service. Con Ed will still deliver the energy to your home, regardless of which company you buy it from. Even better, shopping around for energy can save you money off monthly utility bills . Here are a few tips to help you choose the ESCO that’s right for you. How to choose an ESCO A Con Ed customer who is thinking of switching from Con Ed to an ESCO should contact the electricity and natural gas suppliers that offer service in the area, compare the offers and look into how companies handle things like customer service and bill payments. There’s more to an ESCO than just the price and things like bilingual support or a mobile app can increase your satisfaction. When you contact the ESCO, ask about the different plans they offer, terms of the plan — including whether the plan has a fixed rate or variable rate and contains any minimum usage fees or early-termination fees — bill payment options, customer support options and any other options important to you. Don’t forget: Con Ed will still be your energy delivery company Remember, regardless of which electricity or natural gas supplier you choose to buy your energy from, Con Ed will continue to deliver electricity and natural gas to your home. Con Ed will still be responsible for responding to outages and emergencies and for providing service for wires, poles, transformers and gas lines. Also, it’s important to note that regardless of who you buy your electricity or natural gas from, Con Ed will provide you with the same level of service as everyone else. In other words, Con Ed won’t punish you with bad service if you buy your energy from another company. How to sign up with an ESCO Once you’ve made your decision on which electricity or natural gas ESCO you want to switch to, the ESCO will ask for your Con Ed account number to obtain your electricity or natural gas usage information. Once you agree on a plan, you can enroll immediately (with most ESCOs). When does new service with an ESCO begin? For electricity suppliers, your new ESCO will begin selling you electricity on your next meter reading date, as long as you enroll in the new service at least 15 days prior to the date. If you enroll after that, you’ll have to wait for the next meter reading date to begin receiving electricity under your ESCO’s plan. For natural gas suppliers, things are a little simpler. If you enroll by the 15th of any month, you’ll begin receiving gas under your ESCO’s plan by the first day of the following month. How will I be billed if I switch to an ESCO? If you switch to an electricity or natural gas ESCO, you may receive two bills — one from the ESCO for the amount of electricity or natural gas that you use and one from Con Ed for delivering the energy to your home — or you could receive one combined bill with two separate charges for supply, from the ESCO, and delivery, from Con Ed. Other billing options are possible. How your bill is delivered will be based on your ESCO and the arrangement it has with Con Ed. If I switch from Con Ed to an ESCO, can I switch back to Con Ed? Yes. However, you should consider the terms of your ESCO’s contract, including things such as early termination fees, before switching back. If you switch from a natural gas ESCO back to Con Ed, you must remain with Con Ed for one year before switching to another natural gas ESCO. Sources Con Edison, “ PowerYourWay for Residential .” Con Edison, “ PowerYourWay Frequently Asked Questions .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/con-ed-switching-tips/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/con-ed-switching-tips/ Mon, 19 Mar 2012 13:21:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/spark-energy-supports-st-baldricks/ In an effort to Empower What Matters , Spark Energy has renewed its partnership and support of the Fox Chicago Schools Challenge and the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. For those that may not be familiar with St. Baldrick’s, the Foundation is known for rallying volunteers to raise money by pledging to shave their heads in solidarity with children fighting cancer and has awarded millions in grants for childhood cancer research. Spark Energy kicked off this year’s partnership with a $5,000 donation to St. Baldrick’s and a pledge to raise additional funds through a month-long giving campaign in the Chicago market. Through the campaign, we have had the privilege of meeting some of the amazing volunteers and supporters of the St. Baldrick’s organization, including Heather Kash. Heather Kash is the Sr. Director of Corporate Relations for St. Baldrick’s and we are so inspired by her dedication to empowering what matters , we wanted you to meet her too. A conversation with Heather Kash, Sr. Director of Corporate Relations, St. Baldrick's: How long have you supported St. Baldrick's? I first became involved as a St. Baldrick’s volunteer in 2002 where I ran the Downtown Chicago event. After that, my involvement grew over the years where I was managing two full-time jobs. So, in 2007 I had to make a choice between the two, and St. Baldrick’s was the better option for me! What inspired you to support and/or work for the organization? Like so many of our volunteers, I got involved because a coworker was shaving his head and he asked me to help with the event. Our second year, we had such tremendous support that when a Bloomingdale firefighter, Chris Wilson, called to say he was bringing 30 firemen to Chicago for my event, I was afraid of having too many shavees and worked with him to set up the 2 nd Chicago area event – this one in the Western suburbs. From there, we kept “spinning off” events and people kept coming to me for help. In 2011 in IL, we had more than 200 events, almost 9,000 shavees, and raised almost $4MM. To think that I was afraid of having 50 shavees! Is there one story or one child that keeps you going? There are so many kids that drive us to do what we do, but here are a few. There is a young man named Chris, who I first met when he was 10 and newly diagnosed. He never fully responded to treatment, but was always at our events, shaving heads, and flashing his 1,000 watt, “get me out of trouble” smile. We lost Chris last November, but he will always be the face of St Baldrick’s for me. Two of Chris’ friends (who he met during treatment), Josh & Alicia, are survivors. Josh is a sophomore in HS and now taller than me (even in my heels!), and lettered in golf last year! Alicia celebrated her 20 th birthday with us last September at our halfway to St. Baldrick’s event, and her uncle is a good friend who had shaved for St Baldrick’s for many years before she was diagnosed. Then there is Sara, another survivor, who was one of our Ambassador kids for the Foundation in 2010 – just a few years younger than my youngest daughter, her story hit home, particularly when I hear her mom tell stories of her and her sisters, which sound so much like the antics of my kids! Josh, Alicia and Sara will all be at our event this year, and will get to have a hand in shaving my head! Chris will be there in spirit, and deeply missed. How can people get involved with St. Baldrick's? Our primary fundraising vehicle will always be our signature headshaving events, but people raise money for us in many ways. We’ve had motorcycle runs, 5Ks, golf outings and other events. You can visit www.stbaldricks.org to get involved in a local event, organize your own event, or contact the Foundation with your idea! What does it mean to St. Baldrick's to have Spark Energy's support for the second year in a row? We are fortunate to have so many corporate partners, helping to tell our story, engage their employees and customers and support the mission to Conquer Kids’ Cancer . Like so many companies, Spark Energy’s support goes beyond a donation and it’s wonderful to see how the cause has become a part of your corporate culture, tradition and a part of the lives of your employees. Do you have anything else you would like to add? THANK YOU! http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/spark-energy-supports-st-baldricks/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/spark-energy-supports-st-baldricks/ Fri, 16 Mar 2012 09:04:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/information-on-selecting-an-electricity-supplier-in-illinois/ If you live in Illinois and have electricity distributed to your home by ComEd or Ameren Illinois, you live in an area that has been deregulated. That means the public utility monopolies, which were once the only companies that could sell electricity, have been broken up and the ability to sell electricity expanded to include alternative retail electric suppliers, or ARES, that are allowed to supply electricity and compete with each other for your business. As a result, you’ve been given what’s referred to as electric choice , which means you can choose whether to buy your electricity from your utility or from an alternative retail electricity supplier . Although electric choice can sometimes be confusing, it’s really quite simple. Here is some basic information about the roles that the electric utilities and ARES play in areas of Illinois that have electric choice, how they affect you, and what choices you can make about your electricity supply. What the Deregulated Electric Utilities Do ComEd and Ameren Illinois take electricity that is put onto the grid by power generation companies and distribute it to your home. This is called electricity distribution . The utilities are also responsible for maintaining, repairing and upgrading all of the equipment used to distribute power to your home, including wires, poles, transformers and meters. Additionally, the utilities are responsible for responding to emergencies related to distribution, such as power outages and sparking wires. The utilities aren’t in the business of selling electricity, which is referred to as electricity supply , but they are required to sell electricity to you if you choose not to buy your power from an ARES. The price of electricity supplied by the utilities is set and regulated by the state through an annual auction. ComEd and Ameren Illinois view all of their electricity distribution customers equally, regardless of who supplies their power. Customers who receive electricity supply from the utility aren’t treated any differently than customers who receive electricity supply from an ARES. The way the utilities provide customer service, fix equipment and respond to outages and other emergencies is the same for everyone. What the ARES Do The ARES are only involved in electricity supply . Unlike the utilities, the ARES aren’t involved in dealing with equipment like wires or poles and are not involved in responding to outages or other emergencies. If you choose to buy your electricity from an ARES, the utility that distributes power to your home will still be responsible for maintaining equipment and responding to outages. ARES have more flexibility with pricing, which can benefit customers. Because ARES compete with one another for your business and purchase power in bulk continuously throughout the year, they may sell electricity at lower rates than the utilities. Like any other kind of company, ARES are not all the same. They best ARES offer competitive rate plans, high levels of customer service and provide additional features such as a comprehensive website, mobile-friendly information and Spanish-language customer service representatives. What Choices You Have If electricity is distributed to your home by ComEd or Ameren Illinois, you have only one, simple choice to make: who to buy your electricity from. You can’t choose the utility that distributes electricity to your home, but you can choose whether that electricity is supplied by the regulated utility or one of the competitive ARES operating in your area. It’s important to note that you’re not required to switch to an ARES. However, if you choose to buy your electricity from your utility, you’ll have no choice when it comes to your electricity rate or the terms of your electricity plan, which are both regulated by the state. The only way to have an option when it comes to rates and plan terms is to shop around for an ARES that gives you the best combination of pricing and features. Sources Plug In Illinois, “ Electric Choice Basics .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/information-on-selecting-an-electricity-supplier-in-illinois/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/information-on-selecting-an-electricity-supplier-in-illinois/ Thu, 15 Mar 2012 10:12:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/illinois-public-facilities-upgrade-lighting/ Public facilities in Illinois are eligible for financial incentives that can help them upgrade to more energy-efficient lighting prior to a planned phase out of certain types of commercial fluorescent lamps beginning in 2012. The state’s Illinois Energy Now (IEN) program is run by the State Energy Office of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). It offers incentives for lighting upgrades to local, state and federal government facilities, public schools, community colleges, public colleges and universities that can help the facilities decrease energy costs . The incentives are available to government customers served by Ameren Illinois and ComEd. “By offering incentives to make lighting upgrades more affordable, we are helping to ensure our public facilities can spend more resources on direct service instead of keeping the lights on,” said DCEO Director Warren Ribley. The incentives help offset costs associated with the planned phase out of older, less efficient T12 fluorescent lamps, which will be replaced with more efficient T8 and T5 fluorescent lamps. The fate of T12 lamps was sealed by a 2010 U.S. Department of Energy mandate that requires the phase out of magnetic ballasts used in the operation of T12 lamps. The older lamps will be out of production by July 2012. According to Illinois Energy Now, the new T8 and T5 lamps will bring immediate energy savings of up to 50 percent in addition to improved lighting performance and simpler maintenance. The incentives, which are provided as grants or rebates, help cover the costs of changing or retrofitting lighting systems, including lamps and fixtures. The types of public facilities that are considered to be highest priorities for the IEN lighting upgrade program include those with older lighting systems still in place, those with the highest energy costs and those with lighting systems that stay on continuously, referred to as uncontrolled lighting, as opposed to newer systems that are controlled with motion sensors. The DCEO, with its partners, including SEDAC (Smart Energy Design Assistance Center) and the Trade Ally Network, will provide resources and technical assistance to help determine the right course of action when it comes to planning energy-efficient lighting improvements at existing facilities or enhancing the design of new facilities. More Information on the Public Facilities Lighting Upgrade Program To learn more about the Illinois Energy Now lighting upgrade incentives, visit www.illinoisenergy.org . For more information about the T12 lamp phase out, visit www.connexiones.com/t12-phase-out . The incentive program has specific contacts for the incentive program based on public facility type: Local Government Contact: Andrea Reiff. Call 217.785.0164; email andrea.reiff@illinois.gov Public Schools Contact: Byron Lloyd. Call 217.785.0201; email byron.lloyd@illinois.gov State and Federal Contact: Gerald Downing. Call 217.557.5662; email gerald.downing@illinois.gov Public Universities and Colleges Contact: Tom Coe. Call 217.785.2433; email tom.coe@illinois.gov Sources “ State Offers Program for Public Facilities to Upgrade Lighting ,” East Peoria Times-Courier , Dec. 20, 2011. Illinois Department of Commerce and Opportunity, Illinois Energy Office, “ Office of Energy and Recycling Programs November 2010 .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/illinois-public-facilities-upgrade-lighting/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/illinois-public-facilities-upgrade-lighting/ Wed, 14 Mar 2012 11:52:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/galveston-smart-meter-installation/ If you live in Galveston County, Texas and you see someone in your yard wearing a black uniform and a black helmet with a face shield, don’t be frightened. You’re just getting a new Smart Meter. CenterPoint Energy, the public utility that distributes electricity to homes in the Houston and Galveston areas of Texas, recently launched a digital Smart Meter upgrade program in Galveston County, including Galveston, Jamaica Beach, Santa Fe, Hitchcock, Bayou Vista, and parts of League City and La Marque. The black-clad workers are employees of North Houston Pole Line, a contractor that’s handling the meter installations for CenterPoint. They should knock on your door to let you know they’re there before they go around back and install the meters, but if they don’t get an answer, they’ll go ahead and install the meter anyway. In case you don’t hear them, you arrive home when they’re already at work or you just want to double-check their bona fides, all workers’ uniforms will have a company ID badge. You can even check out front for a North Houston Pole Line company vehicle. The wireless Smart Meters that CenterPoint is installing will allow the utility to “talk” directly with your meter to get remote updates on your electricity usage. That means no more meter readers. The Smart Meters also let CenterPoint turn on and off power remotely in cases where electricity service is being set up or discontinued, which can be a big convenience if you’re moving. Once the installer gets to work, it should only take about 10 minutes to complete the installation. The Smart Meter installation program is scheduled to be completed by the end of March. Sources “ CenterPoint Energy Replacing its Meters ,” The Galveston County Daily News , Jan. 27, 2012. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/galveston-smart-meter-installation/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/galveston-smart-meter-installation/ Tue, 13 Mar 2012 08:43:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/ohio-natural-gas-utility-changing-service-plans-in-2012/ Ohio’s largest natural gas utility will change the way it prices natural gas for some customers starting this year. Columbia Gas of Ohio said in an email to suppliers that natural gas customers who have not selected an alternative supplier through the utility’s Customer CHOICE Program by April 1 will have their natural gas plan changed from the utility’s Standard Service Offer (SSO) to its new Standard Choice Offer (SCO). As choice and competition were made available to Ohio’s natural gas industry, public utility monopolies like Columbia Gas were broken up and became distribution companies — responsible for distributing natural gas to customers in their service territories and maintaining natural gas pipes and related equipment. — Meanwhile, independent alternative natural gas companies, called CHOICE suppliers, were allowed to enter the area and sell gas directly to natural gas customers. As a result, Ohio natural gas customers have the power to choose whether to buy natural gas from a CHOICE supplier, at a price set by that supplier, or from the utility, at a price set by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO), the state’s utility regulator. Previously, Columbia Gas’ CHOICE-eligible customers who were free to buy their natural gas from an alternative natural gas supplier but who chose to buy their gas from the utility did so under the utility’s SSO plan, which also served customers who were ineligible for CHOICE. Now, however, the utility is making a distinction between the two types of customers: the SCO plan will be for CHOICE-eligible customers who continue to buy natural gas from the utility instead of shopping for an alternative supplier, while customers who are ineligible for CHOICE will remain with the SSO plan. Customers redefined under the new SCO plan will notice the change beginning April 1, but will not be required to shop for a supplier, enroll in the plan or opt out of anything. The main difference, said Columbia Gas, was that CHOICE-eligible customers who have not chosen an alternative supplier will see the term “SCO” on their bills, along with the name of the supplier that the utility has contracted with to supply them. Although the name of the SCO supplier may vary from customer to customer, Columbia Gas said that all SCO customers will pay the same monthly price for natural gas, which will be set by an auction held in February, 2012. Columbia Gas said that the auction, which will be supervised by the PUCO, will be similar to the one it holds for its SSO plan. The auction will establish the utility’s SCO Retail Price Adjustment for the entire year, which will run from April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2013. The SCO will be a variable rate plan, which means the monthly price of gas for SCO customers will change based on NYMEX exchange prices for natural gas, plus the utility’s SCO Retail Price Adjustment that it secured at auction in February. According to Columbia Gas, “CHOICE-eligible SCO customers will enjoy all the supply options that they had as an SSO customer. That means they may select a CHOICE supplier to supply their gas, or they may participate in a governmental aggregation program if their community offers one. Similarly, CHOICE customers will be free to return to Columbia’s regulated SCO rate if they so choose.” The utility noted that customers enrolled in its Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP) program, customers in transition and customers who otherwise do not qualify under the CHOICE program will be served by a third plan called the Default Sales Service (DSS) plan. Although DSS customers will be supplied with natural gas by SCO suppliers under an agreement with the utility, DSS customers will not see the name of the SCO supplier on their bills. Sources “COH Choice Supplier Communication Concerning Columbia SCO,” Columbia Gas email to suppliers, Nov. 9, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/ohio-natural-gas-utility-changing-service-plans-in-2012/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/ohio-natural-gas-utility-changing-service-plans-in-2012/ Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:10:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/natural-gas-price-hits-historic-low/ A combination of factors has pushed natural gas prices to their lowest levels in a decade, marking a prime opportunity for natural gas customers to save money by locking in low, fixed-price plans . On Feb. 1, the price of a million cubic feet of natural gas fell to $2.38 on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX), the lowest since falling to $2.28 in February, 2002. The all-time record low was $1.05 in February, 1992. Industry experts credit the fall of natural gas prices to several factors, including mild winter temperatures, record natural gas storage and record gas production caused primarily by unlocking the natural gas contained in the Marcellus shale region over the last five years. According to a recent report, the Marcellus shale region, mostly in western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio, is so plentiful that by itself it could supply the United States with natural gas for 18 years. Other increases in production have been attributed to the recovery of natural gas at older and previously tapped-out wells in areas of Texas and North Dakota. Although dropping prices will hurt natural gas producers, residential and commercial natural gas customers will come away big-time winners. “The fact of the matter is that now would be a great time for residential and commercial customers to lock in low, fixed-price plans with a retail natural gas supplier no matter where they live,” said Jim Head, Spark Energy Vice President of Marketing and Sales. “People have a tendency to try and lock in prices when energy prices are on the rise, out of fear that they’ll rise further, but people should also take a look at what their fixed-price plan options are when energy prices fall. With natural gas prices at the lowest level in a decade, customers could gain significant benefits from locking in prices now with fixed-price plans that will get them through the rest of this heating season and next winter, as well.” Sources “ Mix of Factors Could Further Cut Natural Gas Costs ,” The Toledo Blade , Feb. 5, 2012. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/natural-gas-price-hits-historic-low/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/natural-gas-price-hits-historic-low/ Fri, 09 Mar 2012 09:01:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/chrysler-to-start-selling-natural-gas-trucks/ American drivers hungry for powerful pickup trucks that are kinder to both the environment and their wallets will get a taste this year of what one Big-Three automaker has planned for the near future. Chrysler Group LLC, the Detroit automaker now controlled by Italian automaker Fiat, said it will start selling natural-gas–powered pickups in the U.S. this year. Sergio Marchionne, the CEO of both Chrysler and Fiat, made the announcement at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Jan. 10. The first deliveries will be made to fleet customers. Marchionne said that natural-gas vehicles — liquid natural gas (LNG) for large commercial trucks and compressed natural gas (CNG) for cars and pickups — are the best green option for automakers. Electric hybrids are too expensive and the recharge times for all-electric cars present too large an obstacle for mass consumption, Marchionne said. According to Fiat, the additional cost of a natural gas engine is $3,000, compared with $3,300 diesel and $8,000 for an electric hybrid. Fiat already has CNG vehicles throughout Europe and plans on bringing them to the U.S. by 2017. Ultimately, Fiat would like to bring CNG vehicles to the retail U.S. market faster, but the company cited a lack of infrastructure for refueling natural gas vehicles. There were only 1,000 refueling stations and 112,000 natural-gas vehicles in the U.S. as of Dec. 2010, according to the International Association of Natural Gas Vehicles. Currently, Honda is the only automaker selling CNG cars to U.S. retail customers. Its Civic Natural Gas sedan, formerly the Civic GX and now branded the Civic NG, is sold by 200 dealers in 36 states. Blog Polls Do you own a CNG car? What about your business? How is it working for you? Sources “ Chrysler to Begin Natural-Gas Truck Sales ,” Bloomberg , Jan. 11, 2012. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/chrysler-to-start-selling-natural-gas-trucks/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/chrysler-to-start-selling-natural-gas-trucks/ Thu, 08 Mar 2012 09:31:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/has-electricity-deregulation-helped-illinois/ Illinois electricity customers who get their electricity delivered by Commonwealth Edison Co. (ComEd) or Ameren Illinois Utilities (Ameren), the state’s two largest public utilities, reside in deregulated areas. While those residents can’t choose who delivers electricity to their homes, they can choose to buy their electricity from either the utility or an alternative retail electricity supplier (ARES). However, a little-known provision in Illinois law could be activated that would result in every resident and business in a deregulated area choosing an ARES to supply their electricity while the utilities would focus on simply delivering the electricity through their power lines and related infrastructure. And that’s probably a good thing for Illinois electric customers. Here’s why. Deregulation Has Resulted in Lower Rates for Electricity Customers The Illinois electricity market was deregulated in 1997. Since then, commercial and industrial electricity customers have benefitted from buying electricity from ARES, which, as it turns out, are more nimble when it comes to procuring power than the Illinois Power Agency (IPA). While the IPA is tasked with buying electricity for ComEd and Ameren customers once a year at auction, the ARES are able to buy power from wholesalers continuously. As a result, the ARES have been able to offer lower prices than the utilities and business customers have pocketed significant savings. Now, more than 75 percent of Illinois businesses buy their electricity from an ARES. Since 2007, residential electricity customers have also been able to buy their power from ARES. Now, as of December 2011, more than 261,000 residential customers have switched, including over 225,000 from ComEd. And that number is growing rapidly. ComEd alone has seen its number of switchers grow more than ten-fold since May. If the number of switchers keeps rising, a provision of the IPA Act could be triggered that could result in additional benefits for electric customers. The provision states that if, anytime after July 1, 2012, more than one-third of a utility’s residential customer base is buying its power from an ARES, and there are at least three ARES competing in the utility’s service territory, the utility can petition the Illinois Commerce Commission to declare the market “competitive.” If the Commission agrees, then the utility is allowed to essentially stop buying and selling electricity and concentrate fully on doing what it does best: delivering electricity to customers. Customers still buying their electricity from the utility at that point would be required to choose which ARES to buy their electricity from, and the utility would deliver that electricity to the customer’s home or business just as they always have. Sources Chamber Dispatch, “ Imagine ComEd Buys No Electricity … It’s Easy if You Try .” Illinois Commerce Commission, “ Electric Switching Statistics: 2011 Filings ,” published Jan. 25, 2012. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/has-electricity-deregulation-helped-illinois/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/has-electricity-deregulation-helped-illinois/ Wed, 07 Mar 2012 09:14:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/tips-for-planting-trees-near-power-lines/ If you’re planning on adding a few trees on your property, it’s important to know where you should plant them in relation to power lines. Tall trees that grow up into overhead power lines have to be continually cut back to keep clear of the lines, which can be expensive and make for an ugly, oddly-shaped tree. And the roots of trees that are planted too close to underground power lines can be damaged if the lines have to be dug up for repairs. Here are some simple tips to help you figure out where you should plant trees to avoid conflicts with power lines. Planting Trees Near Overhead Power Lines Tree experts and electric utilities recommend that homeowners planting trees near overhead power lines choose trees with mature heights of 25 feet or less. Some tree care professionals refer to this as the low zone for planting trees. There is also a medium zone and a tall zone for planting trees. Here’s how they work: Low Zone — This area extends from directly underneath overhead power lines to between 15 feet and 25 feet on either side of the lines. Only low-growing trees with mature (fully-grown) heights of between 20 feet and 25 feet should be planted in the low zone. Medium Zone — Medium-growing trees with mature heights of between 25 feet and 35 feet need to be planted in the medium zone, an area that’s about 25 feet to 50 feet away from power lines. Tall Zone — Tall trees over 35 feet need to be reserved for the tall zone, which begins about 50 feet away from power lines. Planting Trees Near Underground Power Lines Because underground power lines aren’t deeply buried, and in many cases can be buried close to the surface, it’s important to plant your trees a safe distance away. Doing so will help prevent problems while digging and can help prevent your tree’s root system from growing around the lines. While trees and underground power lines often coexist well together, your tree could be seriously damaged if roots have to be cut to dig up and repair a line. And remember, before you do any digging you should consult with your utility to help mark and protect underground lines. Since a tree’s root system is essentially as wide as the tree itself, and in some cases wider, consider following the low, medium and tall zone recommendations when planting trees near underground power lines. However, if you keep the low zone around buried power lines clear of trees, you won’t risk major damage to the tree’s roots if the line needs to be repaired. Sources Trees Are Good, “ Avoiding Tree & Utility Conflicts .” Utah State University, “ Small Trees for Planting Near Power Lines ,” July 2009. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/tips-for-planting-trees-near-power-lines/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/tips-for-planting-trees-near-power-lines/ Tue, 06 Mar 2012 11:07:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/myths-about-replacing-windows-in-older-houses/ America is on an energy-efficiency kick these days, and it only makes sense. After all, there are plenty of ways to spend a few bucks to significantly cut energy costs . However, when it comes to older or historic homes, there usually isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for energy efficiency, especially when it comes to replacement windows. According to experts, many of the claims about the benefits of replacement windows over old or original wood-framed windows just don’t bear out. If you’re thinking about changing out the windows in your old home, here’s the inside scoop on the top three myths about replacement windows. Myth #1: Replacement windows help you save money All you need to dispel the No. 1 myth about replacing original wood-framed windows in older homes is a little math. When properly installed, modern replacement windows in an average home with 24 to 30 windows can save you about $50 a month on heating or cooling bills. However, at $500 to $1,000 per replacement window, you could easily spend $12,000 to replace all your windows. In an average home that’s heated or cooled six months out of the year, that comes to about $300 in annual savings. At that rate, it could take you 40 years to recoup your investment in the windows, far longer than the average homeowner stays in one house, which is between about five to seven years. And in some cases, you’ll never recoup your investment, no matter how long you stay in your home. In an extreme case detailed in a 2007 report by Keith Haberern, a licensed architect and engineer and the chairman of the Collingswood Historic District Commission in New Jersey, the payback time for replacing a single-pane storm window with a low-e insulated glass window was calculated at 222 years. An additional concern is that modern vinyl, aluminum, fiberglass and composite windows only last about 20 years, with a third of them failing within 10 years. The fact is, it’s virtually impossible to recoup the amount of money spent on replacing old wood windows with new windows before the new windows need to be replaced themselves. Myth #2: Replacement windows don’t need to be maintained Although replacement windows may be easier to clean, they aren’t exactly “maintenance free” in the way you might think. In fact, they can’t be maintained or repaired at all. While traditional wood windows are composed of interlocking parts made from natural materials — each of which can be maintained, repaired or replaced — modern vinyl, aluminum, fiberglass and composite windows are manufactured as a unit and the individual components can’t be repaired. When a part fails, the entire unit must be replaced, typically at somewhere between $500 and $1,000 a window. Myth #3: Replacement windows are guaranteed While many replacement window companies offer certain money-saving guarantees on their windows, you need to make sure to read the fine print. Some companies guarantee that you’ll save 40 or 50 percent on your heating and cooling costs with replacement windows. But there are two major problems with guarantees like this: First, if you read the fine print, you’ll discover that there’s usually a cap (often around $500) that the company will refund you if you don’t get the kind of energy savings they guarantee. Of course, after having spent thousands of dollars to replace your windows, the guarantee doesn’t match your investment. Second, the fine print of energy-saving guarantees usually make specific claims about things such as heat loss through windows, not overall household energy savings. However, since only about 10 percent of heating loss in a building occurs through windows — while 90 percent escapes through roofs, walls, floors and chimneys — a 50-percent-off savings guarantee really means only about five percent savings off your heating bills. Unfortunately, claims that you’ll save energy and money by replacing your old wood-framed windows with modern, energy-efficient windows are often little more than marketing and sales pitches. If you’re thinking of getting replacement windows for your old home, do your research, read the fine print, and get everything in writing. Often times, you’ll find that repairing your windows and sealing them properly — while addressing energy loss through other areas — is a better idea when it comes to short-term spending and long-term savings. Sources National Trust for Historic Preservation, “ Weatherization Tips & Strategies .” The Old House Guy, “ The Truth about Windows — Historic Wood Windows & Storm Windows vs. Replacement Windows .” Traditional Building, “ The Right Thing .” Utah State History, “ Windows: Your Questions Answered .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/myths-about-replacing-windows-in-older-houses/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/myths-about-replacing-windows-in-older-houses/ Mon, 05 Mar 2012 11:29:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/how-to-read-electricity-gas-meter/ It’s easy to read electricity and natural gas meters, but there’s often a difference in how you read them. Whether you’re double-checking the numbers on a utility bill or you’re simply curious about the amount of energy you’re using, here are a few tips to help you read your meters. Reading Electricity Meters Common electricity meters are clock-like devices that measure the amount of kilowatts of electricity that you use. If you use a thousand watts of electricity in one hour, then you’ve used one kilowatt-hour (kWh). When you’re billed, you’re charged for the number of kilowatt-hours that you use during a billing cycle. There are five dials on an electricity meter that go from zero to nine. As you use electricity, the dials spin like the hands of a clock; the more electricity you use, the faster the dials spin. Dials one, three and five spin clockwise, while dials two and four spin counter clockwise. When you read the meter, you need to read the dials right-to-left (starting with dial five and moving to dial one), just like you would a car odometer. When the right-most dial passes zero, the dial to the left increases by one, and so on down the line to the left-most dial. The result of your reading will be a five-digit number and the difference between two readings is the number of kilowatt-hours you’ve used. When you’re reading the meter and one of the dials is directly on a number, you’ll need to use either the number the dial sits on or the next lower number. To determine which one you need to use, look at the dial to the right. If it has passed zero, use the number the dial in question sits on. If the dial is directly on six, for example, and the dial to its right is on nine, you would record a five. If the dial to the right it hasn’t passed zero, use the next lowest number. For example, if the dial is on six, but the dial to the right is on two, you would record a six. If a dial falls between two numbers, use the lower number. Reading Natural Gas Meters Typical natural gas meters look a lot like electricity meters but with only four dials (some can have up to six). Dials one and three spin counter clockwise, while dials two and four spin clockwise. The dials spin from the force of the moving gas in the pipe and spin faster as the flow increases. Depending on your utility, you can be billed by the thousands of cubic feet (MCF) or hundreds of cubic feet (CCF) of natural gas that you use. You could also be charged by the Therm, which is about the same as one CCF. The difference between an electric meter and a natural gas meter is that you read natural gas meters left-to-right, starting with dial one and moving to dial four. When the left-most dial passes zero, the dial to the right increases by one, and so on down the line to the right-most dial. When a dial is directly over a number, consult the dial to the left to determine if you should use that number or next lowest number. The result of your reading will be a four-digit number and the difference between two readings is usually the number of cubic feet of natural gas you’ve used. Reading Digital Meters Many electricity and natural gas customers are getting digital meters or Smart Meters installed by their utilities. Digital meters are the simplest to read. They work just like a car odometer and display an easy-to-read number. The difference between two readings is the amount of electricity or natural gas that you’ve used. Sources Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, “ Reading Your Natural Gas Meter .” U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, “ How to Read Residential Electric and Natural Gas Meters .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/how-to-read-electricity-gas-meter/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/march/how-to-read-electricity-gas-meter/ Fri, 02 Mar 2012 07:31:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/ford-cng-taxis-tested-in-chicago/ Chicagoans who would prefer to scoot around town in the back seat of an environmentally-friendly taxi may want to take a peek at one company’s decision to test a dozen vehicles that have been converted to run on compressed natural gas (CNG). In March, Ford Motor Co. will deliver 12 converted Transit Connect commercial vans to Taxi Medallion Management. The company will integrate the cars into its fleet of taxis, which include gas-guzzling Crown Victoria sedans, and test them over a period of time to determine if the company wants to bring in more CNG vehicles. Not only will the CNG Transit Connects emit 30 percent to 40 percent less greenhouse gasses, but the cars will be less expensive to refuel. Natural gas vehicles are being slowly phased in and tested in large cities around the country with infrastructures that support natural gas refueling, including Los Angeles, Chicago, New York and Philadelphia. <a href="http://www.blogpolls.com/poll/79284.html">Blog Polls</a> Sources Truck Trend, “ Ford Introducing 12 CNG Transit Connect Taxis to Chicago .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/ford-cng-taxis-tested-in-chicago/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/ford-cng-taxis-tested-in-chicago/ Wed, 29 Feb 2012 07:34:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/comed-washing-machine-rebate/ If you live in Illinois and ComEd delivers electricity to your home, then you qualify for a rebate that will save you a few bucks off a new, energy-efficient clothes washer which can help you save money off your utility bills every month. ComEd is giving residential electricity customers a $75 rebate off the sticker price of qualifying ENERGY STAR–certified clothes washers at participating Chicagoland stores. Qualifying models will display the ComEd Smart Ideas sticker. Upgrading to an energy-efficient clothes washer can help reduce the amount of water, electricity and natural gas you use each month. In fact, ENERGY STAR–certified clothes washers use about 37 percent less energy and about 50 percent less water. That adds up to significant savings, since the average U.S. family washes almost 300 loads of laundry per year. If you’re not in the market for a new, energy-efficient clothes washer, there are still a few things you can do to cut costs when washing clothes . Sources Energy Impact Illinois, “ ComEd Clothes Washer Rebate .” ENERGY STAR, “ Clothes Washers .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/comed-washing-machine-rebate/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/comed-washing-machine-rebate/ Fri, 24 Feb 2012 09:43:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/illinois-electricity-customers-switching-to-competitors/ More and more Illinois electricity customers are discovering the benefits of buying their power from an alternative retail electric supplier (ARES). The number of Illinois residential electricity customers who switched from their utility and started buying their electricity from an ARES grew more than 17 percent in December, to 261,998 from 223,528 in November, according to the most recent data from the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC), which regulates the state’s electricity service. In December, more than 30,000 customers switched from ComEd alone, bringing the number of residential electricity switchers from the state’s largest public utility to 225,486, an increase of more than 15 percent from November. “We’ve been seeing the momentum build for switching all year long, especially from ComEd,” said Jim Head, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Spark Energy. “When electricity choice first came to Illinois in January 2011, only 1,188 customers switched from ComEd to an ARES. By May that number had increased almost twenty-fold. By the end of September, more than 100,000 had switched. And by the end of December, just three months later, more than 225,000 had switched. Based on the trend, those numbers could easily eclipse a quarter million when the ICC releases data for January.” Head cited ongoing educational efforts by the state and the electricity suppliers for helping Illinois residents understand the benefits of switching. Head also noted that robust consumer protection rules in the state were helping ensure the safety of electricity customers who left their utility in favor of buying their power from an ARES. Sources Illinois Commerce Commission, “ Supply Options Chosen by Customers of Commonwealth Edison Company, 2011 ,” Jan. 25, 2012. Plug In Illinois, “ Residential Customers Taking Service from a RES .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/illinois-electricity-customers-switching-to-competitors/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/illinois-electricity-customers-switching-to-competitors/ Thu, 23 Feb 2012 09:31:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/change-furnace-filters-to-save-energy/ Your home’s furnace, like any piece of machinery, needs regular maintenance to perform at its best. The most important routine maintenance you can perform on your furnace is changing or cleaning your furnace’s air filters when they get dirty. Not only can clogged or dirty air filters block air flow and cause your furnace to work harder to pump warm air throughout your house, but dirty air that gets past a filter can make its way into the fan section of the furnace and damage components. Changing or cleaning your filters regularly will help you increase the efficiency and life expectancy of your furnace while helping you cut energy costs . Types of Furnace Air Filters There are a wide variety of air filters for gas, oil and electric furnaces. Many furnaces use basic panel filters or washable filters made of fiberglass, but these are the least effective at filtering particles, according to the American Lung Association. Other kinds of filters include pleated filters, high efficiency pleated filters, high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters and electronic air cleaners. Some filters, such as HEPA filters and electronic air cleaners, which use electrical fields to trap particles, do a great job of blocking dirt and germs, but can be a bit pricey. Ultimately, you should use a filter recommended by your furnace’s manufacturer and contact the manufacturer about the details of using other kinds of filters. Location of Furnace Air Filters Air filters for home furnaces — gas, oil, and electric — will typically be found along the length of the return duct, in a wall, ceiling, or even in the furnace itself. Sometimes they can be difficult to locate or hidden from view behind other equipment. Check your furnace manufacturer’s documentation for the designated filter location. If you don’t have your documentation, try going to the manufacturers’ website and downloading a copy of the documentation. Most modern HVAC systems use return air filters right in the return air grill (the grill opening in your living space that sucks air in rather than blows it out) for easy access and maintenance. But if you have a different kind of system and are having a problem locating your furnace’s filter, start at the air handler and work your way back toward the return air grill opening. Changing and Cleaning Furnace Air Filters Disposable furnace filters will need to be changed every month or two during the heating season, or more often if you run your furnace a lot, smoke or have pets. For best performance, washable filters should be cleaned every two weeks, or even more frequently, by letting them soak for an hour in a tub or basin filled with a solution of one part water and one part vinegar. Washable filters should be changed out every three to six months, depending on how much you use your furnace or HVAC unit. Other kinds of filters will have their own specific maintenance instructions. Your furnace manufacturer will also likely have air filter maintenance instructions. Sources American Lung Association Health House, “ Furnace Filters: Tips About Your Furnace Filter .” Furnace Filter Care, “ Where is My Furnace Filter? ” U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, “ Furnaces and Boilers .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/change-furnace-filters-to-save-energy/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/change-furnace-filters-to-save-energy/ Wed, 22 Feb 2012 08:51:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/switch-from-comed-to-competitor/ If you live in Illinois and have electricity delivered to your home by Commonwealth Edison Co. (ComEd), you have the option of choosing to buy your electricity from ComEd or from a retail electricity supplier . Regardless of whether you buy your power from ComEd or a retail electricity supplier, ComEd will continue to deliver it to your home, take calls about outages and maintain equipment like wires, poles and transformers. That means all you have to do is shop around for the retail electricity supplier that will provide you with the electricity plan, customer service, stability and other features that you’re looking for. Once you’ve chosen your retail electricity supplier and asked them to switch your service, your switch will be completed in three easy steps: The retail electricity supplier that you’ve chosen will notify ComEd of the change ComEd will contact you by mail to confirm that you want to start buying your electricity from your new retail electricity supplier Once you’ve confirmed your decision with ComEd, the utility and your new retail electricity supplier will work together to seamlessly complete the process; nobody will come to your home to flip a switch and your service won’t be interrupted You can switch any time; there’s never a deadline. The effective date of your switch will occur on your next meter read date. Your new retail electricity supplier should show up on your bill roughly 18-45 days from the date you signed up with them. The only thing you need to keep in mind is that if you switch from ComEd to a retail electricity supplier and then switch back to ComEd, you might have to buy your electricity from the utility for a 12 month period before you can switch to a retail electricity supplier again. Good luck shopping for your new retail electricity provider. If you have any more questions, you can get answers to common ComEd switching questions or ask us on Facebook or Twitter . Sources Plug In Illinois, “ The Switching Process .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/switch-from-comed-to-competitor/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/switch-from-comed-to-competitor/ Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:38:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/lemonade-day-revitalizing-american-business/ NOTE: In recognition of National Entrepreneurship Week, Spark Energy brings you the following submission from Michael Holthouse - American entrepreneur and founder of one of our key community partners, Prepared 4 Life . We are proud to support Lemonade Day 2012 in Houston and Chicago, and help "spark" dreams within thousands of participating youth. Who knew that what started as an innocent question from a child asking for a pet turtle would turn into a life changing opportunity for hundreds of thousands of children across the country. Four years ago when my daughter pulled me out of bed early one Sunday morning to do a lemonade stand, I had no idea what an amazing day was about to unfold. A few cups of lemonade, lots of answered questions and some real world experience, and my daughter had earned enough money to buy her now famous turtle. It was a simple lesson in entrepreneurship that had been passed on to me by my father. Instead of just giving her what she wanted, she learned how to earn it for herself. She did. She won, and I won – not the turtle, but a set of life lessons that have touched both of us. In many ways, she experienced what our great country is all about – daring to dream, making a plan, working the plan and having the guts to go out and be successful. Fulfilling the American Dream. That one day sitting along Memorial Drive with her inspired what is now known as Lemonade Day. It is a fun and experiential learning process that culminates in a single day where literally tens of thousands of lemonade stands all over a community demonstrate what business is all about. It’s where an entire community shows its support for youth through the simple act of buying a glass of lemonade. Children from every walk of life and geographic location learn what it takes to start a business – to fulfill their own dream. Caring adults and youth learn together using a free backpack filled with materials on how to start their very own business – a lemonade stand. Lemonade Day gives them their first taste as entrepreneurs. It changes the way they see the world forever. There is the story about the little girl with learning challenges whose dream was to be able to buy something new for her fifth grade graduation. It would be the first new thing she ever had in her life. While afraid she would not succeed, she was encouraged by a school counselor to take a chance ... and she did. Today, she is not only the proud owner of a new pink dress that she bought with her own money, but a little girl whose academic progress has dramatically changed. She has now tasted success for the first time in her life, and she knows how it works. Her future story has changed forever – she is only one of thousands. Her story is replicated in stand after stand, each of the youth with their own unique experience. In America everyone has the opportunity to become whatever they choose and are willing to work for. Lemonade Day is the spark that ignites a new passion. Lemonade Day is a chance for parents, mentors, teachers and the entire community to work with youth and help them see a different tomorrow. They help children learn how to approach their business and are given the tools they need to succeed. They also learn how to manage their financial success by spending a little, saving a little, and sharing a little of the money they earn. Last year, in Houston alone, 54,000 kids registered, and collectively they sold over six million glasses of lemonade. From the proceeds of those stands, children donated a portion to the charities of their choice – that is after repaying their investors, saving some for their future and spending some on themselves. This year, in 40+ cities across America, more than 250,000 youth will participate and learn what business is all about. I can’t wait to see their contribution to society - not only on Lemonade Day, but in their future. The lemonade stand is an American icon; it is quite often children’s first business. In this challenging time in America we hope to revitalize entrepreneurship using this time honored tradition. It is our goal is to help spread Lemonade Day to hundreds of communities and, on a single day in May of 2013, do one million lemonade stands! Can you imagine what that many new entrepreneurs will mean for our country? Will you help us make this dream come true? Lemonade stands represent the best of our country’s proud past and bright future. They represent a vehicle to take children to places many only dream about going. Children today need to know they can do it – they need to know they have control – they need to know that they can be successful – they need to know that the hope for the future is in their hands – and stands. On Lemonade Day, we salute entrepreneurs all across America who had a dream and pursued it. It is America and it represents the hope for our future. And, to think, it all started with a turtle. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/lemonade-day-revitalizing-american-business/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/lemonade-day-revitalizing-american-business/ Mon, 20 Feb 2012 08:15:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/new-electric-vehicle-station-in-chicago/ Chicago electric vehicle owners and I-GO Car Sharing members are getting a new solar-powered charging station at the park and ride lot adjacent to the Brown Line Kimball El station. The electric vehicle charging station, approved by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) in December, is the first solar-powered station to be installed on CTA property and is part of an I-GO project to add 18 solar charging stations and 36 electric vehicles to its fleet. The company’s charging stations have solar canopies that cover four parking spaces and can power two electric vehicles, including one I-GO vehicle and one electric vehicle owned by the general public. Each canopy is topped with 44 solar panels and can produce about 10 kilowatts of electricity. Together, the company’s solar canopies will produce about 200,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, good for about 600,000 miles driven per year. The Kimball charging station is slightly smaller. It has a solar canopy that covers only two parking spaces for electric cars, but will still be able to serve one I-GO car and one electric vehicle owned by the general public. I-GO, formed in 2002, now claims some 15,000 members and more than 200 locations in nearly 40 neighborhoods and suburbs throughout the Chicago region. The company’s mission is to create a seamless transfer from public transportation to a pollution-free I-GO all-electric vehicle. According to I-GO, the average member spends about $2,520 per year to share its cars, roughly $5,000 less than what the average American spends to own, operate and maintain a car. Sources “ CTA Approves Solar-Powered Charging Station for I-GO Electric Vehicles at Kimball Brown Line Stop ,” Center for Neighborhood Technology press release, Dec. 14, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/new-electric-vehicle-station-in-chicago/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/new-electric-vehicle-station-in-chicago/ Fri, 17 Feb 2012 10:07:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/comed-bill-charges-explanation/ If you live in an area of Illinois that has electricity service provided by Commonwealth Edison Co. (ComEd), you have a choice when it comes to who you buy your power from. Thanks to electricity deregulation, you can choose to buy your power from ComEd or a retail electricity supplier . However, the choice of where you buy electricity (called “supply”) doesn’t affect how it gets to your home (called “delivery”). In other words, ComEd delivers electricity to your home whether you buy it from the utility or a retail electricity supplier. Regardless of who supplies your power, you probably get your electricity bill from ComEd. Some retail electricity suppliers will send you a bill in place of ComEd, but most retail electricity suppliers “piggyback” on ComEd’s bill and simply list their supply charges instead. ComEd’s electricity bill contains three main sections of charges: Electricity Supply Services, Delivery Services, and Taxes and Other. Here is some useful information to help you understand the different sections and the various charges that show up on your ComEd residential electricity bill. 1. Electricity Supply Services The first section of your ComEd residential electricity bill is called Electricity Supply Services. Charges listed in this section have to do with the amount of electricity you use and the cost of transmitting it from the power generators to ComEd for eventual delivery to your home (Charges related to the delivery of electricity from ComEd to individual homes are covered under the Delivery Services section of your bill.) Electricity Supply Charge — The electricity supply charge is based on the amount of electricity you used during the billing cycle. The electricity supply charge lists the number of kilowatt-hours you used as well as the price you paid for each kilowatt-hour, based either on the electricity price plan you have with your retail electricity supplier or the regulated supply price charged by ComEd. Transmission Services Charge — All electricity customers pay transmission services charges, regardless of whether electricity is purchased from a retail electricity supplier or ComEd. The transmission services charge, which is based on the amount of electricity you used during the billing cycle, lists the number of kilowatt-hours that were transmitted from power generators to ComEd for delivery to your home. If you buy your electricity from ComEd, the electricity supply charge and transmission services charge are added together and referred to as the Price to Compare, which is used to help you compare the utility’s prices with those of retail electricity suppliers. A note on supply: ComEd purchases electricity once a year at auction on behalf of electricity customers that buy their power from the utility. The Price to Compare is set once a year and runs from June to May, with higher summer (June–September) prices and lower non-summer (October–May) prices. Retail electricity suppliers have more flexibility. They can purchase electricity throughout the year and can offer both fixed-price and variable-price plans to accommodate the preferences of individual customers. Purchased Electricity Adjustment — Only electricity customers who buy their power from ComEd are charged a purchased electricity adjustment. Customers who buy their electricity from a retail electricity supplier will not be charged a purchased electricity adjustment and will not see this adjustment on their bill. The purpose of the adjustment is to allow ComEd to “true-up” any difference between what the utility paid for electricity and what the utility charged those customers it supplies. The adjustment can be positive (a charge) or negative (a credit). 2. Delivery Services The second section of your ComEd residential electricity bill is called Delivery Services. Delivery Services, also known as distribution services, are charges that all electricity customers in ComEd’s service territory pay the utility to deliver power to their homes, regardless of whether they buy their electricity from the utility or a retail electricity supplier. Delivery services include a customer charge, a standard metering charge and a distribution facilities charge. The distribution facilities charge is based on how much electricity you used during the billing cycle. 3. Taxes and Other The third section of your ComEd residential electricity bill is called Taxes and Other. The charges in this section represent state-regulated taxes and fees that ComEd collects from all electricity customers, even those that buy their power from a retail electricity supplier, to help recover expenses and to help fund various programs managed by the state or the utility. Certain taxes and fees that you may see on your ComEd bill include a smart meter program fee, an environmental cost recovery adjustment, an energy efficiency program fee, a franchise fee and a state-mandated sales tax. Sources Commonwealth Edison Co., “ Review a Residential Bill Breakdown .” Plug In Illinois, “ Breaking Down the Utility Charges on Your Residential Bill .” Plug In Illinois, “ Understanding the Utility's Electric Supply Price .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/comed-bill-charges-explanation/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/comed-bill-charges-explanation/ Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:02:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/cheap-energy-saving-ideas-2/ Home improvements like solar panels and energy-efficient windows can be great energy-saving upgrades, but most people will probably have to dip into their savings or take out a loan to pay for them. That’s why we’ve come up with a list of 10 energy-saving ideas that cost $10 or less. These ideas will help you save money using only the cash in your pocket. Some of the ideas are even free. If you read part one of our two-part list of affordable energy-saving ideas, then you already know how much you can save by upgrading to CFLs, using weatherstripping to seal air leaks around windows and doors, investing in power strips and using low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators. For part two, we’ve got the scoop on five more ideas, including lowering your thermostat, lowering your water heater temperature, sealing air leaks in your basement, changing your air conditioner and furnace filters and using ceiling fans. 6. Lower your thermostat temperature One of the best ways to reduce energy costs is completely free. Just set back your thermostat at least 10 degrees while you’re at work, sleeping, or not at home and you can save around 10 percent a year off your heating and cooling bills. On average, you’ll save about one percent on energy costs for each degree of setback as long as the setback period is at last eight hours a day. If you have a programmable thermostat you can easily set it up to run an automated schedule for you. If you have a manual thermostat, it’s easy to just adjust the dial (warmer in the summer and cooler in the winter) when you leave for work and adjust it back when you get home. 7. Lower your water heater temperature Another free way to reduce energy costs is to reduce your water heater temperature. As we’ve said before, heating water plays a significant role in driving up the cost of your energy bills. While some water heater manufacturers set water heater thermostats at 140 degrees, most households usually only require that water heaters be set at 120 degrees. For every 10 degree reduction in your water heater temperature, you can save between three percent and five percent in energy costs. 8. Seal air leaks in your basement Air leaks in your attic or basement can really suck the money right out of your wallet. To minimize the amount of cooled and heated air that escapes, seal leaks in your basement with caulk for gaps or cracks that are a quarter inch or less, or expandable spray foam for gaps or cracks from about a quarter inch to three inches. Anything wider and you’ll probably need professional help, which won’t cost less than $10. 9. Clean or change your air conditioner and furnace filters Air conditioner systems work most efficiently when they get steady flow of clean air. But when your AC’s air filters get clogged, dirt can be carried directly to the evaporator coil and hurt its ability to absorb heat. As a result, your AC has to work harder to cool your home. That’s why keeping your AC’s air filters clean is great energy-saving idea for under $10. Some reusable AC filters can be taken out every two weeks and cleaned. Other types of disposable air filters, such as fiberglass filters, cost less than $10. And that’s a bargain, considering the fact that keeping your AC filters clean can reduce your AC’s energy consumption by five to 15 percent. For folks in the north who use furnaces more than air conditioners, replacing your furnace’s air filter may be a better energy-saving idea for under $10. Clean air will not only help protect your furnace’s equipment by preventing dirt buildup on its heater exchanger, but keeping your furnace running efficiently will also save you money. And remember, if you have central AC, your furnace’s blower is used to distribute cooled and dehumidified air during the summer months, so it’s a good idea to keep your furnace’s air filter clean year-round. 10. Use ceiling fans If you have ceiling fans, using them to cool you off during the summer and circulate warm air in the winter can save you money for pennies on the dollar. During the summer, for example, ceiling fans can allow you to increase your thermostat by four degrees with no reduction in comfort, which can save you about 14 percent on your electricity bill (ceiling fans cost about two or three cents an hour to operate, compared to about 50 cents an hour for central air conditioning). Just remember to make sure the fan is spinning in the right direction and that you don’t forget to turn it off when you leave the room. Bonus energy-saving idea: water heater blankets Your water heater is constantly heating the water in your hot water tank, which means you’re constantly spending money to heat water you’re not using. But you can insulate your water heater with a pre-cut water heater blanket or jacket that can help keep the water in your tank warm and reduce the workload of your water heater. Although you can’t find a water heater blanket or jacket for $10 or less, you can find one for a few bucks more so we thought we’d include it as a bonus energy-saving idea. Since using a water heater jacket will allow you cut standby heat losses 25 percent to 45 percent and will result in savings of around four to nine percent off your water heating bill, those extra couple of bucks will pay for themselves soon enough. We think these energy-saving ideas are a good start but we know some of our readers probably have some affordable energy-saving ideas as well. If so, let us know what you did for $10 or less that helped reduce your energy costs. Sources Energy Savers, “ Ceiling Fans and Other Circulating Fans .” Energy Savers, “ Insulate Your Water Heater Tank for Energy Savings .” Energy Savers, “ Lower Water Heating Temperature for Energy Savings .” Energy Savers, “ Maintaining Your Air Conditioner .” Energy Savers, “ Thermostats and Control Systems .” ENERGY STAR, “ Sealing Air Leaks: Basement .” Hanson Wholesale, “ How Much Electricity Does a Ceiling Fan Use ?” TLC, “ How to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/cheap-energy-saving-ideas-2/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/cheap-energy-saving-ideas-2/ Wed, 15 Feb 2012 09:24:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/illinois-cfl-price-breaks/ If you live in Illinois and your electricity is delivered to your home by ComEd, you can get some really good deals on upgrading your lighting from traditional incandescent light bulbs to energy-efficient compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). ComEd is giving price breaks on ENERGY STAR-qualified CFL blubs at retail stores throughout the electric utility’s service area. The great thing about CFL bulbs is that they use about 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs while lasting about 10 times longer. According to ComEd, that means the average CFL replacement for a 100 watt incandescent bulb can save a homeowner up to $71 over the life of the bulb. Just remember, when you’re shopping for CFL replacement bulbs, make sure you shop by lumens (a bulb’s brightness) instead of watts (the amount of energy used by a bulb), since there’s a big difference in the amount of watts incandescent and CFL bulbs use. You don’t have to do anything to earn price breaks on CFLs because the utility is providing instant shelf discounts. But there is a 12-bulb limit and a 6-fixture limit per purchase per customer. Sources Commonwealth Edison Co., “ Light Your Way to Energy Savings .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/illinois-cfl-price-breaks/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/illinois-cfl-price-breaks/ Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:14:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/illinois-school-energy-efficiency-grants/ Illinois school districts, charter schools, vocational centers and public university laboratory schools are now eligible for grants through the state’s education board that can help schools implement money-saving energy efficiency projects. The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Energy Efficiency Grants program will provide state matching grants on a dollar-for-dollar basis up to $250,000 for approved energy efficiency improvements at eligible schools. Eligible energy efficiency improvements include insulation, windows, doors, energy controls, lighting, energy recovery, energy conservation, alternative energy systems and other projects undertaken to reduce energy consumption. Eligible schools must receive electricity delivery from ComEd or Ameren Illinois to qualify for ISBE Energy Efficiency Grants. Applications for the grants must be for eligible equipment purchased or installed between June 1, 2011 and May 31, 2012. For more information, including application instructions and eligibility requirements, schools can review the DCEO 2011–2012 Public Sector Energy Efficiency Guidelines or contact Kimberly Beachy (School Business Services Division) at 217.785.8779 or Agnes Mrozowski (DCEO) at 217.524.0933. Sources Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity, “ Energy Efficiency .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/illinois-school-energy-efficiency-grants/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/illinois-school-energy-efficiency-grants/ Mon, 13 Feb 2012 10:33:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/videos-on-winter-energy-efficiency/ The Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity (DCEO) offers a five-part video series to help Illinois homeowners become more energy efficient and save money on utility bills during the cold winter months. Here’s a list of the videos and what they explain. 1. Heating and Your Furnace According to DCEO, one of the biggest energy hogs in your home is your furnace. But you can save up to 25 percent on your home heating bill by installing a programmable thermostat, sealing leaky ducts, keeping air filters clean and more. Video: Heating and Your Furnace 2. Kitchen Appliances You can save energy and money by doing things like using right sized appliances, using compact fluorescent (CFL) lamps instead of incandescent light bulbs, washing full loads of dishes and setting your refrigerators and freezers at the correct temperature. Video: Kitchen Appliances 3. Water Heating Water heating can account for up to 25 percent of your total energy bill, according to DCEO. Find out how to cut costs by insulating your water pipes, using low flow showerheads, fixing dripping faucets and slashing energy use in the laundry room. Video: Water Heating 4. Insulation and Air Sealing Did you know that 20 percent of your home’s heating loss happens in the basement? DCEO offers some tips on how to minimize basement heating loss by adding insulation in your basement and crawl space. Video: Insulation and Air Sealing 5. Living Spaces There are all sorts of opportunities throughout your home’s living spaces to cut your energy use and save money on utility bills during the cold winter months. The final video in the series offers information and tips on topics such as energy-efficient windows, window insulation kits, curtains and blinds, the proper use of fireplaces and more. Video: Living Spaces Sources Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity, “ Resources .” Keep Warm Illinois, “ Videos .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/videos-on-winter-energy-efficiency/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/videos-on-winter-energy-efficiency/ Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:49:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/cheap-energy-saving-ideas-1/ There are plenty of expensive ways to save energy in your home, including things like installing solar panels, a tankless water heater or energy efficient windows. But if you’re on a budget or don’t want to spend a bunch of money on home improvements that might take years to show some real savings, there are several ways to cut energy costs on the cheap. To help, here’s part one of our list of 10 energy-saving ideas that cost $10 or less. For our first installment of affordable energy-saving ideas, we shed some light on upgrading to CFLs, using weatherstripping to seal air leaks around windows and doors, turning off the lights when you’re not using them, investing in power strips and using low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators. 1. Upgrade incandescent light bulbs with CFLs Incandescent light bulbs may be cheaper than energy-efficient compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) but they’re also wasteful (90 percent of energy used by incandescent bulbs goes to producing heat, not light) and they burn out a whole lot faster. These days, you can get several CFLs for under $10. Each CFL will use about 75 percent less energy and last at least 6 times longer than an incandescent bulb. Just one CFL will save about $6 a year in electricity costs (more than the price of the bulb) and more than $40 over its lifetime. 2. Seal your windows and doors with weatherstripping Heated and cooled air that escapes your home through gaps around windows and doors can have a big-time effect on your energy bills. In fact, more than 20 percent of all the heated and cooled air that escapes your home sneaks out through gaps around windows and doors. Thankfully, using weatherstripping to seal the leaks is not only effective, but it’s something you can do for less than $10. Make sure to measure the perimeters of the doors and windows to be weatherstripped, total them up and add about 10 percent to that number to make sure you have enough weatherstripping. 3. Turn your lights off when you’re not in the room What’s better than an energy-saving idea for $10 or less? How about one that won’t cost you a single penny? Since lighting accounts for about 10 percent of a typical household’s electricity bill, turning off your lights when you’re not in the room is a great way to save some money off lighting costs, whether or not you upgrade to CLF light bulbs. To find out how much money you can save simply by turning off lights when you’re not using them, just take the Watt rating of a light bulb and divide by 10. This will give you the amount of electricity in kWh that the bulb uses when it’s on. If you have a 60 Watt bulb, the bulb will use 0.06 kWh of electricity in one hour. To find out how much one hour of operation costs, just multiply the bulb’s hourly kWh consumption by the amount you pay per kWh of electricity. In this case, if you pay 10 cents per kWh for electricity, a 60 Watt bulb running for one hour will cost you 0.6 cents. While that doesn’t sound like much, if you turned off five light bulbs for four hours a day when you weren’t using them, you’d save 12 cents a day, or over $43 a year. Now we’re talking some real money. 4. Slay energy vampires with power strips Modern electrical devices — TVs, computers, stereos, coffee makers — never really turn off. Most of the time they sit idle in something called “standby mode,” ready to receive a signal from a remote control or run on a schedule, like making coffee at a certain time. Problem is, these devices are like energy vampires , feeding on your electricity when you’re not using them and costing the average household $100 a year. To make sure your devices are really turned off, use a $10 power strip. Just plug your devices into it and flip the strip’s power switch on when you want to use your devices and off when you don’t. Make sure not to use power strips with devices that have to run in standby mode to operate, like DVRs. 5. Install low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators Installing inexpensive low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators can help reduce the amount of hot water you use in your home. This improvement can be a big source of energy savings since about 73 percent of the water used in a typical shower is hot water. Using low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators can reduce your home’s water heating costs by as much as 50 percent. Now that you’re done checking out part one of our list of 10 energy-saving ideas that cost $10 or less, check back for part two for five more tips on saving energy for $10 or less. Got any affordable energy-saving ideas of your own? Let us know what you did for $10 or less that helped cut your energy costs. Sources Energy Savers, “ Lighting Choices to Save You Money .” Energy Savers, “ Weatherstripping .” Energy Savers, “ When to Turn Off Your Lights .” ENERGY STAR, “ Light Bulbs .” ENERGY STAR, “ Standby Power and Energy Vampires .” Flex Your Power, “ Showerheads .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/cheap-energy-saving-ideas-1/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/cheap-energy-saving-ideas-1/ Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:39:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/comed-refrigerator-recycling-program/ Nothing quite says wasting energy and money like that old refrigerator sitting in your garage that spins the dial on your electricity meter just to cool a few sodas or preserve that rack of ribs from last summer. Thankfully, if you get electricity delivery service from ComEd, the utility will help you recycle that old clunker and cut energy costs , too. Under ComEd’s appliance energy efficiency program, the utility will swing by, pick up your old working refrigerator or freezer and recycle it in an environmentally responsible way. The best part? Not only will ComEd pick up and recycle up to two refrigerators for free, they could pay you for each one.* You’ll finally be able to dump that old energy hog and save up to $150 a year on electricity costs without having to lift a finger. Here are a few things you’ll need to know to participate in the program: You must receive residential electricity delivery from ComEd Refrigerators and freezers must be between 10 cubic feet and 30 cubic feet in size and must be empty, defrosted and working when they’re picked up Appliances must have a clear and accessible path of removal Removal personnel won’t risk injury, remove personal effects or modify your home in any way (such as removing doors or railings) to remove an appliance Just follow these simple guidelines and recycling that old refrigerator or freezer will be a breeze. To schedule your pickup, call 888.806.2273 between 7 a.m.–8 p.m. Monday–Friday and 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturday. * Visit the link below for details. Sources Environment Illinois, “ ComEd Energy Efficiency Programs .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/comed-refrigerator-recycling-program/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/comed-refrigerator-recycling-program/ Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:39:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/data-center-energy-management-tips/ If you’re an IT professional, facility manager, or energy manager and operate a data center, then you know how much energy it takes to keep all your servers running smoothly. You may also be aware of how much money that energy costs your company every month. Fortunately, there are several changes you can make to reduce energy costs while maintaining — and even increasing — your data center’s performance. According to ENERGY STAR, here’s a list of the top five strategies you can implement in your data center to start saving energy and money right away. 1. Server Virtualization As you may know, a virtual server is a software implementation of a server. It executes programs like a real server does but allows you to run multiple independent “servers” on a single physical server. The idea is that the virtual servers use more of a physical server’s processing power, which means you can run fewer physical servers and cut energy costs. Estimated Savings : Consolidation ratios between 10:1 and 15:1 can be achieved with today’s servers, resulting in reductions in data center energy expenses from between 10 percent and 40 percent. 2. Decommissioning of Servers Aged servers with no use that are still running and eating up energy costs, so-called “comatose” servers, are a problem in data centers. Unless you have a rigorous program of decommissioning comatose servers, it’s likely that between 15 percent and 30 percent of the equipment in your data center is comatose, according to Kenneth Brill, executive director of the Uptime Institute. Removing just one comatose server produces a “cascade effect” of energy savings from the server, power distribution unit, UPS, cooling system and building transformers. Estimated Savings : When Sun Microsystems decommissioned unused servers, for example, the company reported an 8 percent to 10 percent cut in equipment load and an 11 percent to 14 percent decrease in total load. 3. Consolidation of Lightly Utilized Servers The traditional “one workload, one box” approach to server provisioning in data centers results in an abundance of underutilized servers. Since typical server utilization is about 5 percent to 15 percent, most servers run at or below 20 percent utilization most of the time, but still require full power to operate. To solve this problem, combine multiple applications onto a single server and a singe OS instance, cluster servers to reduce the number of backup or standby servers, downsize the application portfolio to eliminate redundant applications and virtualize servers whenever you can. Estimated Savings : Given that the average U.S. server’s energy cost is about $820 per year, according to Stanford University, the potential for savings is significant. 4. Better Management of Data Storage Hard disk drives and media that retain digital computer data can use a lot of energy. According to some experts, however, “white space,” or the amount of storage that goes unused, averages about 70 percent per device. And, of the 30 percent that is utilized, some of that can be attributed to duplicate data. You can better utilize your data storage by deploying storage resource management (SRM) tools, automating storage provisioning and deploying thin provisioning, organizing storage by tiers, installing a massive array of idle disks (MAID) for tier 3 storage and considering the advantages of solid state storage, which has no spinning disk to power. Estimated Savings : Better data storage management can lead to significant energy savings; MAID solutions alone can reduce energy costs associated with data storage by 60 percent or more. 5. Purchasing More Energy-Efficient Servers, UPSs and PDUs One of the most direct ways to increase the energy-efficiency of your data center going forward is to simply start purchasing more energy-efficient technology, including servers, UPSs and PDUs. The latest OSs can also play a role. Windows Server 2008 R2, for example, includes a number of efficacy improvements. It continually alters the power states of server processors in response to utilization workloads and includes features such as Core Parking, Time Coalescing and Intelligent Timer Tick Distribution, or Tick Skipping, which helps keep processor cores in deep sleep when they’re not needed. Estimated Savings : New servers are typically about 30 percent more efficient than older servers (while being able to perform three times the workload at 50 percent utilization). New, energy efficient UPSs typically hit efficiency rates from 92 percent to 95 percent. New PDUs are about 2 percent to 3 percent more efficient. 6. Hot Aisle/Cold Aisle Layout Many data centers logically place their server racks in neat rows from front to back, with server cold air intakes at the front and hot air exhausts at the back. While this may seem like a logical way to arrange your racks, it means as the server racks go back, they begin to take in warmer air, which can result in higher fan speeds to keep the servers in the back rows at ideal operating temperatures. A better solution is to implement the hot aisle/cold aisle layout, which mandates that server racks are arranged so that cool air intakes face each other and warm air exhausts face each other. That way, you ensure that your cool air intakes are constantly receiving cool air. Estimated Savings : According to the U.S. Department of Energy, when used in combination with appropriate containment, a hot aisle/cold aisle layout scheme can reduce fan energy use from 20 percent to 25 percent. Do you agree or disagree with ENERGY STAR’s recommendations? Have you implemented these or other energy-saving strategies in your data center? Leave us a comment below and let us know how they’re working. Sources ENERGY STAR, “ Data Center Energy Efficiency Strategies .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/data-center-energy-management-tips/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/data-center-energy-management-tips/ Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:00:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/electric-space-heater-safety-tips/ A lot of people use electric space heaters to try and keep a lid on heating costs during cold winter months, especially in older homes that may or may not have efficient furnaces. Space heaters can be a convenient and cost-effective way to temporarily heat a room or a small space, but if used improperly, space heaters can cause nasty burns or worse, create a fire hazard. Here are a few tips for making sure your plan to cut energy costs is a safe one: Make sure that any space heater you buy carries the label of a recognized testing laboratory. Most will, but if you’re looking to buy a space heater on the cheap, you’ll need to double check this. When shopping for a space heater, consider models that come with an automatic shut-off feature and guards for the heating elements. The shut off feature will come in handy and activate if the space heater gets tipped over or when the room reaches a certain temperature. Heating element guards will help protect you, your kids and pets from burns. Even if your space heater comes with heating element guards, don’t leave children or pets alone in a room with an operating space heater. Curious little fingers and stray tails can still get burned. First thing you need to do when you unbox your space heater is read all the instructions and safety materials that come with it. When you’re locating your space heater, make sure to keep it at least three feet from any surfaces or materials that can burn easily. Make sure you place your space heater on a level, hard, non-flammable surface. Don’t ever place it on rugs or carpets. Frequently check your space heater for frayed cords or broken filaments. Both of these situations are unsafe and can lead to fire hazards. Try to avoid extension cords when setting up your space heater and try to keep the heater’s power supply cord away from high-traffic areas so that people don’t trip over the cord. Sources Illinois Department of Public Health, “ Weathering Winter .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/electric-space-heater-safety-tips/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/electric-space-heater-safety-tips/ Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:44:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/furnace-safety-tips/ If you live in a cold part of the United States, you probably use a furnace to stay warm during the cold winter months. Unfortunately, too many people are unaware of the precautions that they need to take to safely operate their furnaces year in and year out. In fact, the Illinois Department of Public Health estimates that more than 8,000 Americans annually require emergency treatment for injuries associated with furnaces. To help you avoid problems, here are a few precautions that you should take when using your furnace: Move all flammable materials a safe distance away from the furnace, including things like papers, sawdust, old rags, wood scraps and liquids such as gasoline and kerosene. As an extra precaution, since vapors from flammable liquids easily ignite, you should store these liquids in containers that are tightly sealed. Change or clean your furnace filter every month during the winter, or more often if you run your furnace a lot, smoke or have pets. Have a professional inspect your furnace every year to make sure it’s working well and getting enough fresh air. Ensuring your furnace gets enough air will prevent it from burning improperly, which can end up reducing the oxygen in your home to dangerously low level. Have a professional inspect your chimney and flue at least once a year and have them cleaned if necessary. Carbon monoxide levels in your home can become dangerous if smoke can’t escape a clogged chimney or flue. Additionally, built-up soot, which is highly flammable, can easily ignite and can send a fireball of flame from your furnace into your house. Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors on every level of your home. Make sure to periodically test the alarms and change the batteries every year or more often if needed. Sources Illinois Department of Public Health, “ Weathering Winter .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/furnace-safety-tips/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/furnace-safety-tips/ Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:08:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/are-electric-blankets-safe/ When it comes to the annual winter-time struggle of trying to stay comfortable while lowering the thermostat, saving money doesn’t always win out, especially if icicles start to form on the ends of your toes while you’re trying to sleep. Thankfully, electric blankets and electric mattress pads can help bridge the gap and keep you toasty in bed while you turn down your heat for the evening. If you decide to use an electric blanket or mattress pad to save a few bucks when it’s cold at night, you are probably familiar with some basic safety tips, like not letting the kids jump up and down on one or not sleeping on top of an electric blanket because it can malfunction or get hot enough to burn you. However, it turns out that there’s a lot more to know about electric blanket and mattress pad safety. According to the Electric Blanket Institute, people ask some pretty serious safety questions that you may never have considered. The five most common questions that the Institute hears are: Can anyone use electric blankets and electric mattress pads? Is it okay to use an electric blanket during pregnancy? Is there a concern about EMF’s (electromagnetic frequency waves) emitting by electric bedding? Can people with pacemakers use electric blankets? Why can’t people with diabetes use electric blankets? Before you go out and buy an electric blanket or mattress pad — or before turning one on again tonight — you should make sure that using one is a good idea. Here’s what the Institute has to say about these more advanced safety concerns. Who Should Avoid Electric Blankets and Electric Mattress Pads? First off, the Institute is quick to point out that electric blankets and electric mattress pads are electrical appliances and, as with any electric appliance, things can occasionally go wrong. Maybe a heating control stops working properly or a blanket gets bunched up underneath the folds of your bedding, causing a heater wire to break. Situations like these can cause the blanket to overheat and maybe even burn someone. That’s why it’s important to avoid using electric bedding with infants or small children and anyone who is helpless, paralyzed, insensitive to heat or otherwise incapable of understanding and operating the controls. Can Electric Bedding be Used During Pregnancy? Medical websites have different opinions about using electric bedding during pregnancy. Some say “sure,” some say “never” and some say “ask your doctor.” The differing opinions are due to concerns over EMFs as well as concerns about overheating the fetus. While you could certainly ask your doctor about electric bedding safety during pregnancy, the Institute says that pregnant women should simply play it safe, err on the side of caution and avoid electric bedding. An alternative is to use an electric blanket to pre-warm your bed sheets and then turn it off prior to slipping under the covers. What’s the Concern Over EMFs? Electric bedding produces EMFs, or electromagnetic frequency waves from AC current, which came under scrutiny in the 1980s and 1990s from scientists and others concerned about the electrical fields produced by overhead power lines and some appliances. Some people wondered if the fields contributed to cancer or developmental problems in children. After studying over 500 peer-reviewed papers and spending $65 million on research, the U.S. Government concluded that there was no conclusive evidence to prove that residential EMFs played any role in the development of medical problems. To help mitigate customers’ concerns, Sunbeam, the only major U.S. manufacturer of electric blankets at the time, started making blankets in 1992 with much weaker EMFs. The Institute says EMFs aren’t a problem, but if you have concerns, you can buy special blankets that convert AC current to DC current or mattress pads that pass heated water through silicone tubes in the pad and avoid electricity in the pad altogether. Can Electric Bedding be Used with Pacemakers? The American Heart Association and the Mayo Clinic have said that electric bedding doesn’t damage pacemakers or interfere with their function. However, the Institute recommends that people with pacemakers get the green light from their doctors and pacemaker manufacturers before using electric bedding. Can Electric Bedding be Used by Diabetics? The short answer is no. The problem with diabetes is that it causes people who suffer from the disease to be insensitive to heat in some ways, especially if they lose feeling in their legs or arms, and can’t feel the heat from bedding that’s becoming dangerously hot. If you’re diabetic, your best bet is to pre-heat your bed sheets with an electric blanket and then turn off and remove the blanket from the bed before turning in for the evening. Sources The Electric Blanket Institute, “ Are Electric Blankets Safe or Dangerous ?” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/are-electric-blankets-safe/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/february/are-electric-blankets-safe/ Wed, 01 Feb 2012 01:00:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/comed-text-alerts-for-outages/ If you live in Illinois and get your electricity delivered by ComEd, you can now get text message alerts on your cell phone to notify you of outages in your area and provide estimates of how long you’ll be without power. Delivery customers of the utility — meaning anyone who receives electricity service in ComEd’s territory, regardless of whether electricity is bought from the utility or from an alternative retail electricity supplier — may opt in to the new program, which automatically sends text messages to customers in areas experiencing power losses. According to ComEd, texts will be sent out about 30 minutes after an outage is confirmed. The first part of the outage notification service might be a little redundant while you’re at home, as you can imagine, but the real benefit is the follow-up texts that will let you know when a crew is dispatched to fix the problem and when you can expect to have power restored. You’ll also get a text if the restore time changes and a final text once power has been restored. ComEd said it will send a maximum of seven texts per day to each customer. Here’s hoping you never need that many. If you decide to opt in to the program, make sure you have a text messaging plan with your cell phone provider. The program itself is free but your carrier’s normal text messaging rates will still apply. For more information or to sign up for the outage notification service, visit www.comed.com . Sources “ ComEd Offers Outage Alerts Via Text ,” Romeoville Patch, Jan. 12, 2012. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/comed-text-alerts-for-outages/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/comed-text-alerts-for-outages/ Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:52:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/energy-deregulation-benefits/ States that have allowed retail electric suppliers to compete for customers have seen increased product and service innovation compared to regulated states with monopoly utilities that both supply electricity and deliver it to customers’ homes and businesses, according to a recently released report. The 2011 Annual Baseline Assessment of Choice in Canada and the United States (ABACCUS) report, by Distributed Energy Financial Group LLC (DEFG), found that electricity choice is “thriving and growing” among commercial, industrial and residential customers in many deregulated U.S. states and Canadian provinces “because well-structured retail electric markets foster the introduction of new products and services that are not available in traditional monopoly areas.” The report cited competition for customers among retail electricity suppliers as the driving force behind a growing list of energy management options that customers are responding to favorably. Nat Treadway, DEFG managing partner and lead author of the report, said in a statement that the research clearly showed that well-structured deregulated electricity markets were delivering new and better services at lower costs than ever before. “We are seeing new companies, new investments in local economies, and the development of a new energy services marketplace,” Treadway said. Residential electricity customers in deregulated markets are benefitting from electric choice and are in a position to take advantage of additional benefits from new technology as it is implemented, the report stated. Smart grid infrastructure technologies like advanced smart meters, communications and control devices and in-home electricity usage displays were cited as examples of technologies that have allowed retail energy suppliers to develop pricing and service choices that benefit consumers. Electric choice was also credited for helping the public address goals related to customer support, energy efficiency, job creation and the environment. According to the report, consumers “now have more choices, more information and better ways to control their energy bills and increase the value of electric service in their lives.” The report also highlighted several trends in 2011, including declining retail power prices, an increase of customer protections and the development of low-income assistance programs and energy efficiency and demand-response programs. Electricity choice also led to dramatic investments in renewable energy. In fact, 80 percent of U.S. installed wind capacity was found to be located in deregulated electricity markets. The scorecard that the ABACCUS report uses to qualify the data it collects on deregulated electricity markets helps U.S. policymakers understand how their decisions positively or negatively affect the development of those markets. Of the 18 deregulated electricity markets analyzed in the report, Texas’ competitive market ranked first in overall excellence for the fifth consecutive year. The other two markets given “Excellent” ratings were New York (2nd) and Pennsylvania (3rd). Illinois scored 7th with a “Good” rating. California came in last place with a rating of “Unsatisfactory.” Sources “ Competitive Electricity Markets Spur Consumer-Focused Innovations ,” Distributed Energy Financial Group press release, Nov. 30, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/energy-deregulation-benefits/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/energy-deregulation-benefits/ Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:10:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/connecticut-electricity-customers-switching/ An increasing number of electric customers in Connecticut get their electricity from competitive retail suppliers and not from the state’s two public utilities, according to a new report on competitive supply. The 5th Annual Baseline Assessment of Choice in Canada and the United States (ABACCUS), by Distributed Energy Financial Group LLC, found that more than 65 percent of electricity sold in Connecticut is purchased from alternative retail suppliers that entered the state’s electricity market when it was opened up to competition in 1998. Competition broke up the state’s two electric utility monopolies, Connecticut Light & Power and United Illuminating, and made electricity supply separate from distribution. While the utilities, which were turned into electricity distribution companies, could still sell electricity at state-regulated rates, alternative retail suppliers were allowed to enter the market and compete with the utilities and each other for customers. The competitive retail electricity supply market was slow to catch on due to small rate savings between the utilities and retail suppliers initially. However, over the past four years, the number of electric customers who switched from their utility to an alternative electricity supplier increased sharply. In 2008, 6.6 percent of residential electric customers had switched to a retail supplier. By 2011, that number increased to 40.6 percent. Commercial electric customers have switched in even greater numbers. By 2011, 80 percent of small businesses and 90 percent of large businesses had switched to a retail supplier. Sources “ Retailers Sell Two-Thirds of CT Electricity ,” Hartford Business Journal , Nov. 30, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/connecticut-electricity-customers-switching/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/connecticut-electricity-customers-switching/ Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:56:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/connecticut-electricity-deregulation/ If you live in Connecticut, then you probably live in a deregulated electricity area. According to the New England Energy Alliance (NEAA), that’s a good thing, both for electricity customers and the environment. What is electric deregulation? A national movement to deregulate public utilities, commonly referred to as electric restructuring, began in the early 1990s. Prior to then, most electric utilities were monopolies, regulated by state utility commissions. The utilities handled everything. They generated and/or bought electricity, sold it to customers and delivered it to customers’ homes. The movement behind deregulation suggested that the utilities should be broken up. Under deregulation, other companies would be allowed to generate electricity and still other companies would be allowed to buy electricity from the generators and sell it directly to customers. The role of utilities would change. In deregulated markets, the utilities would simply take electricity from the generators, transmit it to the grid and deliver it to customers’ homes. The utilities would only charge for the distribution of electricity, although they could still sell electricity — at a price set by state regulators — if customers didn’t want to switch to a competing electricity supplier. Deregulation was meant to encourage competition among multiple electricity suppliers, which would ultimately drive down energy prices and help customers save money on monthly electric bills . Connecticut began to deregulate in 1998 when the state legislature passed a law to restructure the utilities. On Jan. 1, 2000, the law went in to effect and utilities such as Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P) and The United Illuminating Company (UI) were broken up and competing suppliers were allowed to enter the market. Now, over ten years later, Connecticut electricity customers have more choices and greater access to cleaner energy than ever before, according to the NEAA. The Five Main Benefits of Electric Deregulation in Connecticut According to an NEAA report released last year, it is “clear that the competitive marketplace is working to the benefit of both customers and the environment.” The report cited five main achievements since deregulation began, including more power, more choice, higher efficiency, cleaner air and the development of new clean energy resources. More Power As of last April, more than 4,000 megawatts of new electricity generation facilities were in the works in Connecticut, thanks to deregulation. The NEAA noted that when all of that power comes online, it will increase the state’s electricity output by 50 percent and will further boost competition, reduce prices and create jobs. More Choice From 2005 to 2010, the percentage of Connecticut electricity customers who bought their electricity from competitive suppliers grew by triple digits. By the time the report was issued, 35 alternative electricity suppliers — investing substantial capital and employing hundreds of residents — served 20 percent of all state customers and supplied half of all electricity sold in the state. Higher Efficiency Deregulation has paved the way for consumer-funded efficiency programs provided by utilities that have conserved more than 400 million kilowatt-hours of electricity a year. That’s enough to power over 47,000 homes annually. Cleaner Air Deregulation has also spurred the construction of highly efficient natural gas power plants for generating electricity, as well as a switch to cleaner fuels in existing power plants. As a result, fewer greenhouse gasses have been emitted. Between 2005 and 2010, carbon dioxide emissions from power plants decreased 20 percent. Additionally, nitrogen oxide fell by 62 percent and sulfur dioxide by 77 percent. New Clean Energy Resources Because of deregulation, many new types of “greener” electricity generation technologies are being developed. Hydropower, wind energy and biomass are all contributing to the state’s goal of generating 27 percent of Connecticut’s entire energy production by the year 2020. Sources “ NEEA: CT Benefits From Electric Deregulation ,” Hartford Business Journal , Apr. 28, 2010. Connecticut Light & Power, “ CL&P History .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/connecticut-electricity-deregulation/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/connecticut-electricity-deregulation/ Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:50:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/spark-energy-ambassador-program/ What is a Spark Energy Ambassador? A Spark Energy Ambassador is a person who likes the kind of stuff we’re sharing on social media, whether it’s special deals, energy tech news or home DIY tips, and wants to spread the word to their own connections. It’s a ready-made, easy way to share our content and potentially win cool prizes in the process. Why should I become a Spark Energy Ambassador? $100 monthly gift card drawings are one good reason. A chance for top Ambassadors to win cool prizes is another. Plus, there’s the satisfaction of helping your friends, family and neighbors save money, live smarter and educate themselves on the very important but often neglected subject of energy, all while having a little fun along the way. How it works It’s very simple. Click the Connect Now button on the blog sidebar. Then choose which networks you want to post on. Post links to content automatically or receive emails when new content is available so you can post it on your own. You can adjust your settings at any time. How to earn goodies/bonuses The more you post and invite people to interact, the better your chances to earn prizes like our $100 monthly gift card, as well as other cool giveaways like hats, shirts, backpacks and more. Here’s how you can increase your chances for winning: 1 point for becoming an Ambassador 1 point for each network you share on, up to 4 each month (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace) 4 points for each piece of content you share per network, 1 point for each site visitor that clicked on one of your links At the end of each month, you’ll get one entry per point into our $100 gift card and other prize drawings. Get started What are you waiting for? You could already be earning points and sharing helpful posts. Just click the Connect Now button to the right and you can get started today. We look forward to working with you. Good luck! Contest Terms http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/spark-energy-ambassador-program/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/spark-energy-ambassador-program/ Fri, 20 Jan 2012 08:55:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/wind-power-for-commercial-buildings/ Commercial buildings that incorporate wind power turbines into their construction are rare, but new research conducted by a group of Texas college students could encourage more commercial building companies to adopt the technology into their designs as a way to help cut electricity costs . A group of three seniors from the University of Texas at Austin mechanical engineering program recently completed a two month study on the effectiveness of building-mounted wind turbines for Building Turbines Inc., an Austin-based developer of rooftop wind turbine systems. The students collected data on two wind turbines, one with a traditional vertical orientation, called a vertical-axis wind turbine, and one with a horizontal orientation, called a horizontal-axis wind turbine. The students measured the amount of electricity generated at various wind speeds and directions and found that the horizontally-oriented turbine outperformed the vertically-mounted turbine. The results of the students’ research could pique the interest of the small, but growing market of wind-power integrated commercial buildings in the United States. Manufacturers have struggled so far to come up with a way to make vertical-axis turbine systems attractive enough for widespread adoption. Issues and perceptions related to the cost and performance of the technology — and the necessity of high winds — are likely key reasons why only a handful of U.S. buildings have been designed to accommodate wind power turbines in their construction. An early example of the incorporation of vertical-axis wind turbines in the design of U.S. commercial buildings is Greenway Self Park, a parking garage in downtown Chicago that was completed in the fall of 2009. Self-billed as “Chicago’s first earth friendly parking garage,” Greenway Self Park integrated 12 vertical-axis wind turbines into the beveled southwest corner of the building. The turbines, which cost about $16,000 each, can start generating electricity in 11.1 miles per hour wind — perhaps not a challenging milestone in the Windy City. Under ideal conditions, each turbine can generate up to 4.5 kilowatts of electricity. The turbines, which together cost almost $200,000, were designed to generate enough electricity to cover the building’s exterior lighting costs. Most recently, vertical-axis wind turbines have made their way into the design of a San Francisco skyscraper set to open next fall. The building, which is located near the famously windy intersection of 10th Street and Market Street, will be the new headquarters of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (PUC). It was developed with the help of engineering professors from the University of California, Davis, and incorporates a “wing” of wind turbines that stretches all the way to the roof. The turbines, fed by wind funneled by three nearby high-rises, will produce at least 7 percent of the building’s energy needs. Bruce White, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and former dean of the UC Davis College of Engineering, said that the PUC’s new building could be a model for effectively integrating wind-energy devices in high-rises. White said that although the wind environment in urban settings doesn’t produce the same power efficiencies as rural wind farms — even in windy cities like San Francisco and Chicago — the most important factor in urban environments is the ability for a building to generate and use its own power and, therefore, not have to rely as much on an electric utility. According to White, integrating wind power into the design of urban buildings will allow building owners to be one-third as efficient as a wind farm and still be economically feasible. White agreed that horizontal-axis wind turbines could outperform traditional vertical-axis turbines, but noted that their use could increase bird strikes, a political issue in San Francisco that might keep more developers from adopting integrated wind power in commercial building designs. Sources “ UT Austin Mechanical Engineering Students Complete Design Study ,” Building Turbines Inc. press release, Nov. 29, 2011. “ Wind Experts Advise on Revolutionary Wind-Powered Skyscraper ,” University of California, Davis press release, Nov. 17, 2011. “ Building Integrated Wind in Chicago ,” Jetson Green, Jan. 20, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/wind-power-for-commercial-buildings/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/wind-power-for-commercial-buildings/ Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:27:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/texas-electricity-deregulation-successful/ After a decade of weathering the storm of residential electric deregulation in Texas, consumers in the state’s competitive markets are finally seeing the promise of deregulation — a lot of power, a lot of choice and cheap electricity rates. Although deregulation in Texas has been a roller coaster at times, retail electric providers are able to offer cheap electricity in Houston and other competitive markets in the state for less than the national average due to private investment in natural gas plants, diversified electric generation and an independent electric grid. The Roller Coaster of Deregulation and Natural Gas Prices After the state’s monopolistic utilities were deregulated and broken up in 2002, private investors, not consumers, put up tens of billions of dollars for new electricity generation, mostly for natural gas plants. The new plants were cheaper to build and didn’t come with the opposition of coal or nuclear plants, operated about a third more efficiently than existing plants and burned clean. Investors hit the lottery during the early years of deregulation when enormous gas fields were discovered in places like the Barnett Shale. The huge supply has ultimately led to lower natural gas prices, which play a key role in the ability of energy providers to offer cheap electricity rates. But electric rates haven’t always been so low. Hurricane Katrina, power congestion due to poor grid management and other issues caused natural gas prices to soar in 2007, to five times the price of natural gas in 2002, when deregulation began. In summer 2008, natural gas prices peaked, doubling from 2007 levels, causing electric rates to range from 13 to 27 cents per kilowatt hour. By comparison, the national average was about 10 cents per kilowatt hour. Now, however, gas prices have fallen again and electric rates have fallen with them. Since their peak in 2008, electric rates have fallen about 28 percent, according to industry data. In 2010, the average U.S. electric rate was 11.58 cents per kilowatt hour. That same year, there were 33 offers in North Texas alone for electric rates less than 11.58 cents per kilowatt hour, according to the state’s Public Utility Commission. As of the writing of this post, the Power to Choose website at www.powertochoose.com, lists more than 57 offers of one-year fixed-rate plans from alternative retail electric companies for less than 10 cents per kilowatt hour. Deregulation Encouraged Development of Wind Power Texas has a more expensive mix of fuels for electricity generation than other states, primarily because it relies heavily on natural gas over coal and nuclear — coal and nuclear provided almost 65 percent of electricity nationally, but just 53 percent for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which is responsible for operating the state’s electric grid and managing its deregulated market. However, wind power — another benefit of deregulation — is playing a more important role in generating electricity for Texas consumers, a move that ironically is helping lower electric rates by replacing natural gas. As a result of deregulation, Texas, which would come in as number six on the list of highest energy producing countries if it were an independent nation, now gets 8 percent of its energy from wind and is a global leader in wind power development. An Independent Electric Grid Has Meant More Progress Less regulation and oversight of an independent grid that can respond quickly to market fluctuations and investment has helped pave the way for Texas to receive the major benefits of deregulation. In most states, grid operators face major obstacles in terms of making changes; multiple public utility commissions — and a federal agency — provide layers of oversight, which can delay progress. But that isn’t the case in Texas. Legislators in Austin have been fairly quiet about electricity regulation in the state, except for a few years ago when electric rates were sky high and again in February when record freezes lead to rolling blackouts and calls for energy conservation. “We have a postage-stamp process for electricity,” said Mark Armentrout, head of the Texas Institute, a sustainable-technology research firm based at the University of Texas at Dallas, and former ERCOT board member, in an interview with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram . As a result of a hands-off approach to energy deregulation, Texas has been able to increase energy production and infrastructure relatively easily. Since 1999, the state has added 45,000 megawatts of new electricity generation, while decommissioning 136 older, less energy-efficient plants and has begun a $5 billion transmission expansion for growing wind power generation according to ERCOT. And the state has been recognized for providing increased options for consumers: for the fifth consecutive year, Texas has been identified as the competitive retail market leader in ABACCUS, the Annual Baseline Assessment of Choice in Canada and the United States, which gauges competition in electricity. Sources “ How Electricity Deregulation Has Paid Off For Texas ,” The Fort Worth Star-Telegram , March 28, 2011. “ Blown Away: Wind Power Makes Electricity Cheaper in Texas ,” The Wall Street Journal , Aug. 10, 2009. “ Deregulation Jolts Texas Electric Bills ,” The Wall Street Journal , July 17, 2008. “ Competitive Electricity Markets Spur Consumer-Focused Innovations ,” Distributed Energy Financial Group, November 30, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/texas-electricity-deregulation-successful/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/texas-electricity-deregulation-successful/ Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:55:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/save-money-on-electricity-in-the-winter-in-chicago/ Chicago winters can be brutal. And so can heating costs. To help save money off monthly utility bills during the winter, Chicago electric and natural gas customers can always install new, energy-efficient furnaces. However, if that’s not an option, or if you already have one installed, don’t fret. Here’s a list of eight other things you can do to save energy this winter. 1. Set your thermostat back Because cold temperatures can be extreme in Chicago, for every eight hours you set your thermostat back one degree, you can save up to 3 percent on your monthly utility bill. A good idea is to set your thermostat back (make it colder) by 10 degrees while you’re not home or while you’re asleep at home. If you can keep your home’s temperature 10 degrees lower for 16 hours a day, you can save up to 14 percent on your utility bill. 2. Close fireplace dampers This one’s easy. Warm air rises and cold air sinks. If you have a fireplace, keep the damper closed when you’re not using it to prevent warm inside air from escaping up the chimney and cold air from coming into your home. 3. Set your water heater temperature lower Unless you have a tankless, on-demand water heater, your water heater is constantly running to maintain the hot temperature of the water in its tank. Although some manufacturers set water heater temperatures at 140 degrees, 120 degrees is usually sufficient. You might even be able to go lower. For every 10 degrees you lower your water heater thermostat, you can save between 3 percent and 5 percent in energy costs. 4. Change furnace air filters regularly Maintaining clean furnace air filters is easy, which is good, because dirty air filters make the furnace work harder and you spend more money on heating. Although you should replace furnace air filters every three months during the spring, summer and fall, you should replace them every month during the winter. 5. Run fans more often Consider running ceiling fans, floor fans or your furnace fan more often to help warm air move more evenly around the house. Doing so will increase your comfort and might allow you to set your furnace’s thermostat a few degrees lower. 6. Keep home vents clean and clear Like keeping your furnace’s air filters clean, keeping your home’s vents clean and clear of obstructions and debris will allow your furnace to work easier to heat your entire home. 7. Seal your windows You can head to the hardware store, buy some materials and get down to the business of sealing all the cracks around your windows or you can take the easy, albeit temporary, way out and simply cover your windows with plastic. Although making the effort to properly seal cracks around your windows is the best way to permanently prevent a lot of warm air from leaking outside and cold air from coming inside, covering your windows with plastic can help some when you’re in a pinch, especially on windy days. 8. Get a furnace tune-up Finally, one of the best things you can do to increase your energy savings this winter is to give your furnace a tune-up, especially if it’s old. A tune up will help the furnace run more efficiently and help you avoid costly repairs in the dead of winter. For best results, Chicago homeowners should have their furnaces tuned up twice a year. Sources “ Furnace Energy Saving Tips Winter 2011 ,” TDH Mechanical, Oct. 5, 2011. U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, “ Thermostats and Control Systems .” U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, “ Lower Water Heating Temperature for Energy Savings .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/save-money-on-electricity-in-the-winter-in-chicago/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/save-money-on-electricity-in-the-winter-in-chicago/ Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:41:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/connecticut-electricity-deregulation-benefits/ If you live in Connecticut, then you probably live in a deregulated electricity area. According to the New England Energy Alliance (NEAA), that’s a good thing, both for electricity customers and the environment. What is electric deregulation? A national movement to deregulate public utilities, commonly referred to as electric restructuring, began in the early 1990s. Prior to then, most electric utilities were monopolies, regulated by state utility commissions. The utilities handled everything. They generated and/or bought electricity, sold it to customers and delivered it to customers’ homes. The movement behind deregulation suggested that the utilities should be broken up. Under deregulation, other companies would be allowed to generate electricity and still other companies would be allowed to buy electricity from the generators and sell it directly to customers. The role of utilities would change. In deregulated markets, the utilities would simply take electricity from the generators, transmit it to the grid and deliver it to customers’ homes. The utilities would only charge for the distribution of electricity, although they could still sell electricity — at a price set by state regulators — if customers didn’t want to switch to a competing electricity supplier. Deregulation was meant to encourage competition among multiple electricity suppliers, which would ultimately drive down energy prices and help customers save money on monthly electric bills . Connecticut began to deregulate in 1998 when the state legislature passed a law to restructure the utilities. On Jan. 1, 2000, the law went in to effect and utilities such as Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P) and The United Illuminating Company (UI) were broken up and competing suppliers were allowed to enter the market. Now, over ten years later, Connecticut electricity customers have more choices and greater access to cleaner energy than ever before, according to the NEAA. The Five Main Benefits of Electric Deregulation in Connecticut According to an NEAA report released last year, it is “clear that the competitive marketplace is working to the benefit of both customers and the environment.” The report cited five main achievements since deregulation began, including more power, more choice, higher efficiency, cleaner air and the development of new clean energy resources. More Power As of last April, more than 4,000 megawatts of new electricity generation facilities were in the works in Connecticut, thanks to deregulation. The NEAA noted that when all of that power comes online, it will increase the state’s electricity output by 50 percent and will further boost competition, reduce prices and create jobs. More Choice From 2005 to 2010, the percentage of Connecticut electricity customers who bought their electricity from competitive suppliers grew by triple digits. By the time the report was issued, 35 alternative electricity suppliers — investing substantial capital and employing hundreds of residents — served 20 percent of all state customers and supplied half of all electricity sold in the state. Higher Efficiency Deregulation has paved the way for consumer-funded efficiency programs provided by utilities that have conserved more than 400 million kilowatt-hours of electricity a year. That’s enough to power over 47,000 homes annually. Cleaner Air Deregulation has also spurred the construction of highly efficient natural gas power plants for generating electricity, as well as a switch to cleaner fuels in existing power plants. As a result, fewer greenhouse gasses have been emitted. Between 2005 and 2010, carbon dioxide emissions from power plants decreased 20 percent. Additionally, nitrogen oxide fell by 62 percent and sulfur dioxide by 77 percent. New Clean Energy Resources Because of deregulation, many new types of “greener” electricity generation technologies are being developed. Hydropower, wind energy and biomass are all contributing to the state’s goal of generating 27 percent of Connecticut’s entire energy production by the year 2020. Sources “ NEEA: CT Benefits From Electric Deregulation ,” Hartford Business Journal , Apr. 28, 2010. Connecticut Light & Power, “ CL&P History .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/connecticut-electricity-deregulation-benefits/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/connecticut-electricity-deregulation-benefits/ Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:42:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/solar-energy-at-us-universities/ Colleges and universities in the United States are managing their energy production while working to save money on monthly utility costs and decrease their carbon footprints by dramatically accelerating their adoption of solar power. According to data released by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), U.S. schools have increased their installed solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity by 450 percent over the last three years. AASHE said that over the same period, the median size of the average solar installation project at U.S. schools increased six-fold. The organization said that, as a result, solar installations at U.S. colleges and universities make up over 124 megawatts, or roughly 5 percent, of the total U.S. solar PV production of 956 megawatts. There are now 435 solar PV installations on 281 campuses in 42 states and provinces. AASHE cited the University of San Diego and Butte College in California as two examples of the trend towards adopting solar power in higher education. In 2010, the University of San Diego took advantage of federal and state incentives to install 5,000 solar panels on the roofs of 11 campus buildings with little upfront cost. The solar panels, which have a capacity of 1.23 megawatts and provide up to 15 percent of the campus’ electricity, are owned by a developer who sells the electricity they produce back to the university below market rates. Overall, the installations are estimated to save USD about $50,000 a year in utility costs. When Butte College completed its third solar array earlier this year, it achieved the distinction of being the first institution in the United States to generate more electricity from solar than it uses. Although the college paid about $17 million — minus federal bonds and utility rebates — to install the 14,000 solar panels on parking and walkway canopies, the third installation produces 2.7 megawatts of electricity. Two previous solar PV installations on campus provide an additional combined 1.916 megawatts of electricity. AASHE attributed the growth of the higher education solar sector, which is now worth over $300 million, to new financing options, federal and state incentives, and falling average installed per-watt solar costs — which, in the higher education sector, fell from about $10 in 2007 to about $6 in 2010. Top 10 Biggest Solar PV Systems on U.S. Campuses Here are the ten U.S. colleges and university campuses with the most total installed solar PV capacity, according to AASHE. Rank Institution Total Capacity (megawatts) 1. Arizona State University 11.341 2. University of Arizona 6.428 3. West Hills Community College District 6.0 4. United States Air Force Academy 6.0 5. Colorado State University 5.535 6. Arizona Western College 5.105 7. Butte College 4.616 8. Los Angeles Southwest College 4.0 9. William Paterson University of New Jersey 3.5 10. Contra Costa College 3.2 Sources “ U.S. Universities Are Going Solar ,” Energy Efficiency News, Oct. 17, 2011. “ U.S. Higher Education Solar Capacity Leaps 450 percent in 3 Years ,” Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, Oct. 6, 2011. Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, “ Campus Solar Voltaic Installations Database .” Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, “ Solar Photovoltaic Installation @ University of San Diego .” Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, “ Solar Photovoltaic Installation @ Butte College .” Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, “ Top Ten Solar Photovoltaic Installations Lists .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/solar-energy-at-us-universities/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/solar-energy-at-us-universities/ Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:48:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/ohio-natural-gas-utility-contact-info/ If you live in Ohio, natural gas is delivered to your home by one of four natural gas utilities: Columbia Gas of Ohio, Dominion East Ohio, Duke Energy Ohio or Vectren Energy Delivery of Ohio. If you’re like many residents in Ohio, you also have the power to choose which company you buy your natural gas from. Here is some helpful information that will come in handy when contacting your Ohio natural gas utility, reporting emergencies, shopping around for a natural gas supplier, and for general information, like knowing your rights as a natural gas customer and understanding how to read your natural gas bill. Ohio Natural Gas Utility Contact Information Columbia Gas of Ohio www.columbiagasohio.com 800.344.4077 For emergency service: 800.344.4077 Dominion East Ohio www.dom.com 800.950.7989 For emergency service: 877.542.2630 Duke Energy Ohio www.duke-energy.com/ohres 800.544.6900 For emergency service: 800.634.4300 Vectren Energy Delivery of Ohio www.vectren.com 800.227.1376 For emergency service: 800.227.1376 How to Choose a Natural Gas Supplier if You Have Energy Choice Choosing a natural gas supplier Natural Gas Apples to Apples Comparison Charts: Duke Energy Ohio Columbia Gas of Ohio Dominion East Ohio Vectren Energy General Consumer Information Understanding your natural gas bill Natural gas customers’ Bill of Rights Natural Gas Service Area Maps: Entire State By Individual Utility By Individual County http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/ohio-natural-gas-utility-contact-info/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/ohio-natural-gas-utility-contact-info/ Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:49:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/save-energy-with-insulated-curtains/ Insulated curtains are more than just the generic, utilitarian draperies you may have seen in hotels and motels. They’re actually sophisticated energy-efficiency devices that can help you save money on monthly utility bills while improving the comfort and beauty of rooms in which they’re installed. Here’s some useful information about insulated curtains and how they work. What are Insulated Curtains? You can think of most insulated curtains as energy efficiency systems composed of four separate layers that help prevent heat transfer, block light and dampen noise: A core layer of high-density foam that insulates your windows from exchanges of heat and sound A vapor barrier to block the foam’s absorption of moisture A layer of reflective film that deflects heat back into the room An outer layer of decorative fabric There are all kinds of insulated curtains, including Roman shades, hobbled shades, side-draw shades and classic curtains. They can be integrated into draperies, valances, shutters and other systems. And since the outermost layer of decorative fabric can be of any style and type, you can customize the look and feel of insulated curtains for any room in your house. How Do Insulated Curtains Help Save Energy? Your home’s windows, in a way, are like membranes. They let sunlight inside and odors outside, which is good. But they also let heated and cooled air outside and allow heat gain and heat loss to affect inside air temperatures, which is almost always bad. Insulated curtains help protect your home from the four major types of heat loss (conduction, infiltration, convection and radiation) that occur through and around your windows. In other words, insulated curtains help prevent heat from entering or leaving your home. In the winter, this means insulated curtains will help heated inside air from being cooled or escaping outside. When summer comes, just the opposite happens: cooled inside air will gain some protection against being heated or escaping outside. Additionally, insulated curtains also help dampen outside noise and can be made to almost completely prevent light from entering your room, which can increase your comfort, especially while sleeping at night. Installing insulated curtains will allow you to set your furnace back during cold winter months and set your air conditioner back during warm summer months. As an extra benefit during the winter, you can leave your insulated curtains open during the day so that sunlight warms your room and then close your curtains when the sun goes down to keep the warm air inside. When summer comes around, you can reverse the process to keep cool air inside. Why Should I Choose Insulated Curtains Instead of Energy-Efficient Windows? Energy-efficient windows can do a very good job of preventing heat transfer and saving energy. However, while energy-efficient windows can be costly, insulated curtains are relatively inexpensive, which makes them ideal for those on a budget. They’re also practical and stylish and can make a room in your home more efficient while adding to its beauty. Perhaps most importantly, insulated curtains of sufficient quality can produce an R-rating that is similar to or better than energy-efficient dual-pane windows, even when hung over single-pane, aluminum frame windows. R-ratings are used by the federal government to indicate energy efficiency.. What Do I Have to Do to Maintain and Clean Insulated Curtains? Insulated curtains require a little more effort to maintain and clean than regular curtains: To maintain insulated curtains — Occasionally open them to prevent moisture that gets past the vapor barrier from building up and allowing mildew to grow, an especially important task for those living in humid climates or climates that get heavy winter precipitation. To clean insulated curtains — While hanging, spray the curtains with a spray-on upholstery cleaner and then vacuum. Insulated curtains can be dry cleaned if necessary. Just make sure the dry cleaning process is non-immersive. Do you have insulated curtains installed in your home? How are they working for you? Sources Creative Home Decorating Ideas, “ Insulated Curtains Save Energy .” How Stuff Works, “ How Insulated Curtains Work .” Nothing But Windows, “ Insulated Curtains .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/save-energy-with-insulated-curtains/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/save-energy-with-insulated-curtains/ Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:46:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/comed-improvements-hoffman-estates-wadsworth/ Commonwealth Edison Co. (ComEd), Illinois’ largest public utility, is extending its continuing campaign of grid infrastructure improvements to the villages of Hoffman Estates and Wadsworth. ComEd began a series of infrastructure improvements earlier this year to address reliability problems in its service area that were exposed after heavy storms hit Illinois last summer. The utility has begun replacing cable, updating equipment and trimming trees to reduce the frequency and duration of outages. In Hoffman Estates, ComEd plans to install over 5,800 feet of new cable in addition to more than 22,000 feet of cable replacement that was already part of the utility’s scheduled maintenance. The new cable includes 1,950 feet of underground cable for general performance improvements, 2,500 feet of mail-line cable to reduce electricity interruptions and 1,400 feet of spacer cables to reinforce wires and prevent outages from falling tree branches. Much of the work is scheduled for the fist six months of 2012. In Wadsworth, ComEd is replacing 3,200 feet of underground cable. The utility said that the work in Wadsworth will be completed this month. Sources “ ComEd Making Infrastructure Upgrade in Wadsworth ,” Chicago Tribune , Dec. 20, 2011. “ ComEd Plans 2012 Improvements in Hoffman Estates ,” Chicago Tribune , Dec. 19, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/comed-improvements-hoffman-estates-wadsworth/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/comed-improvements-hoffman-estates-wadsworth/ Mon, 09 Jan 2012 08:26:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/spark-energy-school-donations/ Banging on desks to keep time might not sound like an ideal way to teach music class, but for some time, that’s all that music teacher Cherrelle Blevins had to work with at Bronzeville Lighthouse Elementary Charter School in Chicago. Of course, that’s before Spark Energy saw her request for musical instruments on iloveschools.com , a nonprofit organization that connects teachers in need of supplies with generous donors that step in where school budgets fall short. Spark Energy donated more than 300 musical instruments to Bronzeville’s music program. "It is all very new and exciting," Blevins said. "It is going to mean that my students have more opportunities to express themselves, to learn new instruments, new songs, and just to engage in learning." The students were excited, too. "These instruments mean a lot to me," said student Kayla Johnson. "They mean that I can have more experience in music." "Music helps me feel happy and to be able to express myself," said student Tyler Tolbert. But Bronzeville Elementary wasn’t the only school to benefit from Spark Energy’s commitment to children’s education. Athletic teacher Garrett Ryan got a big surprise when Spark Energy showed up at Woodland Elementary School with a gift of hula hoops, footballs, dodgeballs, cones and other gym equipment. The gift was especially appreciated by Ryan, who is dealing with growing enrollments and shrinking budgets. “It can be expensive,” said Ryan, who, like many teachers, has had to spend some of his own money to make sure his students are properly supplied, “This has made my weekend.” Spark Energy also went beyond individual schools, donating 1,000 backpacks and other key school supplies to Stuff the Bus, a United Way program that helps make sure underprivileged children have the school supplies they need. Sources " Energy Company Gives Joliet School New Athletic Equipment " - Joliet Herald-News, September 25, 2011. " Company Surprises PE Teacher with Equipment " - Joliet Public Schools press release, September 26, 2011. " Donation is Music to the Ears of Chicago Teacher " - WLS, September 13, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/spark-energy-school-donations/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/spark-energy-school-donations/ Fri, 06 Jan 2012 11:05:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/how-to-read-spark-energy-bill/ If you’re a residential Spark Energy customer in Texas, you’ll get a single bill for your electricity directly from us, Spark Energy. But what do all those charges, fees and line items on your bill mean? It can seem complicated, but we’ve put together a list of terms and definitions below that should make reading and understanding your Spark Energy bill a little easier. PUC License Number – Spark Energy’s license number issued by the Public Utility Commission (PUC) of Texas. Notification Area — Here’s where you’ll find important messages about your Spark Energy service, including changes in your plan and reminders that your contract is about to expire (when you have 60 days left) or that your contract has already expired. Billing Date — The date that we prepared the bill and sent it to you. Amount Due by 2:00 PM CST — This is the amount you owe for electric service for the current billing cycle plus any outstanding balance on your account. Due Date — The date the bill is due. Amount Due After Due Date — This is the amount you owe for electric service for the current billing cycle, plus a late payment penalty assessed in accordance with Public Utility Commission rules, if you fail to pay your bill by the due date. Balance Forward — The amount of your previous bill plus any outstanding balance on your account. Payment Received — The last payment amount made to your Spark Energy account, as of the date the current bill was created. Total Current Charges — The amount you owe for electric service for the current billing cycle. Account balance —The total amount due on your account, including the current charges and any previous unpaid balances that have carried over. ESIID — This is a number that identifies the location of your meter, similar to a street address, and will remain the same if your meter gets upgraded or replaced. SA or SAO — These letters, usually followed by a number, indicate whether you have a Spark Advantage or Spark Online Advantage residential electric plan. The number indicates the length of the plan contract in months. There may be other letter and number combinations in the future that identify other types of plans. Contract # — This is the number that we’ve assigned to your contract. If you have any questions about your contract, plan or bill, just have this number handy when you call and we’ll be able to quickly look up all your information. Invoice # — This number identifies each individual bill that we send to our customers. In case of billing questions, having this number handy will help us quickly find an answer. Meter — The serial number of the meter installed at your home is listed here. This number will change if your meter gets upgraded or replaced. Previous Reading — Like the mileage on your car’s odometer, this is the number of kilowatt hours recorded on your electric meter when it was read for your previous bill. Current Reading — This is the number of kilowatt-hours recorded on your electric meter when it was read for your current bill. Usage — The total number of kilowatt-hours used from your previous reading to your current reading. This amount of electricity is what you’re charged for on your current bill. Base Monthly Charge — The base charge that is made each billing cycle without regard to your demand or energy consumption. If you fail to use a certain amount of kilowatt-hours during a billing cycle for some plans, the monthly charge you’re assessed is listed here. If you’re not sure if this charge applies to you, check your contract or give us a call. Energy Charge — The amount you’re charged for the electricity you used during the current billing cycle, based on your plan. Advanced Metering Charge — A standard amount charged to all customers for the installation of digital “smart meters” within ERCOT. Smart meters help your utility communicate with the electric grid, pinpoint service outages without you having to call your utility, and can help you better understand how you use electricity in your home. Sales Tax — A charge by authorized taxing authorities such as the state, city or special purpose districts, sales tax is a tax that all consumers pay on goods and services in the state of Texas. This is no different than the tax you would pay if you bought a soda at a convenience store or a pair of shoes at the mall. Gross Receipts Tax Reimbursement — A fee assessed to recover the tax levied against retail electric suppliers operating in an incorporated city or town of more than 1,000 people. Public Utility Commission Assessment Tax — Known formally as the PUC Assessment, this is a fee assessed to recover the statutory fee for administering the Public Utility Regulatory Act. Total Charges — The total amount owed for the current billing cycle, including electricity use, fees, and taxes. The average price you paid for electric service this month — The amount you paid per kilowatt hour after adding in the Energy Charge, Advanced Metering Charge, Base Monthly Charge and Public Utility Commission Assessment Tax. Questions concerning your bill — The contact information for Spark Energy. Contact us for questions about your contract, plan, or billing. Local Distribution Company — The contact information for your TDU (transmission and distribution utility), or the local company that delivers the electricity to your home or business. Contact them for questions regarding your electric service and to report power outages or equipment that needs servicing or repair, such as poles, wires and transformers. Bill Payment Assistance Program — This program lets you donate money to help those who are less fortunate than you and who are having a hard time paying their electric bills. The amount you select to donate will be a one-time charge on your next bill only. We hope this list has helped answer any questions you may have about how to read your Spark Energy bill. If you still have questions about what something on your bill means, please contact customer service toll-free at 888.772.7566. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/how-to-read-spark-energy-bill/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/how-to-read-spark-energy-bill/ Thu, 05 Jan 2012 08:49:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/energy-efficient-lighting-hotels/ Whether you’re an energy manager for a large hotel or you run a small, independent motel, energy costs are one of the largest parts of your operating budget. However, your facility can realize enormous energy savings by adopting an energy-efficient lighting strategy. Many leaders in the hotel management industry may already be familiar with such a strategy, but for those who need some advice on how to save money on electric bills , here are eight tips for equipping your facility with energy-efficient lighting. 1. Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) CFL bulbs use about two-thirds less energy than standard incandescent light bulbs and can be the easiest, most direct way to adopt energy-efficient lighting. Although CFLs had an early reputation for being limited in style and producing less light than their incandescent counterparts, those limitations have all but disappeared. Now CFLs come in a wide variety of styles and sizes and are just as bright. CFLs are more expensive than incandescent bulbs but they can last six to 10 times longer and save you about $25 to $30 in electricity costs over the lifetime of a single bulb. Make sure to compare lumens, not watts, when shopping for replacement bulbs. Watts represent the amount of energy used while lumen indicate brightness. 2. Replace “conventional” fluorescent lamps with energy-efficient fluorescent lamps Many lodging facilities use fluorescent lighting in high traffic areas such as the lobby or office area. Consider swapping out your old fluorescent lamps with energy-efficient lamps that use 30 percent to 40 percent less electricity. These models are marked “T-12,” “T-8,” or “T-5,” which represents the diameter of the bulb in eighth-inches (for example, a T-12 lamp is 12/8 inch, or 1 1/2 inches, in diameter). Be sure to pair your new bulbs with the correct corresponding ballast, a device necessary for fluorescent lamp operation that regulates the bulb’s starting and operating characteristics. 3. Automate the regulation of electric power in a room Consider installing a key tag system at the entrance of each guest room. The system uses a room key-card to activate and deactivate a master switch that turns on power to the room when guests are present and turns it off when guests leave. This technique ensures that only occupied rooms consume energy. Lighting, heating, air conditioning, radio and television can all be connected to the master switch. 4. Install occupancy or motion sensors Use passive infrared or ultrasonic sensors to control lighting according to occupancy. These devices turn lights on when motion is detected and turn lights off when motion is no longer detected. Passive infrared sensors detect changes in heat and are best suited for large, unobstructed areas. An ultrasonic sensor emits sounds waves above the range of human hearing and detects differences in the time the waves take to return to the device. Ultrasonic sensors can detect motion around obstructions and are ideal for areas with cabinets and shelving, restrooms and places requiring 360-degree coverage. 5. Install nightlights that use light-emitting diodes (LEDs) Many guests opt to leave a light on for themselves or their children while they sleep. While this may help them navigate an unfamiliar room at night, it wastes electricity. Instead of having guests turn on the bathroom light and crack the door, as is often the case, offer a nightlight to help them get around. One model uses six LEDs installed in the panel of a light switch. 6. Install EXIT signs that use LEDs One of the advantages of LEDs is that they produce bright light while using about 95 percent less electricity than incandescent bulbs and 75 percent less than CFLs. Another advantage is that they last for about 20 years. Installing EXIT signs that use LEDs for illumination will not only save money, it will virtually eliminate the need to replace bulbs in the signs. 7. Add lighting controls Installing lighting controls that use photo sensors to monitor daylight conditions is a great way to ensure that lights work only when needed. While a common solution is to turn on outdoor lighting fixtures at dusk and turn them off at dawn, lights using photo sensors are also a good choice for interior lighting in common areas with many windows that may not need lighting during much of the day. While on/off switches work well, there are also options for stepped controls and for continuous dimming controls, which are aesthetically appealing and offer the greatest energy savings. 8. Use high intensity discharge (HID) exterior lighting Finally, make sure the exterior of your hotel or motel takes advantage of HID lighting. HID technology is much more efficient than incandescent, quartz-halogen and most fluorescent fixtures. Have you adopted energy-efficient lighting for your hotel or motel? Share your story and let us know if you have other useful lighting tips for fellow professionals. Sources The State of Michigan, “ Energy Efficient Lighting .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/energy-efficient-lighting-hotels/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/energy-efficient-lighting-hotels/ Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:27:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/glossary-lighting-terms/ Accent Lighting — Indoor and outdoor illumination that draws attention to special features or enhances aesthetic qualities. Ambient Lighting — General, everyday indoor illumination and outdoor illumination for safety and security purposes. For illumination required to preform specific tasks, see Task Lighting . Color Temperature — The color produced by a light bulb. Bulbs that produce yellow-red colors, like incandescent bulbs, are considered to be warm, while blue-green colors are considered cool. Cool light is typically preferred for performing visual tasks since it produces higher contrasts. Warm light is usually preferred for living spaces since its lower contrast is more flattering to skin tones and clothing. Color temperature is measured in degrees Kelvin (K), with cool colors producing higher temperatures (3600–5500 K) and warm colors producing lower temperatures (2700–3000 K). Color temperatures between 2700–3600 K are usually recommended for most indoor and task lighting. Color Rendition — How colors appear when illuminated by a light bulb. The Color Rendition Index (CRI) is a 1–100 scale that measures a light bulb’s ability to make colors appear naturally, the same way that sunlight does. Color rendition is generally considered more important than color temperature. A CRI of 100 is based on the illumination of a 100-watt incandescent light bulb. A bulb with a CRI of 80 or greater is considered adequate for using indoors at home. Efficacy — The ratio of light produced (lumens) to energy consumed (watts); a general measurement of the energy efficiency of a light bulb. Efficacy is determined by dividing the number of lumens a bulb produces by the amount of electricity used to operate the bulb (lumens per watt). Footcandle — The intensity of light emitted by a light bulb. A footcandle describes the intensity of illumination produced by one lumen over a 1-square-foot area. For most home and office lighting, 30–50 footcandles of illumination is adequate. For more detailed work requiring more accuracy and less eyestrain, 200 footcandles of illumination or greater is ideal. For nightlights, 5–20 footcandles may be sufficient. Glare — The excessive brightness from a direct light source that can make it difficult to see clearly; for example, sunlight shining on a TV or an incandescent light bulb shining on a computer monitor. Incandescent light bulbs generally produce more glare than other kinds of bulbs, but glare is primarily the result of where lighting is placed relative to where objects are being viewed. Illumination — The distribution of light on a horizontal surface; the basic purpose of all lighting. Not to be confused with the intensity or brightness of light (see Footcandle, Lumen ). Lumen — The brightness of light emitted by a light bulb. For example, a 100-watt incandescent light bulb emits about 1600 lumens, while a 60-watt incandescent light bulb emits about 800 lumens. Not to be confused with the amount of electricity used to power a light bulb (see Watt ). An energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulb will use fewer watts to produce comparable lumens. For example, an energy-efficient 13- watt light bulb that emits 870 lumens might use only 13 watts of electricity, roughly the equivalent of a 60-watt incandescent light bulb(see Efficacy ). Task Lighting — Illumination provided for specific tasks that require more illumination than ambient lighting can provide, such as computer desk lamps and bathroom mirror lights. Watt — A measurement of the amount of electricity used to power a light bulb. Not to be confused with the brightness of a light bulb (see Lumen ). Shoppers often make the mistake of purchasing light blubs based on wattage rather than lumens. However, an energy-efficient light bulb typically uses far fewer watts to produce the same lumens as an incandescent bulb. Consumers should instead compare the lumens of light bulbs when shopping for replacement bulbs. The energy efficiency of a light bulb is measured by its ratio of lumens to watts (see Efficacy ). Sources U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, “ Lighting Principals and Terms .” U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, “ Lumens and the Lighting Facts Label .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/glossary-lighting-terms/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2012/january/glossary-lighting-terms/ Tue, 03 Jan 2012 11:19:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/how-to-save-energy-in-2012/ A lot of people make New Year’s resolutions every year. You’ve probably made some yourself over the years, like saving money or getting in shape. If you’re looking to save money this year , there are some energy efficiency resolutions you can make that can put money back in your pocket right away. These resolutions don’t require you make big, expensive home improvements. Instead, they mostly require that you simply change your behavior. In fact, The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy estimates that simple behavioral changes can account for up to 15 percent of all energy savings. Here are seven New Year’s energy efficiency resolutions that, unlike some other New Year’s resolutions, are actually easy to keep. 1. Turn off lights when you leave the room If you have incandescent light bulbs, you should turn them off to conserve energy whenever they’re not needed. If you have compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), you should turn them off if you’re leaving a room for more than 15 minutes. The way CFLs work, it’s more cost effective to leave the lights on if you’ll return to the room within 15 minutes. 2. Upgrade to energy-efficient lighting Incandescent light bulbs are cheap, but only 10 percent of the energy they use actually produces light. The remaining 90 percent produces only heat. When your incandescent bulbs burn out, replace them with either energy saving incandescent bulbs, CFLs, or light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Compared with incandescent bulbs, energy saving incandescent bulbs are about 25 percent more energy efficient and last three times as long, CFLs are about 75 percent more efficient and last 10 times longer, and LEDs are about 80 percent more efficient and last 25 times longer. 3. Install a programmable thermostat You can save as much as 10 percent a year on heating and cooling costs by turning your thermostat back 10 degrees for eight hours a day. And the easiest way to do that is to install a programmable thermostat. Once you install your programmable thermostat, or if you already have one, set your temperature to be 10 degrees cooler in the winter or 10 degrees warmer in the summer when you’re away at work. Set your temperature to return to where you want it right before you return home. For best results, set your at home/away temperatures to 68/78 degrees in the summer and 68/58 in the winter. 4. Use ceiling fans Ceiling fans help circulate the air in a room and can help you stay cooler or warmer for pennies on the dollar compared with running your air conditioner or furnace. In the summer, run ceiling fans counter clockwise to force air down and cool you with a wind chill effect that can make the room feel 4 degrees cooler and save you 14 percent off of air conditioning costs over a cooling season. In the winter, run ceiling fans clockwise to force air up, which moves warm air at the ceiling down the walls and back to the floor where it does a better job of warming you. 5. Turn off your computer and monitor when not in use Personal computers, especially desktops, can use a lot of electricity if they’re left on when not in use. Contrary to what you may think, a PC will reach the end of its “useful” life due to advances in technology long before frequent start ups and power downs affect their service life. Get in the habit of turning your computer and monitor off whenever you’re not using it. In case you forget, make sure to set your PC’s energy saving mode to put the monitor to sleep after 5 minutes of inactivity and your computer to sleep after 15 minutes. 6. Use power strips to slay energy vampires Most home electronics and appliances continue to use electricity even when in “standby” mode or when you think they’re off. After all, anything with a clock — like a DVR for recording your favorite shows or a coffee maker for brewing a pot of Joe when you wake up — or an infrared receiver for receiving “on” signals from a remote control, needs continuous power to operate. To help slay the energy vampires that continuously feed on electricity, hook up all of the devices you can (minus maybe your DVR and coffee maker) to power strips that you can use to switch off your devices completely when you’re not using them. 7. Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes About 60 percent of the energy used by a dishwasher and 70 percent to 90 percent of the energy used in a clothes washer goes towards heating the water. To save money, make sure to only wash full loads of dishes and clothes (most people tend to underload their machines, which wastes energy and money). If you have an energy-efficient dishwasher or clothes washer, make sure to set the appropriate load size if you have to wash less than a full load. Have an energy-saving New Year’s resolution you’d like to share? Let us hear about it. Sources American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, “ Dishwashing .” American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, “ Laundry .” ENERGY STAR, “ How Should I Use My Ceiling Fan? ” LearnVest, “ Save Energy And Save Money By Slaying The Energy Vampires In Your Home .” U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, “ When to Turn Off Your Lights .” U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, “ Lighting Choices to Save You Money .” U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, “ Thermostats and Control Systems .” U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, “ Ceiling Fans and Other Circulating Fans .” U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, “ When to Turn Off Personal Computers .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/how-to-save-energy-in-2012/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/how-to-save-energy-in-2012/ Fri, 30 Dec 2011 10:36:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/new-years-resolution-smartphone-apps-2/ New Year’s resolutions are pretty popular statements of personal ambition that seem to pop up every year around the end of December. Millions of people, fueled by fresh memories of holiday gorge-fests and shopping sprees, take stock of the year that was and promise themselves that they’ll finally work on that part of their lives that needs some attention. There are lots of different kinds of New Year’s resolutions, but the two most popular ones involve getting in physical and fiscal shape. Unfortunately, the most common resolutions are also among the hardest to keep. To help out, we’ve come up with a two-part list of the top smartphone and tablet apps for making sure you stick to your health and money goals. In part one , we covered the top five diet and exercise apps that can help you lose weight and get in shape. For part two, we take a look at the top five apps that can help you organize your finances, save money and get out of debt.  (NOTE: Spark Energy is commenting on the following apps and sites, but this should not be construed as a formal endorsement of any of them.) 1. Mint Referred to as a financial aggregator, the Mint app, from the popular website Mint.com, helps people combine all their financial information in one location using one interface. Information on checking accounts, savings accounts, retirement accounts, home mortgage, car loan and more can be brought together. The Mint website and the Mint app can help you stay organized and manage your money by setting budgets and financial goals, tracking progress and running reports. The service is read-only so that it’s very secure, but you’ll have to use your normal online banking and other online financial resources to move money in and out of accounts. Platforms: iOS (iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch), Android Price: Free 2. Pageonce Like Mint, Pageonce is a free financial aggregator that lets you pull information on all of your financial accounts into one app. It might not be as comprehensive as Mint, but unlike Mint, Pageonce allows you to pay all your bills as part of a subscription service that has become highly regarded by the app’s regular users. In addition to extended money management features, the app can also set budgets and run reports so you can see where your money is going. Platforms: Android, Blackberry, iOS (iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch), Windows Phone Price: Free, $4.99 per month for Pageonce Gold bill pay subscription plan 3. ClearCheckbook For those who like the idea of managing all their finances in one location but don’t want or need a single app that talks to all their banks and financial accounts, ClearCheckbook might just be the app for you — especially if power and customization are what you need most. ClearCheckbook, along with its corresponding website, is a checkbook register that allows you to enter data about all your transactions, track bills, set reminders, create budgets and produce spending reports. Premium subscribers get access to running balances, custom and advanced reports, transaction histories, multiple users per account and many other extras beyond the free basic service. Platforms: Android, iOS (iPhone/iPod Touch only), Palm Price: Free, $4 monthly subscription for premium features 4. Pay Off Debt The Pay Off Debt app helps users pay down their debts and become debt free using the debt snowball method devised by Dave Ramsey. In the debt snowball method, people pay off their debts from small to large in order to create the momentum needed to pay off larger debts. The Pay Off Debt app takes things a step further by allowing users to choose which debts they pay off first: lowest to highest balance, highest interest rate to lowest interest rate, or in any custom order. The app helps keep track of your debts and payments and calculates how long you’ll pay, how much interest you’ll save and when you’ll be debt free. Platforms: Android, iOS (iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch) Price: $2.99 5. Checkbook Sometimes all you need is a simple, online checkbook register that helps you manually record your expenses and maintain a running tally of your current checking and savings account balances. If so, then Checkbook is for you. The goal of this quick and easy app is to serve as a replacement for you paper checkbook register so that you can keep track of your money — and avoid overdraft fees and other fees — no matter where you are. For many people, Checkbook may be enough. For others who want to track multiple types accounts, including checking, savings, investments, mortgages and car loans, Mint, Pageonce or ClearCheckbook would be a better choice. Platforms: Android Price: $1.99 If you have a suggestion for a money and finance app, share it with us and let us know how it worked for you. Sources “ Top Financial Apps for iPhone, Android, Blackberry, HTC and Nokia ,” Chill Geeks, Nov. 11, 2011. App websites: Checkbook , ClearCheckbook , Mint , Pageonce , Pay Off Debt http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/new-years-resolution-smartphone-apps-2/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/new-years-resolution-smartphone-apps-2/ Thu, 29 Dec 2011 11:20:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/new-years-resolution-smartphone-apps-1/ Each year, right around the end of December, millions of people take time out of their busy schedules to reflect on the past year and promise themselves to improve parts of their lives that could use more attention. New Year’s resolutions can vary widely but the two most popular resolutions usually have something to do with losing weight and saving money. The problem is that New Year’s resolutions are tricky things to keep. To help out, we’ve made a two-part list of the top smartphone and tablet apps for keeping the two most popular kinds of New Years resolutions. First up is part one, which covers the top five apps that can help you achieve your weight loss and physical fitness goals. Be sure to check out part two , which covers the top five apps that can help you with your savings and fiscal fitness targets. 1. MyNetDiary To lose a pound of fat, you need to lose 3,500 calories. That’s the mantra behind MyNetDiary, one of the most comprehensive diet apps and calorie counters on the market. There are countless versions of the app, from the free iPhone version to the MyNetDiary Maximum version, so there’s a combination of features and cost for everyone. The developers even offer a website that you can use to enter and sync your data with your smartphone or tablet. Use the app to track foods and supplements, customize recipes or scan barcodes for instant entry. Platforms: Android, Blackberry, iOS (iPhone) Price: Variable, depending on version (from free to $5 per month) 2. Calorie Tracker Developed by LIVESTRONG, Lance Armstrong’s health and fitness organization, Calorie Tracker is a popular app for tracking your daily caloric, fat, carbohydrate and protein intake and matching it with a database of exercises and activities that customizes your calorie burn based on your personal measurements. The app also works as a companion tool for members of The Daily Plate at LIVESTRONG.com, which provides a large database of restaurant foods that you can track when you dine out. The app will also sync information to and from the website. Platforms: iOS (iPhone) Price: $2.99 3. AllRecipes In order to lose weight, you’ll need to eat smart. AllRecipes represents one of the largest databases of recipes available in an app. For dieters, the free version of the app allows recipes to be searched by nutrition while the pro version allows specific ingredients to be included or excluded for highly customized recipe searches. The pro version also allows you to create, save and share shopping lists and to recalculate ingredients based on the number of servings. Platforms: Android, iOS (iPhone), Windows Phone Price: Free, $2.99 for Pro version 4. Gym Buddy Exercising at the gym is a great way to lose weight, but trying to keep track of your exercise routine can be frustrating. Gym Buddy helps by allowing you to leave your notebook and pen at home and use your iPhone or iPod touch to keep track of all your exercises, including reps, time, weights and other notes, which comes in handy for recording things like how a weight machine is set up for a particular exercise. The app includes countdown timers, personal data tracking and calendars to help you get your exercise squared away. An optional Web service called Gym Buddy Central allows you to enter and manage data on your computer and sync it to your iPhone or iPod touch. Platforms: iOS (iPhone) Price: $2.99, $9.95 for optional Web service 5. iFitness The iFitness app gives you the power of a personal trainer on your Android phone. Unlike Gym Buddy, which assumes you already know how to do the exercises, iFitness starts at the beginning with details of more than 200 different exercises, some of which include videos to help you do them correctly. The app is like an interactive book that allows you to select and save specific combinations of exercises for your own routines, including time, date and reps. The app also allows you to select predefined routines for specific sports, such as golf or basketball, or specific muscle groups. Platforms: Android Price: $1.99 Have a suggestion for a health and fitness app? Clue us in and let us know how it worked for you. Sources “ Top 10 iPhone Apps to Improve Your Fitness ,” iPhone App Café, Nov. 10, 2011. “ Top Five: Health and Fitness Apps for Android Smartphones ,” Life of Android, Nov. 3, 2011. “ Software for Shaping Up ,” The Wall Street Journal , March 21, 2011. App websites: Allrecipies , Calorie Tracker , Gym Buddy Central , iFitness , MyNetDiary http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/new-years-resolution-smartphone-apps-1/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/new-years-resolution-smartphone-apps-1/ Tue, 27 Dec 2011 17:46:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/comed-expansion-project-northbrook/ When the northern Chicago suburb of Northbrook suffered power outages for days this summer as the result of severe storms, Village President Sandra Frum called out Commonwealth Edison Co. (ComEd), Illinois’ largest public utility, for failing to offer a speedy response. Months later, the utility has promised it will begin two electricity reliability projects in Northbrook that will solve many of the issues that led to the outages. At a Nov. 29 meeting with the village’s board of trustees, Eric Duray, ComEd external affairs manager, told board members that the utility would install more resilient power lines and reconfigure switches in downtown Northbrook. The new power lines would be grouped in a tighter formation compared to traditional power lines and would be covered, which would make them much more resistant to power outages caused by falling tree branches, a significant problem during the summer outages. The reconfigured switches will help ComEd quickly and remotely replace one power source with another when an outage occurs. ComEd will also trim trees in the Ancient Tree subdivision of Northbrook, where falling trees during the summer storms caused total power outages, and will switch some customers to a more reliable type of transformer. Duray estimated that the electric utility would spend between $2 to $2.5 million on the improvements, compared to between $500,000 and $1 million in average annual maintenance in Northbrook. According to Duray, the installation of the new power lines and tree trimming in the Ancient Tree subdivision should be completed by March, while the circuits in downtown Northbrook will be reconfigured by May. Sources “ ComEd Promises $2 Million in Improvements For Northbrook ,” Northbrook Patch, Nov. 30, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/comed-expansion-project-northbrook/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/comed-expansion-project-northbrook/ Thu, 22 Dec 2011 10:55:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/clp-offers-credit-to-october-storm-victims/ Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P) has announced the creation of a fund that will provide bill credits to the hardest-hit victims of the October Nor'easter that caused some residents in the utility’s service territory to be without power from Oct. 29 until after Nov. 5. To qualify for the bill credit, CL&P electric customers must have been without power after noon on Saturday, Nov. 5. The bill credit will be at least $100, but no more than $200, depending on how many eligible customers apply. CL&P began contacting eligible customers on Dec. 7. Customers must apply for the bill credit no later than 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012. Credits will begin to be applied to customers’ February billing statements. Customers can apply for the bill credit by calling 888-566-9257 or visiting www.cl-p.com . Sources “ How To Apply For CL&P's Storm Credit ,” The Hartford Courant , Dec. 12, 2011. Connecticut Light & Power, “ October Nor'easter Enrollment Fund .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/clp-offers-credit-to-october-storm-victims/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/clp-offers-credit-to-october-storm-victims/ Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:06:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/energy-efficiency-app-for-commercial-buildings/ A new piece of software aims to make getting information about energy efficiency upgrades for commercial buildings as simple as going online to find the value of a used car. Retroficiency was developed with the idea that it should be easy — and less expensive — to evaluate a commercial building for energy saving opportunities without having it visually inspected. “The best estimates say that there are ways that building owners could save about $400 billion, but the way we assess buildings today is that we send people in to count light bulbs and look at HVAC units,” Bennett Fisher, CEO and founder of Retroficiency, said in an interview. “That can cost tens of thousands of dollars per facility.” Instead, the web-based application allows energy managers to plug in data about buildings — including information such as age, size, location, hours of occupation, and the amount of the building’s electric bill — and compare it against a vast database of buildings that have already received energy audits by humans. The software then helps determine which energy efficiency improvements among the thousands it considers, such as upgrading insulation or installing LED lighting, might help energy managers save money on utility bills . Fisher started Retroficiency with co-founder Bryan Long shortly after both graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management in 2009. According to Fisher, the software is most useful to companies that own a portfolio of buildings, public utilities and facilities management firms. Fisher said that the software will help energy managers prioritize which buildings to select for energy efficiency improvements and within minutes, tell them which measures will have the best payback. Fisher offered an example of what the software can do to help energy managers: If you tell us you have fluorescent lights in a certain type of building, we can statistically infer that you have 526 fixtures with four 40-watt T12 lamps and magnetic ballasts. We can then suggest you upgrade to three 32-watt Super T8 lamps and electronic ballasts and show the relevant costs, savings, rebates, increases in ENERGY STAR ratings, decrease in greenhouse gas emissions, etc. Our optimization engine sorts through thousands of possible combinations like this over all of the building’s systems and builds packages that match the customer’s goal, whether that is a specific reduction in energy, a payback period, or total spend limitations. All of the inputs, inferences, etc. are fully transparent so a user can go back and change/update any information. The company recently announced that it had raised $3.3 million from investors and had already evaluated more than 30 million square feet of commercial building and facility space. Sources “ Retroficiency Raises $3.3 Million for Software That Helps Building Owners Hone In On Opportunities for Energy Savings ,” The Boston Globe , Nov. 30, 2011. “ Green Buildings Software Startup, Retroficiency, Closes $800,000 Seed Financing ,” TechCrunch, March 9, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/energy-efficiency-app-for-commercial-buildings/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/energy-efficiency-app-for-commercial-buildings/ Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:46:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/ppl-power-line-route/ Some residential and commercial electric customers in northeast Pennsylvania and the Poconos are expected to get improved electric service from a new power line that PPL Electric Utilities has decided to route through the region. PPL said in a news release that it had considered public input and studied the region carefully before making its decision on where to route the line. According to The News Eagle , the route selected by the utility: “… connects the new Paupack substation site near Lakeville, along a zig-zag course southwest in Paupack and Salem townships, between Route 590 and Lake Wallenpaupack. It rounds west of Ledgedale and west of Newfoundland, and heads west through Sterling Township into Lackawanna County meeting the new North Pocono substation. It then goes southwest to the new West Pocono substation near the Luzerne/Monroe county line west of Pocono Pines. Finally, it veers northwest through Luzerne County to the existing Jenkins substation near Wilkes-Barre. The existing transmission lines from Jessup to Honesdale will be rebuilt, and a small section from Cherry Ridge to Lakeville will receive additional wires.” According to David Bonenberger, general manager of transmission operations for PPL, the new facilities are designed to reduce the number of power outages experienced by customers in the region and reduce the duration of outages caused by severe weather and falling trees. Bonenberger said that, in choosing the location for the main 230-kilovolt power line and subsidiary 69-kilovolt power lines needed for the project, the electric utility conducted a months-long study of the region and conducted an extensive public input process to try and “minimize impacts on people and the environment to the extent possible.” Bonenburger added that the region’s growth made the addition of new lines and power substations mandatory in order to deliver reliable electricity to homes and businesses. However, he said the utility would attend additional public open houses to take comments on the chosen route before submitting required applications to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, the state’s utility regulator, for approval. Detailed information about the project, including the location of the routes for new power lines and the location of new substations, has been mailed to property owners. The new facilities and can also be found online at www.pplreliablepower.com/Northeast-Pocono . The new power lines and substations are expected to serve 250,000 electric customers in parts of Lackawanna, Monroe, Wayne, Pike and Luzerne counties. The project is part of more than $3 billion in infrastructure improvements that PPL is making throughout its 29-county territory. Sources “ PPL Electric Utilities Chooses Route for New Power Line ,” The News Eagle , Oct. 17, 2011. “ PPL Electric Utilities Chooses Route for New Power Line in Northeast Pennsylvania and Pocono Region ,” PPL Electric Utilities press release, Oct. 11, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/ppl-power-line-route/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/ppl-power-line-route/ Mon, 19 Dec 2011 11:42:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/comed-tree-trimming/ Chicago-based Commonwealth Edison Co. (ComEd), the largest electric utility in Illinois, has proposed a new tree-trimming project to help minimize outages in Elmhurst. Mike Guerra, vice president of external affairs for ComEd, told the Elmhurst City Council that the electric utility would like to create a partnership with the city to identify trees on public and private property that need trimming. Guerra said that ComEd currently trims trees on a four-year cycle but would like to speed up the cycle, beginning immediately. Falling tree limbs that struck electrical equipment were cited as a significant contributing factor to major outages earlier this year in ComEd’s service territory that resulted in some customers being without power for extended periods. ComEd said it has targeted certain areas of its service territory for upgrades, including tree trimming, installing trip-savers, Hendrix cables, loop schemes and lighting protection. The electric utility said that the new equipment would in some cases be able to prevent outages even after a tree limb strikes equipment. Streets targeted by ComEd for upgrades include Madison and Bryan, Hampshire and Schiller, North End and Kenilworth, West and Avery, West and Belden, Vallette and Poplar, and York and Grantley. Sources “ Comed Seeks ‘Novel’ Tree-Trimming Approach to Fix Outage Problem ,” TribLocal , Nov. 22, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/comed-tree-trimming/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/comed-tree-trimming/ Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:16:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/upgrade-light-bulbs-through-lumens/ Upgrading your home’s lighting by replacing old, inefficient incandescent light bulbs with new, energy-efficient compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) or light-emitting diodes (LEDs) can help you save money on monthly electric bills . However, shopping for CFLs and LEDs might be a little confusing at first because you’re probably used to shopping for light bulbs based on watts, or the amount of power light bulbs use. Since CFLs and LEDs use fewer watts than incandescent bulbs to produce the same amount of light, you’ll instead need to shop for replacement bulbs based on brightness, or lumens. Lumens are a measure of visible light emitted by a light bulb, while watts measure the amount of electricity it takes to produce those lumens. A 100-watt incandescent light bulb might produce 1,600 lumens, but a common CFL that produces 1,600 lumens might only use 25 watts and a common LED might use only 18 watts. After all, being able to use fewer watts to produce the same amount of light is what makes CFL and LED bulbs so energy efficient. To help you find the right type of replacement CFLs or LEDs for your incandescent bulbs, here’s a handy chart to help you match lumens when you shop so that you get the brightness you’re looking for out of your new, energy-efficient light bulbs. Incandescent Bulbs (watts) Minimum Brightness (lumens) Common CFL Bulbs (watts) Common LED Bulbs (watts) 25 250 4–9 4–5 40 450 9–13 6–7 60 800 13–15 7–8 75 1,100 18–25 9–13 100 1,600 23–30 16–20 125 2,000 22–40 20–25 150 2,600 40–45 25–28 Sources Eartheasy, “ LED Light Bulbs: Comparison Charts .” ENERGY STAR, “ Learn About Light Output .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/upgrade-light-bulbs-through-lumens/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/upgrade-light-bulbs-through-lumens/ Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:40:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/connecticut-energy-rebates/ If you’re a Connecticut electric customer and have your electricity delivered by Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P), you can take advantage of several energy-efficiency rebates and energy-efficiency services that are designed to help you save money off monthly electric bills . All residential and commercial electric customers in the utility’s service territory are eligible for the energy-saving programs, even if they buy their electricity from an alternative supplier such as Spark Energy. All programs are supported by the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund and administered by CL&P unless otherwise noted. Home Energy Solutions program Under the Home Energy Solutions (HES) program, a specialist will perform an energy assessment of your home, whether you rent or own, and provide information on ways you can lower your energy bills. HES specialists often look at how your home is sealed against air leaks, how your appliances use energy and how efficient your lighting is. There are three HES programs, including a basic and advanced energy assessment, and an assessment for low-income households. Quality Installation and Verification program Not every air conditioner, heat pump or furnace has been installed correctly. In fact, ENERGY STAR estimates that more than half of all HVAC systems suffer from poor performance due to installation issues. The Quality Installation and Verification (QIV) program ensures that your HVAC equipment is installed for the best performance and reliability, which can lead to lower energy bills, increased reliability, longer equipment life, improved indoor air quality and improved comfort. ENERGY STAR–qualified retail products Electric customers are eligible for rebates on ENERGY STAR–qualified lighting products and appliances through the utility’s ENERGY STAR Retail Products programs. The programs provide retail incentives and markdowns, which are offered on “marked” products in stores that have already been discounted. Products include lighting fixtures, CFL and LED light bulbs, clothes washers, dehumidifiers, dishwashers, refrigerators/freezers and air conditioners. Residential new home construction rebates When building a new home, utility customers can take advantage of the Residential New Home Construction Program. The utility will provide a program manager to help you through the application process and ensure that you receive all your eligible program benefits. Eligibility requirements for the programs mandate that a new construction incentive application must be submitted before a home is insulated. Multi-family properties The multi-family program helps owners of new constructions or existing buildings that house multiple tenants participate in various energy-efficiency rebate and services programs offered by utilities. Buildings are considered multi-family if they have more than three connected units, mixed use within the same building, or if they fall under the control of a property manager, association or housing authority. Examples of eligible buildings include apartment complexes, dorms and assisted living facilities. High efficiency HVAC system rebate CL&P offers a $250 cash rebate for qualifying energy-efficient central air conditioning systems or heat pump systems. Qualifying systems must be installed by March 1, 2012 and may garner additional incentives by participating in the QIV program. Heat pump water heater rebate You may be eligible for a $400 cash rebate if you replace your old, inefficient electric water heater with an efficient heat pump water heater. Qualifying systems must be ENERGY STAR-qualified with an Energy Factor of 2.0 or greater and must be installed before December 31, 2011. Ductless heat pumps and geothermal systems Utility customers who are heating their homes with electric baseboards or wall heaters, or who are building new homes and want a better way to control the temperature, can benefit from noticeable energy savings by installing energy-efficient ductless heat pump systems or geothermal systems. Systems are eligible for substantial rebates from CL&P in additional to significant federal tax credits. Solar photovoltaic systems Residential, nonprofit and governmental utility customers interested in installing solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in their homes or buildings are eligible for rebates from the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (now part of the Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority) that cover a percentage of installation and equipment costs. Rebates are offered through designated participating solar PV installers. Midnight turn-off option for street lights If you have streetlights on your property, owned either by you or CL&P, you may receive a rebate from the utility if you agree to install a programmable photocell that will ensure the street lights operate only between dusk and midnight. For more information about energy-efficiency rebates and service programs for CL&P customers, visit the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund at www.CTEnergyInfo.com , the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund at www.ctcleanenergy.com or call 877-WISE-USE (877-947-3873). Sources Connecticut Light & Power, “ Home Services and Rebates .” Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/connecticut-energy-rebates/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/connecticut-energy-rebates/ Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:27:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/commercial-building-retrofits-save-energy/ Whether you’re the energy manager of a large commercial building operator or the owner of a small commercial property, you probably know that retrofitting older buildings with simple energy-efficient technologies can help save money off utility bills . After all, the practice has been around for years. However, the problem with savings estimates on retrofits is that they offer more of an idea of savings than actual numbers. The fact is, there isn’t much research out there that shows how much energy you can actually save by upgrading your properties with straightforward improvements like energy-efficient boilers, high-quality windows and compact fluorescent light bulbs. The good news, however, is that a new study aims to supply commercial building owners and operators with just that kind of hard data. The 18-month study was commissioned by the Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation, a philanthropic arm of the German bank, and Living Cities, a nonprofit partnership of foundations and financial institutions. The study involved the creation of a database of several hundred retrofitted residential buildings in New York City. The study examined energy efficiency upgrades at each building and quantified the energy savings of each type of improvement. The study found that overall, the residential building retrofits resulted in a 19 percent savings on fuel bills and a 10 percent savings on electricity across the portfolio of properties. Although the study focused on residential buildings, data produced by the study could also be valuable to owners and operators of other types of commercial buildings such as restaurants, hotels, hospitals, schools and storage and distribution warehouses. The full details of the study will be released in a corresponding report later this month. Gary Hattem, president of the Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation, said he hoped the study would help convince both building owners and lenders to pursue energy-efficient building retrofits. “The largest obstacle to making these practices go mainstream is data that will convince building owners to retrofit their properties and at the same time increase underwriters’ willingness to finance the projects,” Hattem said in an interview. Marc Zuluaga, a vice president at New York building consultancy Steven Winter Associates, said that many of the buildings in the study were some of the least energy-efficient properties in New York City prior to receiving simple retrofits. After the retrofits, however, Zuluaga said those same buildings had become some of the best-performing buildings in the city. According to Jeffery I. Brodsky, president of Related Management, one of the property owners involved in the study, the study “proves that the assumption that you can’t rely on savings when doing a retrofit isn’t true. It may not be perfect or exact, but you will see savings.” Sources “ Study Clarifies the Energy Savings in Retrofitted Buildings ,” The New York Times , Nov. 8, 2011. “ Showing the Benefits of ‘Green’ Retrofits ,” The New York Times , June 1, 2010. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/commercial-building-retrofits-save-energy/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/commercial-building-retrofits-save-energy/ Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:14:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/are-smart-meters-safe/ Electric utilities around the country are upgrading their aging electric grids with technology that’s designed to make electric service more reliable and more affordable for customers in the utilities’ service territories. But while many have expressed concerns about the long-term effects of smart meters, there isn’t a lot of evidence to indicate they pose a health threat. As part of the ongoing nationwide electric grid upgrades, many utilities are replacing old electric meters with smart meters. Advanced smart meters allow for the transmission of data to utilities, such as how much electricity is being consumed, and allow the utilities to transmit back to the meters. This gives utilities the ability to quickly and conveniently perform tasks like turning on the power after a customer moves in at a residence. Additionally, smart meters mean that utilities don’t have to pay for things like meter readers, a cost savings the utilities say they can pass on to customers. Regardless of the purported benefits of smart meters, some are pushing back against the installation of the meters, citing the supposed health risks of radio frequency (RF) energy that is emitted by all electronic devices, including wireless devices like smart meters. Electric customers and advocacy groups opposed to smart meters have said that the devices are inherently dangerous to customers’ health. They cite supposed health risks associated with all RF-emitting devices, such as cancer, and describe symptoms that some customers have reportedly said resulted from installation of smart meters, such as headaches, heart palpitations and sleep disturbances. However, utility officials, smart meter manufacturers and proponents of the technology point out that people are exposed daily to RF energy, including low levels of naturally-occurring RF energy produced by the earth and the human body, as well as RF energy from common man-made electronic devices like cell phones and microwave ovens. Smart meter supporters also claim that everyday electronic devices typically produce far higher levels of RF energy during longer periods of exposure than smart meters. In short, they say smart meters are safer than other electronic devices that most people use every day. So which is it? Are smart meters dangerous or are they safe? While the real question may concern the safety of wireless electronic devices in general, here are several facts about smart meter safety. Smart Meters Are Tightly Regulated by the Federal Government The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), as required by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, evaluates the effects of RF emissions from electronic devices and regulates the amount of RF energy that electronic devices — including cell phones, microwaves and smart meters — are allowed to emit. Over the years, the FCC has taken recommendations from organizations such as the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc. (IEEE) and the National Council on Radiation Protection and Management (NCRP) regarding human exposure to RF energy. Like all other communication devices, smart meters, and the amount of RF energy they are allowed to emit, are tightly regulated by the FCC. Smart Meters Produce Very Low Levels of RF Energy The amount of RF energy emitted by an electronic device is defined by its power density, which is measured in watts per square meter (W/m²) over a certain distance. According to the Public Utility Commission of Texas, smart meters produce far lower levels of RF energy than many other common household electronic devices, like 16 times less RF energy than a baby monitor and over 4,300 times less than a typical cell phone: Device Power Density Typical Exposure Duration Bluetooth USB Dongle 0.042 W/m² at 4 inches Less than 1 minute Baby Monitor 0.029 W/m² at 3 feet 8 hours Cordless Phone Base 0.052 W/m² at 3 feet 1–30 minutes Microwave Oven 0.0043 W/m² at 3 feet 10–60 minutes Smart Meter 0.0018 W/m² at 10 feet 1–2 seconds Smart Meters Do Not Continuously Emit RF Energy Smart meters do not continuously produce a wireless signal or emit RF energy. Instead, they relay information back to a utility once every 15 minutes throughout the day. The actual signal only takes from one to two seconds to send and, according to a study by the Electric Power Research Institute, generates less than 1 percent of the FCC’s daily safe RF energy exposure limit. FCC: No Scientific Evidence Connects RF Energy With Illnesses According to the FCC, “some health and safety interest groups have interpreted certain reports to suggest that wireless device use may be linked to cancer and other illnesses.” However, “currently no scientific evidence establishes a causal link between wireless device use and cancer or other illnesses.” Sources “ Smart Meter Opponents Look to Legislation and Regulation ,” San Anselmo–Fairfax Patch, Nov. 1, 2011. “ Study: Smart Meter Radio Frequency Emissions Low ,” CNET, Feb. 22, 2011. Federal Communications Commission, “ Wireless Devices and Health Concerns .” Federal Communications Commission, Office of Engineering and Technology, “ Radio Frequency Safety .” Federal Communications Commission, Office of Engineering and Technology, “ FCC Policy on Human Exposure to Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields .” Public Utility Commission of Texas, “ Smart Meter Safety .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/are-smart-meters-safe/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/are-smart-meters-safe/ Mon, 12 Dec 2011 11:05:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/best-energy-company-for-customer-service/ Spark Energy ranked among the best overall in customer satisfaction among Texas retail electric providers by J.D. Power and Associates in a study. The J.D. Power and Associates 2011 Texas Residential Retail Electric Provider Customer Satisfaction Study ranked electric providers in five individual categories, including price, billing and payment, communications, customer service and overall satisfaction. To rank the electric companies, J.D. Power used a 1000-point scale, called the Customer Satisfaction Index Rating, as well as a five-star scale, called the Power Circle Rating. Over 8,000 households were surveyed by the report. Spark Energy received 740 points in the Customer Satisfaction Index Rating, ranking among the best overall and just 5 points behind Champion Energy Services, which placed first. The average ranking for all retail electric providers in the industry was 659. The lowest was 629. Spark Energy also earned the study’s highest rating of five Power Circles in four out of the five individual categories, including price, communications, customer service and overall satisfaction. Spark Energy earned four out of five Power Circles in the billing and payment category. Of the 20 retail electric providers in the study, Spark Energy was one of just three to receive five Power Circles in four individual categories and the only provider to receive five Power Circles for both price and customer service. In fact, only one other provider was awarded five Power Circles for price and only one other provider was awarded five Power Circles for customer service. The study also found that overall satisfaction among residential electric customers of Texas retail electric providers has increased over the last few years. The industry average Customer Satisfaction Index Rating was up 25 points from 2010 and 30 points from 2009. Additionally, the study found that satisfaction with price improved most compared to the other categories, up 34 points from 2010. J.D. Power noted that the average customer-reported electric bill has declined steadily from $167 in 2009 to $156 in 2010 to $150 in 2011, which is attributed to falling natural gas prices. Customer Satisfaction and Smart Meters J.D. Power’s customer satisfaction study included two key findings about smart meters. First, the study found that almost a quarter (24 percent) of all Texas households have a smart meter installed at their home and that those who do are more satisfied than those who don’t. The study also found that customers with smart meters who registered them online at SmartMeterTexas.com to get detailed information on electricity use were substantially more satisfied than smart meter customers who failed to register. Tips for Shopping for a Retail Electric Provider According to J.D. Power, the customer satisfaction study revealed four tips that electric customers should use when shopping for a retail electric provider: Shop around and do your research before settling on a retail electric provider. Customers who considered more than one provider before making a decision were substantially more satisfied than those who considered just one provider. Consider a retail electric provider with good customer service. Customers who chose a provider based solely on low prices were less satisfied. The study found that customers who chose a provider based on customer service were substantially more satisfied than customers who made decisions based on price, reputation, past experience or recommendations from family or friends. Consider a fixed-rate plan. Customers who chose a fixed-price electricity plan, which guarantees a set rate for the length of the contract and offers protection from price swings in the market, were much more satisfied than customers who opted for variable pricing plans, which offer no such protections. Consider switching if you’re not happy. Among customers who rated their previous provider as “unacceptable” (one point on a 10-point scale) and switched to a new provider, satisfaction shot up to an average of 747 points, almost 90 points higher than the industry average. Sources “ 2011 Texas Residential Retail Electric Provider Customer Satisfaction Study ,” J.D. Power and Associates press release, Aug. 17, 2011. J.D. Power and Associates website, “ Texas Electric Retailer Ratings .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/best-energy-company-for-customer-service/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/best-energy-company-for-customer-service/ Fri, 09 Dec 2011 13:53:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/illinois-legislature-overrides-veto-of-smart-grid-law/ State legislators approved rate hikes for Illinois electric customers by overriding Gov. Pat Quinn’s veto of a “smart grid” bill that funds the utilities’ investments in the state’s aging electric grid. The override allows the state’s two largest public utilities, Commonwealth Edison Co. (ComEd) and Ameren Illinois (Ameren), to increase delivery rates to fund the upgrade of the grid without having to gain approval from the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC), which regulates the state’s electric and natural gas utilities. The Senate voted 36–19 and the House voted 74–42 to override Quinn’s veto. The veto-proof supermajorities can’t be overridden. The legislation will allow ComEd and Ameren to underwrite a planned $1.5 billion modernization of the state’s power grid, including the installation of “smart meters” in all homes and businesses in the utilities’ service territories. The utilities had faced opposition from Quinn, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and consumer groups in the state who criticized the bill for representing little more than a money grab for the utilities and their stakeholders. Quinn vetoed the $2.6 billion measure in September because it gave the electric utilities permission to raise electric rates by a guaranteed minimum of 2.5 percent each year for the next two years and lock in a 10.25 percent yearly profit rate, with no cap. The bill provided for only minimum annual rate increases over the next decade, not maximums, Quinn said. The bill was initially approved in May but failed to receive a veto-proof three-fifths majority in the Senate and the House. According to ComEd and Ameren, the improved electric grid funded by the legislation will mean no more meter readers, no more having to call the electric utility when the power goes out and, when the power does go out, outages will be more localized and shorter in duration. The statewide smart grid build out is scheduled to begin next year and take 10 years to complete. During that time, ComEd said it will charge its customers an additional $3 a month and Ameren said it will charge its customers an additional $3.40 a year. The rate increases will affect the delivery portion of utility customers’ bills, which means all electricity customers in the utilities’ service territories will have to pay the increased rates, regardless if they buy their electricity from the utilities or from an alternative electricity supplier . Customers can help offset the rate hikes by increasing their energy efficiency and shopping around for better electricity pricing plans from suppliers like Spark Energy. Sources “ Legislature Overrides Gov. Pat Quinn's Veto to Allow Smart Grid ,” Chicago Tribune , Oct. 27, 2011. “ Quinn Vetoes ComEd Rate Hike ,” Chicago Tribune , Sept. 12, 2011. “ House OKs ComEd Hikes, but Quinn Veto Possible ,” Chicago Sun-Times , May 31, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/illinois-legislature-overrides-veto-of-smart-grid-law/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/illinois-legislature-overrides-veto-of-smart-grid-law/ Thu, 08 Dec 2011 09:13:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/more-comed-customers-switching/ More than 150,000 residential customers of Illinois electric company Commonwealth Edison Co. (ComEd), the state’s largest public utility, have switched to alternative electric suppliers and no longer buy their electricity from their utility. According to the latest statistics from the Illinois Commerce Commission, the state’s public utility regulator, 158,511 residential customers in the ComEd service area had switched to a alternative electric supplier and completed at least one billing cycle as of Oct. 30. The number represented a sharp increase of more than 50,000 from the 104,984 that had switched from the utility at the end of September, during which nearly 24,000 ComEd electric customers switched to alternative suppliers. Almost twice as many ComEd customers switched to alternative suppliers during the two month period from September to October as had switched during the period since deregulation began until the end of August. Energy Choice Matters notes that the actual number of customers who have switched from ComEd is likely higher as the data did not count enrollments completed by Oct. 30 that had yet to be billed at least once. Sources “ ComEd Residential Migration Jumps by 50,000 in October ,” Energy Choice Matters, Nov. 16, 2011. “ Residential Customers Billed Under Competitive Supply Surpasses at 100,000 at ComEd ,” Energy Choice Matters, Oct. 26, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/more-comed-customers-switching/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/more-comed-customers-switching/ Tue, 06 Dec 2011 11:00:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/comed-la-grange-underground-cable-project/ Commonwealth Edison Co. (ComEd), Illinois’ largest public utility, announced that it will begin a project to improve electric reliability in the village of La Grange beginning Monday, December 5. ComEd received public criticism for power outages this past summer resulting from major storms that left some people without electricity for several days. The utility said that it will replace about 1,115 feet of underground cable on Edgewood Avenue between Birks Court and 51st Street. According to ComEd, the project is expected to take about a week to complete. During construction, the electric utility said that residents shouldn’t experience any power outages and that access to all driveways and roadways will be available. The underground cable replacement project is one of several reliability upgrades planned for La Grange. ComEd said that the underground cable project and future circuit upgrades will benefit about 366 electricity customers in La Grange. For more information about the underground cable replacement project, customers can call the Department of Public Work at 708.579.2328. Sources “ ComEd to Improve System Reliability in La Grange ,” La Grange Suburban Life , Nov. 30, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/comed-la-grange-underground-cable-project/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/comed-la-grange-underground-cable-project/ Mon, 05 Dec 2011 09:33:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/set-ceiling-fans-for-winter/ Many people know the trick to saving energy during the summer by running ceiling fans. It’s easy, just turn on the fans when you’re in the room and they’ll help cool you off by generating a wind chill effect around your body. The result is that you can raise your thermostat’s temperature and save money off monthly electric bills while maintaining your comfort. But what about using ceiling fans during the winter? Generating a wind chill effect is only going to make you colder. Thankfully, by performing one simple task and setting your ceiling fans to operate in reverse (clockwise), you can use them to help circulate the warm air in a room, save energy, and increase your comfort. Setting Ceiling Fans to Run Clockwise If your ceiling fan is capable of operating in reverse, it will have a small toggle switch on the side. Make sure your ceiling fan is off. Flip the switch and turn your ceiling fan back on. It should now be turning in the opposite direction. Instead of pushing air down and creating a wind chill effect, the fan’s blades should be forcing air up. This may sound like the wrong way to do things at first. After all, you want warm air to be forced down so that you’re more comfortable and your thermostat won’t be activated to run your heater as often. However, this is precisely what you want to happen. Ceiling Fantasia says it best: You want to run your ceiling fans in reverse. By running your ceiling fans in reverse, the hot air pooling at the top of the ceiling will be forced to the outer edges of your rooms and then be forced down along the walls to the floor. After the air hits the floor, it will travel toward the center of the room and then back up through the ceiling fan once again. This will help equalize the temperature of the entire room, saving you energy costs. Choosing the Right Ceiling Fan and Installing it Correctly If you don’t have ceiling fans in your home, installing some in the rooms you plan to spend the most time in can help you increase comfort and save money this winter. Here are some tips for choosing the right fan and installing it correctly: Ceiling fans only work well in rooms with ceilings at least 8 feet high When installed, fan blades should be 7–9 feet above the floor and 10–12 inches below the ceiling for best results Fan blades should be no closer than 8 inches from the ceiling and 18 inches from the walls You’ll need larger ceiling fans for larger rooms; fans with diameters of 36 inches to 44 inches are best for rooms up to 225 square feet, while fans with diameters of 52 inches or more are best for larger rooms Rooms longer than 18 feet benefit best from more than one ceiling fan Consider more expensive fans for quieter, smoother, more trouble-free operation Sources “ Ceiling Fans Save Energy Costs in the Winter ,” Ceiling Fantasia, May 1, 2008. U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, “ Ceiling Fans and Other Circulating Fans .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/set-ceiling-fans-for-winter/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/set-ceiling-fans-for-winter/ Fri, 02 Dec 2011 11:15:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/modern-home-electrical-outlets/ When people talk about saving energy at home, it’s often by replacing traditional incandescent light bulbs with energy-efficient CFL bulbs or by making sure to completely turn off devices that use energy even when they’re sleeping. But thanks to a new device, homeowners can save money on monthly bills by regulating the flow of electricity before it even makes its way into the cords that feed their electronic devices. The modlet, short for “modern outlet,” was created by ThinkEco, a New York City–based company that develops easy-to-use energy efficiency technologies. The unit automatically cuts power to plugged-in devices based on customizable schedules. Once a homeowner’s traditional electric outlets are upgraded with modlets, Web-based software allows users to create schedules to control the availability of electricity at each modlet. The software can turn the power to modlets on, shut it off, track energy savings, download data for further analysis and adjust power schedules from any Web browser or Web-connected mobile device, such as a smartphone or iPad. The company’s modlets have been available for commercial customers for a while, but were released for residential use for the first time Nov. 7. "The modlet is a long overdue upgrade to the standard wall socket," said Jun Shimada, CEO of ThinkEco, in a statement. "Think about it, our homes and everything inside have become technologically sophisticated over time, but the wall outlet has remained unchanged for over 80 years. As it is now, it's impossible to tell when energy is invisibly being wasted by plugged-in appliances, and there's no way to automatically curb the wasteful use." According to ThinkEco, modlets can be installed by homeowners in just minutes. All users have to do is to take the modlet out of the box and plug it into any standard outlet. Once installed, the software can be downloaded and set up in a few steps. In addition to its control features, the software that runs the modlets can recommend ways for homeowners to cut electricity use after monitoring the devices and users’ habits over a two week baseline period. Users can convert the software’s recommendations into actual savings at the click of a button and can incorporate pre-loaded energy-saving templates, such as the “federal holiday plan,” which lets users schedule their devices differently if they’re going to be at home during federal holidays. The UL-approved two-socket modlets also come with built in surge protection. Any number of modlets can be added to a home network and users can define an unlimited number of schedules. Source “ ThinkEco Modlet Starts Saving Money for Consumers ,” ThinkEco press release, Nov. 7, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/modern-home-electrical-outlets/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/december/modern-home-electrical-outlets/ Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:35:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/recommended-winter-thermostat-settings/ Setting your thermostat is a personal decision and is largely based on comfort. After all, you want to live in a house that is neither too warm nor too cold. However, setting your thermostat too high during the winter can cause you to spend a lot more on heating than you might prefer. Here are a few tips for setting your thermostat this winter so that you can save energy and save money off monthly utility bills while maintaining comfort in your home: While at home and awake, set your thermostat to 68°F. While not at home or while at home but sleeping, set your thermostat to 58°F or lower. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, turning your thermostat back 10°F–15°F for at least eight hours a day will allow your to save 10 percent to 15 percent off your heating bill, depending on your climate (harsh climates save less from setback than milder climates). Use a programmable thermostat and set it to automatically set the temperature to 68°F when you wake, 58°F or less when you leave for work, 68°F when you return home from work and 58°F or less when you go to bed. If you follow the Energy Department’s setback guidelines you’ll save about two percent on your energy bills this winter for every degree of setback. Sources U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, “ Thermostats and Control Systems .” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ENERGY STAR, “ Frequent Questions: Heating and Cooling .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/recommended-winter-thermostat-settings/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/recommended-winter-thermostat-settings/ Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:13:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/con-ed-electricity-natural-gas-contact-numbers/ Con Edison (Con Ed) delivers electricity and natural gas to millions of customers in New York. If you are in Con Ed’s service territory, you may want to know how to contact Con Ed if you have problems with your electricity or gas service when the snow hits. Here is some information on how to contact the utility to report emergencies and outages this winter or to ask questions regarding your Con Ed service or bill. Gas Emergencies If you smell gas or think there may be a gas leak, leave the premises immediately and take others with you. If the odor is faint, open windows before you leave. Once outside, continue moving away from the premises until you can no longer smell gas and make sure not to do anything that could create a spark that could cause an explosion, such as lighting a match, turning on a car or ringing a door bell. Once you have followed these directions, call Con Ed at 800.75.CONED (800.752.-6633). National Grid customers should call .718.643.4050. Electrical Emergencies For electrical emergencies, such as fallen wires: 800.75.CONED (800.752.6633) or https://apps1.coned.com/csol/reportoutage.asp Electric Service Problems For electric service problems, such as outages: https://apps1.coned.com/csol/reportoutage.asp Customer Service Questions If you’re a Spark Energy customer and you have a question about your gas or electric rate plan or renewal options, call us at 877.547.7275. However, if you have other questions or concerns about your Con Ed bill: 800.75.CONED (800.752.6633). Have your account number available when you call. Telecommunications for the Deaf Hearing impaired customers may contact Con Ed directly through its TDD/TTY service: 800.642.2308. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/con-ed-electricity-natural-gas-contact-numbers/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/con-ed-electricity-natural-gas-contact-numbers/ Tue, 29 Nov 2011 13:06:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/philadelphia-public-ev-charging-stations/ Philadelphia electric vehicle owners who work and play near the Philadelphia Convention Center now have access to the region’s very first charging stations to be installed in a public garage. Parametric Associates LLC announced the installation of eight 2-plug EV charging stations in its public Convention Center Garage, located at the corner of 11th Street and Arch Street. The garage is near the Reading Terminal Market, The Gallery Shopping Mall and the Market Street Commercial District. The garage also serves guests of the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel. The stations will be able to charge up to 16 electric vehicles at the same time. While plug-in auto manufacturers claim that most EVs can travel 50–150 miles before needing to be recharged, Parametric hopes that the quick-charging stations will alleviate “range anxiety” that Philadelphians may have when it comes to driving their electric cars around town. Josephine Wang, executive vice president of Switzenbaum & Associates, an affiliate of Parametric Associates, said the company “put the cart before the horse” in its decision to offer the charging stations before the widespread adoption of electric vehicles because it wanted to offer convenient, secure 24/7 access to chargers. However, with an increase in the pre-orders of electric vehicles in the United States this year, Wang said the company’s quick-charging stations at the Convention Center Garage has laid the foundation for serving electric vehicle owners in the future and that the company expects to install additional quick-charging stations as the market demands. Are you an EV owner living or working in Philadelphia? Will you be using the new charging stations? Share some tips for getting around town in an electric vehicle. Source “ Electric Car Charging Stations Installed at Pennsylvania Convention Center Parking Lot ,” CityBizList, Oct. 18, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/philadelphia-public-ev-charging-stations/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/philadelphia-public-ev-charging-stations/ Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:24:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/save-energy-this-thanksgiving/ Thanksgiving is often a time for family and friends to gather around a packed dinner table and enjoy a great meal, laugh, reminisce and probably eat way too much. While a lot of fun, a Thanksgiving feast can take you hours to cook in ovens and on stovetops and that means you’ll be using a lot of energy. However, you may not have to use as much energy as you think. Here are 10 easy things you can do to save energy and cut energy costs this Thanksgiving. 1. Make sure your refrigerator seals well You’re probably going to be opening and closing your refrigerator a lot this Thanksgiving as you and guests grab food and drinks. To help save energy, make sure your refrigerator maintains a good seal when it’s closed. Before guests arrive, check your door gaskets to make sure they seal tightly. Place a dollar bill against the frame of the refrigerator and close the door. If you’re able to pull the dollar bill out with a gentle tug or the bill comes out on its own, you need to adjust your door or replace the door gaskets. For more information, check your refrigerator’s owners manual or visit the manufacturer’s website. 2. Set your home’s thermostat appropriately If you’re having a large group of people over, make sure to adjust the thermostat before guests arrive. If it’s cold outside, lower the thermostat a degree or two. The body heat from guests, as well as the heat from all that cooking, will raise your home’s temperature without you having to run your furnace. 3. Bring temperatures up quickly when cooking To save energy when cooking liquids like sauces and gravy, you should bring temperatures up as quickly as possible. Consider cooking on high heat until liquids start to boil and then reducing the heat to a simmer until your food is fully cooked. 4. Use a timer to preheat your oven Many ovens today beep or buzz or otherwise automatically notify you when they’re preheated. If your oven doesn’t, make sure to set a timer so you don’t use more energy than you need to. It usually only takes about five to eight minutes to preheat an oven. And remember, you don’t need to preheat your oven if you’re broiling or roasting foods. 5. Use an electric oven more efficiently by cooking more at once You’re probably going to be using your electric oven a lot this Thanksgiving. To save as much energy as possible, cook as many foods as you can at one time. As long as the temperature you need to cook the various foods at varies by no more than 25 degrees, you’ll be fine. Make sure you have multiple timers that you can set for each food item so you don’t undercook or overcook anything. 6. Cook with a microwave whenever possible Since microwave ovens use less than half as much energy as regular ovens and cook for a shorter period of time, you should consider using your microwave as often as possible this Thanksgiving. An item that needs to cook an hour at 350 degrees in a regular oven will take only 15 minutes at the high setting in a microwave. While it’s true that some foods will turn out better if cooked in a regular oven, for other foods it may not make a difference. And microwave ovens make heating leftovers much more quick and easy than regular ovens. 7. Cook more efficiently by using lids When cooking with pots and pans, make sure to use lids whenever possible to retain heat. Doing so will allow you to save energy by cooking on lower heat settings over shorter cooking times. 8. Allow foods to cool before refrigerating Although you may have heard that allowing hot foods to cool before placing them in the refrigerator for storage helps maintain the freshness of the food, the real reason for the advice is to lighten the cooling load on your refrigerator and save energy. 9. Avoid storing leftovers in a refrigerator in the garage While convenient, storing leftovers in a second refrigerator in your garage is a big-time energy waster. During the winter months, frozen foods may actually melt if the temperature sensor in the refrigerator fails to activate the compressor because the temperature in your garage is lower than 32 degrees. And, if you operate your garage refrigerator year-round, the refrigerator has to work extra hard during the summer months to keep food cold, as temperatures in your garage might easily exceed 100 degrees. If you want to use a second refrigerator for storage, consider placing it in your basement or other insulated area of the home to save energy. 10. Schedule your oven’s self-clean feature When all of your Thanksgiving cooking is done, make sure to use your oven’s self-cleaning feature only if you need some major cleaning, as the feature uses a lot of energy. If you decide to use the self-clean feature, do so while the oven is still hot or wait until late evening when electricity use is lowest. Have some tips of your own? Let us know how you manage to save energy at Thanksgiving. Sources “ 10 Simple Tips for an Energy-Efficient Thanksgiving ,” Edison Electric Institute, Nov. 23, 2010. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/save-energy-this-thanksgiving/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/save-energy-this-thanksgiving/ Thu, 24 Nov 2011 13:12:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/ohio-electric-customers-are-saving-money-as-a-result-of-deregulation/ Spark Energy recently launched natural gas service in the Dominion East Ohio and Columbia Gas areas of Ohio, and is naturally interested in the health of both natural gas and electricity competition in the state. In October, testimony sponsored by FirstEnergy was received by members of the Ohio House of Representatives’ Public Utility Committee showing that the deregulation of electricity markets in Ohio was a success and that customers have been able to save money off monthly utility bills as a result of competition among electricity suppliers. According to the testimony, when the state deregulated electricity and established competitive electricity markets under Senate Bill 3 a decade ago, it created an effective structure for ensuring customers have access to lower electricity prices. The testimony also concluded that, “Competitive markets deliver the lowest prices over the long term to customers, and the proof is undeniable. Right now, more than 2.3 million Ohioans — including more than 200,000 businesses — are saving money as a result of competition in the wholesale and retail markets.” Given the advantages of energy competition already realized by residents and businesses, the Committee was urged to keep competition fair and open, and cautioned against adopting measures that would restrict customers’ power to choose electricity suppliers, subsidize preferred electricity generators, or unfairly favor one electricity provider over another. Such changes could undo the benefits competition has created and drive electricity prices higher for certain customers. As an Ohioan, what has your experience been with energy competition – electricity or natural gas? Have you switched to an alternative supplier – why or why not? Sources “ FirstEnergy Executive Testifies on Success of Competitive Electricity Markets Before Ohio House Committee ,” Alaska Dispatch, Oct. 19, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/ohio-electric-customers-are-saving-money-as-a-result-of-deregulation/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/ohio-electric-customers-are-saving-money-as-a-result-of-deregulation/ Wed, 23 Nov 2011 17:53:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/connecticut-electric-vehicle-owners-get-new-charging-stations-in-stamford/ Connecticut electric vehicle owners will get three new charging stations in Stamford this December under a Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P) pilot program. The new 240-volt charging stations, which will cost about $3,000 each to install, will be located at the Government Center and in both the Summer Street and Bell Street garages. The Stamford charging stations are part of a statewide program by CL&P to promote the use of electric vehicles and to study how Connecticut electric vehicle owners use the stations. Overall, CL&P will install about 30 charging stations across the state. Other towns participating in the program include Westport, Torrington, West Hartford and Mansfield. The stations initially will be free but eventually will be switched to a fee system that might use a smartphone application to make payments. The utility estimates that the rates will average about $3 for every two hours of charging. As fully electric vehicles like the Nissan Leaf and hybrid electric vehicles like the Chevy Volt enter the market in Connecticut, CL&P, the state’s largest public utility, says its pilot program will help prepare for the arrival of the vehicles and help address concerns among current and prospective electric vehicle owners that they aren’t enough charging stations in Connecticut. Connecticut electric vehicle owners may obtain a full list of charging stations at www.plugmyride.org . Has an electric vehicle charging station gone up near where you work or live? Tell us how it’s working for you. Sources “ Stamford Getting Three New Vehicle Charging Stations ,” Stamford Patch, Oct. 19, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/connecticut-electric-vehicle-owners-get-new-charging-stations-in-stamford/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/connecticut-electric-vehicle-owners-get-new-charging-stations-in-stamford/ Mon, 21 Nov 2011 13:25:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/5-tips-on-how-to-shop-for-a-new-energy-efficient-tv/ The world of energy-efficient TV shopping can sometimes be confusing. There are LCD TVs, LED-backlit and LED-sidelit LCD TVs and plasma TVs. And, depending on the technology, a larger set might use less electricity than a smaller one. Here are five tips for understanding TV technology and energy efficiency so that you can walk out of the store with the set that’s right for you. 1. Size matters, but not as much as you might think The simple fact is that bigger TVs use more power. But go small to try and save money off your monthly electric bill and you’ll encounter the law of diminishing returns. While a 32-inch LCD TV uses about half as much power as a 52-inch LCD TV, the 52-inch TV will give you three times the screen size. In reality, the payoff for going down in size tapers off the smaller the screen gets. 2. TV technology can make a big difference when it comes to energy consumption Plasma screen TVs are in some ways superior to LCD TVs, especially when it comes to displaying action scenes and sports without the picture artifacts that bother enthusiasts. But plasma TVs are more expensive and they use more energy. When compared to LCD TVs, Plasma TVs use about two to three times more electricity to produce an image of the same brightness. If you want the greatest energy efficiency, check out LED-backlit or LED-sidelit LCD TVs. Just don’t expect a windfall. Annual savings between an LCD TV and a LED LCD TV usually amount to less than $20. 3. Customize energy efficiency yourself by changing picture settings While it’s true that the energy efficiency of TVs off the shelf can vary, keep in mind that you can further increase the energy efficiency of a TV once you get it home and get it set up. By adjusting the contrast and brightness settings on your TV, you can significantly decrease the amount of power it uses. Most TVs have a contrast setting, also referred to as picture, and all new TVs have either a backlight setting (LCD TVs) or a cell light setting (plasma TVs). Dimming the contrast and backlight or cell light settings can cut your TV’s power use by as much as half. Just don’t overdo it or picture quality will start to suffer. Many TVs have several energy-saving modes that will automatically adjust brightness and contrast. Some TVs can even turn on an energy saver mode and dim the brightness and contrast in response to the environment, such as when you turn off the lights to watch a movie. Some automatic or preset energy-saving modes can be distracting or can make images too dim, so be prepared to manually customize a few settings for the best results. 4. You don’t have to worry about energy vampires with a new TV There are lots of electronic gadgets in homes these days that stay plugged in all the time — from computers to DVRs to coffee makers — and many of them continuously use electricity when they’re in standby mode waiting to receive a signal from a remote control, record a favorite show or brew a pot of coffee at a certain time. Fortunately, you don’t have to worry about leaving new TVs plugged in all the time anymore. In general, new models consume less than 1 watt of power in standby mode, which equates to about a dollar a year on your electric bill. 5. Always read the EnergyGuide label All new TVs manufactured after May 10, 2011 are required to display EnergyGuide labels to help give consumers more information about energy consumption. The familiar yellow labels have appeared on home appliances such as washing machines and refrigerators for a while and they’re now on TVs, too. If you shop for TVs online, websites are required to post an image of the label. The part of the label that you should check out is the Estimated Yearly Energy Cost, which lets you know about how much the TV set will cost to operate over the course of a year and compares that cost to similar TV models. Armed with these five tips, you should be able to better fight your way through the sometimes confusing world of TV shopping and escape with a set that is not only bigger and better but also more energy efficient than your old model. Have another idea that can help when it comes to shopping for a new TV? Let us hear it. Sources “ Starting in 2011, FTC Will Require EnergyGuide Labels for Televisions ,” Federal Trade Commission press release, Oct. 27, 2010. CNET, “ The Basics of TV Power .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/5-tips-on-how-to-shop-for-a-new-energy-efficient-tv/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/5-tips-on-how-to-shop-for-a-new-energy-efficient-tv/ Fri, 18 Nov 2011 13:12:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/energy-efficient-nyc-public-schools-save-millions/ At least one public school district in New York City already has a simple plan for fighting high energy costs this fall. As its first line of defense against high energy bills, Mount Sinai School District on Long Island says it leaves simple yellow Post-it notes with the message “When not in use, turn off the juice” on classroom computers, printers and air conditioners. The district says the tactic saves them $350,000 annually on utility bills. The district appointed assistant high school principal Chris Heil to police hallways and classrooms to root out energy waste one offender at a time. Heil inspects 100 classrooms a day and uses the Post-it note “tickets” as a way to change teacher behavior and encourage compliance with district energy policy. Heil sometimes shows up at 4 a.m. to make sure custodial staff turned off the lights and goes through storage closets to locate switches that shut down rooftop exhaust fans that run continuously. According to Heil, that single-minded attention to efficiency has cut the district’s utility costs 30 percent since 2007. But Mount Sinai isn’t the only school district in New York City that has embraced energy efficiency to save money off monthly bills . In fact, energy consumption by the city’s 1,245 school buildings has decreased by 11 percent since 2008, spurred by soaring energy costs, tighter budgets and the desire to practice the environmentally friendly principals that they teach their students. In Yonkers, energy efficiency policies have provided dramatic relief from shrinking budgets. By working with its schools to save energy, the Westchester County School District was able to finance $18 million in new boilers, windows and other capital improvements that it wouldn’t have otherwise been able to afford. At Lincoln High School, its 60-year-old boilers had been burning 137,500 gallons of heating oil a year. The new, more efficient boilers burn just 80,000 gallons. The city is also providing some incentives. Mayor Michael Bloomberg awarded $100,000 to schools that voluntarily cut their energy use during a month-long competition in May. The competition was part of the administration’s campaign to reduce the municipal government’s energy use and carbon emissions by 30 percent by 2017. With the help of energy consultants, New York City school officials are evaluating every detail of their operations, including things like regulating the temperature of swimming pools to replacing inefficient cafeteria ovens with energy efficient models. On Long Island, for example, 60 of the 125 districts have committed to reducing energy use by 20 percent to 40 percent annually. The push for energy efficiency is so extensive that energy consultants Johnson Controls, Trane and Energy Education reported that their school business had grown at least a third since 2006. The energy efficiency drive by New York City school districts has also spread next door to New Jersey. Since 2009, the schools in Holmdel Township have decreased their electric and gas bills by half to about $1 million annually, representing a savings of 3.5 million kilowatts and 240,000 therms. William Balicki, Holmdel’s energy manager, said he was able to achieve such savings by strictly regulating thermostats and installing automatic timers on outdoor lights in school parking lots and district bus yards that had previously stayed on long after drivers left. Although Balicki considered installing motion sensors on classroom lights, he opted instead for $75 worth of stickers that he could post above light switches to remind teachers to turn them off. To people like Heil and Balicki, who are on the front lines of the energy efficiency crusade, Post-it notes and stickers go a long way to preventing energy waste. They see people’s behavior as the root cause of energy inefficiency and, therefore, people must be the ones responsible for fixing the problem. “Anytime we can ask people to physically [save energy], we do,” Balicki said. “This is pretty much a people-based program. It’s changing behavior.” Sources “ With Post-Its and Checklists, Schools Cut Their Energy Bills ,” The New York Times , Aug. 14, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/energy-efficient-nyc-public-schools-save-millions/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/energy-efficient-nyc-public-schools-save-millions/ Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:25:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/ohio-puco-winter-reconnect-order/ If you live in Ohio, your electricity and natural gas are each delivered by one of several Ohio energy utilities. All the public utilities in the state are regulated by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO). The PUCO ensures adequate availability of safe and reliable electric and natural gas service and regulates things such as rates and terms of service for utilities. What is the Winter Reconnect Order? As part of its duties, the PUCO issues the Winter Reconnect Order on an annual basis to all Ohio electric and natural gas utilities. The order provides a measure of protection for residential customers who have been disconnected from their electric or natural gas service or are being threatened with disconnection during the heating season. The order allows customers to pay a designated amount to keep their service from being disconnected or to restore their service in cases where it has been disconnected. When is the Winter Reconnect Order in effect? The Winter Reconnect Order is in effect during the heating season, which lasts from mid-October through mid-April. How many times can I use the Winter Reconnect Order? Electric and natural gas customers are allowed to use the Winter Reconnect Order to maintain or restore electric or natural gas service once during each heating season. The PUCO does not provide additional protections for maintaining or restoring utility service beyond the first use of the Winter Reconnect Order in a given heating season. How much does the Winter Reconnect Order cost? For maintaining utility service — To use the Winter Reconnect Order to maintain utility service, residential customers are required to pay a maximum of $175, which is credited to outstanding balances. For restoring utility service — If utility service has already been disconnected, residential customers can restore service by paying a maximum of $175, which is credited to outstanding balances, and possibly a reconnection fee of no more than $36, if the PUCO has authorized a utility to charge a reconnection fee. For requesting new utility service — For residential customers requesting new electric or natural gas service, and who have no previous balance with their utility, service may be established under the Winter Reconnect Order by paying $175 rather than paying the required security deposit. The remaining balance of the security deposit will then be added to the following month’s bill. Percentage of Income Payment Plan Plus (PIPP Plus) customers — If a customer is on the PIPP Plus plan, or wishes to enroll, the customer is responsible for making an additional $50 payment if they owe the utility more than $175. Who is eligible for protection under the Winter Reconnect Order? Every Ohio electric and natural gas residential customer is eligible to use the Winter Reconnect Order, regardless of income. For customers with multiple properties, the order may only be used at the property where the customer resides. How do I sign up for the Winter Reconnect Order? To use the Winter Reconnect Order, contact your utility and follow its procedures. You may use your address to search for your utilities and their contact information here . Sources Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, “ Winter Reconnect Order: Maintain Electric and Natural Gas Service .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/ohio-puco-winter-reconnect-order/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/ohio-puco-winter-reconnect-order/ Mon, 14 Nov 2011 14:34:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/saluting-our-veterans-–-all-year-long/ Veterans Day is a day set aside for remembering the incredible sacrifices that members of our armed services have made throughout the history of America.  We salute the brave men and women that have kept us safe from the Revolutionary War and World War II to Iraq and Afghanistan and everything in between.  All Americans are eternally in their debt.  While we can never repay the sacrifices they have made, we can give them a hand once they’ve returned from defending our freedom.  That’s why Spark Energy has partnered with Helping a Hero , an organization that helps veterans transition back to civilian life.  We’re proud to be a leading supporter of Helping a Hero in a variety of ways, from donating free electricity to veterans to helping build homes for injured veterans. Wounded, Returning Soldier Gets Free House: MyFoxHOUSTON.com Click here to donate to this fine organization.  In addition, consider our Power for Heroes plan .  For every person who signs up for this plan, we will make a donation to Helping a Hero. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/saluting-our-veterans-–-all-year-long/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/saluting-our-veterans-–-all-year-long/ Fri, 11 Nov 2011 16:46:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/natural-gas-futures-climbing-ahead-of-winter/ Natural gas futures continued their steady climb from year-low prices in October during trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, where natural gas for November delivery increased 6.9 cents, or 2 percent, to $3.6000 a million British thermal units. Analysts attribute rising gas futures to the anticipation of rising demand this winter. Futures prices were recently down 28 percent from the 2011 calendar high but market watchers say the price has bottomed out and that a bump should be expected, despite a recent U.S. Department of Energy report that found natural gas inventories to be much higher than expected. Analysts say that, regardless of inventory storage, the coming winter months should drive prices higher. Consensus is building among market watchers that traders shorted the market — when futures prices dove 3.5 percent — in anticipation of a bearish report a day before it was released. Once the numbers were published, insiders say, a second wave of selling hit the market and forced prices down. Analysts say that futures prices will continue to rise and that the time for shorting the market may be over. “The downside could be running out of steam,” TD Securities said. Sources “ US GAS: Gas Futures Continue Recovery From 2011 Lows ,” The Wall Street Journal , Oct. 14, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/natural-gas-futures-climbing-ahead-of-winter/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/natural-gas-futures-climbing-ahead-of-winter/ Thu, 10 Nov 2011 11:18:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/save-money-on-electricity-by-switching-from-com-ed/ Electric customers looking to save money should consider switching from Commonwealth Edison Co. (ComEd) to an alternative electric supplier . Being well-informed is the key to knowing if switching is the right choice. Insiders say opportunities for savings exist in Illinois’ competitive electricity market, which allows consumers to leave their electric utility and shop around for the best deal on power for their homes and businesses. However, those same insiders say that the state’s electric customers are still largely confused and unsure about what a competitor will provide versus ComEd, how reliable the alternative electric supplier will be and how to find out if switching to a new electric company will be a good deal or not. The only way to answer those questions, consumer advocates say, is for electric customers to do their homework. Switching Electric Companies Won’t Affect Your Electricity Service The first thing electric customers need to realize is that no matter who supplies them with electricity, ComEd will still own and maintain all the poles, wires and other equipment used to deliver electricity to their homes or businesses. Whether customers stay with ComEd or switch to an alternative electric supplier, ComEd will still be responsible for responding to power outages and for servicing equipment when it becomes damaged or needs to be replaced or upgraded. Simply put, switching to an alternative electric supplier won’t make a bit of difference when it comes to the delivery of electricity. And, contrary to what some electric customers think, ComEd won’t punish customers if they buy their electricity somewhere else. Switching Electric Companies Could Be a Good Deal Robyn Ziegler, spokeswoman for the Illinois attorney general, told the Daily Herald that consumers thinking about switching should compare the price of electricity offered by ComEd, which is regulated by the Illinois Commerce Commission, with prices offered by alternative electric suppliers. “The bill that consumers receive from [ComEd] provides information regarding the historic usage and the current price, which can be used for that comparison,” Ziegler said. “Sometimes it is not really an apples-to-apples comparison, depending on the terms of the contract.” The terms of an alternative supplier’s contract can be a big factor in determining whether it’s a good deal to switch. For example, some contracts offer fixed electricity pricing while others offer variable pricing. With a fixed contract, you’ll be protected from price fluctuations in the market. You’ll pay the same rate for electricity each month, regardless of what happens to the price of electricity. Consumers should also pay attention to other provisions in contracts with alternative electric suppliers, including potential contract cancellation fees and fees that are levied on customers who fail to use a certain amount of electricity each month. Sources “ Does it Pay to Switch from ComEd ?” Daily Herald , June 6, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/save-money-on-electricity-by-switching-from-com-ed/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/save-money-on-electricity-by-switching-from-com-ed/ Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:03:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/spark-energy-supports-joliet-il-charter-school/ Spark Energy supports the communities where we do business.  We recently donated some needed musical instruments to a Chicago charter school.  We had so much fun that we decided to do it again.  So we visited Woodland Elementary School in Joliet, a Chicago suburb, to donate exercise equipment that had been requested on www.iloveschools.com . http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/spark-energy-supports-joliet-il-charter-school/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/spark-energy-supports-joliet-il-charter-school/ Mon, 07 Nov 2011 15:54:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/natural-gas-hydrofracking-regulations-proposed-for-marcellus-shale/ Shale natural gas drilling uses a controversial extraction method known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, to get at massive stores of natural gas. Fracking can offer huge economic benefits and help the U.S. meet its future energy goals but has been criticized for potentially producing severe public health risks. On Monday, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett announced his plan for resolving the risks and rewards of shale natural gas drilling in his state. Corbett’s proposal calls for drilling companies to pay a per-well fee of $40,000 to help recoup costs associated with drilling, offset the wear and tear on transportation infrastructure caused by the drilling industry and fund enforcement of tougher state environmental standards by individual counties that will hold drilling companies accountable for environmental damage. Corbett’s proposal was highly anticipated in Pennsylvania, where fracking is a hot topic. The state sits on the Marcellus Shale, the nation’s largest gas reserve. While expanding drilling at the shale could help provide an economic boost to the state’s sagging economy, residents, environmentalists and lawmakers are concerned about the negative effects that unregulated drilling may have on public health and infrastructure, such as roads and bridges. “Affordable, reliable energy allows companies to grow,” Corbett said at a recent event in Pittsburgh, “but how do we get there? We have to make sure that we do this right, from the very beginning.” Lawmakers Disagree About Who Should Benefit from Shale Drilling Regulations Corbett said his plan provides the “smart, sound, evenhanded, level-playing-field regulation and legislation” necessary to achieve a balance between business interests and consumer protections with regard to shale natural gas drilling in Pennsylvania. Corbett’s plan allows counties to set a fee of no more than $40,000 per well that would be reduced over time until, after 10 years, it would be eliminated. Three-quarters of the money would remain in the counties where the wells are drilled and go towards industry regulation, infrastructure improvements and social services such as affordable housing. The remaining money would fund state programs, such as gas-related environmental protection, infrastructure improvements, heath studies related to drilling, pipeline safety and emergency response. According to Corbett, his plan would generate $120 million in the first year and could increase to $195 million within six years as more wells are drilled. However, Senate Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, a Republican from Jefferson, said the proposal would unlikely be approved in its current form because it too narrowly benefitted the roughly 40 counties were shale natural gas drilling occurs. Scarnati has pushed his own legislative proposal that calls for an impact fee that not only assists communities affected by drilling but also funds related environmental programs on a statewide level rather than through the efforts of individual counties. Scarnati has estimated that his plan would generate $200 million a year for the state starting as early as 2012. Lawmakers and Environmental Advocates Say Regulations Don’t Go Far Enough Doug Hill, executive director of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania, said he was pleased that Corbett’s plan would reimburse counties for the activities of drilling companies. However, Hill expressed concerns that the plan would place undue administrative burdens on counties responsible for collecting and distributing the fee revenue while creating potential “border wars” between counties that assessed a per-well fee and those that did not. Other lawmakers say Corbett’s proposal doesn’t go far enough. Former Gov. Ed Rendell said the fees levied against drilling companies wouldn’t generate enough revenue to take care of the counties and help the environment. Meanwhile, some Republican lawmakers, complaining that Corbett’s plan doesn’t go far enough, are proposing an outright shale tax. Rep. Gene DiGirolamo and House Rep. Tom Murt, both Republicans, have introduced a bill that would impose a 4.9 percent extraction tax on drillers that’s estimated to generate as much as $562 million. For their part, environmentalists have a mixed view of Corbett’s proposal. Activists claim that the plan does a good job of increasing setbacks for wells near water supplies, setting aside funds for plugging abandoned wells and doubling civil penalties against companies that break the law, but doesn’t provide the money needed to offset the damage that fracking does to the environment. According to Maya van Rossum, head of the Delaware Riverkeeper Network, Corbett’s impact fee represents a “drop in the bucket.” The Marcellus Shale Coalition, an organization that represents 244 gas companies, said Corbett’s plan would allow the fast-growing shale drilling industry to flourish. Coalition president Katherine Klaber said it would allow Pennsylvanians to reap the “countless benefits” of shale drilling, including lower energy costs, economic revival and the “environmental advantages of increased natural gas use.” Sources “ Corbett Offers Fee Proposal for Gas Drilling ,” The Philadelphia Inquirer , Oct. 4, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/natural-gas-hydrofracking-regulations-proposed-for-marcellus-shale/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/natural-gas-hydrofracking-regulations-proposed-for-marcellus-shale/ Mon, 07 Nov 2011 15:35:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/northeast-electrical-outages-continue/ Three-quarters of a million people across the Northeast still have no power as the result of an unprecedented October storm that dumped record amounts of snow and caused massive outages from Pennsylvania to New Hampshire. More than 2.3 million electric customers had no electricity on Oct. 30. Nine deaths were attributed to the storm in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Connecticut. Massachusetts and Connecticut were among the hardest-hit states. Plainfield, Mass., recorded 27 inches of snow while Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Conn., recorded more than 12 inches of snow. According to the state’s weather service, the previous record in Connecticut was a tenth of an inch, in 2000. CL&P posted a dire update on its Twitter feed after the storm hit: “Unprecedented damage from this storm. Please prepare for worst case scenario — a week or more without power.” “It’s a pretty difficult situation in Connecticut right now; we have more power outages than at any time in our history,” Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said in an interview with The New York Times on Sunday following a briefing on the storm’s damage. “A large percentage of the trees had extensive foliage; that’s what brought these trees down. A snowfall of anywhere from 2 to 18 inches in the middle of the winter would not produce the kind of damage that this storm is producing.” The situation had improved by Thursday, when the number of residents in the Northeast without power fell to 750,000, including 144,000 in Massachusetts, 74,000 in New Jersey, 65,000 in Pennsylvania, 36,000 in New Hampshire and 17,000 in New York. About 427,000 electric customers in Connecticut, about 34 percent of the state, remained without power Thursday as electric utilities struggled to repair massive damage. Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P), one of the state’s largest utilities, estimated that restoration to its customers would be complete by Sunday night, more than a week after the storm shut down power to nearly a million residents. In Massachusetts, state Attorney General Martha Coakley said her office had received “a variety of complaints” over the power restoration process. Coakley said she intends to launch an investigation into public utilities’ response to the storm. A previous investigation by Coakley into a December 2010 storm led to a $2 million settlement with National Grid and a probe into how utilities prepared and responded to Tropical Storm Irene. Sources “ Power Outages Plague Northeast Residents ,” Reuters, Nov. 3, 2011. “ Storm Leaves More Than 2 Million Without Power ,” The New York Times , Oct. 30, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/northeast-electrical-outages-continue/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/northeast-electrical-outages-continue/ Fri, 04 Nov 2011 16:35:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/pennsylvania-electric-utilities-to-consider-longer-term-fixed-rate-under-new-puc-tentative-order/ In Pennsylvania, the state’s Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is reconsidering how electric default service rates for residential and small commercial customers are adjusted. Under current PUC guidelines, electric utilities such as PECO and PPL, which are known in the state as electric distribution companies (EDCs), adjust their default electricity rate quarterly, or once every three months. Under the tentative order from the PUC, EDCs would be required to adjust their default rate semi-annually, or once every six months. The PUC’s tentative order, based on recommendations from the Commission’s investigation of the state’s retail market, is subject to a public comment period before final language is adopted. According to the tentative order, the PUC is weighing the benefits of six-month electricity rate and reconciliation adjustments versus three month adjustments. The PUC’s tentative order is seeking comment on a series of recommendations that would go into effect June 1, 2013, when the EDCs’ next default service plans begin, which seek to align changes in retail market design with default service plans offered by EDCs. Recommendations include filing default service plans that run for two years, limiting the proportion of long term contracts that make up default service plan energy portfolios — while avoiding mandating prescriptive contract lengths in portfolios — and incorporating an opt-in retail auction program within default service plans that would allow customers to indicate their willingness to be served by a retail electric supplier though an auction process. Other recommendations include incorporating a customer referral program within EDCs’ default service plans. Sources “ Pennsylvania PUC to Order Utilities to Consider Longer-Term Fixed Price ,” Energy Choice Matters, Oct. 17, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/pennsylvania-electric-utilities-to-consider-longer-term-fixed-rate-under-new-puc-tentative-order/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/pennsylvania-electric-utilities-to-consider-longer-term-fixed-rate-under-new-puc-tentative-order/ Fri, 04 Nov 2011 11:20:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/dominion-east-ohio-standard-choice-and-standard-service-offers/ If you live in Dominion East Ohio’s service territory, you may be able to participate in the Energy Choice program, which allows you to choose which company you buy your natural gas from. Other customers in the gas company’s service territory may not be eligible for Energy Choice. Regardless, Dominion East will deliver natural gas to your home, even if you buy it from someone else, and will charge you a separate distribution rate for natural gas delivery that is unrelated to the price you pay for natural gas or who you buy it from. If you can participate in the Energy Choice program and still choose to buy your natural gas from Dominion East, the utility will bill you for the gas you use, called the supply charge, under its Standard Choice Offer (SCO) rate. If you participate in the Energy Choice Program and choose to buy your natural gas from an another certified natural gas supplier, the utility will still be responsible for sending you your bill, but your supply charge will be based on the rate you’ve signed up for with your new certified gas supplier. If you’re not eligible to participate in Energy Choice, or are a Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP) customer with Dominion East, the utility will bill you for the gas you use under its Standard Service Offer (SSO) rate. Both the SCO and SSO rates are set each February as the result of two auctions to secure natural gas supplies for customers who don’t participate in Energy Choice. SCO customers will be assigned a natural gas supplier every April. Although the supplier may change, and a different name may appear on your bill, you’ll pay the same monthly rate as all other SCO customers. Both SCO and SSO customers pay variable rates. Their rates are identical and change each month based on the price of natural gas at the end of the month on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX), which is a sort of stock market for energy commodities like electricity and natural gas. Tacked on to this price, called the NYMEX month-end settlement price, is a retail price adjustment, or fee, that is determined during the auctions in February. Additionally, SCO customers will pay a county sales tax and SSO customers will pay an excise tax. An SCO customer may choose to buy natural gas from an alternative supplier at any time, after which they’ll be referred to as an Energy Choice customer. Energy Choice customers will pay a rate for natural gas based on the plan they sign up for with their new supplier. If an Energy Choice customer’s contract expires or their supplier goes out of business — and the customer does not choose a new supplier — Dominion East will either assign the customer to an alternative supplier at the supplier’s Monthly Variable Rate or, if the customer prefers, place the customer on the utility’s SCO rate. Sources Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, “ Dominion East Ohio Standard Choice Offer and Standard Service Offer .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/dominion-east-ohio-standard-choice-and-standard-service-offers/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/dominion-east-ohio-standard-choice-and-standard-service-offers/ Thu, 03 Nov 2011 16:31:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/what-is-the-distribution-rate-on-my-columbia-gas-of-ohio-bill/ If you live in Columbia Gas of Ohio’s service territory, Columbia Gas delivers natural gas to your home, even if you buy your gas from an alternative natural gas supplier and not from the utility. And even if you buy your gas from a third-party supplier, Columbia Gas is responsible for maintaining all the equipment it takes to deliver natural gas to your home and responding to service interruptions, including leaks and broken pipes. As a result, your monthly Columbia Gas of Ohio bill is composed of two main parts: the supply charge, or what you pay for the natural gas that you use, and the distribution rate, or the amount Columbia Gas charges to deliver the gas to your home. The supply charge is based on how much you pay per unit for natural gas (expressed by COH as CCF), which is determined by the plan you have with Columbia Gas or an alternative natural gas supplier that you’ve chosen to buy your gas from. The supply charge makes up about 75 to 80 percent of your bill. On the other hand, the distribution rate on your bill is a flat fee, set and regulated by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO), that allows Columbia Gas and other natural gas utilities to pay for all the things they must do to deliver gas to their customers, including installing and maintaining pipelines, reading meters, processing bills and responding to service calls. The distribution rate is fixed and does not change based on how much natural gas you use. Regardless of who you choose to buy your natural gas from, you will always be charged this distribution rate. Sources Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, “ Columbia Gas of Ohio’s Distribution Rate .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/what-is-the-distribution-rate-on-my-columbia-gas-of-ohio-bill/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/what-is-the-distribution-rate-on-my-columbia-gas-of-ohio-bill/ Wed, 02 Nov 2011 11:39:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/ambassador-program-terms-conditions/ Drawing Description : A monthly $100 prepaid gift card (“Gift Card”) drawing will be held for participants in the Spark Energy Ambassador Program. No purchase required. This drawing (“Drawing”) is sponsored by Spark Energy, L.P. (“Spark Energy”). Drawing is open to legal residents of the United States who are at least eighteen (18) years of age and participate in the Spark Energy Ambassador Program. Void where prohibited. Odds of winning depend on total number of contest entries. Number of monthly entries by an individual Ambassador shall equal the number of points earned by said Ambassador in a given month, as follows: One (1) point for becoming an Ambassador One (1) point for each network shared on, up to four each month (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and MySpace) Four (4) points for each piece of content shared per network One (1) point for each website visitor that clicked on an Ambassador link Spark may include additional promotional items in Drawings. Any action by an Ambassador to artificially inflate website click-throughs or other metrics shall be grounds for disqualification. By participating in Drawings, you certify that you meet all Drawing eligibility requirements and otherwise fully agree to these Terms and Conditions. An individual Ambassador may only be allowed to win one time per twelve (12) month period. Eligibility Restrictions : Employees of Spark Energy, its officers, directors, subsidiaries, affiliates, their immediate families (defined as spouse, child, sibling, parent, or grandparent), and members of the households (whether related or not) of any of the above are NOT eligible to participate in Drawings. Drawing items : No substitution of gift cards or other promotional items (“Prizes”), no transfer of Prize to a third party is permitted and non-cash Prizes may not be redeemed for cash value. General Conditions : All decisions made by Spark Energy regarding any aspect of these Drawings are final. Participants are responsible for any applicable taxes associated with the receipt of the Prizes. Winners will be notified via email and Prizes will be mailed upon provision of a valid mailing address. By PARTICIPATING IN DRAWING and/or accepting any prize related hereto, you agree to RELEASE AND hold HARMLESS Spark Energy, and any other drawing sponsors, and each of their respective affiliates, subsidiaries, agencies, officers, shareholders, directors, employees, agents and representatives (TOGETHER, “RELEASED PARTIES”) FROM AND against any and all claims or liability FOR LOSS, HARM, DAMAGE, INJURY, COST OR EXPENSE WHATSOEVER, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION PROPERTY DAMAGE, PERSONAL INJURY and/OR DEATH, directly or indirectly related to or arising from or in connection with drawing participation or the acceptance, possession or use/misuse of any prize or any portion thereof, or participation in drawing-related activities, including but not limited to any related travel. SPARK ENERGY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WITH RESPECT TO prizes. in no event will the released parties be responsible or liable for any damages or losses of any kind, including direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages arising from or related to the drawing, or participation in drawing-related activities. By participating in Drawing, you give permission to Spark Energy, irrevocably and in perpetuity, to use and publish (as applicable) your name, user name, voice, likeness, photograph, biographical and Prize information (together, “Name and Likeness”) by any and all means, devices, processes and technology, and in all languages and in all media, now known or hereafter invented, contemplated or devised, including without limitation the internet, television, film, video cassettes, video discs and other audio-video devices, and radio broadcasts and print publications for advertising, promotional, regulatory compliance and/or other purposes related to the Drawing without notice to you and without further compensation. You reserve no rights with respect to such uses. Spark Energy is not responsible for technical or computer failures, errors or data loss of any kind, lost or unavailable Internet connections, or failed, incomplete, garbled or deleted computer or network transmissions, inability to access any Web site or on-line service, or any other error or malfunction related to the Drawings. If for any reason Drawing is not capable of running as planned, including without limitation, any suspected evidence of tampering or technological corruption or if any portion of the Drawing is compromised by virus, bugs, worms or unauthorized human intervention, fraud, acts of God, strikes, terrorists acts, criminal acts of third parties, or any other causes beyond Spark Energy’s control which, in Spark Energy’s sole opinion, corrupts, threatens or impairs the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of the Drawing, Spark Energy reserves the right to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Drawing at its sole discretion. Spark Energy reserves the right to cancel Drawings at any time. All Prize award decisions are final. The decisions of Spark Energy are final. Spark Energy may change Drawing rules at any time. Drawings will be governed by the laws of the State of Texas. To obtain a list of winners, you may contact Spark Energy. Spark Energy, 2105 CityWest Blvd., Suite 100, Houston, TX 77042. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/ambassador-program-terms-conditions/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/ambassador-program-terms-conditions/ Tue, 01 Nov 2011 15:58:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/facebook-brings-home-energy-efficiency-to-social-networking/ If you have a Facebook account, you can check up on your friends and see what they’re doing. Now you’ll be able to compete with your friends to see who’s saving the most energy. Starting early next year, Facebook’s Green page will host a “social energy” application designed to raise awareness of energy consumption and energy efficiency. The app was developed under a partnership between Facebook; Opower, a software and analytics company that helps utilities interact with customers; and the environmental advocacy group Natural Resources Defense Council. The app will let Facebook users compare their energy use to the national average and to other users who participate. Users input their electric utility information manually, in either dollars or kilowatt-hours, to build an energy profile. At least one Chicago electric utility has signed up with Facebook and Opower to import customers’ electricity information directly into the app (with customers’ permission) when the app launches. According to Opower, which operates customer-engagement software for 60 public utilities, one-on-one comparisons with neighbors and word-of-mouth energy efficiency recommendations are effective in promoting energy efficiency and raising awareness about energy consumption and energy efficiency issues. Sources “ Facebook 'Social Energy' App Compares Home Efficiency ,” CNET, Oct. 17, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/facebook-brings-home-energy-efficiency-to-social-networking/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/facebook-brings-home-energy-efficiency-to-social-networking/ Tue, 01 Nov 2011 13:49:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/ftcdisclosure/ The Federal Trade Commission, under their revised Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising require the disclosure of material connection for individuals posting content where they may be materially compensated. This disclosure is hereby provided. If you are reading this, you may have clicked on a link promoted by an individual participating in our Ambassador program. Individuals that sign up for the Ambassador program may receive compensation in the form of non-cash incentives (e.g., contest entries for prizes). http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/ftcdisclosure/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/november/ftcdisclosure/ Tue, 01 Nov 2011 10:57:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/northeast-blizzard-news/ Some quick news on the snowstorm slamming the Northeast: Anywhere from scattered traces to 30 inches of wet, heavy snow has been dropped from Maryland to Maine. Areas in western Massachusetts were among the hardest hit, with 26-27 inches of snow dropped in Plainview and Windsor. Power outages are widespread. More than 800,000 have lost power in Connecticut over the weekend. As of early today, 750,000 were still without power, along with around 400,000 in New Jersey, 200,000 in Pennsylvania and 270,000 in New York. There have been fatalities associated with the snowstorm, with sources reporting between 10 to 12 deaths due to the weather. States of emergency have been declared in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and portions of New York. Snow-laden trees falling have done more than just cut residential power delivery. Rail lines across the region have also been disrupted. Amtrak has suspended service on several routes, and one train from Chicago to Boston was stuck overnight in Massachusetts. A spokesperson said service would remain suspended until further notice from New Haven to Springfield; Washington, D.C. to Pittsburgh; New Haven to St. Albans, Vt.; and between Albany and Boston. A few other details on the surprise storm: School districts across the region were forced to cancel or delay classes. Some local officials have been forced to delay Halloween trick-or-treating, saying local sidewalks are unsafe due to fallen trees and power lines. Worcester, Massachusetts is asking parents to hold off on taking their children trick-or-treating until Thursday to give workers time to clear up fallen trees and power outages. In a few ways, the damage from the storm could be long-term: New York City’s famed Central Park could lose up to 1,000 trees due to the storm, according to the group that manages the park. To report outages in your area, click here for a full list of utility outage contact information. Tips to Stay Safe and Warm If you didn’t have a chance to winterize your home ahead of the storm, you’re probably not alone: given the early nature of this storm, lots of people were caught by surprise. Here are a few things you can do to stay safe and prevent additional damages to your home. First off, keep your water pipes intact. One big concern on the part of lots of homeowners is preventing pipes from freezing and bursting. Make sure to set your faucets to drip, especially at night. Right now, lots of people are looking to keep warm. If you are using a space heater or fireplace to keep your home warm, here are some safety tips: Establish a three-foot safety radius around your heater, furnace, fireplace or space heater. That means that anything that can burn should be kept at least three feet from heating equipment. (The same goes for children and pets: the three-foot radius should be thought of as a kid-free zone.) Make sure the screen in front of the fireplace is securely drawn to keep sparks from flying into the room. It may be really tempting to use your gas oven for heating, especially if the electricity is out in your neighborhood. Don’t do it. Using an open oven in a closed house burns oxygen, thereby causing improper combustion of gas. The prolonged use of an open oven in a poorly ventilated house can result in carbon monoxide, which is odorless, invisible and potentially lethal. Of course, the real challenge many New Englanders are facing right now is how to stay warm with the power out. Here are a few suggestions: The first place to start: bundle up. Multiple layers of clothing, especially with wool or cotton, can help you retain heat. When you’re sitting still, wrap up in a quilt or blanket. Stay in a smaller room in your home until power is restored. Do you have curtains or blinds over the windows? Open them when the sun is shining, and close them when it isn’t. Close off any unused rooms. Closing off any space between you and the outdoors amounts to a barrier between you and the frigid weather outside. It also reduces air circulation, which in turn reduces heat loss. Roll up towels or shirts and stuff them into the bottom of doors or windows, or into any noticeable leaks. If possible, put down a rug or carpet to create a bit of insulation for your floor. Keep an eye on our blog for additional information on the storm. Sources: “ Winter Storm Slams US Northeast, Cancels Halloween ” – GlobalPost.com, October 31, 2011. “ Snowstorm Tangles Commutes in Northeast ” – Wall Street Journal, October 31, 2011. “ Early Snow Affects Millions ” – Associated Press, October 30, 2011. “ How to Stay Warm at Home Without a Heater ” – Wikihow.com. “ Heating Safety Tips ” – National Fire Protection Association. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/northeast-blizzard-news/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/northeast-blizzard-news/ Mon, 31 Oct 2011 15:24:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/led-inventor-to-be-inducted-in-hall-of-fame/ University of Illinois professor Nick Holonyak Jr., who invented the light-emitting diode (LED), will join Thomas Edison, Enrico Fermi and the Wright Brothers in the Engineering and Science Hall of Fame. LEDs, which are semiconductor crystal devices that emit light when electrified, have revolutionized modern lighting, including everything from instrument panels and electronic devices to tail lights and energy-efficient light bulbs. His innovation can also function as a laser and has been used ubiquitously in CD and DVD players and fiber-optic communication. Holonyak, who is the John Bardeen professor of electrical and computer engineering and physics at the University of Illinois, is a pioneer in the field of optoelectronics, which concerns devices that convert electricity to light. Not only did Holonyak develop the first practical LED, he has also worked extensively with semiconductors. Holonyak’s research has resulted in more than 500 academic papers, 51 patents and numerous awards, including the U.S. National Medal of Technology (2002), the National Academy of Sciences' Award for the Industrial Application of Science (1993) and the U.S. National Medal of Science (1990). In addition to membership in several major U.S. scientific organizations, Holonyak also holds the distinction of being a foreign member of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The 2011 class of inductees into the Engineering and Science Hall of Fame, which includes Holonyak, Nikola Tesla (alternating current devices that led to commercial electricity) and James Tsui (digital receiver and GPS technology), will join more than 50 current members in the Hall on Nov. 3. Sources “ LED Inventor Holonyak Joining Hall of Fame ,” The News-Gazette , Oct. 15, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/led-inventor-to-be-inducted-in-hall-of-fame/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/led-inventor-to-be-inducted-in-hall-of-fame/ Mon, 31 Oct 2011 11:55:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/squirrel-kills-electricity-in-greenwich-connecticut/ More than half of Greenwich, Connecticut began a Thursday earlier this month without power thanks to a very curious and very unlucky squirrel. According to a spokesman for Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P), the state’s largest electric utility, the hapless squirrel decided to take a bite out of a power line at about 8:15 a.m. on Oct. 13. It was a fatal decision for the squirrel, which was killed instantly by thousands of volts of electricity. The resulting spark reportedly sent flames 150 feet into the air. As a result of the terminal chomp, a piece of equipment at one of the electric utility’s substations failed and more than 15,000 of the town’s 27,910 electric customers lost power for much of the day. Police officers were called in to direct traffic in parts of Greenwich where traffic lights were out. CL&P, which distributes electricity to the town of Greenwich, said that most customers had power restored by midday. Sources “ Squirrel Blamed for Connecticut Power Outages ,” Boston Herald , Oct. 13, 2011. “ Squirrel Turns Off the Lights ,” New York Post , Oct. 15, 2011. (Hat tip for pic to Ed Hass .) http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/squirrel-kills-electricity-in-greenwich-connecticut/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/squirrel-kills-electricity-in-greenwich-connecticut/ Fri, 28 Oct 2011 09:22:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/new-energy-dept-report-puts-energy-efficiency-onus-on-existing-technologies/ A new report from the U.S. Department of Energy reevaluates the agency’s strategic plan for supporting clean energy technologies that can help decrease energy use and carbon emissions. The Energy Department’s first Quadrennial Technology Review found that the agency was making too much of an effort to support and fund futuristic next-generation technologies and not enough of an effort to support and fund existing clean energy technologies that are already proven to work. According to the report, the government needs to focus on technologies that can survive the time between a technology’s pilot status and when it becomes commercialized and available to the public. During this critical period of time, known as the “valley of death,” many projects tend to fail from a lack of funding. The report highlighted transportation technologies, namely fuel efficiency technologies and electric vehicle technologies, as having a greater likelihood of clearing the commercialization hurdle than ambitious clean energy or building efficiency projects. Cars are a better target for change, according to the report, because cars spend an average of 15 years in active use and don’t last nearly as long as buildings. According to the report, the government can change the way energy is used more quickly by focusing on cars because it’s the sector in which people are going to need new products more often and a sector which presents greater opportunities for more frequent adoption of new energy efficiency technologies. Although the Energy Department proposes in the report to back off funding for clean energy technologies that “are multiple generations away from practical use,” it said that it won’t abandon groundbreaking research.  Recently the Energy Department announced more than $250 million in funding to research and develop next-generation solar power, hydropower, offshore wind energy, geothermal power and drop-in biofuel technologies. Sources " For Energy Department, More Green Cars, Less Next-Next-Technology ," Good , Sept. 27, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/new-energy-dept-report-puts-energy-efficiency-onus-on-existing-technologies/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/new-energy-dept-report-puts-energy-efficiency-onus-on-existing-technologies/ Thu, 27 Oct 2011 14:08:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/5-tips-for-sealing-your-home-and-saving-money-off-utility-bills-this-winter/ Winter is right around the corner. That means it’s time to start thinking about making sure your home is adequately sealed. Up to 30 percent of home energy costs can be wasted by air leaks that permit cold air to seep inside your home and warm air to escape outside. If you want to save money off utility bills this winter, you should consider these five do-it-yourself tips for fixing air leaks. 1. Inspect your attic for dirty insulation and your roof for ice dams We put the biggest winter home-sealing job first because it may also be the most important. Attics and basements are the largest source of air leaks during the winter because of something called “chimney effect.” Chimney effect is caused by cool air as it comes in through the basement while warm air generated by the furnace rises into the attic. The effect creates pressure at the highest and lowest points in your home, which in turn causes your home to be drafty. Dirty batt insulation is a sure sign of air movement and an indicator that your attic needs to be better sealed. Even finished attics aren’t immune from air leaks in sidewalls and knee walls. When you’re in your attic, be careful not to disturb any vermiculite insulation. If your insulation is made of gray, pea-sized granules, it may be made with asbestos. In that case, you’ll need to consult with a professional before you do anything yourself, which is probably a good idea anyway. Ice dams are another good indicator that you’ve got substantial air movement into and out of your attic. Ice dams form when there is a temperature difference between the eaves and the higher parts of the roof. As snow melts on the upper portion of the roof, it flows down to the edges of the roof where it re-freezes as temperatures drop, especially at night. A buildup of ice forms as the thaw-freeze cycle repeats itself. Ice dams can eventually damage your roof and cause water to leak into your home. The only solution is to eliminate the flow of warm air into the attic space. Again, a weatherization professional should be able to help you identify ways to do this. 2. Check for gaps around pipes that go through walls Inspect water and waste pipes that go through exterior walls to see how tightly they fit. Seal any gaps around pipes with spray foam insulation. 3. Seal gaps in the framing around windows and doors Windows and doors are prime suspects when it comes to energy loss. Even if you have energy-efficient doors and windows, gaps in the framing around the best windows and doors can cause significant air leaks. To fix gaps in window and door framing, remove moldings and fill the gaps using spray foam insulation that’s made specifically for doors and windows, which won’t warp framing as it expands to fill cracks. Replace the molding and complete the seal by applying a band of paintable acrylic-latex caulk around the frames. Don’t be intimidated by caulking. To make it look professional, you just need to use a non-glossy clear caulk that won’t show mistakes or buy a cheap caulking tool that scrapes away excess caulk while making the edge solid and straight. You can also install new weatherstripping if you need to. 4. Seal and insulate outlets and switches To eliminate the flow of air through outlets and switches on interior and exterior walls, remove the receptacle plates covering the outlets and switches and apply foam sealers. If there are gaps around outlet boxes you can seal them with spray foam insulation. Just be careful not to spray the interior of the box. 5. Check your basement for cracks A good amount of air can leak into and out of your home in your basement. Check for cracks along basement floors and walls, along the sill plate and at the top and bottom of rim joists, the final joists that support the basement ceiling, which are located at the ends of your building. To seal smaller cracks less than 1/4–inch wide, use acrylic latex caulk. For larger cracks and gaps, use spray foam insulation. It may be a good idea to have a home energy audit performed or to hire a weatherization professional to determine the source of air leaks throughout your home. If you’re a do-it-yourselfer, you can still probably repair most of the problems yourself. Just be careful, read instructions and make sure you start soon. Winter will be here before you know it. Got another tip for helping seal home air leaks this winter? Share them with us, as well as any advice for following any of the tips above. Sources “ 6 Ways to Seal Your House for Winter ,” Sault Ste. Marie Evening News , Sept. 7, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/5-tips-for-sealing-your-home-and-saving-money-off-utility-bills-this-winter/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/5-tips-for-sealing-your-home-and-saving-money-off-utility-bills-this-winter/ Wed, 26 Oct 2011 11:56:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/what-is-electric-company-slamming-and-how-to-prevent-it-in-texas/ If you live in a deregulated energy market in Texas, you can buy your electricity from one of several retail electric providers (REPs) that compete for your business. Having the power to choose which company you buy electricity from in Texas gives you the chance to shop around and find the best combination of price, customer service and other factors that can give you peace of mind while you save money off monthly electric bills . Unfortunately, customers are sometimes signed up for electricity service without their knowledge or consent, an unscrupulous activity known as “slamming.” Slamming involves someone switching your REP without your permission. Electric customers usually don’t find out they’ve been slammed until they get a bill from a different electric company than the one they’re supposed to be getting their electricity from. Customer Rights for Resolving Slamming Fortunately, slamming is prohibited in Texas and, once a customer has notified their REP of the unauthorized switch, there’s a process established by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) to help customers who’ve been slammed: The unauthorized REP must return the customer to their original REP as quickly as possible. The unauthorized REP must fix any billing issues, including paying for all transmission and distribution charges associated with returning the customer to their original REP. The unauthorized REP must refund, within five days, all charges paid by the customer for the period of time that the customer was with the unauthorized REP. The customer will pay for electricity used during the period of time that he or she was with the unauthorized REP at a rate no higher than the rate the customer would have paid to the original REP if the unauthorized switch had not occurred. How to Prevent Slamming There are several things that the PUCT recommends electric customers do to avoid being slammed: Be aware of promotions offering discounts on your electric bill and be careful when signing any document. Although unintended, your signature on a document may be interpreted as an agreement to switch. Be aware of telemarketers or sales vendors who promise free gifts, lowered rates or better service for switching. Read your electric bill carefully each month. Know the name of the electric company that provides your electric service. Never sign any document without reading it thoroughly. Designate one person in your household who is authorized to make changes to your electric service. Print order conformation page if order was placed online. Read the fine print for the terms of service and electricity facts label If you are being visited by a door-to-door rep, ask for identification. To prevent identity theft, do not share your Social Security number or driver’s license number. Do not share copy of energy bill unless you have verified the identity of the door-to-door rep. Know when your contract with your REP is set to expire. Watch for things like an early termination fee on your electric bill, which may indicate that you’ve been slammed if you haven’t initiated a switch to another REP. Notify your REP immediately if you receive a phone call or notice to “verify” a change in your electric service that you didn’t authorize. Notify your REP immediately if you fail to receive your regular monthly electric bill or receive an electric bill at your address in someone else’s name. A Word on Electricity Marketing The PUCT has customer protection rules that regulate the marketing of electricity supply, including online marketing, telemarketing and door-to-door sales: Keep in mind that agents or brokers may earn commissions for getting you to switch to a REP they represent. Every door-to-door salesperson is required to wear a badge with the REP’s name, PUCT certificate number and a toll-free number you can call to verify the salesperson is authorized by the REP. Door-to-door salespeople should obey no-solicitation signs. Slamming is rare, but it happens. The best way to protect yourself from slamming and prevent it from happening to you is to be attentive when dealing with certain electricity marketers, know your rights as an electric customer and act quickly to address any concerns you may have about being slammed. If you think you’re the victim of slamming, or you would like to report a REP or marketer, you can file a complaint by calling the PUCT toll-free at 888782.8477. Sources “ Chapter 25 — Substantive Rules Applicable to Electric Service Providers; Subchapter R. — Customer Protection Rules for Retail Electric Service ,” Public Utility Commission of Texas, June 1, 2004. Public Utility Commission of Texas, “ Unauthorized Switching of Your Retail Electric Provider .” Texas Electric Choice Education Program, “ FAQs .” Texas Electric Choice Education Program, “ Your Rights .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/what-is-electric-company-slamming-and-how-to-prevent-it-in-texas/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/what-is-electric-company-slamming-and-how-to-prevent-it-in-texas/ Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:41:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/a-hot-innovation-for-cooling-homes-and-businesses/ Meeting global energy demand while preventing a vast increase in carbon emissions is a major problem worldwide and the buildings we live and work in aren’t helping. According to The World Business Council for Sustainable Development, energy use by buildings accounts for more than 50 percent of global energy consumption and produces substantially more carbon emissions than the transportation sector. Additionally, a recently released study on energy efficiency in buildings found that the global building sector must cut energy use by 60 percent by 2050 if global climate change targets are to be met. However, global energy use by buildings could be slashed dramatically if a new solar power technology catches on. ClimateWell, a Swedish company now headquartered in the UK, has developed an innovative solar-powered air-conditioning system that can both cool and heat buildings — ranging from single-family homes to commercial buildings and industrial applications — without using electricity or creating pollution. The technology uses solar thermal technology to capture the sun’s heat and then stores it for use in heating or cooling. There are no pumps, no moving parts and no refrigerant. The system can continuously receive thermal energy while simultaneously performing heating and cooling functions — like heating a pool and running an air conditioner — at the same time. According to the company, 85 percent of the total annual amount of energy used to heat and cool buildings can be provided with ClimateWell technology. The technology is currently available in 16 countries, including the United Sates. Sources “ Powering Air-Conditioning Systems with Solar Energy ,” Forbes , Oct. 2, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/a-hot-innovation-for-cooling-homes-and-businesses/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/a-hot-innovation-for-cooling-homes-and-businesses/ Mon, 24 Oct 2011 08:16:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/how-to-apply-caulk-to-seal-air-leaks-in-your-home/ Sealing air leaks in your home can help you save money off monthly utility bills by preventing cooled or heated air inside from escaping outside and cool or warm outside air from making its way inside. If you’re a do-it-yourselfer, the first step in sealing air leaks in your home is choosing the right kind of caulking compound for your gap- or crack-sealing job. The next step is getting some good advice about how to apply caulk effectively so that it seals tight, looks professional and doesn’t turn into a mess. Here are a few tips to help you do just that: Remove any old caulk and paint residue using a putty knife, stiff brush or solvent. For best adhesion, thoroughly clean all areas to be caulked and then dry completely before applying new caulking compound so moisture doesn’t get sealed in and damage the caulk later on. When applying caulk, hold the caulking gun at a 45-degree angle. Doing so allows the caulk to get deep into the crack. If you’re holding the caulking gun at the correct angle, the caulking compound should be immediately forced into the crack or gap as soon as it comes out of the tube. Make sure to apply caulk in one straight, continuous line whenever possible. Stop and starts should be avoided, as they allow seams in the caulk that may become evident or decrease the strength of the seal when then the compound shrinks. Send caulking compound to the bottom of a gap, crack or seam first, in order to create the tightest, most complete seam and avoid bubbles. Make sure you apply enough caulk. You can always clean off any extra you don’t need. Without going overboard, use enough caulk to fill gaps and cracks. If the caulk shrinks, reapply caulk to seal the crack or gap completely. Ensure that the caulk sticks to both sides of a crack or seam. When applying caulk, release the trigger on the caulking gun before you pull it away from the gap, crack or seam to avoid applying too much caulking compound. This can be accomplished easily by using a caulking gun with an automatic release. Have a putty knife on hand when applying caulk. If caulking compound starts to ooze out of a crack, use the putty knife to push it back in. When sealing a window, apply caulk to all joints in the frame and the joint between the frame and the wall. Note : The best time to apply caulk is during dry weather when the outdoor temperature is above 45ºF (7.2ºC). Low humidity will prevent cracks and warm temperatures will help the caulk set and adhere to the material. These tips should make any do-it-yourselfer a veritable pro when it comes to applying caulk. If you’re wondering what kind of caulking compound to use for a particular job, check out part one of our discussion, where we cover choosing the right caulk to seal air leaks in your home. Sources U.S. Department of Energy, “ Caulking .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/how-to-apply-caulk-to-seal-air-leaks-in-your-home/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/how-to-apply-caulk-to-seal-air-leaks-in-your-home/ Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:07:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/spark-energy-supports-st-baldricks/ We take every opportunity to give a shout out to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.  The Foundation is known for rallying volunteers in 24 countries and across all 50 states to raise money by pledging to shave their heads in solidarity with children fighting cancer, and, to-date, has awarded millions in grants for childhood cancer research. Spark Energy began supporting the Chicago events for the Foundation as part of its launch of residential electricity pricing plans in 2011. We had the chance recently to join about 100 other supporters at the Halfway to St. Baldrick’s event at Fado Irish Pub in Chicago.  In addition to supplying gift cards and Six Flags Great America tickets for raffle prizes, we donated $50 for each person who shaved his or her head.  In the end, we cut a check for $1,000 to St. Baldrick’s.  Thanks to everybody who stepped forward to go under the clippers for cancer! http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/spark-energy-supports-st-baldricks/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/spark-energy-supports-st-baldricks/ Thu, 20 Oct 2011 15:44:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/how-to-seal-air-leaks-in-your-home,-part-1-choosing-the-right-caulk/ Sealing air leaks in your home to save money off monthly utility bills can be a confusing and messy proposition. After all, staring down the barrel of a caulking gun can be intimidating unless you know what you’re doing. There are lots of different caulking compounds for different jobs; they can be messy, gooey and need to be properly applied. But with the right caulk and the right technique, even the most novice do-it-yourselfer can easily seal cracks and gaps and start cutting energy costs right away. The first step in sealing your home’s air leaks is choosing the right kind of caulking compound. There are lots of different caulks, including household silicone, construction silicone, expandable spray foam polyurethane, water-based foam sealant, butyl rubber, latex and oil- or resin-based caulks. To help you determine the caulk you need, here’s a quick summary of the different types available: Household Silicone Household silicone caulk is used to seal joints between bath and kitchen fixtures and tile and to seal metal joints in plumbing and gutters. Joints can stretch up to three times their original size or compress by half without cracking. Adhesion: Good to excellent Shrinkage: Little or none Cleanup: Dry cloth immediately, otherwise mineral sprits or naphtha Cost: High Construction Silicone Construction silicone is used to seal dissimilar materials, such as wood and stone or metal and brick. Joints can stretch or compress without cracking and construction silicone will adhere to painted surfaces but not most cured silicones. Adhesion: Good to excellent Shrinkage: Little or none Cleanup: Dry cloth immediately, otherwise mineral sprits or naphtha Cost: High Expandable Spray Foam Polyurethane Expandable spray foam polyurethane is good for sealing larger cracks indoors or outdoors. The foam quickly expands to fill even irregular gaps. Make sure to paint over it when used outside to provide protection from ultraviolet radiation. One downside: the rubber becomes dry and powdery over time, so it’s best to use in areas that don’t receive any friction, like a wall crack. Adhesion: Good to excellent Shrinkage: None; it expands significantly Cleanup: Lacquer thinner or other solvent applied immediately Cost: Moderate to high Water-Based Foam Sealant Water-based foam sealant is also designed to expand to fill gaps and cracks, but because it doesn’t expand as much as polyurethane, it’s best for smaller cracks and gaps. It’s typically used around window and door frames in new home constructions. It takes 24 hours to cure and needs to be exposed to air to dry. Adhesion: Good to excellent Shrinkage: None; it expands by about 25 percent Cleanup: Water Cost: High Butyl Rubber Butyl rubber is used to seal dissimilar materials, around windows and flashing and to bond loose shingles. It’s durable, lasting 10 or more years, and resilient, but variable shrinkage means you may have to apply it twice. It can be painted over after a week of curing. Unfortunately, it doesn’t adhere well to painted surfaces and is toxic, so you’ll need to follow precautions listed on the product label. Adhesion: Good Shrinkage: From 5 percent to 30 percent Cleanup: Mineral spirits or naphtha Cost: Moderate to high Latex Probably the most common type of caulking compound used by do-it-yourselfers around the home, latex caulk is used to seal joints around tubs and showers and to fill nail holes and cracks in tile, plaster, glass and plastic. Latex is easy to use and seams can be smoothed with a finger or a simple smoothing tool. After latex dries, it becomes waterproof, allowing for sanding and painting. Adhesion: Good to excellent Shrinkage: From 5 percent to 10 percent Cleanup: Water Cost: Moderate Oil- or Resin-Based Oil- or resin-based caulks are used to seal exterior seams and joints on buildings. These compounds are readily available and cheap, but not especially durable (they last about one to four years). When they dry, the caulk hardens and parts of it fall out. These compounds can also be toxic, so read the product labels carefully. Adhesion: Good Shrinkage: From 10 percent to 20 percent Cleanup: Mineral spirits or naphtha Cost: Low Now that you have the information you need to choose the right caulking compound to seal air leaks in your home — and any other gap-sealing and crack-filling jobs you may have around the house — check out part two of our discussion for tips on applying caulking that make it as easy, effective and mess-free as possible. Sources U.S. Department of Energy, “ Caulking .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/how-to-seal-air-leaks-in-your-home,-part-1-choosing-the-right-caulk/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/how-to-seal-air-leaks-in-your-home,-part-1-choosing-the-right-caulk/ Thu, 20 Oct 2011 08:38:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/google-ends-homeowners-search-for-solar-power/ Internet giant Google has announced a partnership with a financing agency that will help homeowners pay for the installation of solar power systems that will help save energy and lower monthly electric bills . Google has set aside $75 million to create a fund with Clean Power Finance that will help 3,000 homeowners finance the installation of solar power systems. According to Rick Needham, Google’s Director of Green Operations, the fund is intended to help homeowners overcome the initial costs of solar installation, which are daunting and can prevent people from adopting solar technology. Solar systems typically cost between $30,000 and $40,000, Needham said. With typical solar panel installations, homeowners generate their own electricity and draw from the grid — and pay for — only what they need. If electric customers produce more power than what they use, they can sell it back to the grid. However, under the financing plan from Google, homeowners won’t own the solar panels or any of the hardware, Google will. Instead, homeowners will be required to buy the power generated by the panels at a fixed monthly rate, which is supposed to be cheaper than their current rate and covers things like maintenance. The fund brings Google’s total investment in green energy to $850 million. The company previously invested $280 million in solar power company Solar City, $100 million in a wind farm project and $168 million in a solar tower plant. Sources “ Google Helping Homeowners Get Solar Power with $75 Million Investment ,” Digital Investment, Sept. 28, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/google-ends-homeowners-search-for-solar-power/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/google-ends-homeowners-search-for-solar-power/ Tue, 18 Oct 2011 08:18:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/natural-gas-futures-fall-to-lowest-level-in-nearly-a-year/ A forecast of cooling temperatures is cooling off natural gas futures, which recently fell to their lowest level in almost 11 months. Commodity Weather Group LLC, a data analytics company based in Bethesda, Md., that provides short- and long-term weather analysis for energy futures, recently predicted cooler-than-normal temperatures across the U.S. Midwest, causing a drop in demand for the power-plant fuel. Last month, natural gas for October delivery slipped 0.4 cents on the New York Mercantile Exchange to $3.701 per million British thermal units (Btu), the lowest settlement price since Oct. 27, 2010. The spread between natural gas futures for delivery in Oct. 2011 and Jan. 2012 shrunk 2 cents to 45.8 cents. November $3.85 calls — bets that natural gas prices will rise — decreased 0.3 cents to 0.6 cents per million Btu on a volume of 200 lots, yet were the most active options in electronic trading. Overall, natural gas fell 2.8 percent last week and, according to seven of 13 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg Businessweek , could fall even more by the end of this week if stockpiles remain sufficient. According to Matt Rogers, President of Commodity Weather Group, the weather pattern for the U.S. and Southern Canada is “fairly benign” and is typical of weather patterns that result in reduced cooling demand by energy utility customers. In a note to clients, Rogers said that the eastern U.S. will see normal temperatures until Oct. 2. A report by the U.S. Department of Energy released Sept. 22 showed that natural gas supplies for the week ending Sept. 16 increased 89 billion cubic feet — above the five-year average gain of 72 billion cubic feet — to 3.201 trillion cubic feet. The report also found that an existing shortfall to five-year average natural gas inventory levels fell to 1.1 percent from 1.6 percent the previous week. The Energy Department’s monthly Short-Term Energy Outlook, released Sept. 7, states that marketed natural gas production will average 65.70 billion cubic feet a day this year, up from 61.83 billion in 2010. According to Baker Hughes Inc., an oilfield services company based in Houston, Texas, the number of U.S. natural gas drilling rigs remained steady last week at 912. Sources “ Natural Gas Falls for Fourth Day on Cooler Weather in Midwest ,” Bloomberg Businessweek , Sept. 23, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/natural-gas-futures-fall-to-lowest-level-in-nearly-a-year/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/natural-gas-futures-fall-to-lowest-level-in-nearly-a-year/ Mon, 17 Oct 2011 09:45:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/natural-gas-drilling-under-fire-in-texas-over-epa-regulations/ Natural gas drilling has gone under the microscope in Texas for the controversial drilling technique known as hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” and the proposed government rules meant to regulate it. Industry supporters and environmentalists squared off at a public hearing in Arlington about regulations that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed in June to limit pollution and public health problems allegedly caused by the technique, which uses horizontal drilling to access large, previously inaccessible stores of natural gas from more than a mile underground. Industry advocates say that fracking is safe, or at least safe enough, and allows well operators to get at needed supplies of natural gas, while consumer and environmental advocates say the drilling technique leads to water and air pollution and to illnesses such as cancer. The EPA’s rules regulating fracking, proposed after a lawsuit was filed by two environmental organizations in July, seek to curb the practice by requiring that oil and natural gas well operators capture and sell the natural gas that is currently allowed to escape into the air. The agency’s proposed rules would apply new pollution control standards to the roughly 25,000 natural gas wells that are hydraulically fractured in the United States each year. Fracking Debate Highlights Fissure Between Prosperity and Public Health The EPA hearing was contentious, perhaps made more so because of the venue. Arlington, which sits atop the natural gas–rich Barnett Shale, is situated in a region with vast urban natural gas drilling. The region is crowded with people who profit from fracking and those who claim to have suffered from it. While one side of the aisle pointed to the jobs and prosperity that result from less-regulated drilling, the other side argued that the risk of toxic spills, drill site explosions, polluted air and tainted drinking water simply isn’t worth it. Teddy Carter, a spokesman for the Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association, said that the EPA’s proposed rules were so complicated that compliance would not only be difficult, it would present a financial hardship that could threaten the state’s 5,000 oil and gas well operators and be especially hard on the smaller operations. Carter said that the EPA’s reduced-emission completion regulations should be “encouraged but not mandated” because “one size does not fit all.” According to Carter, regulation for regulation’s sake “is a dangerous path that can potentially cause greater harm than good” and the agency shouldn’t be presenting solutions to problems that don’t exist. Several other members of the oil and gas industry joined Carter in urging the EPA to delay its current timeline, which would see the rules take effect next spring. The members asked the agency to extend its public comment period by 90 days and its final action date by six months to give companies more time to review the proposed regulations and plan for changes. Critics of fracking who attended the hearing, including state Rep. Lon Burnam, a Democrat from Fort Worth, denied industry members’ claims that the process is safe. According to Burnam, fracking has caused air pollution in Texas to steadily increase over the past five years. Burnam told the hearing that he was “tired of being sick and tired” when companies talk about things like cost effectiveness and acceptable risks at the expense of the heath of children in his district. Burnam went on to say that the EPA proposals would “do what the Texas Legislature and state agencies that oversee oil and gas production have failed to do: protect public health by placing reasonable limits on air pollution that will both reduce emissions and increase industry revenues.” According to the EPA, its proposal, when fully implemented, could reduce emissions of smog-forming volatile organic compounds by about 25 percent, or roughly 540,000 tons, including reducing methane emissions by about 26 percent and hazardous air pollutants, such as benzene, by almost 30 percent. To comply with the agency’s rules, drilling companies would have to spend millions of dollars. However, the government estimated that the proposed regulations could save the industry almost $30 million by 2015 from sales of captured natural gas. Industry members disputed the government’s claim. Sources “ EPA Holds Hearing in Texas on Natural Gas Drilling ,” Bloomberg Businessweek , Sept. 29, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/natural-gas-drilling-under-fire-in-texas-over-epa-regulations/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/natural-gas-drilling-under-fire-in-texas-over-epa-regulations/ Fri, 14 Oct 2011 08:26:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/california-utility-bill-energy-efficiency-surcharge/ The Governor of California is asking the state’s utility regulator to find a way to continue funding an energy efficiency program that failed to get renewed by the state Legislature in September. Gov. Jerry Brown wrote his appointed members of the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and pled for help to maintain funding for the energy efficiency program. In his letter to PUC President Michael Peevey, Brown argued the benefits of the program, which included creating jobs and providing subsidies to spur energy efficiency improvements and research into renewable energy. The program receives about $400 million a year from a small 1.5 percent surcharge on monthly residential and commercial utility bills — called the public goods charge —that amounts to $1 or $2 a month for most utility customers. The surcharge is similar to one that New Jersey is considering replacing with loans. The energy efficiency program was instituted to help the state clean up its power supply and reduce its carbon emissions. Of the $400 million annual budget, $250 million is allocated for rebates to utility customers who upgrade their homes with energy efficiency improvements, $75 million is awarded to renewable energy projects and another $75 million is set aside to fund the research and development of new energy technologies. The state Legislature failed to renew the public goods charge, which, because it’s considered a tax, required a two-thirds vote of the Legislature to pass. Sources “ Gov. Jerry Brown Asks PUC to Pass Electric Bill Surcharge ,” Los Angeles Times , Sept. 26, 2011. “ State Should Extend Energy Levy ,” Los Angeles Times , Sept. 7, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/california-utility-bill-energy-efficiency-surcharge/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/california-utility-bill-energy-efficiency-surcharge/ Thu, 13 Oct 2011 09:07:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/ohio-gas-company-extends-pipeline-replacement-to-park-ave-west-mansfield-area/ Columbia Gas of Ohio, the state’s largest natural gas utility, announced last week that it will soon begin replacing 2,300 feet of natural gas pipeline in the Park Avenue West, Mansfield area. The project will involve upgrading steel pipes with plastic pipes and should take several weeks to complete. The project will affect a number of streets, including Park Avenue West, Park Street North, Fifth Street and North Main Street. The utility said that customers on the affected streets will first notice preliminary construction work, such as the staking of right of way and the inspection of sewer lines. Customers living or working at affected properties will be receiving a letter notifying them of a public meeting to be held to discuss the project. The meeting will be held on Oct. 12 at 6:30 p.m. at the Relax Coffee Shop at 105 North Main Street in Mansfield. The utility will provide details of the project and answer customers’ questions. The project will require a short interruption of natural gas service at affected properties. The utility will contact customers prior to shut-offs and to schedule re-light appointments. During the upgrade, customers’ meters will be moved to the outside of the premises at no additional cost. The Park Avenue West, Mansfield project, expected to cost $375,000, is part of the Ohio gas utility’s massive $2 billion territory-wide pipeline replacement program that will improve 19,000 miles of underground natural gas pipe over the next 25 years. Sources “ Columbia Gas of Ohio to Spend $375,000 for Park Avenue West, Mansfield Area Pipeline Replacement Project ,” Columbia Gas of Ohio press release, Oct. 5, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/ohio-gas-company-extends-pipeline-replacement-to-park-ave-west-mansfield-area/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/ohio-gas-company-extends-pipeline-replacement-to-park-ave-west-mansfield-area/ Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:01:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/new-jersey-considers-using-loans-instead-of-rebates/ Consumers and businesses in states across the nation are being encouraged by governments and energy utilities to take on energy efficiency improvements by incentives such as cash rebates and on-bill financing . But in New Jersey, state officials are considering completely revamping their incentive program and ending rebates for energy efficiency improvements in favor of loans. Why are they reconsidering their approach? Because of a roughly $2 monthly charge on residential customers’ bills. Over the last decade, more than 100,000 New Jersey residents have received state subsidies for home energy audits that have helped them save energy and save money off utility bills . State rebates for new washing machines went to 80,000 more residents. And 67,000 low-income customers got free energy efficiency upgrades like thermostats, insulation and even refrigerators. The rebates and freebies are paid for by a line item on utility bills called the “societal benefits charge” that costs customers a little more than $2 a month. The fee nets more than $300 million a year for the state’s incentive programs. But Lee Solomon, head of the Board of Public Utilities (BPU), which manages state utilities in New Jersey, said earlier this year that he was going to look into eliminating the fee — and subsidized rebates — in order to save customers a couple of bucks a month. "We’re just looking to go from a rebate-based program where money is collected from ratepayers and paid out to other ratepayers," Solomon said. "We’re looking to go to a revolving (loan) plan over time." Under such a plan, an initial sum of money collected from all utility customers is loaned to some customers to finance energy efficiency improvements. Loan payments would then replenish the fund, preventing customers from having to pay additional monthly charges, such as the societal benefits charge, to fund the program. Experts Caution Change, Say Energy Efficiency Loans Won’t Do as Well as Rebates Although Solomon said that a revolving loan program would “reach more participants in a cost-effective way,” almost everybody else — from environmentalists and consumer advocates to energy policy groups and state contractors — advised caution when Solomon solicited them for responses to his idea of a loan program. Applied Energy Group, which coordinates New Jersey’s Clean Energy program, said that financing alone wouldn’t achieve the customer participation or energy savings that New Jersey had achieved thus far. The group cited a Delaware study that found financing should be combined with rebates, education, marketing and outreach programs in order to achieve the level of customer participation and energy savings BPU hoped for. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, a non-profit energy policy group, disagrees with Solomon’s assumption that a loan program would reach more customers. The Council said that financing programs reach less than 1 percent of customers and that, if given a choice between financing and rebates, 90 percent of customers choose rebates. Nexant, a company that provides grid software and clean energy solutions, recommended in its response that BPU first roll out or transition changes to its incentive programs to gauge participation and effectiveness. Instead of offering the loan program as a single incentive, Nexant suggested that BPU make available a wide variety of incentive options. Solomon said that BPU had not yet made a decision on the future of energy efficiency rebates in New Jersey and that the agency would seek proposals to overhaul the state’s clean energy program by the end of the year. Sources “ N.J. Considers Offering Energy Efficiency Loans Instead of Rebates to Save Ratepayers Money ,” NJ.com, Sept. 25, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/new-jersey-considers-using-loans-instead-of-rebates/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/new-jersey-considers-using-loans-instead-of-rebates/ Tue, 11 Oct 2011 08:10:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/new-virtual-energy-profile-software-helps-companies-cut-energy-use-and-save-money/ If you need to create an energy use profile for a commercial building without relying on things like meters to gather data or an actual person to perform an energy audit, there’s now an app for that. FirstFuel, a building energy analytics startup formerly called iblogix, has developed software that commercial building owners can use to find out how their buildings use energy and what kinds of energy efficiency improvements they can make to cut energy consumption and save money on monthly utility bills . The app remotely evaluates and measures commercial building efficiency by collecting data on hourly energy consumption. It combines that data with weather information to create a unique energy profile for each building analyzed. The software analytics sift through 128 variables, including hourly utility data and outside temperature, and can show building owners how their energy use is split between things like air conditioning and lighting. FirstFuel CEO Swapnil Shah said that the remote “zero touch” method of evaluating buildings makes it more scalable than traditional approaches — which often use human energy auditors to visually inspect buildings and manually collect data. The app is designed to help energy utilities improve their efficiency programs and meet state goals by decreasing the energy consumption of commercial buildings, which represent one of the biggest consumers — and wasters — of energy. The startup announced last week that it had raised $2.4 million to commercialize the software. Sources “ Virtual Building Audit Spots Energy Savings ,” CNET, Sept. 22, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/new-virtual-energy-profile-software-helps-companies-cut-energy-use-and-save-money/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/new-virtual-energy-profile-software-helps-companies-cut-energy-use-and-save-money/ Mon, 10 Oct 2011 08:38:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/doe-gives-hundreds-of-millions-in-funds-for-energy-efficiency-research-projects/ The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a massive campaign of funding for the research and development of key energy efficiency technologies. Between Sept. 1 and Sept. 8, the DOE announced that it would provide hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to advance four energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies, including solar power, hydropower, offshore wind energy and geothermal power. Funding for a fifth series of projects to develop and produce drop-in biofuels was announced Aug. 31. Funding for the research will be provided through the DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Energy Secretary Steven Chu said the advances that result from the research will play an important role in helping achieve President Obama’s goal of ensuring that the United States is able to generate 80 percent of its electricity from clean energy sources by 2035. Solar Power The DOE will provide more than $145 million in funds for its ambitious SunShot Initiative, a series of 69 projects across 24 states that seek to make solar power systems more affordable — without the use of long-term federal or state subsidies — by reducing the cost of the systems by about 75 percent by the end of the decade. Hydropower The DOE and the U.S. Department of the Interior will partner to provide almost $17 million in funding over the next three years to 16 projects in 11 states that will advance sustainable renewable energy generation from small hydropower resources, improve the environmental impact of hydropower, test cost-effective technologies and increase the deployment of pumped storage hydropower, which can improve the reliability of the electric grid in times of peak demand. Offshore Wind Energy Forty-one projects across 20 states will receive $43 million in DOE funding over the next five years to support research leading to faster innovation in wind energy technologies, decrease costs and decrease the amount of time it takes to deploy offshore wind energy systems. Geothermal Power In an effort to reduce the cost of geothermal power technology and make it more competitive with conventional sources of electricity, the DOE is providing $38 million in funding over three years to support 32 geothermal research and development projects in 14 states. Drop-In Biofuels Three small-scale projects in Illinois, Wisconsin and North Carolina will receive up to $12 million in DOE funding to accelerate the development of advanced drop-in biofuels and other bio-based chemicals. Drop-in biofuels are fuels that can serve as replacements or supplements to existing gasoline, diesel fuels and jet fuels without requiring changes to existing engines or fuel distribution networks and technologies. Many hope that drop-in biofuels will lead directly to the reduction of the United States’ dependence on foreign oil. Sources “ Department of Energy Announces up to $12 Million in Investments to Support Development and Production of Drop-In Biofuels ,” U.S. Department of Energy press release, Aug. 31, 2011. “ DOE Awards More Than $145 Million for Advanced Solar Technologies ,” U.S. Department of Energy press release, Sept. 1, 2011. “ Energy and Interior Award Nearly $17 Million for Hydropower Technologies ,” U.S. Department of Energy press release, Sept. 6, 2011. “ Department of Energy Awards $43 Million to Spur Offshore Wind Energy ,” U.S. Department of Energy press release, Sept. 8, 2011. “ $38 Million Awarded to Advance Technology and Reduce Cost of Geothermal Energy ,” U.S. Department of Energy press release, Sept. 8, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/doe-gives-hundreds-of-millions-in-funds-for-energy-efficiency-research-projects/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/doe-gives-hundreds-of-millions-in-funds-for-energy-efficiency-research-projects/ Fri, 07 Oct 2011 09:24:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/low-interest-on-bill-home-energy-efficiency-financing-comes-to-connecticut/ A new program by the United Illuminating Company (UI), an electric utility in Connecticut, is helping customers in the state afford energy efficiency improvements by allowing them to pay for those improvements on their monthly utility bills. UI is the latest electric company to offer “on-bill” financing, a nationwide trend among public utilities to encourage energy improvements by allowing customers to make monthly payments toward energy efficiency improvements on their utility bills over an extended repayment period, usually about 10 years.  A similar program was launched in New York earlier this year. Like a typical on-bill financing program, UI’s Residential Energy Efficiency Financing program adds monthly charges to customers’ bills estimated to match the amount of money the improvement is expected to save them that month. In this way, improvements are designed to be paid off by the savings they create. UI has partnered with the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund to offer the low-interest energy efficiency improvement loans, which range from 2.99 percent to 4.99 percent. The utility announced this week that it completed its first energy efficiency improvements through the program to a home in Hamden, where contractors installed an ENERGY STAR-qualified central air system and two programmable thermostats. To be eligible for the program, customers must complete a home energy audit through the Home Energy Solutions program, which is operated by the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund. For more information about on-bill financing through UI’s Residential Energy Efficiency Financing program, residents can call 877WISE-USE or visit www.CTEnergyInfo.com . Planning on taking advantage of on-bill financing for home energy efficiency improvements in Connecticut? Share your thoughts. Already a program participant? Let us know how the program is working for you. Sources “ UI Helping Customers to Finance Energy Conservation Purchases ,” Connecticut Watchdog, Sept. 20, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/low-interest-on-bill-home-energy-efficiency-financing-comes-to-connecticut/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/low-interest-on-bill-home-energy-efficiency-financing-comes-to-connecticut/ Thu, 06 Oct 2011 09:20:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/energy-department-gives-$30-million-in-grants-to-train-engineering-students/ The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) last week awarded $30 million in grants to 24 universities across the nation to train undergraduate and graduate engineering students in industrial energy efficiency. The DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy will provide each school from $200,000 to $300,000 a year for up to five years to educate students on core concepts of the department’s Industrial Assessment Center program. Students will use the training to conduct energy audits and recommend energy efficiency improvements at a wide range of industrial facilities. Students will also participate in reporting, tracking, implementation and management-improvement. The program will enable engineering students to learn skills, gain experience and prepare for the job market after graduation by helping local companies cut energy use and save money off utility bills . Under the program, each school will be expected to train from 10 to 15 students and conduct 20 energy assessments a year. Additionally, the schools will promote interaction between students and the private sector that is expected to result in internship and scholarship opportunities. Sources “ UW-Milwaukee Wins $1.5M Grant for Energy Efficiency Training ,” Milwaukee Business Journal , Sept. 13, 2011. “ Saving Energy ,” University of Dayton press release, Sept. 15, 2011. “ UK: Power and Energy Institute Receives $1.5 Million for Education in Industrial Energy Efficiency ,” The Lane Report , Sept. 15, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/energy-department-gives-$30-million-in-grants-to-train-engineering-students/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/energy-department-gives-$30-million-in-grants-to-train-engineering-students/ Tue, 04 Oct 2011 08:54:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/texas-gets-13-natural-gas-fueling-stations,-part-of-‘transportation-triangle’/ For alternative-fuel automobiles and commercial trucking, there may be no friendlier place right now than Texas. The state recently installed 13 new fueling stations along the so-called Texas Clean Transportation Triangle that offer natural gas for commercial and consumer vehicles. The new fueling stations are the result of statewide efforts by natural gas producers and legislators, who have been working since 2010 on a plan to connect San Antonio, Dallas and Houston — three of the nation’s largest cities — with fueling stations for natural gas vehicles. The efforts culminated with the creation of the Texas Clean Transportation Triangle, an organization developed to identify legislation promoting the use of vehicles that run on natural gas, which should result in cleaner air for Texas. The organization received support from Sen. Tommy Williams, a Republican from The Woodlands, who authored Senate Bill 20. The legislation allocated $16 million for the Natural Gas Rebate Program, which will provide cash rebates for converting medium- or heavy-duty vehicles to run on natural gas and $4 million for the installation of the natural gas fueling stations. The bill passed the state Senate and was signed into law July 15. “We determined that a good, conservative start was the need to get 500 trucks on the road and to get 13 fueling stations along the triangle to ensure drivers could travel between the three cities with no fueling issues,” said Lynn Lyon, manager for strategic projects within domestic operations at Pioneer Natural Resources, a Texas Clean Transportation Triangle partner. The fueling stations currently offer either compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied natural gas (LNG). LNG, which is 600 times more compact than CNG, is the only alternative fuel option for heavy-duty trucks. Although LNG must be kept at a cooler temperature, tanks can hold 50 percent more LNG compared to CNG, which makes LNG ideal for commercial applications, like trucking, that benefit greatly from extended fuel ranges. Consumer vehicles that run on natural gas exclusively use CNG. Move Toward Natural Gas Vehicles Would Provide Significant Benefits Natural gas vehicles are popular outside the United States. According to NGV Global, an international association that promotes natural gas vehicles, there were 12.7 million such vehicles worldwide in 2010, including 2.7 million in Pakistan, 1.95 million in Iran, 1.9 million in Argentina, 1.7 million in Brazil and 1.1 million in India. Most natural gas vehicles were located in the Asia-Pacific region, with 6.8 million, followed by Latin America, with 4.2 million. However, the Honda Civic GX — which first appeared in 1998 — is still the only consumer natural gas vehicle commercially available in the United States. Members of the Texas Clean Transportation Triangle hope to change that, while at the same time encouraging people and business to convert existing gas cars to natural gas. The group’s initial efforts will concentrate on medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles and fleet vehicles, a move that the group hopes will result in more industry for the state, higher air quality in cities, a lower dependence on foreign oil and, ultimately, more consumer natural gas vehicles on roads and highways in Texas. One Houston-based company is already making plans to take advantage of the expansion of natural gas infrastructure for vehicles. Apache Corporation, an oil and gas exploration company, is converting its fleet of 900 Chevrolet Silverado trucks to run on natural gas. “By year end, we will have 230 of those, or 25 percent, converted to run on natural gas,” said Frank Chapel, Apache’s director of natural gas transportation fuels. “By 2015, our goal is to have 80 percent [of the vehicles] operating on natural gas. To support that, we will be constructing fueling stations at field offices.” Four of the five fueling stations, including the locations in Houston, Midland, Texas and Lafayette, La., will also be available for public use. Chapel said the construction of more natural gas fueling stations could encourage more industries to relocate to Houston. With more natural gas vehicles on the roads, Houston’s air quality would improve, resulting in a removal of the city’s nonattainment air quality rating by the Environmental Protection Agency. “If we get our transit system and more private vehicles doing this [fueling with natural gas], it could encourage more industry to come into the area,” Chapel said. Additionally, the move toward natural gas would also lower the United States’ dependence of foreign oil, according to Ana Hargrove, manager of marketing and sales for CenterPoint Energy. “At current consumption levels, we send $1 billion a day to foreign countries,” Hargrove said. The Honda Civic GX is currently available for fleet sales in all 50 states but retail sale in only four states — California, New York, Utah and Oklahoma. The GX is expected to go on sale throughout the United States in 2012. Sources “ Natural Gas Fueling Stations Planned for Houston Area ,” Community Impact Newspaper , Sept. 16, 2011. “ Volt and Leaf Fail to Topple Honda Civic GX From Green Book List ,” The New York Times , Feb. 16, 2011. NGV Global, “ Natural Gas Vehicle Statistics .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/texas-gets-13-natural-gas-fueling-stations,-part-of-‘transportation-triangle’/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/october/texas-gets-13-natural-gas-fueling-stations,-part-of-‘transportation-triangle’/ Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:45:00 GMT Montgomery County, Maryland Providing Energy Efficiency Rebate Program http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/maryland-county-hands-out-millions-in-energy-efficiency-grants/ Montgomery County in Maryland is handing out millions of dollars in rebates to help homeowners and small businesses pay for energy efficiency improvements and save money on utility bills . Thanks to a multi-million dollar grant from the federal government, the county is providing individual homeowners, small businesses and owners of multi-family dwellings (such as duplexes and apartment buildings), with rebates to help offset the cost of energy-saving projects. Forty-three businesses or multi-family dwellings have already received $1.7 million from the county, while county government buildings have received $2.5 million. The county will set aside the final $1.2 million from the federal grant to provide rebates to homeowners who agree to complete energy-efficiency projects in their homes. According to Eric Coffman, senior energy planner with the county’s Department of Environmental Protection, the county has already approved 69 applications for the final round of rebates totaling about $1 million. Coffman said that the rebates — as much as $3,000 per homeowner for projects such as insulation, heating and cooling, air sealing, solar water heating, geothermal heat pumps and energy-efficient appliances — could save the average homeowner between 10 percent and 30 percent a year on energy costs. The county also offers about $500,000 in total property tax credits for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects each year, but is facing a backlog because the number of applicants exceeds the budget. Sources “ Montgomery Homeowners Can Save Energy Costs ,” Gazette.Net, Sept. 14, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/maryland-county-hands-out-millions-in-energy-efficiency-grants/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/maryland-county-hands-out-millions-in-energy-efficiency-grants/ Mon, 03 Oct 2011 08:15:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/georgia-city-offers-energy-efficiency-rebates-to-homes-and-small-businesses/ Residents of Covington, Georgia are getting some assistance from the city to help them save money off utility bills . In light of extreme summer and winter temperatures over the last few years — and the high utility bills that have resulted — the city is offering residential and small business customers the opportunity to make energy-efficient improvements at a discount while financing the majority of costs using their utility bills. Covington is providing $116,501 in rebates for qualifying energy efficiency improvements, including heating and air conditioning units, appliances, hot water heaters, insulation, air and duct sealing and water heater blankets. To qualify for rebates, customers must first have an energy audit performed — which is itself eligible for a 50 percent discount — to identify which improvements will help customers save the most energy. The city is also setting aside $150,000 for interest-free on-bill financing, which will allow eligible improvements to be paid off over time through small monthly payments on customers’ utility bills. The payments will be roughly equal to the amount of money the improvements are expected to save, meaning customers shouldn’t see an increase in their utility bills while they pay off their improvements. On-bill financing will be charged over five years at zero percent interest with a $3 monthly fee. To qualify for rebates and on-bill financing, customers must be current on utility payments. To apply for rebates and on-bill financing, customers need to fill out an application from the city by contacting Randy Conner at 678.342.3177 or rconner@cityofcovington.org. Sources “ City Can Give Money for Energy Efficient Improvements ,” The Covington News , Sept. 14, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/georgia-city-offers-energy-efficiency-rebates-to-homes-and-small-businesses/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/georgia-city-offers-energy-efficiency-rebates-to-homes-and-small-businesses/ Fri, 30 Sep 2011 08:44:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/go-mobile-with-spark-energy’s-new-mobile-website-and-mobile-app/ There’s no denying that computer usage habits have changed dramatically in the last few years. Thanks at least in part to the rise of smartphones, Internet usage has increasingly gone both mobile and social, meaning website visitors have developed a new set of expectations that, in a lot of ways, existing websites aren’t really built to address. It’s not too much of a stretch to say it’s a new Internet out there. Spark Energy has responded with an all-new mobile website and mobile app. The new mobile website was designed to provide a level of experience and functionality that users have come to expect from their smartphones. We’ve taken elements from the full site and provided similar or identical features on the mobile site, including: The ability to search for electricity and/or natural gas plans and sign up for service from your phone Energy-saving tips Answers to frequently asked questions Outage and emergency numbers From the mobile website you can also find your way to the mobile app . From the mobile app, you can calculate your electricity usage, check out our latest blog posts and drop us a line on Facebook or Twitter. Our Texas customers can manage their accounts and make payments straight from their phones. We even tossed in a couple of games that aren’t only fun but can also provide some energy-saving tips for around the home. Our new mobile-formatted website and app are compatible with the latest versions of iOS, Android and BlackBerry devices. And here are some QR code shortcuts: Mobile Web Mobile App We’d love to hear what you think.  Drop us a line on Facebook at facebook.com/sparkenergy , or leave a comment below! http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/go-mobile-with-spark-energy’s-new-mobile-website-and-mobile-app/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/go-mobile-with-spark-energy’s-new-mobile-website-and-mobile-app/ Thu, 29 Sep 2011 10:44:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/rate-hikes-for-chicago-electric-utility-vetoed-by-governor-quinn/ Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn vetoed controversial legislation Monday that would have allowed Commonwealth Edison Co. (ComEd), the state’s largest electric utility, to raise utility rates. Quinn followed through on a promise to veto the rate hikes when the state budget plan that contained them was approved by the Illinois state House in May. The legislation gave ComEd permission to increase electric rates by a guaranteed minimum of 2.5 percent each year for the next two years to offset a planned $1.5 billion modernization of its power grid, which included the installation of “smart meters” in all homes and businesses in the utility’s service territory. The bill’s chief sponsor, House Rep. Kevin McCarthy, D-Orland Park, said in May that the rate increases would create at least 2,000 new jobs while bringing “cutting edge technology” and “outstanding reliability” to ComEd’s aging power grid. Quinn blasted the so-called “ComEd bill” when it was approved in May and again when he vetoed it Monday, arguing that consumers would get the short end of the stick because the bill determined only minimum rate increases, not maximums. “[The legislation] may be a dream come true for Commonwealth Edison, but it's a nightmare for Illinois consumers,” Quinn said Monday. Critics: Rate Hike Bill Gives Public Utilities a ‘Blank Check’ Opponents of the legislation — including Attorney General Lisa Madigan, AARP Illinois and the Citizens Utility Board — criticized it for the way it profoundly altered the determination of electric rates, how often rate increases occurred and how much profit ComEd would be allowed to take. In May, Madigan called the legislation a “blank check” for ComEd. Other critics referred to the legislation as a “Trojan horse” that the utility planned on using to increase its bottom line by eliminating the authority of the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC), the state’s utility regulator, to oversee electricity rate increases. ICC proposed a compromise that borrowed from ComEd’s bill and from a series of workshops with utilities, government officials and consumer advocates that resulted in an Oct. 2010 report that was meant to guide utilities as they moved forward with requests for smart grid technology. Instead, according to ICC chairman Doug Scott, the utilities chose to fight for legislation that would provide a way to pay for the smart grid without clearly defining how much consumers would pay and what they would pay for. Although the ICC proposal never made it to the floor, Scott said that it could be revived for the upcoming veto session. Electric Utility Could Pressure House to Overturn Veto As it stands, the embattled ComEd bill will be sent back to the House in an attempt to gain enough votes to override Quinn’s veto. The House approved the bill by a vote of 67-47 in May. To override the veto, the measure would need to receive 71 votes. Quinn’s veto comes just days after ICC announced it had launched an inquiry into a series of summer storms that led to massive and lengthy outages, including a July 11 storm that left more than 800,000 ComEd customers without power. Robert Gallo, Illinois’ state director for AARP, said that ComEd’s smart grid initiatives wouldn’t guarantee improved service, decreased outages or faster repairs. "We've called the smart grid a wolf in sheep's clothing all along," Gallo said. "You won't have to call ComEd but it doesn't guarantee they'll have someone fix it." Riding a wave of negative publicity, ComEd ranked in the bottom three of 17 utilities in the Midwest in a J.D. Power and Associate’s survey. Consumer advocates and opponents of the ComEd bill, including the Citizens Utility Board, AARP, the Environmental Law and Policy Center, Citizen Action Illinois and Madigan, said they would continue to fight to make sure Quinn’s veto stands. Sources “ Quinn Vetoes ComEd Rate Hike ,” Chicago Tribune , Sept. 12, 2011. “ House OKs ComEd Hikes, but Quinn Veto Possible ,” Chicago Sun-Times , May 31, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/rate-hikes-for-chicago-electric-utility-vetoed-by-governor-quinn/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/rate-hikes-for-chicago-electric-utility-vetoed-by-governor-quinn/ Thu, 29 Sep 2011 08:08:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/us-homes-are-using-less-energy-even-as-they-use-more-gadgets/ U.S. homes are using more electronic appliances and other technologies than ever before, including big-screen entertainment centers, powerful computers, power-hungry game consoles and gadgets that need to be constantly recharged. However, something unexpected is happening. Demand for electricity in U.S. homes is leveling off. From 1980 to 2000, residential electricity demand grew by about 2.5 percent a year. From 2000 to 2010, growth slowed to about 2 percent a year. But over the next ten years, experts predict residential electricity use will decline by about 0.5 percent a year, reversing a trend of increasing electricity consumption that began when Thomas Edison invented the light bulb. Energy demand from commercial customers, including factories and businesses, is still expected to grow 0.7 percent a year, at least through 2035. But that’s significantly less than the average growth of 2.5 percent a year over the past four decades. In the long term, the adoption of energy-efficient alternatives to the incandescent light bulb is playing a big part in energy conservation at home, as well as the rapid expansion of state and federal energy efficiency programs. The federal stimulus program set aside $11 billion for local energy-efficiency programs, while 28 states have passed laws requiring public utilities to help customers use less electricity. The implementation of energy-efficiency standards by all sorts of appliance and device manufacturers is also a significant contributor to energy savings at home. For example, refrigerators in the 1970s used 2000 kilowatt-hours of electricity a year. New models built today use just 500 kilowatt-hours a year. New TVs, washing machines, air conditioners and even new homes are being built to use less electricity. In the short term, a poor economy and high gas prices are resulting in some energy-saving behavioral changes at home, including raising the thermostat in the summer and lowering it in the winter. What might make home electricity demand rise again? Experts say the widespread adoption of electric cars could do the trick, as well as the adoption of power-hungry devices that haven’t caught on or have yet to be imagined. Ed White, vice president of customer and business strategy for National Grid, a gas and electric utility that serves markets on the East Coast, said that the leveling off of electricity demand by U.S. homes is a good thing, regardless of the reason. "Some do it for green reasons, some for money," White said. "We don't care why they are doing it, as long as they are doing it." Sources “ Shocker: Power Demand from U.S. Homes is Falling ,” KHOU-TV, Sept. 7, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/us-homes-are-using-less-energy-even-as-they-use-more-gadgets/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/us-homes-are-using-less-energy-even-as-they-use-more-gadgets/ Tue, 27 Sep 2011 08:08:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/advanced-vehicle-rd-projects-get-175-million-from-energy-department/ The U.S. Department of Energy announced last month that it was providing $175 million for the research and development of advanced vehicle technologies to help ensure automakers are able to meet new and ambitious fuel efficiency standards recently announced for cars, light trucks and commercial vehicles. The funds will support 40 fuel efficiency projects in 15 states and will target new innovations throughout the vehicle, including improved fuels and lubricants, more efficient engine technologies, longer-lasting and less expensive vehicle batteries and components, lighter weight materials and other next generation advancements, said U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu in a statement. The historic fuel efficiency standards announced in July by President Barack Obama require the fuel efficiency of cars and light trucks to reach 54.5 miles per gallon by model year 2025. According to Chu, the new standards for cars and light trucks, combined with measures previously enacted by the administration, will save U.S. families a total of $1.7 trillion in fuel costs by 2025 and result in average fuel savings of over $8,000 per vehicle over a typical vehicle’s lifetime. Additionally, the standards are expected to cut oil consumption by 12 billion barrels between now and 2025 — while daily oil consumption is expected to decrease by 2.2 million barrels  — and prevent 6 million tons of greenhouse gases from being released into the atmosphere. New fuel efficiency standards for work trucks, buses and other heavy duty vehicles that will be implemented from 2014–2018 will save U.S. businesses that operate commercial vehicles $50 billion during the five-year period. The commercial vehicle standards are also expected to save more than 500 million barrels of oil between 2014 and 2018 while cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 270 million metric tons. The companies that receive the $175 million in advanced vehicle research and development funds will add their own additional investments, bringing the total expenditure on fuel efficiency projects to more than $300 million. The Department of Energy said that the advanced vehicle funds would be divided among 40 projects in eight categories: 8 projects for advanced fuels and lubricants that will allow for the optimal performance of advanced combustion engines 5 projects for lightweight materials that would make lighter weight vehicles more commercially available while maintaining the highest safety standards 2 projects for lightweight multi-material vehicle prototypes that involve the design, construction and testing of a vehicle that’s 50 percent lighter than a standard light-duty vehicle 12 projects for advanced cells and design technology to develop batteries for electric vehicles that significantly exceed the current state-of-the-art in terms of performance and cost 4 projects for advanced power electronics to develop advanced power inverters and electric motors that meet ambitious performance targets while increasing affordability 3 projects for thermoelectric and enabling engine technology that will improve the efficiency of devices that convert engine waste heat to electricity 5 projects for fleet efficiency that will develop fuel-efficient tire and driver feedback technologies 1 project for advanced vehicle testing and evaluation involving the laboratory and field testing of advanced technology vehicles and related infrastructures Sources “ President Obama Announces Historic 54.5 mpg Fuel Efficiency Standard ,” The White House Office of the Press Secretary press release, July 29, 2011. “ White House Announces First Ever Oil Savings Standards for Heavy Duty Trucks, Buses ,” The White House Office of the Press Secretary press release, Aug. 9, 2011. “ Department of Energy Awards More Than $175 Million for Advanced Vehicle Research and Development ,” U.S. Department of Energy, Aug. 10, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/advanced-vehicle-rd-projects-get-175-million-from-energy-department/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/advanced-vehicle-rd-projects-get-175-million-from-energy-department/ Mon, 26 Sep 2011 08:00:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/new-york-to-offer-14-million-in-incentives-for-new-high-efficiency-homes/ A New York agency is using heavy incentives to encourage residents to incorporate high-efficiency features in their homes to save money off monthly utility bills . The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) recently announced $3 million in rebates for homeowners who purchased high-efficiency refrigerators and clothes washers. At the same time, the agency also announced the re-launch of its annual New York ENERGY STAR Homes program, started in 2001, which will provide $14.5 million in incentives to homebuilders for new home constructions that are significantly more energy-efficient than required by the New York State Energy Conservation Construction Code. The incentives will be available to homebuilders through Dec. 31, 2011. New home constructions, including single family homes, 2- to 4-unit residences, townhomes and patio homes will be eligible for program incentives. Low-rise, multi-unit residential buildings used for such purposes as senior or family housing, assisted living residences and apartment-style student housing will also be eligible. Homebuilder incentives include $1,250 for homes in upstate New York and $1,500 for homes in the five counties of New York City, Westchester County and eligible territories of Long Island. Incentives are also available for credentialed installers or for model or display homes. A $500 affordable housing incentive is also available. According to NYSERDA, ENERGY STAR–certified new constructions typically cost 1 percent to 3 percent more than standard constructions but are about 18 percent more energy efficient than homes meeting state code standards. Currently, 475 builders are NYSERDA partners in the New York ENERGY STAR Homes program. For more information about incentives, residents and homebuilders can visit www.NYSERDA.org . Sources “ NYSERDA Relaunches ENERGY STAR Homes Program with $14.5 Million in Incentives for Building High Efficiency Homes ,” New York State Energy Research and Development Authority press release, Aug. 23, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/new-york-to-offer-14-million-in-incentives-for-new-high-efficiency-homes/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/new-york-to-offer-14-million-in-incentives-for-new-high-efficiency-homes/ Fri, 23 Sep 2011 08:19:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/in-energy-history-the-worlds-first-solar-powered-car-debuts/ While new electric cars like the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf are making waves in the automotive industry, concepts of vehicles running off of alternative energy are older than many people may realize. The world’s first solar-powered automobile debuted at the General Motors Powerama auto show in Chicago, Illinois back in 1955. William G. Cobb of General Motors Corp. demonstrated his 15-inch-long “Sunmobile” and introduced the field of photovoltaics (the process by which sunlight is converted into electricity when exposed to certain surfaces) into the gasoline-fueled automotive industry. Built into the rudimentary Sunmobile were 12 photoelectric cells made of selenium. When sunlight hit the cells, an electric current was produced that powered a tiny motor, which was connected to a driveshaft connected to the vehicle’s rear axle by a pulley. Although more than a half-century later the world has yet to see a mass-produced solar-powered car, that doesn’t mean that nobody’s trying. Solar-car competitions are held around the world, in which design teams pit their solar-powered cars against one another in road races. And in Japan, Toyota Motor Corp. is working on a long-term solar-powered car project. According to the Nikkei, Toyota’s solar car, which won’t be available for years, will get some of its power from solar cells on the vehicle and will be recharged with electricity generated from solar panels that will be installed on the roofs of car owners’ homes. The company has also said that it will install solar panels on the roof of the next generation of its electric-gasoline hybrid Prius cars that will supply electricity to help power the car’s air conditioning system. Sources The History Channel, “ William Cobb Demonstrates First Solar-Powered Car .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/in-energy-history-the-worlds-first-solar-powered-car-debuts/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/in-energy-history-the-worlds-first-solar-powered-car-debuts/ Thu, 22 Sep 2011 08:16:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/popular-new-york-appliance-rebate-program-ends-after-just-five-days/ A mere five days after launching, a New York state program encouraging residents to purchase energy-efficiency appliances that could help them save money on monthly electric bills has ended. The Buy Green, Save Green New York State High Efficiency Appliance Rebate Program launched Sept. 2 with $3 million in rebate incentive funds from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). Under the program, consumers qualified for $350 rebates on high-efficiency refrigerators and $250 rebates on high-efficiency clothes washers. The original $3 million in funding for the popular program, which offered rebates on a first come, first served basis, began to run low over the weekend, so it received another infusion of $500,000 from NYSERDA. However, by 4 p.m. Sunday, the entire $3.5 million was exhausted. A waiting list of about 3,000 people has been created in case other consumers fail to complete paperwork needed to qualify for the rebates. A similar program by NYSERDA last year, New York’s Great Appliance Swap Out, offered $16 million in rebate funding and lasted four months longer than anticipated. The program was further extended after more than 25,000 consumers failed to claim their rebates. NYSERDA has received 14,642 rebate applications for the Buy Green, Save Green program. Applicants who have completed an online or phone application are now instructed to mail their applications, complete with original purchase receipt, to the rebate processing center as soon as possible. Applicants can check their status at www.nysappliancerebates.com or by calling 877.NY.SMART (877.697.6278). Sources “ Energy-Efficient Appliance Funds Exhausted After Only Five Days ,” The Buffalo News , Sept. 8, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/popular-new-york-appliance-rebate-program-ends-after-just-five-days/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/popular-new-york-appliance-rebate-program-ends-after-just-five-days/ Wed, 21 Sep 2011 08:12:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/4-tips-for-getting-the-most-out-of-cfl-bulbs/ Although switching from incandescent light bulbs to modern, energy-efficient compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs is a bright idea that can save money on monthly electric bills , CFL bulbs have taken it on the chin lately for failing to live up to expectations regarding lifespan and energy savings. But while benefits like 75 percent energy savings and lifespans of 10,000 hours are being debated , there are four simple things you can do to make sure you get your money’s worth when using CFL bulbs. 1. Avoid enclosed light fixtures for best performance The lifespan of CFL bulbs is shortened by heat. If you use them in enclosed light fixtures or recessed lighting, the heat that gets trapped around the bulbs will cause them to operate at higher-than-normal temperatures and burn out faster, according to Roberts Research and Consulting, a lighting technology and consulting firm. If you need to use CFLs in enclosed fixtures, your best bet is to shoot for low-wattage bulbs and use them in cooler parts of your home. 2. CFLs will last longer if you leave them on longer Although it sounds like exactly the opposite of what you need to do, in order for CFLs to achieve their advertised lifespans, they need to be switched on for a minimum of four hours at a time, says architect and builder Bob Formisano. According to Formisano, if you turn on CFLs for only an hour at a time you can expect a 20 percent to 50 percent reduction in bulb lifespan. And if the CFL bulb is only used for 5 minutes to 30 minutes at a time, you can expect it to last 70 percent to 85 percent less than advertised. Natural Resources Canada suggests leaving CLFs on if you’re returning to the room in 20 minutes or so and recommends considering incandescent bulbs for lights activated by motion sensors. 3. Avoid using CFLs with ceiling fans Another drawback of normal CFL bulbs is that they’re vulnerable to vibrations and jolts, which means using them in ceiling fans isn’t a good way to extend a bulb’s lifespan. According to Popular Mechanics , even using a CFL bulb in the foyer is a bad idea because its lifespan will be shortened every time your kids slam the front door. There are, however, heavy-duty CFL bulbs that are more resistant to vibration and could make good choices for installing in ceiling fans and near doors. 4. Tape the receipt to the box and keep it Find out what the return policy is for the CFL bulbs you buy, either from the retailer or manufacturer or both. Consider taping the receipt for the bulbs to their packaging and storing it out of the way somewhere so that you can return the bulbs if they burn out early. Sources “ Get Your Money's Worth from Energy-Saving Bulbs ,” The Globe and Mail , Aug. 19, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/4-tips-for-getting-the-most-out-of-cfl-bulbs/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/4-tips-for-getting-the-most-out-of-cfl-bulbs/ Tue, 20 Sep 2011 08:15:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/ny-residents-can-now-finance-energy-efficiency-improvements-on-utility-bills/ New York state residents are getting some creative help from regulators and public utilities when it comes to financing home energy efficiency improvements. Under a new program called “on-bill” financing, New York homeowners will now be able to finance expensive home energy efficiency improvements and pay back the loans a little each month on their utility bills. The program is part of major energy legislation passed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the state Legislature. The legislation directs public utilities to bill homeowners for qualifying purchases through their monthly utility bill at an amount equal to the projected energy savings for that month, which means that customers’ utility bills won’t go up as a result of the financing. In other words, homeowners can pay for energy efficiency upgrades with the amount of money they save using the very improvement that they’re financing. The on-bill financing program will receive money from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority that will be pooled by a group of banks. Details of the program will be worked out through the state Public Service Commission, which is looking at how the financing would work. The Center for Working Families estimated that the program, which is already available to small business owners, would allow tens of thousands of homeowners to upgrade their homes while creating 60,000 new jobs from the increased demand for energy efficient equipment, installers and construction workers. Sources “ New Energy Efficiency Upgrade Option Being Offered ,” Times Union , Aug. 30, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/ny-residents-can-now-finance-energy-efficiency-improvements-on-utility-bills/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/ny-residents-can-now-finance-energy-efficiency-improvements-on-utility-bills/ Mon, 19 Sep 2011 08:19:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/california-consumer-energy-efficiency-bill-awaits-governors-signature/ A bill by California state Senator Fran Pavley that provides consumer protections for residents who purchase energy-efficient products and services passed the Senate on Saturday and now awaits Gov. Jerry Brown’s signature. SB 454, the bill introduced by Sen. Pavley, a Democrat from Agoura Hills, ensures that California’s energy efficiency appliance standards provide expected energy savings for the state while helping consumers save money off utility bills . The legislation, sponsored by the Natural Resources Defense Council and the State Building and Construction Trades Council, gives the California Energy Commission (CEC) the authority to enforce energy code violations for appliances and withhold energy efficiency rebates that are disbursed by investor-owned energy utilities until proper permits are obtained. The bill is a response to numerous complaints that CEC has received from contractors and consumers regarding violations of building and appliance energy efficiency standards. According to a recent analysis of complaints, proper permits are obtained in less than 10 percent of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) replacement projects in existing buildings. Recent studies also show that half of the appliances sold in California don’t meet the state’s high energy efficiency standards. Although the CEC sets energy efficiency standards and requires certification for products and services sold in the state, the commission currently has no power to enforce its standards. Gov. Brown has until Oct. 1 to sign the bill. Sources “ Pavley Consumer Protection Bill Heads to Governor ,” Studio City Patch, Sept. 10, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/california-consumer-energy-efficiency-bill-awaits-governors-signature/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/california-consumer-energy-efficiency-bill-awaits-governors-signature/ Fri, 16 Sep 2011 08:21:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/spark-energy-donates-music-instruments-to-chicago-charter-school/ Cherrelle Blevins, a music teacher at Bronzeville Lighthouse Elementary Charter School in Chicago, posted on www.iloveschools.com the need for more music instruments for her students. So we responded , donating more than 300 instruments, including a digital keyboard and a range of percussion instruments. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/spark-energy-donates-music-instruments-to-chicago-charter-school/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/spark-energy-donates-music-instruments-to-chicago-charter-school/ Thu, 15 Sep 2011 10:10:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/white-house-announces-ambitious-new-fuel-efficiency-standards-for-vehicles/ The Obama Administration announced late in July that it had reached a historic agreement with thirteen major automakers to increase the fuel economy of cars and light trucks to 54.4 miles per gallon by 2025. President Barack Obama’s push for the new fuel efficiency standard was joined by carmakers Ford, GM, Chrysler, BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar/Land Rover, Kia, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Toyota and Volvo, as well as the United Auto Workers union and the state of California. “This agreement on fuel standards represents the single most important step we’ve ever taken as a nation to reduce our dependence on foreign oil,” said President Obama. “Most of the companies here today were part of an agreement we reached two years ago to raise the fuel efficiency of their cars over the next five years. We’ve set an aggressive target and the companies are stepping up to the plate. By 2025, the average fuel economy of their vehicles will nearly double to almost 55 miles per gallon.” The Administration had previously reached an agreement with automakers for model years 2012–2016 that will increase the fuel efficiency of cars and light trucks to 35.5 miles per gallon. The new higher standard of 54.4 miles per gallon will apply to model years 2017–2025. According to the Administration, the new fuel efficiency standard will save U.S. families $1.7 trillion at the pump between now and 2025. By 2025 the new standard will result in average fuel savings of more than $8,000 over the life of a typical vehicle. The Administration also said that the new standard will dramatically reduce the amount of oil Americans consume, carbon dioxide emissions and the nation’s dependence on foreign oil. Between now and 2025, the standards are projected to cut total oil consumption by 12 billion barrels of oil. By 2025, the standards are projected to cut oil consumption by 2.2 million barrels of oil per day, or approximately half the amount of oil the United States currently imports from OPEC nations every day. Carbon pollution is expected to decrease along with oil consumption. By 2025, greenhouse gasses are projected to be cut by more than 6 million metric tons, which is more than the total amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the United States all of last year. New Fuel Efficiency Standards Also Target Commercial Vehicles The Administration followed the announcement of new fuel efficiency standards for cars and light trucks with an announcement in August that it had also reached an agreement with truck and engine manufacturers, fleet owners and the state of California to increase the fuel economy of work trucks, buses and other heavy duty vehicles by 2018. “While we were working to improve the efficiency of cars and light-duty trucks, something interesting happened,” said President Obama. “We started getting letters asking that we do the same for medium and heavy-duty trucks. They were from the people who build, buy and drive these trucks.” Unlike the fuel economy standard for cars and light trucks, new standards for commercial vehicles for model years 2014–2018 are based on several categories depending on vehicle design and purpose: Combination tractors, also known as big-rigs or semi-trucks, will be required to increase fuel efficiency and decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by 2018, saving up to an average of 4 gallons of gas for every 100 miles travelled. Heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans will be required to increase fuel efficiency and decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent by 2018, saving up to an average of one gallon of gas for every 100 miles travelled. Vocational vehicles, including delivery trucks, buses and garbage trucks, will be required to increase fuel efficiency and decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent by 2018, saving up to an average of one gallon of gas for every 100 miles travelled. According to the Administration, the new commercial vehicle efficiency standards will save $50 billion in fuel costs and more than 500 million barrels of oil between 2014 and 2018 while cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 270 million metric tons. Sources “ President Obama Announces Historic 54.5 mpg Fuel Efficiency Standard ,” The White House Office of the Press Secretary press release, July 29, 2011. “ White House Announces First Ever Oil Savings Standards for Heavy Duty Trucks, Buses ,” The White House Office of the Press Secretary press release, Aug. 9, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/white-house-announces-ambitious-new-fuel-efficiency-standards-for-vehicles/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/white-house-announces-ambitious-new-fuel-efficiency-standards-for-vehicles/ Thu, 15 Sep 2011 08:15:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/turn-off-utilities-after-a-disaster-to-avoid-charges/ Hurricane Irene caused about $1.5 billion in destruction, destroying or damaging over 400 homes in Connecticut and 700 homes in Vermont. Numbers were even more overwhelming in North Carolina where 1,100 homes were destroyed or damaged, according to Governor Beverly Perdue, and in many other states along the eastern seaboard. This week’s Texas wildfires continue to set records, razing hundreds of homes and tens of thousands of acres. More than 5,000 people have evacuated to avoid the flames and the 16-mile-wide wildfire in Bastrop County in Central Texas is the worst wildfire in Texas history. The wildfire will likely destroy additional homes as the number of homes destroyed across the state tops 1,000. What to Do After a Disaster More deaths typically occur after a hurricane than during one, so be extremely careful when returning home after any natural disaster and only do so after authorities have deemed your area safe. Have a qualified electrician or technician inspect the wiring in your home, reconnect utilities and relight pilot lights if you do not know how to safely do so. In the case of a total loss of your home, or in the case of an extended stay away from your home due to severe damage, be sure to alert your utility company and your energy service company or ESCO (also known as a retail electric provider or REP). Even if local officials, police officers and firefighters may know that your home was destroyed, your utility company may continue to bill your account for “estimated usage,” or usage estimated in accordance with your typical usage patterns, whether or not you’re living in your home. “A lot of customers assume that the utility company knows that the electric account will just close since the home was destroyed. That is not the case – they need to call in,” says Rachel Rodriguez, customer service manager for Spark Energy. Rodriguez says that a retail electric company can submit requests on behalf of customers to the utility to electronically notify them to stop service to the residence in case the customer is unable to reach the utility company directly. Once everything is shut off, an inspector from the county or city will need to inspect the premises to be sure it’s safe to begin rebuilding. At that time, you’ll need to call your utility to set up a temporary meter for your contractor’s needs. Check with your county or city government on what types of inspections are required to begin rebuilding and to move back in. Once the home is inspected and passed, you’ll need to contact the utility to set up permanent service and you’ll be able to select an ESCO or REP. Special Disaster Assistance If you’re a Spark Energy customer, we’ll be happy to help accommodate your needs after a natural disaster. We understand that it can be a stressful time and will do everything we can to help make your transition as smooth as possible. If you’ve been displaced because of a natural disaster, please contact our customer service department and we can take your situation into account and help you accordingly, whether you need to relocate temporarily or permanently. Additional Resources We’ve compiled a list of utilities in the Houston area and Central Texas in case you need to contact your utility company. Please note that Spark Energy is unable to assist non-Spark Energy customers with move-outs or customers not within our service area. We are also unable to assist customers with permitting, inspection, or rebuilding – please contact your local government or insurance company for that information. The information below is provided for your convenience. Spark Energy Customer Service: Phone: 877.547.7275 Toll Free Fax: 877.374.8007 Email: customercare@sparkenergy.com East Coast Utility Contact Info for Hurricane Irene Areas: http://bit.ly/IreneOutage Houston-Area Utilities: - CenterPoint Energy: Area: Greater Houston Area Customer Service: 713.207.2222 or 800.332.7143 Report Downed Lines: 713.207.2225 Website: http://www.centerpointenergy.com Outage Map: http://gis.centerpointenergy.com/outagetracker/index.html - Texas-New Mexico Power-TNMP: Area: Friendswood, League City, Dickinson, Alvin, La Marque, Texas City, Angleton, Brazoria, West Columbia, Sweeny Report Outage: 888.866.7456, option 2 Report Downed Lines: 888.866.7456, option 1 Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tnmp Website: http://www.tnmp.com Service Area Map: http://www.tnmp.com/about/service-area-map/index.htm - American Electric Power-AEP Texas: Area: Matagorda, Wharton, Colorado Counties & South Report Outages: 877.373.4858 Report Outage Online: https://www.aeptexas.com/outages/report/ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/aeptexas Website: http://www.aeptexas.com Outage Map: https://www.aeptexas.com/outages/ - Entergy Texas (Not in Spark Energy Service Area): Area: Bryan/College Station, Navasota, Hempstead, Magnolia, The Woodlands, Conroe, Liberty, Cleveland, Huntsville, Beaumont, Port Arthur and east to the Louisiana border Customer Service and Emergencies: 800.ENTERGY (800.368.3749) Report Outage: 1.800.9OUTAGE (800.968.8243) Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/EntergyTEX Website: http://www.entergy-texas.com/ - San Bernard Electric Cooperative-SBEC (Not in Spark Energy Service Area): Area: Hempstead, Prairie View, Bellville, Waller, Sealy, Columbus Report Outage: 800.364.9171 Outage Map: http://66.63.235.29/Outages/ Houston-Area Permitting and Construction Information: - Harris County Public Infrastructure Department: Website: http://hcpid.org/permits/ Phone: 713.956.3000 Fax: 713.956.3050 Email: permitsinfo@hcpid.org - Montgomery County Environmental Health & Permitting: Website: http://www.mctx.org/departments_d-k/departments_e/environmental_health/permitting.html Phone: 936.539.7836 or 281.364.4200 ext 7836 Fax: 936.538.8288 or 936.788.8388 Email: phil.jones@mctx.org - Grimes County Environmental Permits: Website: http://www.co.grimes.tx.us/ips/cms/countyoffices/environmentalpermits.html Phone: 936.873.4496 (Debbie Stringer, Representative) Phone: 936.873.4495 (Martha McCleney, Assistant) Email: debbie.stringer@co.grimes.tx.us - Waller County Permitting and Construction: Website: http://www.wallercounty.org/construct.php Phone: 979.921.9059 ext 23 Email: vyokom@wallercounty.org Central Texas Utilities (Not in Spark Energy Service Area): - Austin Energy: Area: Austin to Onion Creek, Bee Cave, Hudson Bend, Anderson Mill Customer Care: 512.494.9400 Report Outage: 512.322.9100 Report Outage Online: https://my.austinenergy.com/outagereporting/AccountLookup.do Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AustinEnergy Outage Map: https://my.austinenergy.com/outages/ - Bastrop Power & Light: Phone: 512.321.2601 Fax: 512.331.2623 Customer Service: 512.332.8830 Website: http://www.cityofbastrop.org/departments/power_and_light/index.html Central Texas Permitting and Construction: - City of Austin Building Permits: Website: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/help/permits.htm Phone: 311 - Bastrop County Permits: Website: http://www.co.bastrop.tx.us/site/content/residents Sources “ Governor, Feds Vow to Rebuild Irene-Damaged Conn. ,” – Houston Chronicle , September 5, 2011. “ Vt. Gov Seeks Vacation Homes for Flood Victims ,” – Associated Press, September 6, 2011. “ Schumer Tours Irene Damage, Promises Fight for FEMA Aid ,” www.lohud.com, September 5, 2011. “ Hurricane Irene Relief Fund Estimated at $1.5bn ,” – Guardian, September 6, 2011. “ Irene Destroyed More Than 1,100 Homes, N.C. Governor Says ,” Associated Press, August 30, 2011. “ Disastrous Texas Wildfire Now Worst in State's History ,” Time, September 6, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/turn-off-utilities-after-a-disaster-to-avoid-charges/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/turn-off-utilities-after-a-disaster-to-avoid-charges/ Wed, 14 Sep 2011 08:15:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/solar-competitions-for-students-spur-innovation-and-energy-saving-technologies/ Two Michigan-based industrial giants have announced sponsorships of separate solar energy competitions that seek to engage students and encourage innovative ideas that advance solar power technology. Dow Corning Corporation, a company that specializes in silicone and silicone-based technology — the material foundation of most solar cells — will sponsor the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon 2011. The biannual competition will be held from Sept. 23 to Oct. 2 in Washington, D.C. The Decathlon will select 20 collegiate teams to compete over the course of two years in the design, construction and operation of solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient and attractive. In addition to engaging college students, Dow Corning also announced that it will reach out to middle school students during the competition by creating educational resources that will help them improve their understanding of solar energy and sustainability and reinforce the importance of science, technology, engineering and math. The resources include school curriculum for teachers, a Student Welcome & Education Center on the decathlon grounds and a Solar Decathlon program aimed at middle school students. Meanwhile, Dow Chemical Company, one of the world’s largest chemical companies, announced the launch of the Dow Solar Design to Zero Competition, an international competition for college students that will award cash prizes for the development of innovative projects that incorporate active and passive solar technologies and other sustainable construction-related solutions in order to design multi-family dwellings that use very little to no energy. For more information about the Solar Decathlon 2011, visit www.solardecathlon.gov . To learn more about the Dow Solar Design to Zero Competition, visit www.designtozero.com . Sources “ Industrial Spotlight: Dow Solar, Dow Corning Sponsor Separate Solar Competitions ,” Midland Daily News , Aug. 21, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/solar-competitions-for-students-spur-innovation-and-energy-saving-technologies/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/solar-competitions-for-students-spur-innovation-and-energy-saving-technologies/ Tue, 13 Sep 2011 08:10:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/public-electric-car-charging-stations-to-launch-this-week-in-houston-texas/ Nine months after becoming the first major U.S. city to announce an electric vehicle charging network, Houston, Texas is finally installing its first charger. NRG Energy subsidiary eVgo installed its so-called “Freedom Station” Wednesday at the H-E-B Buffalo Market grocery store at the intersection of Buffalo Speedway and Bissonnet Street. The station allows for two cars to charge simultaneously, presumably while patrons shop for groceries. The station uses one 480-volt DC fast charger that can charge electric vehicles at the rate of about 160 miles of range per hour, or about 30 miles in a quick 10-minute charge, and one less-powerful 240-volt Level 2 charger that can charge at the rate of about 25 miles of range per hour. Three more Freedom Stations will be installed within the next two weeks at the Shops at Houston Center in downtown Houston, the Walgreens at 19710 Holzwarth Street and the Walgreens at 8942 West Sam Houston Parkway North. Twenty-five additional Freedom Stations are scheduled for installation around Houston by the end of the year and 25 more are scheduled for 2012. Sources “ Houston Public Car Charging Stations Launch This Week ,” FuelFix, Sept. 7, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/public-electric-car-charging-stations-to-launch-this-week-in-houston-texas/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/public-electric-car-charging-stations-to-launch-this-week-in-houston-texas/ Mon, 12 Sep 2011 08:14:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/what-does-critical-care-status-mean-for-texas-electric-customers/ If you’re a Texas resident and have a medical condition that could become life threatening if your home were to lose power, you may qualify for critical care or chronic condition status with your TDU. Electric customers with critical care or chronic condition status can receive certain benefits related to notification or interruptions or suspensions of service, and certain protections related to disconnection of service. Note : When customers sign up for electricity service, they may buy their electricity from retail electric providers (REPs). The public utilities, also known as transmission and distribution utilities (TDUs), deliver the electricity to customers’ homes and maintain equipment like wires, poles and transformers. In Houston, for example, CenterPoint Energy is the TDU. Other TDUs in Texas include AEP Texas Central, AEP Texas North, Nueces Electric, Oncor, Sharyland Utilities (including Cap Rock) and Texas-New Mexico Power. In areas of Texas that don’t have electricity choice, you are required to buy your electricity from one company – the utility – that also delivers electricity and maintains equipment like wires, poles and transformers. Critical Care Status Eligibility According to new guidelines that took effect Jan. 1, critical care status is now reserved for customers who have a person living in his or her home who has been diagnosed by a physician as being dependent upon an electric-powered medical device to sustain life. Concessions Critical care customers who are unable to pay their electric bills and are in danger of having their electric service disconnected may apply for a 63-day protection period. To qualify, customers must have their doctor contact their REP, verbally and in writing, to confirm critical care status and then enter into a deferred payment plan with their REP. The REP won’t disconnect electric service during the 63-day protection period. Critical care customers who are still unable to pay their bills after 63 days may begin the process again. In the case of critical care customers who don’t pursue the protection period and are going to be disconnected, their REPs are required to send written notification at least 21 days prior to disconnection. In such cases, TDUs are required to contact critical care customers and secondary contacts by phone. If that fails, TDUs are required to visit customers at home to inform them of the pending disconnection. Chronic Condition Status Eligibility Customers may apply for chronic condition status when they have a person permanently residing in their home that has a serious medical condition that requires an electric powered medical device or electric heating or cooling to prevent the impairment of a major life function through a significant deterioration or exacerbation of the person’s medical condition. Unlike critical care status, chronic condition status is usually good for only 90 days. Customers may repeat the application process after each 90-day period. Concessions A chronic condition customer who is unable to pay his or her electric bills, as well as his/her secondary contact, will receive written notification from his/her REP at least 21 days prior to a scheduled disconnection (an email notice will be sent if the customer agrees). Important Information about Critical Care and Chronic Condition Status Previously Certified Critical Care Customers — Electric customers who were granted critical care status under the old guidelines that expired Jan. 1 will remain covered until their application is due for renewal. At that time, customers must meet the new requirements for critical care or chronic condition status. Requirement to Pay — By law, granting critical care or chronic condition status doesn’t relieve electric customers of the obligation to pay for electric service. No Guarantee of Electric Service — Electric customers who’ve been granted critical care or chronic condition status are not guaranteed an uninterrupted, regular or continuous power supply. In cases where electric supply is a necessity, customers must provide their own on-site backup capabilities, such as installing generators, to ensure uninterrupted service in the event of a power loss. Online Application — The application for critical care or chronic condition status may be found online at www.puc.state.tx.us/industry/electric/forms/critical/ccform.pdf . Sources Texas Office of Public Utility Counsel website, “ PUC Passes New Rules on Critical Care and Chronic Care .” Public Utility Commission of Texas form, “ Application for Chronic condition or Critical Care Residential Customer Status ,” Jan. 13, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/what-does-critical-care-status-mean-for-texas-electric-customers/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/what-does-critical-care-status-mean-for-texas-electric-customers/ Fri, 09 Sep 2011 08:08:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/peco-to-raise-residential-and-commercial-electric-rates-oct-1/ Pennsylvania public utility PECO Energy Co. announced that it will raise its electric supply rate for residential and commercial customers on Oct. 1. The residential supply rate will increase 7 percent, from 10.42 cents per kilowatt hour to 11.14 cents. The supply rate for small commercial customers will increase 5 percent, from 10.32 cents per kilowatt hour to 10.87 cents. There are two main charges on PECO’s bills. The supply rate is for the electricity that customers use. The delivery rate is for delivering the electricity to homes and businesses, regardless of where it comes from. While the supply rate is determined by whether customers buy their electricity from PECO or an alternative retail electric supplier , PECO collects a delivery charge from every electric customer in its service territory. Only customers who buy their electricity from PECO will be affected by the rate increase on Oct. 1. Customers that buy their electricity from a retail electric supplier will be unaffected. In a statement announcing the rate increase, PECO recommended that customers use its supply rate, also called the price to compare, to see if switching to a retail electric supplier will save them money. Sources “ Electric Commodity Prices to Increase Slightly for Residential Customers ,” PECO Energy Co. press release. Aug. 16, 2011. “ PECO To Raise Electric Charges ,” The Philadelphia Enquirer , Aug. 16, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/peco-to-raise-residential-and-commercial-electric-rates-oct-1/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/peco-to-raise-residential-and-commercial-electric-rates-oct-1/ Thu, 08 Sep 2011 08:16:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/40-percent-of-ppl-customers-have-switched-electric-suppliers-since-2010/ Since the electric industry in Pennsylvania was deregulated at the beginning of 2010, almost 40 percent of PPL Electric Utilities’ residential customers have switched to an alternative retail electric supplier , according to data recently released by the state Public Utility Commission. Before deregulation, PPL was a monopoly. Customers in PPL’s service territory, which stretches across six regions in the western half of Pennsylvania, were forced to buy electricity from the utility at regulated prices and the utility, in turn, was responsible for distributing electricity to customers’ homes. After deregulation, other electric companies were allowed to compete with PPL and each other to sell electricity. Customers could choose to buy their electricity from PPL at regulated prices or switch to a retail electric supplier. Meanwhile, PPL was tasked with continuing to distribute electricity to residents in its territory, no matter where customers chose to buy it. Today, customers in PPL’s service territory have the power to choose which company they buy electricity from, but not which company distributes the electricity to their homes. Public Utility Commission spokeswoman Denise McCracken said that while the savings customers get by switching from PPL to retail electric suppliers may not look like much at first, the 500,000 customers who switched saved an average of $100 a year. Sources “ PPL Loses 40% of Its Residential Base Since Deregulation ,” The Daily Item , Aug. 11, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/40-percent-of-ppl-customers-have-switched-electric-suppliers-since-2010/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/40-percent-of-ppl-customers-have-switched-electric-suppliers-since-2010/ Wed, 07 Sep 2011 08:11:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/texas-officials-ask-schools-to-save-energy-as-record-heat-continues/ Texas Education Agency commissioner Robert Scott sent a letter last month to school administrators answering questions about the effect that the state’s lingering heat wave would have on their schools’ electricity usage. The letter also offered tips for how administrators could help decrease energy consumption and save money off monthly electric bills . Scott eased some concerns among administrators by telling them that the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the agency responsible for the state’s electric grid, had factored the start of the school year into its forecast of electricity needs and that ERCOT doesn’t anticipate a strain on the grid as a result of schools opening their doors. However, Scott wrote that ERCOT would continue to closely monitor the situation to determine if further conservation measures, already enacted in many cities and towns throughout the state, are necessary. The letter noted that peak electricity use generally occurs between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. — after many schools have dismissed students for the day — but that ERCOT and the Public Utility Commission of Texas offered several tips for helping administrators save energy and money while easing demand from the grid: Set the thermostat 2 degrees to 4 degrees warmer than usual and close blinds and curtains on windows that get direct sunlight. Turn off all lights and electrical equipment when not in use. Unplug hallway water fountains after 3 p.m. Avoid non-essential activities involving electricity during peak hours, including running large copy jobs and charging cell phones and laptops. Sources Texas Education Agency energy conservation letter to administrators , Aug. 11, 2011. “ State Officials Ask Schools to Conserve Energy as Extreme Heat Expected to Continue ,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram , Aug. 11, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/texas-officials-ask-schools-to-save-energy-as-record-heat-continues/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/texas-officials-ask-schools-to-save-energy-as-record-heat-continues/ Tue, 06 Sep 2011 08:18:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/new-york-offers-new-rebates-for-energy-efficient-appliances-beginning-today/ New York residents are getting an extra incentive to buy energy-efficiency appliances that could help them save money on monthly electric bills . As part of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) “Buy Green, Save Green NYS High-Efficiency Appliance Rebate Program,” $3 million has been set aside for residential rebates on energy-efficient refrigerators and clothes washers that will be available to shoppers beginning today, September 2. The program is similar to last year’s “New York State Great Appliance Swap-Out,” but it excludes dishwashers and freezers and doesn’t provide rebates for recycling. Under the program, New York residents qualify for $350 rebates on high-efficiency refrigerators and $250 on high-efficiency washing machines that are ENERGY STAR–certified and meet super-efficiency levels determined by the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE). Super-efficiency appliances use significantly less electricity than the levels set by federal standards and represent the highest tier of ENERGY STAR efficiency levels. Residents looking to maximize their savings will be able to double-dip by combining rebates from the state program with rebates from appliance manufacturers. According to Marty Gregoire, customer relations manager at Orville’s Home Appliances in Lancaster, qualifying washing machines use 10 to 25 gallons of water per load, compared with 45 gallons per load for non-efficient models, and can save up to $135 a year in combined water and electricity savings. Gregoire also said that qualifying refrigerators are at least 20 percent more efficient than standard models, which could make for considerable savings off monthly electric bills. According to CEE, refrigerators are a major source of electricity consumption in most households, making up about 15 percent of all residential electricity usage. The Buy Green, Save Green program is expected to be just as successful as the New York State Great Appliance Swap-Out, said Francis Murray Jr., NYSERDA president and CEO. During the swap-out, 165,148 households took advantage of the program before the $16 million pool of rebate funds had run dry. In all, 169,866 appliances were replaced with 57,635 ENERGY STAR–certified appliances, which are 30 percent more efficient than standard models. Gregoire said that New York residents should act quickly to take advantage of the Buy Green, Save Green program, as the $3 million worth of rebates set aside for the program won’t last long. Rebates for the Buy Green, Save Green program will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications are available on a special website, www.nysappliancerebates.com . New Yorkers can also get applications, as well as more information about the Buy Green, Save Green program, by calling (877) 697-6278. For more information about super-efficient refrigerators and clothes washers, visit www.cee1.org . Spark Energy If you respond to the poll, let us know in the comments why you answered one way or the other. Sources “ NYSERDA Announces New $3 Million Residential Appliance Rebate Program to Begin Sept. 2, 2011 ,” New York State Energy Research and Development Authority press release, Aug. 24, 2011. “ Energy-Efficient Refrigerators, Washers Eligible for New Rebates ,” The Buffalo News , Aug. 25, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/new-york-offers-new-rebates-for-energy-efficient-appliances-beginning-today/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/new-york-offers-new-rebates-for-energy-efficient-appliances-beginning-today/ Fri, 02 Sep 2011 08:15:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/nissan-leaf-battery-to-power-homes-in-an-emergency/ Nissan announced recently that it was developing a system to allow owners of its Leaf electric car to use the car’s battery to power their homes during emergencies. The company said its Nissan Leaf to Home system will transform the Leaf’s charging station into a two-way system that can charge the car’s lithium ion batteries and also draw current from the car’s batteries and feed it directly into a home’s electricity distribution panel. The Leaf’s batteries store 24 kilowatt-hours of electricity on a full charge. According to the company, that’s enough electricity to power an average Japanese home for about two days. It would be about enough electricity to power an average U.S. home, which consumes roughly twice as much electricity as an average Japanese home, for about a day. Nissan said it plans to commercialize the system in Japan within a year and expects to make it available to Leaf owners in other countries after systems are adapted to meet local electricity requirements. Sources : “ Nissan Leaf Batteries to Power Homes ,” CNET, Aug. 4, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/nissan-leaf-battery-to-power-homes-in-an-emergency/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/september/nissan-leaf-battery-to-power-homes-in-an-emergency/ Thu, 01 Sep 2011 08:14:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/how-long-will-the-power-be-out-after-hurricane-irene/ Ahead of the storm, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano noted that, "we do anticipate a significant amount of power outages with this particular storm." A FEMA Administrator agreed, saying that strong winds and flash flooding were expected to impact those inland as well as along the coast. With some estimates that over 4 million homes and businesses were without power in the wake of Hurricane Irene across the Eastern Seaboard, we can see that predictions of mass power outages across the region came true for many. Hurricane Irene Heavily Impacted the Electric Grid A US Department of Energy report released Monday morning collected data from utilities’ outage information and helped give us an overall view of the impact of Hurricane Irene: Rhode Island – 64% of customers out Connecticut – 44% of customers out Maryland – 22% of customers out New Jersey – 20% of customers out New Hampshire – 20% of customers out Massachusetts – 19% of customers out Virginia – 19% of customers out New York – 12% of customers out Please continue to report outages – utility systems can locate generalized outages, but it can be difficult to pinpoint specific outage locations. To find contact information for your utility, see our list here . When Will My Power Be Back On? How Many People are Still Out? Philadelphia: 225,000 were without power in Eastern Pennsylvania on Monday, according to PECO. Bucks County reports 81,000 outages; Delaware County 64,000; Chester County 57,000; Montgomery County 14,000; and Philadelphia County 9,000 outages. PECO says they’ve already restored power to 300,000 customers and that 90% of the remaining outages should be repaired by Today. The remainder can expect their power to be back on before the weekend. SEPTA reports having three train routes out: Cynwyd, Trenton, and Paoli/Malvern. The Norristown line is reported to have begun running Monday afternoon. UPDATE: PECO now reports 47,000 out of power on Wednesday morning throughout the region. New York City: More than 106,000 of ConEdison’s 3.2 million customers remained without power as of Monday afternoon. ConEdison intentionally cut electricity to some of its service area prior to the storm due to expected saltwater inundation of electrical equipment. ConEdison estimates that most customers in New York City will have power returned by Tuesday and most Westchester County residents should be restored by Thursday. ConEdison is supplying dry ice in several locations to help keep food refrigerated. MTA trains and busses were almost back up to normal by early Monday morning, including the Staten Island Train starting back up Sunday night. UPDATE: 32,000 outages are reported Tuesday evening. ConEdison says 83% of customers have been restored. Long Island: The Long Island Power Authority said 400,000 customers were without power on Monday. 90% of these homes and businesses can expect to have power by Friday, with the remainder restored by the weekend or early next week, according to a LIPA representative. UPDATE: 190,000 are still out of power on Long Island in Nassau and Suffolk counties, about 16% of all customers. "Irene left behind a level of damage that we have not seen on Long Island in almost 30 years," the public utility said. New Jersey: 715,000 utility customers were reportedly without power Monday morning across the state. 60,000 of those being within the PSE&G service territory. Crews with PSE&G are prioritizing downed lines and other emergencies. PSE&G and Jersey Central Power & Light said that rivers must recede before service can be restored. "That takes days," PSE&G spokeswoman Karen Johnson said. "The flooding is kind of overwhelming." UPDATE: PSE&G reports 74,000 customers out, about 4% of its 2.1 million customers. Jersey Central Power & Light still shows 187,000 outages – about 20% of their 1.1 million customers. "Currently there are 200 poles and almost 40 miles of wire that need to be replaced before we complete our restoration," said JCP&L spokesman Ron Morano. Connecticut: 594,000 CL&P customers and 107,000 UI customers were out of power at noon on Monday. Connecticut Light & Power had restored 163,000 customers and a spokesman said that crews had responded to hospitals and police/emergency facilities first. The 770,000 outages at the height of the storm set a new record, breaking the previous record of 477,000 outages after Hurricane Gloria in 1985. Governor Malloy and CL&P officials said that it could be a week before customers get their power back on. "This is just unprecedented," the utility's spokesman, David Radanovich, said. "The largest storm we've ever faced." UPDATE: 370,000 utility customers still remain out of power in Connecticut – 308,000 of which are CL&P customers. 62,000 United Illuminating customers are out as of Wednesday. Baltimore: Approximately 139,000 customers within the Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE) territory were out of power as of Monday. About 680,000 lost power at some point during Irene, with 466,000 being the highest number of simultaneous outages. BGE has restored power to 327,000 customers in less than 48 hours and expects to restore the majority of the remainder of outages by late Friday. Isolated outages may remain until Saturday. "Just lots of trees down," said Linda Foy with Baltimore Gas & Electric. "We've got whole trees knocked into equipment; large limbs the size of small trees hanging on power lines." UPDATE: 155,800 outages still exist for BGE customers, as of 6am Wednesday. BGE spokesman Rob Gould told WBAL-TV that most customers should get electricity back on today. Delmarva Peninsula: 40,000 Delmarva Power customers were reported out of power Monday. At the height of the storm, about 220,000 customers were without power and the company expects to restore power to the majority of these customers by Wednesday. UPDATE: Delmarva Power says that about 5,000 customers are still out of power as of midnight, Wednesday. About 97% of the 164,000 who had lost power have been restored. Washington DC: 71,000 power outages still exist in the PEPCO service territory as of Monday, including about 16,000 in Montgomery County; 44,000 in Prince George’s County; and 21,000 in Washington D.C. PEPCO said customers can expect power to be on by Thursday evening, but most customers can expect the power to be on sooner. UPDATE: As of Tuesday afternoon, PEPCO reported about 4,000 customers still out in Prince George’s County. "We will be done by Thursday at 7 p.m.," says Thomas Graham, Pepco president. "All customers will be restored. That's the goal we're shooting for. The vast majority of our customers will be restored before then." Boston: 500,000 customers in the region lost power at the height of the storm. National Grid reports about 325,000 outages and NStar is reporting 200,000 outages as of Monday afternoon. “The damage is so extensive that in many places, we essentially have to re-build the electric system so we can restore power to customers,” said Werner Schweiger, NStar’s senior vice president of operations. “Given the sheer amount of work to be done, we know this will be a very time-consuming process.” UPDATE: About 108,000 outages still exist in Massachusetts towns according to National Grid on Wednesday. NStar reports 37,000 customers offline in the South Shore and Cape Cod areas. Virginia: 270,000 customers in the Richmond area were still out of power Monday afternoon. Dominion Virginia Power has said it plans to have 75 percent of customers restored by Today, and 90-95 percent restored by Friday. Remaining outages should be repaired by Saturday. UPDATE: 180,000 in central Virginia remain without power, about 40% of the Richmond and Tri-City areas. 69,501 customers have been restored according to Dominion Virginia Power. Dominion spokesman Chet Wade said that they’re ahead of pace to meet their Friday goal of restoring power to all customers. Rhode Island: 282,000 National Grid customers in Rhode Island are reportedly in the dark as of Monday Morning. The state was the most heavily impacted by Hurricane Irene, with 64% of customers out of power. UPDEATE: 113,000 were still reported out of power by Wednesday morning. "What you see here is a 24 hour operation with more than 1,000 people restoring power here in Rhode Island. We're getting customers back as quick as we can," Tim Horan, President of National Grid. Vermont: 37,500 of 55,000 Central Vermont Public Service customers were still without electricity as of 7 a.m. Monday morning. “We have a tremendous roster of workers to assist us, but this will be one of the most challenging recovery efforts any of us has ever lived through,” said Joe Kraus, senior vice president for engineering, operations and customer service. Kraus said that customers should be prepared for extended outages, as roads and bridges in some areas are still impassable. UPDATE: 14,300 customers are still report off the grid as of Wednesday morning. New Hampshire: 5,300 customers in the New Hampshire Electric Co-op territory were still without power on Monday, down from a high of 32,000 on Sunday night. Estimated restoration times range from noon Tuesday to noon Wednesday. UPDATE: Public Service Co. of New Hampshire reported 29,000 outages at noon on Tuesday, and New Hampshire Electroc Co-op is reporting 1,600 remaining. National Grid is reporting 11 outages, and Unitil has restored all New Hampshire customers. Maine: 149,000 customers in Maine were reportedly still out of power Monday afternoon, with 137,000 customers of Central Maine Power, and 12,000 Bangor Hydro-Electric customers in the dark. Utility crews from Canada joined Maine’s own utility crews to help restore power. Maine Public Service customers had all power restored to all customers by late Monday. UPDATE: 44,000 Central Maine Power customers remain out of power Wednesday morning. Bangor Hydro reports less than 270 customers without power. Sources " Power outages continue across Maryland " - Baltimore Business Journal , August 29, 2011. " Power Outages, Trains Biggest Irene Issues " - myfoxphilly.com, August 29, 2011. " Is Con Edison Doing Enough to Repair Power in Your Area? " - White Plains Patch, August 29, 2011. " 4M without power as Hurricane Irene heads north " - Associated Press, August 28, 2011. " Napolitano warns of many power outages from Irene " - Reuters, August 26, 2011. " In the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, flooding, power outages and road closures are causing headaches " - Newark Star-Ledger , August 29, 2011. " Hurricane Irene still has 225,000 Peco customers powerless " - Philadelphia Business Journal , August 29, 2011. " BGE expects to restore most service by Friday " - abc2news.com, August 29, 2011. " HURRICANE: Delmarva Power continues restoration efforts " - delmarvanow.com, August 29, 2011. " Post-Irene power, transport problems linger in MD, D.C. " - Reuters, August 29, 2011. " Lights Coming Back on For Some " - Groton Patch, August 29, 2011. " Power outages, flooding from Irene in Massachusetts " - USA Today , August 29, 2011. " Thousands without power, bridges closed as state cleans up after Irene " - Bangor Daily News , August 29, 2011. " Irene Leaves Western Towns Flooded, Thousands Without Power " - thebostonchannel.com, August 29, 2011. " After the storm, towns steamed at utilities’ slow response " - Herald News , August 29, 2011. " CVPS: Full restoration of 37,500 outages statewide could take weeks " - vtdigger.com, August 29, 2011. " UPDATE: Dominion says 90-95% of outages to be fixed by Friday " - Richmond Times-Dispatch , August 29, 2011. " BGE: 80% Of Power Back On For Customers " -wbaltv.com, August 31, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/how-long-will-the-power-be-out-after-hurricane-irene/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/how-long-will-the-power-be-out-after-hurricane-irene/ Wed, 31 Aug 2011 11:05:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/6-tips-for-saving-energy-while-cooking/ In today’s economy, people are looking to save money off monthly utility bills wherever they can. Many people look at light bulbs or thermostat settings to trim energy costs and often overlook an area of the home that offers ample opportunities for saving energy: the kitchen. In many cases, cooking food uses more energy than it has to, even if you’re a good chef. But there are a few things you can do to save energy and money while whipping up your next five-star meal. 1. Make sure the cooking method matches the meal The first step toward cooking in a way that saves energy is to make sure you always match the meal you’re planning on cooking to the appropriate cooking method, whether that involves an oven, stovetop, toaster oven, microwave or some other device. Generally speaking, you should strive for right-sized cooking — large meals should be cooked with large appliances and cookware and small meals should be cooked with small appliances and cookware. For example, you can save energy by cooking single-serving foods in a toaster oven and large meals in a regular oven. Conversely, you would end up wasting energy by doing something like frying one egg in a big pan. After all, it takes a lot more energy to heat up a large pan than a small one. You might also be able to cook food more efficiently using specialized appliances or other devices, like a rice steamer for rice, a crockpot for stews and a sandwich press for Paninis and grilled cheese sandwiches. 2. Invest in good, sturdy, flat-bottomed cookware The quality of your cookware makes a difference when it comes to saving energy while cooking, especially if you have an electric stovetop. If you have a gas range, then the shape of the bottom of your cookware plays a less critical role. However, if you have an electric stovetop, using cheap cookware with a warped bottom wastes energy. Ideally, cookware should have a slightly concave bottom– one that bulges downward slightly in the middle. As the bottom of the cookware is heated, the metal expands and forces to the bottom to spread out flat. On an electric stovetop, this helps the cookware maintain good contact with the heating element, which means the cookware will heat quickly and more evenly, allowing you to cook a meal using less energy. According to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), boiling water for pasta in a cheap pot with a warped bottom uses 50 percent more energy compared to a flat-bottomed pot. 3. For electric ranges, match the size of cookware to the heating elements Simply put, you’ll waste energy unless you use right-sized cookware on your heating elements. If you have a 6-inch pan, use it on a 6-inch heating element. According to the ACEEE, using a 6-inch pan on and 8-inch element wastes 40 percent of the heat produced by the element. 4. Keep burner pans clean It’s important to make sure you keep your burner pans — those silvery foil pans right below your heating elements or gas burners — as clean as possible for maximum energy efficiency. Burner pans work by reflecting heat from heating elements and burners back up to the bottom of your cookware, which means you can use less heat to cook. The pans can absorb a lot of heat if they become blackened from heavy use, which reduces the energy efficiency of heating elements and burners. For best results, keep burner plans clean and shiny and replace them if they’re beyond repair. 5. Reduce your cooking time Probably the most direct way to save energy while cooking is to reduce your cooking times. Here are three ways to do just that: Before you start cooking , make sure to defrost foods in the refrigerator ahead of time and keep oven preheating to a minimum. While you’re cooking with an oven , stagger pans and dishes and avoid laying aluminum foil on the racks in order to promote good air flow. Don’t keep peeking into the oven while you’re cooking, either. That wastes a lot of heat. Additionally, because food continues to cook after you remove it from the oven or take it off the stove, you can turn off your oven and stove just before cooking is complete to prevent wasting energy and overcooking your food. Before you cook again , you should consider cooking double portions or larger so you can simply reheat your food and save energy by not have to cook it from scratch. Sources American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy website, “ Cooking .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/6-tips-for-saving-energy-while-cooking/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/6-tips-for-saving-energy-while-cooking/ Wed, 31 Aug 2011 08:17:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/how-to-build-a-solar-powered-oven-with-your-kids/ Bright sunlight and broiling temperatures may make it hard to save money on electric bills , but they also happen to be ideal conditions for conducting a fun, affordable and tasty summertime science experiment with your kids. With a little work, you and your little ones can make a solar oven out of a simple pizza box that will get hot enough to warm up family-favorite treats like cookies and s’mores while teaching your children about solar power. The solar oven won’t get hot enough to cook raw ingredients or bake treats from scratch, so make sure those cookies are already baked before you warm them up. Before You Start Building: Things You’ll Need Before you get started, you’ll need to collect a few things to build and use your pizza box solar oven: 1 pizza box — use one that’s in pretty good shape or stop by your local pizza place and ask for a box 1 pencil or pen 1 sheet of notebook paper 1 ruler, wooden dowel or stick Aluminum foil Black construction paper Clear plastic wrap Newspapers Scissors Tape Building Your Pizza Box Solar Oven You and your kids can build a pizza box solar oven in eight easy steps: Start by making sure that the pizza box is folded neatly into its normal, sturdy box shape and that the lid is closed. Place the sheet of notebook paper on top of the pizza box lid. Place it in the center and use the pencil or pen to trace its outline onto the pizza box lid. Use the scissors to carefully cut a flap into the pizza box lid. Follow the outline of the notebook paper as a guide and cut along the two long edges and one of the short edges. Be careful not to cut the bottom of the box. To complete the flap, gently fold it back along the uncut edge until it forms a crease. With the flap folded back, wrap the underside (inside) face of the flap with aluminum foil. To secure the foil, tape it firmly on the other (outside) side of the flap. Since the foil will be used to reflect the sun’s light to warm your treats, make sure the tape doesn’t wrap around to the foil-covered part of the flap where it can block the sunlight reflecting off the foil. Open the pizza box and place the sheet of black construction paper on the bottom of the box. If necessary, use the scissors to cut the sheet to fit. The construction paper will help to absorb the sun’s heat. Close the pizza box and open the flap. Roll up some sheets of newspaper about 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick and feed them through the open flap and around the inside edges of the box. The rolled up newspapers will provide insulation that helps contain the sun’s heat. Use tape on the bottom of the rolls of newspapers to hold them in place. Finally, create a “window” over the flap opening on the pizza box lid with plastic wrap. To do this, cut two pieces of plastic wrap that are each 1 inch larger than the flap opening. First, open the pizza box lid and tightly cover the inside opening with one piece of plastic wrap. Tape it down firmly to secure it, but keep the tape from covering any part of the window. Then, close the pizza box lid and do the same on the outside of the flap. The result is like a double-paned window that creates a layer of insulated hot air inside the box. Using Your Pizza Box Solar Oven Using your pizza box solar oven is as simple as 1–2–3: Place your solar oven outside on a sunny day, warm or cold. The solar oven will still work on cold days, just place a towel underneath it for insulation. Open the box, put your treat inside and close the box. Open the flap and turn the box so the foil faces the sun and the back of the flap casts a shadow straight back from the flap. Move the flap up and down until you see sunlight reflected on your treat and the secure the flap open the ruler, dowel or stick. That’s it. Just wait about 30 minutes for the box to heat up and then enjoy your warmed treat! Sources U.S. Department of Energy: Roofus’ Solar & Efficient Home website, “ Build a Pizza Box Solar Oven .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/how-to-build-a-solar-powered-oven-with-your-kids/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/how-to-build-a-solar-powered-oven-with-your-kids/ Tue, 30 Aug 2011 08:06:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/post-hurricane-rebuilding/ Although Hurricane Irene spared New York City and Long Island a direct hit, widespread rain is causing flooding concerns across the Northeast. Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey says that some of the state’s rivers are expected to experience record flooding with rivers expected to crest Monday and Tuesday, and Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin explained that the amount of water over such a sustained period in his mountainous state is resulting in extreme flash flooding in areas with bridges and buildings being swept away by the current. In the immediate aftermath of a hurricane, your safety is the most important. Although most areas have been spared by Irene’s winds, damaged electrical equipment, wild or loose domesticated animals, raw sewage, and floodwaters can still pose dangers as you return to your family and your home. Please follow these tips to safely return to your home and begin cleanup. Returning Home Listen to radio or find out from authorities if it’s safe to return to your home after the hurricane if you’ve evacuated. Bring a map with you – streets may be closed due to high water and damage. Try to return to your home during daylight hours to minimize risks of tripping, falling, slipping, or cutting yourself on damaged building materials. Alert family members of your plans to return home. Be extra careful to watch out for debris, sinkholes, and high-water. Do not drive through any water you cannot see the bottom of – standing water can hide large sinkholes, and even just a couple feet of fast-moving water can sweep a vehicle away. Avoid driving near fallen power lines. Do not drive over them or through water that is in contact with fallen power lines. If power lines fall on your vehicle while you’re driving, continue to drive through. If your vehicle stalls, do not get out, and do not turn off the ignition. Call for help from emergency rescue personnel. Keep your radio tuned to news and emergency alerts for new information. Keep a window slightly cracked to hear sirens or other warning signals more clearly. Once at Home Be extremely cautious. Be wary of fallen power lines around you or your property. Alert your utility company of emergency hazards. Contact info available here: http://bit.ly/IreneOutage Be cautious of flood damage around your home that may not be visible, especially in buildings near fast-moving current. Have a professional architect or engineer examine the structure of your home before you return. If you feel your home shifting or hear any unusual creaking or groaning sounds from, leave the area immediately – the building may be in danger of collapse. Turn on your flashlight outside, before entering your home. A spark caused by activating the switch on your light may ignite leaking gas inside your home. If you smell gas in your home, open all the windows, shut the main valve into the home, and leave immediately. Report suspected gas leaks to your utility company: http://bit.ly/IreneOutage Do not operate any lanterns, candles, or smoke, or turn on any lights before you are certain there are no gas leaks or vapors! If you see exposed wiring, sparks, or can smell something burning, but can’t see it, your home may have experienced electrical damage. Shut off the electric system at the fuse box or circuit breaker, or have a professional do so. Never hook up a generator to your home’s wiring. Doing so can feed unexpected electricity back into the grid and shock utility personnel. Only operate generators in accordance with instructions – on flat, level surfaces in well ventilated and open areas away from open windows. Carbon monoxide is odorless and tasteless, and can be deadly! Be sure to completely dry all appliances before using them. Have an electrician check your appliances if you’re unsure of their safety. Food and Water Safety Beware of food spoilage. Refrigerators can keep food safely cold for about four hours, and freezers can keep food safe for 24-48 hours (longer if the fridge is more full). Food should be kept below 40 degrees, especially meat, poultry, fish and eggs. Discard any food that may have come in contact with flood water. If the food is in a metal can or waterproof, take careful steps to remove the labels and disinfect the outside of the package before opening them. Sanitize dishes, pots, pans, utensils, and countertops before preparing meals. Wash items using hot water and soap of possible, and then sanitize them by boiling in clean water or immersing in a water/bleach solution for 15 mins (1 tablespoon of unscented chlorine bleach per gallon of water). Use bottled water for drinking. If you don’t have access to bottled water, you should boil water for at least one minute, and let it cool before storing in covered containers. Cloudy water should be allowed to settle or filtered before boiling. If your well has flooded, contact your local health department or agriculture extension for advice. How to Clean Up Safely Wear clothing that can protect you. Work gloves, boots, earplugs, goggles, and other appropriate protective gear should be worn if you are working with power equipment or machinery. Be careful of injury from stress and strain. Ask for help if moving objects over 50 pounds, or if the object is unwieldy. Lift with your legs, and don’t overextend yourself. Take time to perform tasks carefully, taking the time to rest and avoid over-exertion. Be aware of animals. Domestic animals and wild animals will be disoriented after storms, as their familiar sights and sounds will be altered. Do not attempt to capture animals – call a local animal shelter or the proper authorities to take care of such animals. Beware of increased rodents, snakes, and other animals that may be displaced from their natural habitats. Contact animal control or your solid waste department to dispose of dead animals. If you are bitten by an animal, seek the appropriate medical attention. Watch out for chemicals or containers that may have washed onto your property. Propane and fuel tanks can pose explosion threats and should be reported to the fire department to safely handle. Stay out of high water. As little as six inches of moving water can sweep away a person, and two feet of water can wash a vehicle off a road. High water can also hide downed power lines, and contain raw sewage, ants, pests, and snakes! Always have fire extinguishers at your cleanup site, as water resources may be low and fire department response times may be extended. Be sure to keep records of all damaged items and cleanup costs for insurance purposes - take photos of items before discarding, and keep all receipts related to cleanup and replacement! How to Rebuild Remember to stay tuned to local media and follow instructions of the authorities in your area. If your home is beyond repair, you may be able to stay at a Red Cross shelter. Locate one near you: http://app.redcross.org/nss-app/ The Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, offers assistance to businesses and individuals to help rebuild. Register for FEMA or state assistance: You can register online at http://www.disasterassistance.gov You can call the toll-free line 1-800-621-FEMA, TTY line 1-800-462-7585, or if you use 711 or Video Relay Service call 1-800-621-3362 Locate a Disaster Recovery Center. You can find one near you here: http://asd.fema.gov/inter/locator/home.htm More Resources Spark Energy: Find your Utility Contact Info American Red Cross Red Cross Mobile site Safe and Well – Register Yourself Safe for Family Looking for You Find a Red Cross Shelter Disaster Newsroom blog Local Red Cross Chapters: Central Maryland/Baltimore Southeastern Pennsylvania/Philadelphia Greater New York/New York City All Other Local Chapters Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) Types of Assistance Available Frequently Asked Questions Apply for Assistance Locate a Disaster Recovery Center Tips for Filing a Flood Insurance Claim Weather Information Weather Channel National Hurricane Center State/Federal Information State emergency management Delaware Emergency Management Agency District of Columbia Emergency Management Agency Maine Emergency Management Agency Maryland Emergency Management Agency Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency New Hampshire Governor’s Office of Emergency Management New Jersey Office of Emergency Management New York State Emergency Management Office North Carolina Division of Emergency Management Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency Vermont Emergency Management Agency Virginia Department of Emergency Management Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster Pets/Preparedness Information ASPCA Humane Society of the United States Nursing and Health Related Centers for Disease Control: Pregnant Women - Specific Emergencies Disaster Information for People With Chronic Conditions and Disabilities Key Facts About Hurricane Readiness Coping With a Disaster or Traumatic Event Prevent Illness After a Disaster Resources for Preventing Injury After a Disaster Returning Home After a Disaster: Be Healthy and Safe Protect Yourself from Animal- and Insect-Related Hazards After a Disaster Diseases & Conditions Life Stages & Specific Populations Food and Drug Administration: Food and Water Safety During Hurricanes, Power Outages, and Floods Tips about Medical Devices and Hurricane Disasters Floods, Hurricanes Power Outages Hurricane Preparedness Checklist for Food, Water, and Medical Supplies United States Department of Agriculture Keeping Food Safe During an Emergency Appliances and Thermometers Sources " Ensure Your Safety " - FEMA. " What To Do After a Hurricane " - abcnews.com, July 30, 2005. " Flood waters rise as Irene moves on, 1 killed in South Jersey " - Courier Post Online, August 28, 2011. " Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin explains how officials are responding to mass flooding " - CNN, August 29, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/post-hurricane-rebuilding/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/post-hurricane-rebuilding/ Mon, 29 Aug 2011 14:23:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/ercot-asks-texas-residents-to-conserve-power/ With the Texas heat wave showing no signs of letting up, ERCOT is asking Texas electricity customers to conserve power to avoid rolling blackouts. Officials are urging everyone to conserve power from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Residents are being asked to avoid using things like their dishwashers, laundry machines or hair dryers during the peak time. Because of the record-breaking heat on Saturday, ERCOT said it broke a new record for peak weekend usage. Officials expect to hit a new all-time high on Monday or Tuesday. To help conserve power, ERCOT says residents should also set their air conditioning thermostats to 85 degrees and turn off all fans before they leave. ERCOT is warning that if customers don’t conserve power, rolling blackouts are a possibility. For some ways you can help conserve energy, click here . http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/ercot-asks-texas-residents-to-conserve-power/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/ercot-asks-texas-residents-to-conserve-power/ Mon, 29 Aug 2011 11:23:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/how-con-ed-uses-smart-thermostats-to-control-acs-and-save-energy-in-an-emergency/ When Thomas Edison started Edison Electric Illuminating Company of New York in 1882, it supplied electricity to 59 customers in a square mile area in lower Manhattan. Almost 130 years later, the company’s descendent, Consolidated Edison Company of New York Inc. (Con Ed), is one of the largest public utilities in the United States, supplying electricity to three million residents throughout the New York City metro area. There are a few issues when it comes to providing enough electricity for three million people. One of those issues is how to deal with a surge in electricity use, since electricity can’t be stored and has to be supplied to the electric grid continuously every day. For example, when Con Ed set records for peak electricity use in early August, consumption surged because people ran their air conditioners harder in order to beat back a sweltering heat wave that baked much of the country. In all, the electric utility said that more than 1 trillion watt hours of electricity were consumed over a four-day period, which is roughly the equivalent to the amount of electricity that Vermont uses in two months. To help with electricity supply issues derived from surges in consumption similar to the four-day period earlier this month, Con Ed has implemented a plan that allows it to remotely control the central air conditioners of some customers. Con Ed installs “smart” thermostats in the homes of those who agree to have them that provide the utility with the ability to cycle connected air conditioners on and off. The 5 Steps of Con Ed’s Energy-Saving Smart Thermostat Plan 1. Recruiting — The first thing Con Ed has to do is convince New Yorkers to sign up for the program, which allows the utility to switch their central air conditioning off at its discretion. The electric utility provides the smart thermostat, which can be programmed by smartphone, for free. Other incentives include a $25 rebate check for residences and a $50 check for small businesses, as well as the promise of saving money on electric bills . So far, 23,600 electric customers have signed up for the program. 2. Monitoring — Con Ed continuously analyzes weather models at its Manhattan headquarters 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Additionally, the utility’s offices in the boroughs continually monitor the status of underground power equipment. When an event, such as an overloaded transformer, triggers an alert code, a network map displays the affected area in yellow, orange or red, depending on the severity of the problem. 3. Escalating — Once an alert code has been triggered, Con Ed responds with a heightened awareness and watches for further developments. If a significant ongoing event occurs, such as another massive heat wave like the one earlier in August that threatened the stability of the entire grid, the utility sets up a situation room to coordinate emergency measures. According to Con Ed, its situation rooms are designed to be used where they’re most needed and can be set up virtually anywhere. 4. Making the Call — When there’s a power emergency, Con Ed uses individual commanders to manage the emergency in 12-hour shifts. If the decision is made to cycle customers’ central air conditioners off and on to save power, the utility uses its “implementation contractor” to send shut-down and start-up commands via radio signals to tens of thousands of smart thermostats. 5. Shutting Down and Starting Up Air Conditioners — Air conditioners are targeted in areas made up of neighborhoods. Once the decision is made to cycle customers’ air conditioners on and off, shut-down and start-up signals are sent every 30 minutes, resulting in a cycle of 30 minutes on, 30 minutes off. Each area that’s targeted for cycling can ease electricity demand by up to 33 megawatts. Although that amount is a fraction of the 13,000 megawatts used on a very hot day (the record set earlier in August was 13,189 megawatts), the utility says it’s enough to prevent overloads and blackouts. Sources “ How Con Ed Saves the Power Grid During Heat Waves ,” Wired , July 26, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/how-con-ed-uses-smart-thermostats-to-control-acs-and-save-energy-in-an-emergency/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/how-con-ed-uses-smart-thermostats-to-control-acs-and-save-energy-in-an-emergency/ Mon, 29 Aug 2011 08:09:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/stuff-the-bus-supporting-schools-in-philadelphia/ With kids headed back to school, we wanted to help students in low-income and homeless situations. So we pitched in on Stuff the Bus, a program run through UWSEPA (the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania). This year UWSEPA went in with Cradles to Crayons' "Backpack-a-Thon" to help provide more than 15,000 area students with school supplies. Check our communities on Facebook ( SparkEnergyPA and SparkEnergyNJ ) and Twitter ( @SparkEnergyPA and @SparkEnergyNJ ) to help donate. More from the press release here . http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/stuff-the-bus-supporting-schools-in-philadelphia/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/stuff-the-bus-supporting-schools-in-philadelphia/ Fri, 26 Aug 2011 11:06:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/hurricane-irene-how-utilities-are-preparing/ Hurricane Irene is forecast to be a Category 3 or Category 4 storm by the time it makes landfall on Saturday evening. Major utilities in the region expected to be hit by the storm are already preparing. PECO in the Philadelphia area is placing all crews on stand-by and securing local contractors in preparation for Hurricane Irene. PECO is also arranging for support from its sister utility, ComEd in Chicago, to be in the area for added assistance. Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P) says they’re preparing for the worst and hoping for the best, cancelling all vacations and placing all staff on standby. “CL&P has a comprehensive plan to respond to Hurricane Irene-caused problems in Connecticut,” says Jeff Butler, President and Chief Operating Officer of CL&P. Like PECO, CL&P is also coordinating regionally, “Our parent company, Northeast Utilities is coordinating for us and our sister companies in Massachusetts and New Hampshire to secure both additional line crews and tree crews to expedite restoration,” Butler adds. New York City’s Office of Emergency Management was continuing to closely monitor the storm. "The city has already seen the power of Mother Nature once this week, and Mother Nature may not be done with us yet," said New York Mayor, Michael Bloomburg. PSE&G, New Jersey’s largest utility issued a press release announcing it is closely monitoring the track of the hurricane and making emergency preparations should “the storm bring heavy rain and strong winds to our service territory.” PSE&G also plans to have all available personnel ready to respond, staging poles and extra equipment in areas ready for prompt response. “Depending on the severity of the storm, response times for both electric and gas emergency services may be longer than usual. PSE&G asks for our customers' patience and cooperation as we work to safely restore service as quickly as possible,” said the press release. In Baltimore, BGE spokeswoman has requested through a mutual assistance network that 500 additional lineman and support staff be dispatched to BGE's coverage area. The 158 crews from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee are expected to arrive before the weekend. According to spokeswoman Rachael Lighty, "we are monitoring this storm and taking proactive steps in order to be prepared should major outages occur," Lighty said. "We haven't seen a hurricane of this magnitude for several years so we're asking our customers to prepare." Sources " Before, During and After a Hurricane " - PhillyBurbs.com, August 25, 2011. " CL&P Says It's Preparing for the Worst and Hoping For The Best " - Ridgefield Press , August 25, 2011. " Hurricane Irene New York: Mayor Bloomberg Warns of Possible Evacuations " - International Business Times , August 25, 2011. " PSE&G Prepares for Hurricane Irene " - Marketwatch , August 25, 2011. " Agencies Tell Residents to Prepare for the Threat of Hurricane Irene " - Carroll County Times , August 24, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/hurricane-irene-how-utilities-are-preparing/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/hurricane-irene-how-utilities-are-preparing/ Fri, 26 Aug 2011 08:06:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/electricity-outage-contact-information/ To assist areas that may be affected by Hurricane Irene, we've compiled the following list of utility contact information. Contact your utility company, not your electric supplier, to report an outage. Utility systems can locate generalized outages, but you should report your specific outage to help pinpoint areas with the most need. (UPDATE: Click here for a separate post we're updating with the latest news on Irene, including maps and stats.) If you would like to see information added to this list, leave a note in the comment thread below. ( NOTE: Print this list out for reference in case you lose power! ) New England: Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P) All non-UI Areas in Connecticut Report Outage: 1-800-286-2000 Report Outage Online: https://www.cl-p.com/customer/outage/outagelogin.aspx?sec=fb Storm Center: http://www.cl-p.com/stormcenter/default.aspx Outage Map: http://www.cl-p.com/outage/OutageMap.aspx Follow on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/CTLightandPower Get Mobile Updates: Text “outage” and your zip code to 24612 United Illuminating (UI) New Haven and Bridgeport, CT Report Outage: 1-800-7CALL-UI or 203-499-3333 Storm Center: http://bit.ly/r9zen0 Outage Map: http://bit.ly/rn6cqA Follow on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/UnitedIllum If you need additional assistance, please call Connecticut's toll-free Infoline, 2-1-1 National Grid – Western Mass Report Gas Emergency: 1-800-892-2345 Report Power Outage (New England): 1-800-465-1212 Storm Center: https://www.nationalgridus.com/niagaramohawk/storm/storm.asp Outage Map: http://www1.nationalgridus.com/niagaramohawk/stormcenter/ Follow on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/NationalGridUS NSTAR – Cape Cod/South Shore Area Report Outage: 800-592-2000 Storm Center: http://www.nstar.com/residential/storm_center/default.asp Pennsylvania- PECO - Philadelphia, PA Report Outage: 1-800-841-4141 Mobile Outage Reporting: http://www.peco.com/mobile View Mobile Outage Info: http://www.peco.com/mobile/outageinfo Outage Map: http://www.peco.com/outagemap Storm Center: http://www.peco.com/StormCentral PPL Electric Utilities – Harrisburg, Lancaster, Williamsport, Hazleton, Scranton, Bethlehem, PA Report Outage: 1-800-DIAL-PPL Report Outage Online: https://selfserv.pplelectric.com/EUSelfServ/Outage/ReportOutage.aspx Outage Map: https://selfserv.pplelectric.com/EUSelfServ/Outage/OutageMap.aspx Storm Center: http://www.pplelectric.com/Outage+Center/preparing+for+storms.htm Mid-Atlantic- Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE) – Baltimore, MD Report Outage: 1-877-778-2222 Outage Map: http://www.bge.com/customerservice/stormsoutages/currentoutages/Pages/default.aspx Storm Center: http://www.bge.com/customerservice/stormsoutages/stormcenter/Pages/default.aspx Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/MyBGE Delmarva Power – Delmarva Peninsula (Maryland and Delaware) Natural Gas Outages: 302-454-0317 NCCo, Cecil, Harford Power Outages: 1-800-898-8042 Kent, Sussex, Eastern Shore Power Outages: 1-800-898-8045 Outage Map: http://www.delmarva.com/home/emergency/maps/stormcenter/ Storm Center: http://www.delmarva.com/welcome/news/releases/archives/2011/article.aspx?cid=1815 Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/DelmarvaConnect Allegheny Power – Western Maryland Report Outage: 1-800-Allegheny (1-800-255-3443) Outage Center: http://www.alleghenypower.com/CSC/Services/PowerOutages.asp Outage Map: https://app.alleghenyenergy.com/outagestatus/Map/AE_MAP1.html Potomac Electric Power Co (PEPCO) – Washington DC and Maryland Report Outages: 1-877-PEPCO-62 Report Outage Online: http://www.pepco.com/home/emergency/report/online/ Storm Center: http://www.pepco.com/welcome/news/releases/archives/2011/article.aspx?cid=1814 Outage Map: http://www.pepco.com/home/emergency/maps/stormcenter/ New York/New Jersey: ConEdison – New York City Report Outage: 1-800-75-CONED Report Outage Online: https://apps1.coned.com/csol/reportoutage.asp Storm Center: http://www.coned.com/sm/storm_prepare/hurricane.asp Outage Map: http://apps.coned.com/weboutageinfo/stormcenter/default.aspx National Grid – Long Island, Upstate New York Report Gas Emergency: 1-800-892-2345 Report Power Outage (New York): 1-800-867-5222 Report Power Outage (New England): 1-800-465-1212 Storm Center: https://www.nationalgridus.com/niagaramohawk/storm/storm.asp Outage Map: http://www1.nationalgridus.com/niagaramohawk/stormcenter/ Follow on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/NationalGridUS PSE&G – Central Jersey Report Outage: 1-800-436-PSEG Report Outage Online: http://bit.ly/rc2w8l Outage Center: http://www.pseg.com/outagecenter Outage Map: http://www.pseg.com/home/customer_service/outage_info/outagemap.jsp Follow on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/psegoutageinfo Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) – Central Jersey Report Outages: 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877 Report Outage Online: https://www.firstenergycorp.com/outages_help/Report_Power_Outages.html Outage Map: https://www.firstenergycorp.com/outages/outages.do?state_code=NJ Orange & Rockland Electric Company – NW New York City Suburbs and Northern New Jersey Report Gas Leak: 1 - 800-533-5325 Report Power Outage: 1-877-434-4100 Report Outage Online: https://apps.coned.com/oronline/outage/electricoutage.aspx Outage Map: http://wp1.coned.com/or_stormcenter/default.aspx Atlantic City Electric – South Jersey Report Outage: 1-800-833-7476 Storm Center: http://www.atlanticcityelectric.com/welcome/news/releases/archives/2011/article.aspx?cid=1816 Outage Map: http://www.atlanticcityelectric.com/home/emergency/maps/stormcenter/default.aspx Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ACElecConnect http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/electricity-outage-contact-information/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/electricity-outage-contact-information/ Thu, 25 Aug 2011 16:07:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/getting-prepared-for-hurricane-irene/ Hurricane Irene is forecast to hit Category 3 or 4 when it makes landfall in North Carolina on Saturday evening. Check this post for updates. UPDATE 8/26: Stats on Irene as of 2:00 p.m. EDT: Sustained winds: 10 mph Wind Gusts: 125 mph Latitude: 31.2N Longitude 77.5W Pressure: 951.00mb Movement: North at 14mph Located: 300 mi SSW of Cape Hatteras, NC Stats on Irene as of 10:00 a.m. EDT: Sustained winds: 105 mph Wind Gusts: 125 mph Latitude: 30.7N Longitude 77.3W Pressure: 946.00mb Movement: North at 14mph Located: 212 mi SE of Charleston, SC ComEd in Chicago is already sending crews to Philadelphia in advance of the storm to help sister utility PECO with expected outages. -0- The projected path for Hurricane Irene sets it on course to hit the East Coast from North Carolina to New England this weekend, marking the strongest storm to hit the Northeast in two decades. This morning, the National Hurricane Center said that Irene is “forecast to become a larger than average hurricane,” and is now a Category 3 storm. (UPDATE: NOAA map of Irene is here .) High winds are expected to impact Washington DC, Philadelphia, New York City, Albany, Boston, and much of New England. Winds could be strong enough to cause structural damage in areas closest to the storm, but downed trees and power outages could be widespread and should be expected. Rhode Island as well as the Eastern halves of Long Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts are at the greatest risk of tornado threats. Philadelphia and New York City can expect to break rainfall records for the month, and heavy rain should be expected from Washington DC through New England. What You Should Do Before the storm: Have several flashlights and extra batteries available. Candles can pose a fire danger – flashlights are much safer! Also have a battery powered radio available to stay updated on news. Pack a hurricane emergency kit including at least a 3-day water supply for each person (1 gal per person per day), non-perishable food, and a first aid kit. Include baby or pet supplies if applicable. Bring in anything that can be picked up by the wind including lawn furniture, bicycles, etc. Turn your refrigerator and freezer to their coldest settings (be sure to check your manual) and keep them closed as much as possible so food can last longer. Fill up your gas tank and take out some cash. Electrically powered gas pumps and ATMs are unlikely to work in the immediate aftermath of the storm. Be sure to locate copies of important documents, medication lists, proof of address, deeds, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies. Turn off and unplug sensitive electronics to prevent possible damage: television and stereo equipment, game consoles, and computer equipment. Stay tuned on the radio and TV to find out if there are any evacuation orders for your area. Plan routes to shelters, and turn off utilities if instructed by authorities. Turn off or remove propane tanks. Register special medical needs family members with local authorities in case of evacuation or extended electrical outage. More tips from FEMA here . During the storm: Continue listening to the radio or TV for information. Fill the bathtub or other large containers with water for sanitary purposes such as bathing or flushing toilets. Localized water pumps may lose power. Stay indoors and away from windows and doors. Close interior doors, brace external doors in case of extreme winds. Keep curtains and blinds closed. Do not go outside if the storm seems to have passed – it could be the eye of the storm! Take refuge in a small interior room or closet on the lowest level of your home. More tips from FEMA here . After the storm: Stay away from downed wires, damaged or exposed electrical equipment, or trees or tree limbs in contact with wires or electrical equipment. Live wires do not necessarily look like they may be energized, so please stay away from such wires and report to your utility. Be careful when cleaning up your property to keep pool nets, tree trimmers, ladders and other equipment far from power lines. Generators should never be wired into your home’s circuitry. Any equipment needed to run on a generator (refrigerator, pumps, fans) should be plugged into the generator directly. Also, be sure to operate the generator in accordance with manufacturer guidelines, and in a well ventilated area! Keep your refrigerator closed as much as possible. Move meats, dairy, etc into the freezer to stay colder longer. A partially full freezer can keep food frozen up to 24 hours, and about 48 hours if completely full. Call your utility to report an electric outage. See our list here on how to do so. More info from the Red Cross here . Sources " Hurricane Irene: Major Northeast Threats " - Weather.com, August 25, 2011. " CL&P Says It's Preparing for the Worst and Hoping For The Best " - Ridgefield Press , August 25, 2011. " Red Cross Hurricane Safety Checklist " - Red Cross. " Hurricane Irene New York: Mayor Bloomberg Warns of Possible Evacuations " - International Business Times , August 25, 2011. " PSE&G Prepares for Hurricane Irene " - Marketwatch , August 25, 2011. " Agencies Tell Residents to Prepare for the Threat of Hurricane Irene " - Carroll County Times , August 24, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/getting-prepared-for-hurricane-irene/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/getting-prepared-for-hurricane-irene/ Thu, 25 Aug 2011 16:00:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/record-breaking-summer-in-texas/ During a typical summer, Houston has about four 100-degree days. This year, Houston blew past its 14-day triple-digit heat record set in 1980, now standing at 35 days of 100+ temperatures…and counting. The average temperature in Houston for August is 87.7 degrees, a new record high set last year. Temperatures this year have surpassed that average by at least three degrees. Dallas came up two days short of beating their 69-day record also set in 1980, but with road surfaces reaching in excess of 140 degrees, some road surfaces in north Texas buckled, with asphalt pushing upward creating speed bumps. In Richardson, utility poles began to lean due to loose soil caused by the ongoing drought. Austin now stands at 70 days at or above the century mark, breaking their 100+ temperature streak record set in 1925, and temperatures in Texas aren’t expected to let up too much, even with some rain rolling across southeast Texas last night as high-pressure has steadily kept heavy rains out of the area. Strain on the Grid All the high temperatures have put a heavy strain on the state’s electric grid as well. With widespread high temperatures across the state in early August, statewide electrical demand surged, setting new peak demand records three straight days during the first week of August. Emergency energy alerts were called for five days, asking for consumer assistance in reducing the electric load, nearly causing rolling blackouts for the second time this year. This Tuesday and Wednesday, we’ve had to return to emergency alerts again. "A lot of students started back to school this week , so that would logically increase our load," said Kent Saathoff, Vice President of Grid Operations at ERCOT, the Texas electric grid operator. On Tuesday, loads were 500 MW higher than last week when alerts were not issued, but “we’ve been close all month…It’s been very tight for the last several weeks,” according to Saathoff. ERCOT even brought online four mothballed generating units under “reliability-must-run” contracts, meaning that they will only run when real-time electric prices reach the market-set cap of $3,000 per megawatt-hour. According to statements made by ERCOT spokeswoman Dottie Roark in the course of a conference call to the media, two Garland Power units were available to help to add additional generation to the grid, while two additional NRG-owned units may not be available for a couple more weeks. A few showers Wednesday night across southeast Texas did provide some comfort, but the end of high temperatures may not be within sight. "We may see more energy alerts. It strictly depends on how much generation we can keep to meet the high demands," said Saathoff. How High Temperatures Affect the Grid Increased electricity usage: With high temperatures across the state in all of the major metropolitan areas, air conditioning usage is maximized and contributes highly to the strain on the electric grid. Even a few degrees difference is enough to relieve strain on the grid so emergency alerts aren’t necessary. Increased generation strain: During extended periods of high load on the electric grid, generation units spin at full capacity and are more likely to break down or require additional maintenance. Additionally, producers may opt to postpone routine maintenance for units that are scheduled to be offline, resulting in reduced generation capacity. Decrease in cooling water effectiveness: With increased temperatures, pools and ponds that generation units use to cool equipment are warmer, providing less ability to keep equipment cool. Some generation units are required to reduce generation during certain times of the day or night to maintain effectiveness of those ponds to keep equipment cool. The water shortage resulting from the drought is also partly to blame: "because reservoirs aren't being replenished...it reduces the cooling ability of the water," adds Roark. Reduction in wind generation: With high pressure causing stagnant air masses, wind generation is reduced, "Monday was 1840 MW, Tuesday was 1450 MW generated by wind. The wind today was 880 MW, that's the lowest we've had since August 1,” says ERCOT’s Roark. Continue to Conserve Due to high temperatures being forecast throughout the weekend, "we're expecting high demand on the weekends,” and “as long as these high temperatures continue, we may have these emergency alerts,” warned Dottie Roark. Please continue to "be very conscious of your usage, particularly between 3-7 PM. turn that thermostat up, delay washing dishes & clothes" adds Saathoff. (Also, check on the blog for some energy conservation tips in case of an energy alert.) Sources " Houston Heat Likely to Break Record – Again ," Houston Chronicle , August 25, 2011. “ Heat Watch: Temperatures Are Going to Go Up, If You Can Believe It ,” SciGuy blog on Houston Chronicle , August 24, 2011. “ 100-Degree Heat Streak Ends Shy of Tying Record ,” KDFW, August 11, 2011. “ Houston Sets Record with 15th Day at 100 Degrees ,” Houston Chronicle , August 15, 2011. “ Record Heat Gives Utility Poles a Tilt ,” WFAA, August 24, 2011. “ Heat Causes Roads to Buckle ,” KDFW, August 3, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/record-breaking-summer-in-texas/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/record-breaking-summer-in-texas/ Thu, 25 Aug 2011 14:14:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/comed-study-smart-meters-will-save-electric-customers-more-than-2-billion/ Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd), one of the nation’s largest public utilities, said a recent study it commissioned found that the approximately 3.8 million electric customers it serves in northern Illinois could save $2.8 billion over 20 years if the utility installed smart meters throughout its service territory. The study, which ended May 31, was performed by third-party consultant Black & Veatch and evaluated a one-year smart meter pilot program approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC), the agency that regulates public utilities in the state. ComEd, which paid for the study under the terms of the pilot program, used Black & Veatch to analyze a smart meter test rollout to 121,000 electric customers on Chicago’s West Side and near-West suburbs. According to the consultancy’s study, the $2.8 billion that customers would save off electric bills over the smart meters’ 20-year lifespan would come from several key operational improvements: The virtual elimination of manual meter reading (ComEd noted that employees affected by this change would be transitioned to other areas of the company) More accurate electric bills Fewer service visits and fewer calls to the electric utility’s Customer Call Center An enhanced ability to efficiently disconnect and reconnect electric service, which minimizes collection costs The improved detection of electricity theft Faster, more efficient sign-up of new customers ComEd said that the estimate of $2.8 billon in savings would come on top of any savings that electric customers secured for themselves by using the real-time electricity consumption information provided by smart meters to change the way they used electricity in their homes and businesses. Funding for Smart Meter Plan Debated Over Questions of Cost, Oversight The public utility said that the amount of money that electric customers could save by having a modern grid equipped with smart meters would more than offset the potential cost that electric customers would have to pay for the installation of millions of smart meters. However, the cost of ComEd’s plan to upgrade the grid in its service territory with smart meters has been a point of heated debate and has prevented the utility from moving forward with its plans. The smart meter pilot program itself suffered a blow when an Illinois Appellate Court in October 2010 put an end to the utility’s method of recovering costs for the installation of the 121,000 devices. The court ruled that the ICC had made a mistake when it allowed ComEd to charge all of its northern Illinois customers for the pilot program instead of just those who actually received smart meters. ComEd has appealed the ruling. In May, the Energy Infrastructure Modernization Act (SB 1652), which would allow ComEd to recoup its multi-billion investment in modernizing the grid by granting it the ability to increase revenue from electric customers, was passed by both chambers of the General Assembly. ComEd said that the bill “would authorize a multi-billion [dollar] investment in modernizing Illinois’ electric grid while maintaining strict regulatory oversight and consumer protections.” However, Gov. Pat Quinn said he would veto the bill. Quinn said that he believed the $2.6 billion in infrastructure improvements that ComEd sought would allow the state’s electric utilities to place increased annual profits over the interests of consumers and businesses. “It is really about locking in guaranteed, significant annual profits for the utility companies without any real oversight by the Illinois Commerce Commission,” Quinn said. According to Anne Pramaggiore, ComEd’s president and chief operating officer, if the bill were passed and took effect this year, installation of smart meters throughout the utility’s territory would begin next year and run through 2021 while providing immediate benefits for electric customers. “Smart meter system technology can improve service, help customers make more informed decisions about energy use, and contribute to lower energy costs,” Pramaggiore said in a statement. “As other states are building more efficient and reliable electric grids, Illinois is in danger of falling behind,” Pramaggiore added, saying that if ComEd’s territory had already been upgraded with smart meters, the July 11 storm that struck northern Illinois would have produced fewer outages and shorter response times. Pramaggiore estimated an upgraded grid would have prevented from 100,000 to 175,000 of the more than 850,000 interruptions caused by the storm. Sources “ Smart Meters Could Save ComEd Customers $2.8 Billion ,” Commonwealth Edison Company press release, Aug. 8, 2011. “ ComEd: Smart Meters Could Save Customers Nearly $3 Billion ,” The Herald-News , Aug. 8, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/comed-study-smart-meters-will-save-electric-customers-more-than-2-billion/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/comed-study-smart-meters-will-save-electric-customers-more-than-2-billion/ Thu, 25 Aug 2011 08:13:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/ercot-issued-emergency-alert/ ERCOT issued a level 1 emergency alert late yesterday. From ERCOT's statement : “Until we get a break in this extreme heat and record drought, we appreciate consumers and businesses conserving electricity as they are able, especially between 3 and 7 pm,” (Kent Saathoff, vice president of system planning and operations) said. “We also appreciate all the state agencies, school districts, businesses and residents who have taken steps to get the word out about the importance of conservation during these extreme weather conditions.” Fortunately we didn't have any outages, but it's obvious summer is far from over. Keep doing what you can to keep energy usage to a minimum. UPDATE: ERCOT has issued a level 2 emergency . Texas residents are asked to conserve power until 7:00. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/ercot-issued-emergency-alert/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/ercot-issued-emergency-alert/ Wed, 24 Aug 2011 09:33:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/award-winning-light-bulb-earns-10-million-prize/ Philips Lighting North America has won an inaugural energy efficiency award and a corresponding $10 million prize from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for innovation in energy-efficient lighting. Philips won the 60-watt replacement bulb category of the inaugural Bright Tomorrow Lighting Prize, or L Prize, with a light-emitting diode (LED) bulb. To win, a bulb needed to generate 900 lumens — the same brightness as a 60-watt incandescent bulb — but consume less than 10 watts, giving the winner an efficiency of 90 lumens or more per watt. Additionally, the winning bulb needed to have a lifespan of over 25,000 hours, which equates to 17 years of life at four hours of use a day. Over 18 months, the Philips LED bulb excelled through several rigorous tests and field studies conducted by independent laboratories, utilities and other L Prize partners. Tests included extreme conditions such as high and low temperatures, humidity, vibration, high and low voltage and various electrical waveform distortions. The prize-winning Philips LED is almost 75 percent more energy efficient than the current 60-watt LED replacements that Philips sells in stores now. Those LEDs have an efficiency of about 67 lumens per watt, which puts them in the same category as ENERGY STAR–certified compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. The L Prize was launched in 2008 to challenge the lighting industry to develop high-performance, energy-saving replacements for conventional light bulbs that can help U.S. consumers and businesses save money off electric bills . The 60-watt replacement category, the first category DOE put up for competition, was targeted because it represents one of the most widely-used segments by consumers, making up roughly half of the U.S. light bulb market. In the U.S. alone, about 425 million 60-watt light bulbs are sold each year. According to DOE, the 60-watt segment offered the greatest opportunity for saving energy. As the first entrant in the 60-watt category to meet all of the L Prize competition requirements, Philips will receive a $10 million cash award and L Prize promotions and incentives from 31 public utilities and energy efficiency program partners that will help promote and develop markets for the LED. DOE said that up to two additional entrants who meet the prize requirements would be eligible for program partner promotions. Philips said it expects its prize-winning 60-watt LED replacement bulbs to hit store shelves as early as next year. Sources “ DOE Announces Philips as First Winner of the L Prize Competition ,” U.S. Department of Energy press release, Aug. 3, 2011. “ Philips Brings Home 'L Prize' with Efficient LED Lamp ,” CNET, Aug. 3, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/award-winning-light-bulb-earns-10-million-prize/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/award-winning-light-bulb-earns-10-million-prize/ Wed, 24 Aug 2011 08:07:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/tennessee-valley-authority-provides-home-energy-audits/ The TVA is reporting some success with its home energy audit program : The Tennessee Valley Authority has logged 25,000 home energy evaluations since launching an in-home program in March 2009. TVA Vice President Bob Balzar said the steady growth in the program came because power distributors strongly supported it. Balzar said the recommendations from the audits help consumers save energy and also bring them up to $500 in reimbursements when they make the recommended improvements. We reported on the growing popularity of home energy audits here . http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/tennessee-valley-authority-provides-home-energy-audits/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/tennessee-valley-authority-provides-home-energy-audits/ Tue, 23 Aug 2011 09:57:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/arizona-company-sets-world-record-for-cadmium-telluride-solar-cell-efficiency/ A new world record has been set for the energy efficiency of a specific type of thin-film photovoltaic solar cell that turns sunlight into electricity at a fraction of the cost of traditional silicon cells, according to the company that manufactured the cell. First Solar Inc., based in Tempe, Ariz., announced last week that a test of its thin-film cadmium-telluride (CdTe) photovoltaic solar cell set a record efficiency of 17.3 percent, which is an overall measurement of several types of efficiencies Some of the efficiencies included in this measurement are the absorption of light, the conversion of photons into electrons and the ability of electrons to move through the solar cell material and be captured as electricity. The efficiency of First Solar’s CdTe cell eclipsed the previous record of 16.6 percent set in 2001 and was confirmed by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Lab. Although CdTe solar cells are cheaper to produce than thin-film crystalline silicon cells, they’re also less efficient. Currently, crystalline silicon cells produce efficiencies from the high teens to the low 20s. First Solar uses a continuous manufacturing process that transforms a sheet of glass into a complete solar module in less than 2.5 hours. The company said that it expects its roadmap for CdTe solar cells to lead to production of thin-film CdTe cells with efficiencies of between 13.5 percent and 14.5 percent by the end of 2014. Sources How Stuff Works website, “ How Solar Cells Work .” “ Solar Power Lightens Up with Thin-Film Technology ,” Scientific American , April 25, 2008. “ First Solar Sets World Record for CdTe Solar PV Efficiency ,” First Solar Inc. press release, July 26, 2011. “ New Cell Sets Record ,” Today’s Energy Solutions, Aug. 2, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/arizona-company-sets-world-record-for-cadmium-telluride-solar-cell-efficiency/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/arizona-company-sets-world-record-for-cadmium-telluride-solar-cell-efficiency/ Tue, 23 Aug 2011 08:11:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/back-to-school-means-power-concerns/ Schools across Texas are going back into session, which means ERCOT could face additional power consumption burdens : School air conditioners are already whining, and when classes start Monday, the state's 8,317 public schools could strain the power grid. "The main concern is as long as we're still having these high temperatures, we're going to have high electricity demand on the grid," said ERCOT spokesperson Dottie Roark. "And whenever we have that high demand it means we're tight on our capacity." Altogether, Texas schools add about 1500 megawatts of demand to the state's power grid - enough to have caused rolling blackouts in both July and early August. "If we suddenly lose a large generation unit or a large amount of generation then we could be, could drop below our required operating reserves and that's when we would have to kick in our first level of emergency procedures," said Roark. No word yet as to whether ERCOT is facing additional power supply issues.  As we have over the last couple of weeks, we'll post updates on future ERCOT announcements. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/back-to-school-means-power-concerns/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/back-to-school-means-power-concerns/ Mon, 22 Aug 2011 14:46:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/rules-requiring-commercial-buildings-to-report-energy-use-spreading-across-us/ For residential and business tenants of commercial buildings, being able to find out how energy efficient a new apartment or office space will be is getting easier. Cities and states across the country are beginning this year to require that commercial buildings measure and disclose their energy use so that current and prospective tenants can make informed decisions about leasing based on a space’s estimated energy cost. The new rules, which typically exempt small businesses, are designed to encourage commercial building owners to install energy efficiency upgrades so they can effectively compete for tenants who are looking to save money on monthly utility bills . Efficiency upgrades implemented because of the rules are expected to save energy and create jobs. The new consumer information rules for commercial buildings are like nutrition labels on food, ENERGY STAR labels on appliances and consumer electronics, and gas mileage stickers on vehicles. The information for commercial buildings won’t specify costs but will communicate a building’s relative energy efficiency, which will be measured in energy use per square foot. Advocates and Critics Disagree Over Mandatory vs. Voluntary Reporting Proponents of the new rules include Andrew Burr of the Institute for Market Transformation, a non-profit organization that promotes energy efficiency, and Roger Platt of the U.S. Green Building Council, a non-profit organization that promotes sustainable building design and construction. Platt said that it is hard to overstate the significance of the new energy-use reporting rules, adding that the rules force building owners to confront energy consumption issues. "It's like a 12-step program,” Platt said. “You first have to admit you have a problem.” Burr, who authored a report on the new rules, said that they were simply meant to better inform consumers. “They give consumers — tenants and investors — access to information they've not had previously,” Burr said. While advocates of new rules regulating the disclosure of energy efficiency ratings for commercial buildings applaud the move toward informing consumers, Austin Perez of the National Association of Realtors said that the “fear factor approach” of the rules stigmatizes less efficient properties and lowers their values. Perez said that a better way to encourage building owners to upgrade is voluntarily, using loan guarantees and tax credits. However, Jayson Antonoff, an energy adviser for Seattle, Wash., opted for mandatory reporting when he said it became clear that voluntary upgrade programs weren’t helping the city meet its goal of reducing energy use by 20 percent by 2020. July marked a deadline for 16,000 buildings in New York City, representing half of the city’s interior space, to report energy use over the past year or face a $500 fine every quarter that energy use isn’t reported. Similar requirements went into effect in Washington state in January and will go into effect for Seattle, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. in October. By next year, cities throughout California are expected to adopt similar regulations and Austin, Texas will implement its energy use reporting rules in June, 2012. A half dozen other states are also considering similar energy efficiency reporting rules for commercial buildings. Sources “ U.S. Cities, States Require Large Buildings Cite Energy Use ,” USA Today , July 31, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/rules-requiring-commercial-buildings-to-report-energy-use-spreading-across-us/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/rules-requiring-commercial-buildings-to-report-energy-use-spreading-across-us/ Mon, 22 Aug 2011 08:14:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/its-that-time-of-year-again-texas-sales-tax-holiday/ If you've lived in Texas for a few years now, you know going back to school has a silver lining: the annual sales tax holiday . Shoppers won't have to pay sales tax on most clothing and footwear priced less than $100 (full list of tax-exempt items here ). The tax holiday starts today, August 19, and runs through midnight Sunday, August 21. Many retailers are extending their hours to accommodate the expected increase in shoppers. So get out there and save! Here are a few tips to get the most out of it: Make a list; stick to it. Categorize items by wants and needs. Don't waiver. Get the basics. Concentrate on key items of clothing that can be mixed and matched, such as plain-colored T-shirts, which can be paired with a colorful scarf. Choose two or three favorite colors and pair with neutrals for a true mix-and-match wardrobe. Stay organized. Keep all receipts in one place in your wallet or purse. Look for deals. Search online for coupons and bring them with you. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/its-that-time-of-year-again-texas-sales-tax-holiday/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/its-that-time-of-year-again-texas-sales-tax-holiday/ Fri, 19 Aug 2011 09:20:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/new-smart-thermostat-software-cuts-energy-use-and-helps-save-money/ A New York-based residential energy company is helping consumers navigate the world of programmable “smart” thermostats in order to increase heating and air conditioning efficiency and help people save money on monthly utility bills . On Monday, EnergyHub announced the release of a new software system called Mercury that allows consumers to program smart thermostats from a webpage or smartphone. Programmable smart thermostats that are connected to the software via a broadband Internet connection can be optimized for maximum energy efficiency using the software’s back-end data service, which is supported by a large database of information. Once customers perform an initial software setup, which includes entering information such as the hours of day when they’re home, the database begins to collect a variety of additional information, including home type and weather forecasts, to create an operational plan designed to maximize energy efficiency and savings. Existing smart thermostats already allow consumers to control settings remotely using cloud computing, but the addition of the informational database and back-end analytics can cut energy use by about 10 percent more, according to EnergyHub CEO Seth Frader-Thompson. Mercury will also allow customers to compare their home’s energy use to similar homes, a technique that has been proven to encourage consumers to pay closer attention to their energy use. Sources “ Smart Thermostat Links to Cloud for Energy Savings ,” CNET, Aug. 1, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/new-smart-thermostat-software-cuts-energy-use-and-helps-save-money/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/new-smart-thermostat-software-cuts-energy-use-and-helps-save-money/ Fri, 19 Aug 2011 08:17:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/houston-issues-mandatory-stage-two-water-conservation-measures/ After a lingering drought and weeks of 100-plus temperatures, Houston, Texas on Monday moved to stage two of its water conservation plan, which requires mandatory compliance with the city’s water conservation measures. Under stage one, compliance with the city’s water conservation efforts was voluntary. Under Houston’s stage two plan, residents are restricted to watering their lawns between 8 p.m. and 10 a.m. two days a week. Residents with even-numbered addressed are allowed to water on Sundays and Thursdays. Residents with odd-numbered addresses are allowed to water on Saturdays and Wednesdays. Residents are also required to fix water leaks within 72 hours. Failure to fix leaks or comply with the mandatory water restrictions may result in fines ranging from $150 to as high as $2,000 for subsequent violations. The move to mandatory water restrictions in Houston follows similar efforts across Texas as record-breaking heat waves and droughts cause water levels to continue to decline throughout the state. Earlier this month, the North Texas Municipal Water District declared a Stage 2 Drought emergency for its 13 member cities across suburban Dallas. The move signaled member cities to begin implementing water conservation strategies. In Plano, for example, water conservation restrictions will be enforced beginning Aug. 19. Residents there will face restrictions similar to those in Houston, as well as fines. For an extreme example, there’s Kemp, a small town on the shore of Cedar Creek Reservoir. Last week, Mayor Donald Kile shut down the municipal water system. The reservoir ran out of water. Completely. “No water. Zero water,” Kile said in an interview. In Kemp, the worst-case-scenario was hastened by city planning issues — the water treatment plant that takes untreated water from Cedar Creek Lake is 40 years old and much of the town’s 30 miles of pipeline is from the 1930s and hasn’t been updated in years. In Houston, avoiding an escalated water emergency means turning to a neighbor to the north to stabilize Lake Houston’s declining water level. On Monday, Houston notified the San Jacinto River Authority that it will be taking water from Lake Conroe. Houston, which built Lake Conroe with taxpayer money in the 1960s, has a two-thirds share in the water rights, and began releasing water from Lake Conroe into Lake Houston on Tuesday at noon. It was the first time that Houston has drawn water from Lake Conroe since 1988. The initial release from Lake Conroe totaled 50 million gallons and will be gradually increased to 150 million gallons a day. Overall, the water level in Lake Conroe is expected to lower from 5 inches to 6 inches a week. Lakefront property owners have been advised to watch water levels to determine if they need to move their boats. 5 Tips for Conserving Water Houston’s public works department provides five tips to help residents reduce water use: Make sure to keep your showers under five minutes While brushing your teeth, make sure to keep the water turned off when you’re not using it When running your dishwasher and clothes washer, make sure to wash full loads whenever possible Check your toilets for leaks or poor plunger seals that allow your toilet to run between flushes Replace older shower heads and faucets with newer models that promote less water use, such as low-flow shower heads In addition to helping residents save water, Houston has also implemented its own steps to use less water during the current conservation period: Suspended scheduled window washing Suspended the scheduled power washing of buildings, sidewalks and parking areas Discontinued washing city vehicles and equipment except when required for health, safety or critical maintenance reasons Ordered an audit of all irrigation systems to check for leaks and make sure the timers and sprinkle heads are operating properly For More Information For more information about water conservation or water restrictions in Houston, residents are encouraged to call 311. For additional water-saving tips: The City of Houston’s WaterWorks Education Center, at www.houstonwaterworks.org Take Care of Texas, at www.takecareoftexas.org/water-conservation-tips The Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense program website, at www.epa.gov/watersense Sources “ Water Restrictions in Wake of Extended Heat, Drought ,” WFAA-TV, Aug. 1, 2011. “ North Texas Town Turns Off Water ,” KVUE-TV, Aug. 8, 2011. “ Houston Issues Mandatory Water Restrictions ,” KPRC-TV, Aug. 15, 2011. “ Officials Releasing 50 Million Gallons of Lake Conroe into Lake Houston ,” KVUE-TV, Aug. 16, 2011. The City of Houston: Public Works and Engineering website, “ Education and Outreach Program .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/houston-issues-mandatory-stage-two-water-conservation-measures/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/houston-issues-mandatory-stage-two-water-conservation-measures/ Thu, 18 Aug 2011 10:02:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/whats-next-for-the-chevy-volt/ A number of articles have surfaced this morning indicating the marketplace is losing interest in the Chevy Volt. A lengthy take is here . A contrarian viewpoint is here . http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/whats-next-for-the-chevy-volt/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/whats-next-for-the-chevy-volt/ Thu, 18 Aug 2011 09:37:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/free-smartphone-app-estimates-savings-from-energy-efficient-light-bulbs/ Owners of Apple and Android mobile devices can now get fast, accurate and free estimates for how much money they can save off electric bills by switching from incandescent light bulbs to more energy-efficient bulbs. The free Light Bulb Finder app by Eco Hatchery, an energy efficiency and conservation product developer based in Milwaukee, Wis., provides on-the-spot savings estimates for each bulb that consumers are considering switching out, allowing for individual bulbs to be strategically replaced based on cost and payback. Additionally, the app helps consumers buy their lighting upgrades by building shopping lists for compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs and light emitting diodes (LEDs) at local retail stores or online. According to Eco Hatchery, the average U.S. consumer can save over $120 a year by switching to CFL bulbs or LEDs. The Light Bulb Finder app is available for iOS devices, including iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, and Android devices through their respective app stores. Sources “ Free App Calculates Eco-Lighting Savings ,” Reuters, July 25, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/free-smartphone-app-estimates-savings-from-energy-efficient-light-bulbs/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/free-smartphone-app-estimates-savings-from-energy-efficient-light-bulbs/ Thu, 18 Aug 2011 08:14:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/ercot-reactivating-generating-units/ With the ongoing heat wave in Houston and no relief in sight, ERCOT is bringing in reinforcements : The Electric Reliability Council of Texas has executed short-term contracts with two generation owners to activate four “mothballed” units to address emergency situations during the extreme heat and drought, CEO Trip Doggett announced today. NRG Energy and Garland Power and Light will return two natural gas units each, for a total of approximately 400 megawatts (MW), to be available if needed through October 2011 to reduce the risk of rotating outages across the ERCOT region. “This has been a highly unusual year for ERCOT with record-breaking temperatures – starting as early as May – plus an increasing demand for electricity as the state’s economy and population growth fuel greater energy use,” Doggett said. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/ercot-reactivating-generating-units/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/ercot-reactivating-generating-units/ Wed, 17 Aug 2011 10:51:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/how-to-choose-install-and-operate-a-room-air-conditioner/ Room air conditioners, also known as window air conditioners, can be a good choice when it comes to cooling one room at a time, especially if a central air conditioner isn’t needed. Here’s some helpful advice for choosing, installing and operating a room air conditioner. The Truth About the Energy-Efficiency of Room Air Conditioners In the past, room air conditioners have had a reputation for being inefficient when it comes to using energy. However, that reputation is no longer deserved according to the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, which reports that the average energy efficiency of room air conditioners increased 47 percent from 1972 to 1991. Now, although slightly less efficient than central air conditioners overall, room air conditioners do a more efficient — and cheaper — job of cooling individual rooms than their central air conditioner counterparts. A room air conditioner’s energy efficiency is measured by its energy efficiency ratio (EER), which is the ratio of cooling capacity (measured in British thermal units [Btu] per hour) to the power input (measured in watts). The higher the EER, the more efficient the unit is. Federal standards require room air conditioners to have an EER between 8.0 and 9.8 or greater, depending on the type and capacity of the unit. ENERGY STAR–certified units have even higher EER ratings. An older room air conditioner from the 1970s might have an EER of 5. If that unit were replaced with a new room air conditioner with an EER of 10, air conditioning energy costs would be cut in half. Selecting the Right Room Air Conditioner When shopping for a room air conditioner, the U.S. Department of Energy recommends new ENERGY STAR–certified room air conditioners that meet the following specifications: Energy efficiency —New units should have EERs of 10 or above. Size — A new room air conditioner needs to be able to meet your cooling capacity requirements. Cooling capacities are measured in Btu per hour, and generally range from 5,500 Btu per hour to 14,000 Btu per hour. A ton, a common rating term for cooling capacity, equals 12,000 Btu per hour. Each square foot of room space to be cooled needs about 20 Btu per hour of cooling capacity. So, to find the correct starting point for the size of your unit, multiply your square footage by 20. The result is the necessary Btu per hour rating of your unit. However, other factors to consider when selecting the size of a unit include room height, climate, shading and window size. Electrical system requirements — Room air conditioners operate on either 115-volt or 230-volt circuits. The standard home uses a 115-volt circuit. Shoppers need to verify the power requirements of room air conditioners and consult with an electrician if necessary to determine if they need a dedicated circuit for large 115-volt unit or a special circuit for a 230-volt unit. Special installation concerns — If a room air conditioner is to be installed at the far end of a narrow room, shoppers should look for a fan control known as “Power Thrust” or “Super Thrust” that does a better job of sending the cooled air across the room. Other features to look for — Shoppers should also consider units that come with a slide-out filter for regular cleaning, a digital readout for the thermostat and a built-in timer. Installing a Room Air Conditioner There are a couple of things to consider when installing a room air conditioner. Make sure that the unit is level so that the interior drainage system and other parts of the unit operate as efficiently as possible. Additionally, try to install the unit in a shaded spot on a home’s north or east side so that the unit receives little direct sunlight. Direct sunlight can decrease the energy efficiency of room air conditioners by up to 10 percent. To help, consider planting trees or shrubs to provide shade, but make sure they don’t obstruct air flow around the unit. Operating a Room Air Conditioner To operate a room air conditioner efficiently, follow these simple guidelines: - Set the unit’s thermostat as high as possible during the summer to save money on electric bills . - Don’t set the thermostat to a colder temperature than is needed. Doing so won’t cool a room faster but can lead to excessive cooling and higher bills. - Set the fan speed on high, except for on humid days. When humidity is high, a low fan speed will do a better job of removing the moisture form the air. - Don’t place appliances that give off heat, like televisions and lamps, near room air conditioners. Heat from the appliances can trigger the thermostat into thinking the room is warmer than it is and cause the unit to run longer, which will result in higher energy bills. - Use an interior fan to help more evenly spread the cooled air from the room air conditioner throughout the space without significantly increasing electricity use. U.S. Department of Energy: Energy Savers website, “ Room Air Conditioners .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/how-to-choose-install-and-operate-a-room-air-conditioner/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/how-to-choose-install-and-operate-a-room-air-conditioner/ Wed, 17 Aug 2011 08:15:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/letting-the-utility-run-the-thermostat/ In the wake of the recent electricity shortages in Texas, ERCOT is considering a plan to allow the utility to directly control customers' thermostats: The Dallas Morning News reports that the Electric Reliability Council of Texas is working on a program that would allow engineers to control home thermostats to increase conservation effectiveness in times of high demand. “Demand response is probably the best tool that could be implemented quickly because it takes several years to build a [power] generator,” ERCOT chief executive Trip Doggett told the newspaper." UPDATE: Baltimore Gas & Electric has already implemented a plan along these lines, and it hasn't been terribly popular with those who chose to opt in: On one of the hottest days in recorded Baltimore history, 72,000 residences were without air conditioning for at least six hours. BGE also used its radio-controlled switches to partially cut air conditioning for an additional 278,000 homes. Many customers said they were entirely without air conditioning from late morning until after 8 p.m. on a day when the official temperature hit 106 and the air pollution index blew past the "unhealthy for certain groups" zone and into "unhealthy for everybody" territory. BGE swears people who signed up for the cutoff plan, designed to save energy and keep the grid from overloading, should have known what to expect in exchange for their "Peak Rewards" bill credits. "We have represented the program fairly," Mark Case, the utility's senior vice president for regulation and strategy, told this newspaper." http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/letting-the-utility-run-the-thermostat/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/letting-the-utility-run-the-thermostat/ Tue, 16 Aug 2011 09:00:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/how-computer-processors-can-become-a-million-times-more-energy-efficient/ People waste a lot of electricity powering the computers they have at home and work. Organizations throw away $4 billion a year powering PCs that aren’t being used and many people at home fail to take advantage of the simple power management features built into every computer that can help them save money off monthly electric bills . But if a team of electrical engineers at the University of California, Berkeley, are right, worrying about saving energy with computers, at least when it comes to microprocessors, may become a thing of the past. Professor of electrical engineering and computer sciences Jeffrey Bokor, along with electrical engineering and computer sciences graduate students Brian Lambson and David Carlton, are conducting research on magnetic computer microprocessors that, in the future, could use a million times less energy than today’s silicon chips. In fact, the researchers claim that future magnetic microprocessors might be so energy efficient that they could consume the least amount of energy allowed by the laws of physics. Nanomagnets Could Make Electrons in Microprocessors Virtually Obsolete The silicon microprocessors of today rely on electric currents, or moving electrons, to carry out the functions of computers, which include memory, logic and switching operations. The problem with moving electrons around is that it produces a lot of waste heat and requires lots of energy. However, microprocessors that use very, very small magnets — measured in nanometers — would theoretically require no moving electrons. The magnet-powered microprocessors would use a staggeringly small amount of energy, only 18 millieletcron volts of energy per operation at room temperature, which is the minimum allowed by the second law of thermodynamics and is called the Landauer limit. The Landauer limit represents the minimum amount of energy that can be used for a single logical operation, the simplest and most basic function of a computer, such as determining an AND or OR output that produces the ones and zeros used in binary code. It takes modern silicon-based microprocessors a million times as much energy to complete the same single operation because of the electrical resistance involved in moving electrons. “Today, computers run on electricity; by moving electrons around a circuit, you can process information,” Lambson said. “A magnetic computer, on the other hand, doesn't involve any moving electrons. You store and process information using magnets, and if you make these magnets really small, you can basically pack them very close together so that they interact with one another. This is how we are able to do computations, have memory and conduct all the functions of a computer.” The Energy Efficiency Gains of Nanomagnets Could Be ‘Revolutionary’ The nanomagnets used by Bokor and his team to build magnetic memory and logic devices are about 100 nanometers wide and about 200 nanometers long. They have the same north-south polarity as bar magnets, which allows them to represent the ones and zeroes of binary code simply through their up-or-down orientation. When multiple nanomagnets are brought together, the interaction of north and south poles resembles transistor behavior and allows for simple logic operations. But there are a few obstacles that need to be overcome if the technology is to reach its true energy efficiency potential. Presently, electrical currents are used to generate a magnetic field and to flip the nanomagents. Unfortunately, the electrical currents use a lot of energy and prevent the technology from reaching anywhere close to the Landauer limit. Cooling the nanomagnets will help, since temperature is directly related to the Landauer limit, but the researchers hope that the nanomagnets can eventually be made with new materials yet to be developed that will make electric currents unnecessary, except maybe for relaying information from one microchip to another. Additionally, when power consumption decreases, the nanomagnets become more susceptible to problems due to random fluctuations from thermal effects and “noise” such as stray electromagnetic fields. The result is that low energy and high performance are, for now, still at odds. But even if research into nanomagnets gets close to the Landauer limit, all electronics, and not just computers, could become extraordinarily energy efficient. “Even if we could get within one order of magnitude, a factor of 10, of the Landauer limit, it would represent a huge reduction in energy consumption for electronics,” Bokor said. “It would be absolutely revolutionary.” Sources “ Ultimate Energy Efficiency: Magnetic Microprocessors Could Use Million Times Less Energy Than Today's Silicon Chips ,” ScienceDaily.com, July 5, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/how-computer-processors-can-become-a-million-times-more-energy-efficient/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/how-computer-processors-can-become-a-million-times-more-energy-efficient/ Tue, 16 Aug 2011 08:16:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/ercot-says-thanks-for-the-help/ In a guest op-ed, ERCOT's president and CEO expresses his thanks for customers' help during the recent power shortages: Conservation efforts help us avoid statewide rotating outages and keep your lights on and air-conditioners running. Conservation not only keeps power and cool air flowing to every citizen, it ensures that uninterrupted power flows to critical care customers, who are most vulnerable in the extreme heat. While ERCOT has not called for rotating outages this summer, it is important to remember that we only implement these orderly, temporary outages to prevent a catastrophic collapse of the electric grid. As you may remember from the Northeast blackout a few years ago, once a grid failure occurs, it can take days to restore power to all consumers. Your conservation efforts help us prevent this from happening." We've been posting tips to help conserve energy and save money. Keep following us for energy saving tips! http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/ercot-says-thanks-for-the-help/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/ercot-says-thanks-for-the-help/ Mon, 15 Aug 2011 08:53:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/when-i-switch-electric-suppliers-what-happens-to-my-meter/ When electric customers think about switching electric suppliers in order to save money on monthly electric bills , one of the questions they ask is, “what happens to my meter?” Regardless of the type of switch — either from an electric utility to a retail electric supplier or from one retail electric supplier to another — the answer is: nothing. The meter stays right where it is, unchanged, and electric customers have nothing to worry about. Meters are owned, operated, serviced and read by the electric utility that distributes electricity to homes (and is responsible for other equipment, such as wires, poles and transformers). Each meter is individually matched to a particular home and is not altered unless the electric utility decides to, say, repair the meter or upgrade it as part of a system-wide transition to Smart Meters. Customers who switch electric suppliers will still contact their utility for things like outages, downed power lines or to report problems with their meters. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/when-i-switch-electric-suppliers-what-happens-to-my-meter/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/when-i-switch-electric-suppliers-what-happens-to-my-meter/ Mon, 15 Aug 2011 08:16:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/what-is-ercot/ If you live in Texas, chances are the electricity that gets delivered to your home is managed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT. You may not have heard of ERCOT, but it’s important to know who they are and what they do since they play a critical role in making sure that the lights in your home come on when you flip a switch. The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) regulates the state’s electricity industry, including independent electricity management agencies like ERCOT, public utilities like CenterPoint and Oncor, and alternative retail electric suppliers like Spark Energy . In turn, ERCOT, the state’s largest electricity management agency, oversees the electric grid, which receives electricity from power generators and distributes it to homes and businesses using electric utilities. In all, ERCOT serves 23 million Texas customers representing 85 percent of the state’s electric load and 75 percent of the state’s land area. ERCOT’s Three Main Functions ERCOT serves three main functions with regard to the management of the delivery of electricity in Texas: 1. Schedules energy transfers — ERCOT ensures the electric grid can accommodate scheduled energy transfers from more than 550 generation units along more than 40,550 miles of transmission lines. ERCOT monitors transfer schedules from wholesale buyers and sellers on a daily basis, makes sure the grid can handle those schedules and makes sure that gaps in schedules can be filled. 2. Maintains grid reliability — ERCOT makes sure that electricity can be reliably transmitted to homes and businesses by managing the electricity supply on the grid and monitoring the flow of electricity between the power generation companies that put electricity into the grid and the public utilities that deliver electricity to customers. 3. Manages retail transactions — ERCOT serves as the central hub for all retail power transactions. Not only does the agency manage the financial settlement for the competitive wholesale bulk-power market, but it also administers the process that customers undergo when switching from their electric utility to an alternative retail electric supplier or from one retail electric supplier to another. When electric customers switch, ERCOT ensures that all of the information related to that transaction is accurately delivered to the appropriate companies in a timely manner. Sources ERCOT website, “ About ERCOT .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/what-is-ercot/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/what-is-ercot/ Fri, 12 Aug 2011 08:07:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/energy-efficient-light-bulbs-affected-by-uncertainty-in-washington-and-at-home/ The debate over energy-efficient light bulbs is heating up. When compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs hit mainstream America several years ago, consumers responded favorably. Incandescent light bulbs, one of the world’s great inventions, had undergone few changes since being patented by Thomas Edison 131 years ago and consumers seemed to like the idea having the option of spending more in the short-term for significantly longer-lasting light bulbs that could help save money off electric bills . Energy-efficient light bulbs were on the rise. Then, when the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 was passed during the George W. Bush administration in order to promote, among other things, national energy savings through energy-efficient lighting, incandescent light bulbs really seemed like they were headed out the door . The act required a 25 percent increase in energy efficiency for most standard consumer light bulbs beginning in 2012 and phased out traditional incandescent bulbs over two years until they were removed from store shelves in 2014. The fate of incandescent light bulbs was assured. But earlier this year, U.S. House Republicans suddenly had a change of heart about the death of the incandescent light bulb. In January, Rep. Joe Barton sponsored legislation that sought to repeal EISA, claiming the act to be a case of “government overreach.” When Barton’s proposed Better Use of Light Bulbs Act failed to pass the House on July 14, Rep. Michael Burgess, a Republican from Lewisville, introduced an amendment the following day to the Energy and Water Appropriations Act of 2012 that denies funding for the implementation of EISA. Burgess’ amendment passed the House, leaving the future of incandescent bulbs somewhat in limbo as the political debate over them continues. 5 Tips for Choosing the Right Energy-Efficient Light Bulb Not only is the fate of incandescent bulbs undecided in Washington, it’s also seemingly undecided in U.S. homes. Some consumers still prefer incandescent bulbs because of performance issues or up-front costs, while other consumers who want to switch to energy-efficient light bulbs may be confused by the choice they have between CFL bulbs, light emitting diodes (LEDs) and halogen incandescent bulbs. Rachel Rothman, a consumer electronics and engineering senior test engineer at the Good Housekeeping Research Institute, says that the first thing consumers need to understand about energy-efficient light bulbs is that many of the old concerns surrounding those manufactured before 2008, including performance issues such as off-lighting or light patterns, are no longer problems. To help consumers decide on which energy-efficient light bulb to use, Rothman offers up these five tips: 1. CFL bulbs might be the best all-around option. New compact fluorescent light bulbs use about 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs and they last about 10 times as long. The result is that they can pay for themselves in less than a year. The old spiral shape of the bulb is mostly gone now, replaced by CFLs made in the familiar “bulb” shape. CFLs are available in a wide range of colors, from whites to yellows. But there are some drawbacks. Not all work with dimmer switches and the bulbs contain small amounts of mercury, which requires significant caution in case of breakage. 2. LEDs save the most energy but cost the most, too. Light-emitting diodes use up to 80 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs but can cost significantly more — up to $50 in some cases — although prices are continuing to fall. However, if estimates are correct, LEDs can last about 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs and about 2.5 times longer than CFL bulbs. 3. Halogen incandescent bulbs cost the least but save the least amount of energy. Traditional incandescent bulbs are filled with an inert gas but halogen incandescent bulbs are filled with halogen gas, which allows them to operate at higher temperatures and with brighter light and allows them to last three times longer. Although halogen incandescents use only about 25 percent less energy than traditional incandescents, they have the lowest upfront cost, widest variety of shapes and colors and work with dimmer switches. 4. Don’t be confused by watts. When looking at energy-efficient light bulbs, pay attention to the lumens, not the watts. Watts tell you how much energy a bulb uses, not how bright it is. For brightness, look at lumens. A 60-watt incandescent bulb produces about 800 lumens, a brightness that can be matched by a 15-watt CFL bulb. 5. Read labels carefully. Labels on energy-efficient light bulbs are important. They’ll tell you everything you need to know, including if the bulb is Energy Star–certified, how bright it is (rated in lumens), how much energy it uses (rated in watts), the appearance of the light (from cool blue to white to warm yellow), the lifespan of the bulb and its estimated annual energy cost (both based on using the bulb for three hours a day) and disposal instructions for bulbs containing mercury. Sources “ Thomas Edison’s Bulb Set to Disappear by Next Year ,” Anderson Independent Mail , Jan. 17, 2011. “ Can Energy-Efficient CFL Bulbs Walk The Green Walk? ” Seattle Post-Intelligencer , Jan. 19, 2011. “ Will the House Turn Out the Lights on Rep. Joe Barton’s Light Bulb Bill? ” The Houston Chronicle , July 12, 2011. “ Rep. Michael Burgess Gives New Light to Joe Barton’s Bulb Bill ,” The Houston Chronicle , July 14, 2011. “ Light Years Ahead ,” The Houston Chronicle , July 23, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/energy-efficient-light-bulbs-affected-by-uncertainty-in-washington-and-at-home/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/energy-efficient-light-bulbs-affected-by-uncertainty-in-washington-and-at-home/ Thu, 11 Aug 2011 08:13:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/energy-star-announces-new-elite-energy-efficiency-certification/ It’s getting easier for shoppers to find some of the most energy-efficient products on the market while providing manufacturers an incentive to innovate. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it was unveiling a new designation for its Energy Star certification, which provides labels for a wide variety of consumer products that meet government requirements for energy efficiency. The new Energy Star Most Efficient 2011 designation will go beyond the agency’s standard endorsement by recognizing Energy Star–certified products that are in the top 5 percent of their categories. For 2011, the categories include clothes washers, refrigerators, televisions and home heating and cooling systems. The EPA will initiate a process later this year to consider additional categories to include for 2012. The new designation will help U.S. consumers save money off monthly utility bills and cut pollution, EPA administrator Lisa P. Jackson said in a statement. According to Jackson, the new designation will also provide manufacturers with an incentive to make products that operate with greater energy efficiency in order to compete for business among Americans who are “eager to make purchases that save them money on their utility bills and reduce the pollution in the air we breathe.” The Energy Star Most Efficient label will help shoppers find those purchases, Jackson added. U.S. Department of Energy secretary Steven Chu reinforced the message that the new designation would provide manufacturers with an incentive to innovate. “The new Most Efficient designation is the next step towards encouraging new, more energy-efficient products to enter the market, so that consumers will have even more choices when it comes to high performance, high efficiency products that will save them energy and money,” Chu said in a statement. Familiar Brands Top Energy Star’s Most Efficient List Currently, clothes washers, televisions and home heating and cooling systems have been certified Energy Star Most Efficient 2011. Refrigerator certification will come later this year. Among the brands that have received the first certifications under the Energy Star Most Efficient designation include products from Electrolux Major Appliances, Best Buy’s Insignia Brand, LG, Nordyne, Panasonic, Rheem, Samsung and Sears’ Kenmore. Clothes washers with the new certification have an annual average operating cost between $80 and $103; televisions have an annual average operating cost between $3.13 and $13.63; and central air HVAC systems provide savings of between 27.78 percent and 46.94 percent over minimum federal standards. According to Energy Star, last year U.S. consumers purchased Energy Star–certified products in more than 60 categories that resulted in $18 billion in savings off energy bills and the prevention of greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to the annual emissions of 33 million vehicles. Sources “ New Energy Star Initiative Recognizes Cutting-Edge Products with Highest Energy Efficiency ,” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency press release, July 14, 2011. Energy Star Website, “ Energy Star Most Efficient 2011 .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/energy-star-announces-new-elite-energy-efficiency-certification/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/energy-star-announces-new-elite-energy-efficiency-certification/ Wed, 10 Aug 2011 08:06:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/japanese-automakers-push-innovative-power-generation-technologies/ Although Japanese automakers have been working on clean, renewable energy initiatives for years, power-saving, or “setsuden,” has become a buzzword in Japan and a major focus of automakers since the devastating earthquake and tsunami of March 11 damaged the country’s ability to generate power and caused the worst nuclear radiation crisis since Chernobyl. As a result, starting in July, big electricity users in eastern Japan are required to cut consumption by 15 percent during peak summer hours. It’s a challenge that the country’s automakers are meeting through innovative power generation technologies. On Monday, Nissan Motor Co. unveiled a new solar-powered charging system that can be used to charge the lithium-ion batteries in its Leaf electric car. Nissan’s global headquarters can now use 488 newly installed solar panels to charge 1,800 Leafs a year. Beginning in 2016, the company is also planning to re-fabricate and resell its electric cars’ high-capacity batteries as power storage units for home backup power supplies when the cars are traded in or scrapped. Days earlier, Mitsubishi Motors Corp. announced that by the end of the year, it would develop and market a portable converter that will allow its electric vehicles to power household electronics and large appliances such as washing machines. And two weeks ago, Toyota Motor Corp. began a trial run of a model “smart home” that can manage electricity consumption and even tap into weather forecasts to get the most out of solar panels. Similar to Nissan, Toyota is also working on re-fabricating its electric cars’ batteries so they can store solar power for use at night or when it’s overcast. The company’s trial will involve 67 homes by the end of 2013. According to Toyota, electric deregulation would allow smart homes to be linked to the grid and allow entire communities to share clean electricity without relying as much on traditional electricity delivery. Sources “ Car Makers Jump on Energy Bandwagon as Japan Saves Power ,” Reuters, July 11, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/japanese-automakers-push-innovative-power-generation-technologies/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/japanese-automakers-push-innovative-power-generation-technologies/ Tue, 09 Aug 2011 08:15:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/tips-for-supervising-the-installation-of-a-new-central-air-conditioner/ A new, energy-efficient central air conditioner can help you save money off monthly utility bills . In fact, a new air conditioner uses about 30 percent to 50 percent less energy than models manufactured in the mid 1970s and 20 percent to 40 percent less energy than models manufactured just 10 years ago. If you’re considering buying a new central air conditioner, it’s important to understand how one should be properly installed. After all, a new, energy-efficient central air conditioner isn’t cheap, and when it comes to the performance, lifespan and energy efficiency of your air conditioner, quality installation is just as important as the actual air conditioner itself. In fact, a brand new, energy-efficient air conditioner that’s improperly installed can perform as poorly as the old model you’re looking to replace. When you’re having a new air conditioner installed, make sure your contractor performs the following procedures: - Locates the outdoor condensing unit where the noise will not keep you or neighbors awake at night, where the unit will be free of obstructions that might block air flow to it and where it will be in shade, if possible. A shaded condensing unit can save you 1 percent to 2 percent off cooling costs. - Makes sure there are enough supply and return air registers to deliver cooled air throughout the house and return the warmed air back to the air conditioner. - Allows enough indoor space for installation, maintenance and repair of all system components. - Makes sure an access door is installed in the furnace or duct so that the evaporator coil can be cleaned. - Sizes air ducts properly using industry-standard methodology such as the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) Manual D. - Installs air ducts within the air conditioned space and not in a hot attic whenever possible. - Ensures that all ducts are sealed with duct mastic and, in the case of attic ducts, heavily insulated. - Locates the thermostat away from sources of heat. - Primes the air conditioner with the precise refrigerant charge and sets the exact air flow rate as specified by the air conditioner manufacturer. Ensuring that these installation procedures are followed is an important part of getting the most comfort and energy-efficiency from your new central air conditioner. If the procedures are followed properly, you can expect from 15 to 20 years of quality, low-maintenance operation from you new air conditioner. Sources U.S. Department of Energy: Energy Savers website, “ Central Air Conditioners .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/tips-for-supervising-the-installation-of-a-new-central-air-conditioner/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/tips-for-supervising-the-installation-of-a-new-central-air-conditioner/ Mon, 08 Aug 2011 08:18:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/how-to-buy-a-new-energy-efficient-central-air-conditioner/ Central air conditioning systems can last from 15 to 20 years. Sticking with an older unit may be less expensive in the short run, but not when it comes to helping you save money off monthly utility bills . Here’s some information to help you make a better decision when it comes time to get a new, energy-efficient central air conditioner. A Few Facts on Air Conditioning and Energy-Efficiency If you’re wondering whether it’s time to replace or upgrade your central air conditioning system, here are a few facts that might help: - In the average air-conditioned U.S. home, air conditioners use more than 2000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year. - Producing the electricity needed to air condition the average U.S. home causes the average power plant to emit about 3500 pounds of carbon dioxide and 31 pounds of sulfur dioxide per year. - The most energy-efficient air conditioners on the market today consume 30 percent to 50 percent less energy than models manufactured in the mid 1970s. - Even if your air conditioner is just 10 years old, upgrading to a new energy-efficient air conditioner could save you from 20 percent to 40 percent off your cooling costs. The Two Types of Central Air Conditioners If you decide to replace or upgrade your central air conditioning system, the first thing you’ll need to know is whether you have a split-system central air conditioner or a packaged central air conditioner. Split-system central air conditioners are made up of an outdoor metal cabinet containing the condenser and compressor and an indoor cabinet containing the evaporator, which in many split-system air conditioners, also contains a furnace or the indoor part of a heat pump. Packaged central air conditioners contain the evaporator, condenser and compressor in a single outdoor metal cabinet, usually placed on a concrete slab next to a home’s foundation. From the cabinet, air supply and return ducts enter a home through its exterior wall and connect to a series of internal supply and return ducts in order to circulate cool air throughout a home. Packaged air conditioners usually include a natural gas furnace or electric heating coils and eliminate the need for a separate indoor furnace. If your home already has a furnace but no air conditioner, then installing a split-system air conditioner is the most economical choice. How to Judge the Energy Efficiency of a New Central Air Conditioner When shopping for an energy-efficient central air conditioner, you’ll need to research a system’s seasonal energy efficiency ratio, or SEER, which indicates how much energy a model uses to produce a specific cooling output. If you have an older system, chances are it has a SEER rating of 6 or less. Since Jan. 23, 2006, models have been required by the Environmental Protection Agency to have a minimum SEER rating of 13, which require 30 percent less energy to run than models manufactured with the previous minimum SEER rating of 10. The most energy-efficient central air conditioners on the market today are ENERGY STAR–certified with SEER ratings greater than 13. Tips for Buying a New Central Air Conditioner Buying a new central air conditioning system doesn’t have to be intimidating. Here are a few tips on what you should look for in a new system: - Size matters when it comes to a new central air conditioner. If your unit is too small, it will have to work too hard to cool your home, which can result in higher electric bills and damage to components. It may not even be able to reach comfortable temperatures on hot days. If your unit is too big, it will cycle on and off too quickly, which will prevent the unit from removing humidity from the air and can also damage components. Only a right-sized unit will provide the performance, operating life and energy efficiency you expect. Know your home’s square footage and consult with an HVAC contractor before you make a purchase. - Partial replacement may not be ideal. Although you can replace the outdoor compressor on an older model with a modern, high-efficiency unit, you should consult a local HVAC contractor to make sure that the compressor is properly matched to the rest of the older system. Even if it is, changes in refrigerants and air conditioning designs over the years usually mean it’s a wiser decision to replace the entire system. - Look for an air conditioner with an EER rating of 11.6 or greater. An air conditioner’s EER rating is different from its SEER Rating. EER is an air conditioner’s thermal expansion valve and a high-temperature rating and determines how efficiently the unit runs when the weather is at its hottest. - Make sure the system runs quietly. - Look for systems that have a variable speed air handler for new ventilation systems, an automatic-delay fan switch that turns off the fan a few minutes after the compressor turns off and a fan-only switch so you can take advantage of nighttime ventilation that can significantly reduce cooling costs. - Find a system that has a check filter light to remind you to inspect the filter after a certain number of operating hours. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/how-to-buy-a-new-energy-efficient-central-air-conditioner/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/how-to-buy-a-new-energy-efficient-central-air-conditioner/ Fri, 05 Aug 2011 08:17:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/ercot-wednesday-marks-3rd-day-in-a-row-for-record-use-please-conserve-thursday/ Late on the afternoon of Wednesday, August 3, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), Texas’ electricity grid manager, held a conference call with ERCOT’s vice president of system planning and operations Kent Saathoff, to discuss the state of the electricity grid. The Spark Energy Social Media Team was on that call, and here’s what we learned. Due to widespread high temperatures, the state’s electricity grid experienced record-setting power usage for a third straight day: 68,294 megawatts at its peak between 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. (One megawatt is equal to about 200 homes running air conditioning.) "This heat wave is unprecedented, it's all over Texas. It's a very unusual situation," said Saathoff. This was also the second day in a row that a Level 1 power emergency was called, and “we were within about 50 megawatts of going to Level 2,” he added. At a level 1 emergency, the state’s reserve generation drops below 2,300 megawatts and ERCOT will look to bordering states and Mexico for excess generation capacity they can offer. At level 2, excess reserves fall to less than 1,750 megawatts and ERCOT first calls on industrial customers who had voluntarily opted-in to shut down facilities to save about 1,000 megawatts of usage. If that’s not enough, ERCOT then calls on commercial customers opted in to save about 300 megawatts of usage from the grid. A level 3 emergency has only been called three times in Texas since 1989, and that means that the stability of the grid is in question. If this happens, local utility distribution companies such as Centerpoint, Oncor, AEP, and TNMP are called upon to shed electric load and institute rolling blackouts that can last from 15 minutes up to 45 minutes and more. The last time this happened was in February when freezing conditions shut down several large generation facilities in the Texas area. With extreme cold and hot temperatures both triggering emergency alerts in Texas this year, Saathoff suggests "the best solution is to have more generation,” but he balanced that stating later, “You can’t afford to build a system that will give you 100 percent reliability…It’s a question of what extreme events you design and build a system for.” Noting that a 100-percent reliable system would be too expensive for consumers, Saathoff says they try to design for a once-in-a-decade scenarios. At any given time, about 5% of the 70,000 megawatts worth of generation in the Texas area are down. "We've got 400 generation plants in ERCOT, on average 20 are out," says Saathoff. But on Wednesday, as much as 4,000 megawatts were unavailable due to maintenance issues. Several more facilities had been down due to high stress on the system Monday and Tuesday. According to Saathoff, "When you have the exceedingly high load levels, it can be difficult to balance generation" as consumers bumped up air conditioning systems to keep cool, which brought ERCOT so close to increasing the emergency level. So even though Saathoff started the conference call saying that "they could be declaring Level 2 any moment now," ERCOT media relations spokesperson Dottie Roark ended the call near 5:00 saying that "It's looking promising now that we may not have to get to Level 2." For Thursday, we’re still not in the clear with the same high temperatures continuing to plague the Lone Star State. "If we keep seeing temperatures of 107 or 110, we'll be at increased risk of rolling blackouts," says Saathoff. Please continue to conserve energy through the remainder of the week, especially from 3-7 PM, and most critically from 4-5 PM. See Spark Energy’s tips for conserving energy here . Stay Informed with Spark Energy Spark Energy will notify customers via our Facebook and Twitter accounts about ERCOT emergency alerts, and whether rolling blackouts are imposed. If blackouts are not called for and you do have an outage, please be sure to report it to the utility company or transmission provider listed on your electric bill: American Electric Power – AEP Austin Energy Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative Brazos Electric Power Cooperative Brownsville Public Utilities Board Bryan Texas Utilities CenterPoint Energy College Station Utilities CPS Energy – San Antonio Denton Municipal Electric Garland Power & Light Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative LCRA Magic Valley Electric Cooperative Nueces Electric Cooperative Oncor Pedernales Electric Cooperative Rayburn County Electric Cooperative Sharyland Utilities South Texas Electric Cooperative Texas-New Mexico Power http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/ercot-wednesday-marks-3rd-day-in-a-row-for-record-use-please-conserve-thursday/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/ercot-wednesday-marks-3rd-day-in-a-row-for-record-use-please-conserve-thursday/ Thu, 04 Aug 2011 10:28:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/energy-star-updates-energy-efficiency-requirements-for-dishwashers-and-furnaces/ The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced in July that it is updating its ENERGY STAR requirements for home dishwashers and furnaces beginning in 2012, a move that will help consumers who purchase new models save money off monthly utility bills . After January 20, 2012, newly-certified standard-size and compact residential dishwashers that meet the updated ENERGY STAR requirements will be between 10 percent and 30 percent more energy efficient than conventional models and about 8 percent more energy efficient than models awarded the previous ENERGY STAR certification. After February 1, 2012, newly-certified furnaces that meet the updated ENERGY STAR requirements will be categorized and labeled based on the particular climate zone in which they’ll be sold. Furnaces that meet the new requirements in the southern half of the United States will be provided with a specific “U.S. South ENERGY STAR” label. These furnaces will be up to 12 percent more energy efficient than baseline models. Furnaces that meet the new requirements in the northern half of the United States and Canada will be provided with the standard ENERGY STAR label. These furnaces will be up to 16 percent more energy efficient than baseline models. According to a statement by the EPA, if every dishwasher in the United States met the new requirements, consumers would save $235 million a year off energy and water bills and reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions equal to those from 180,000 vehicles. Likewise, if every U.S. furnace met the new requirements, consumers would save $170,000 a year off energy bills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 175,000 vehicles. The EPA said that the new requirements for home dishwashers and furnaces are among 20 updates to product certification requirements scheduled to be completed this year. Sources “ EPA Announces New ENERGY STAR Requirements for Dishwashers and Furnaces ,” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency press release, July 19, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/energy-star-updates-energy-efficiency-requirements-for-dishwashers-and-furnaces/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/energy-star-updates-energy-efficiency-requirements-for-dishwashers-and-furnaces/ Thu, 04 Aug 2011 08:11:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/statement-for-texas-electricity-customers-please-conserve-energy/ As referenced in our last blog post , ERCOT has issued a statement asking electricity consumers to reduce their electricity usage today from 3:00 - 7:00 p.m. ERCOT initiating level 1 emergency; Consumers asked to conserve 3-7 p.m. today Austin, Aug.3, 2011 -- The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc. (ERCOT), system operator for the state’s bulk transmission grid, initiated Energy Emergency Alert Level 1 at 2:50 p.m. when responsive reserves dropped below 2,300 megawatts (MW). Capacity is expected to be very tight over the peak today, and ERCOT operators are closely monitoring the situation. “We expect to hit another all-time peak demand record today, so we are asking consumers and businesses to reduce their electricity use during peak electricity hours from 3 to 7 p.m.,” said Kent Saathoff, vice president of system planning and operations. Forecast for peak demand today is more than 68,684 MW, exceeding yesterday’s new all-time record of 67,929 MW. Prior to this year, the record was 65,776 MW (Aug. 23, 2010). “There’s a possibility that we may have to go to a level 2 emergency today which authorizes operators to drop the interruptible loads – large customers paid to be dropped in a level 2 emergency. Dropping the load resources provides extra capacity for the remaining customers,” Saathoff said. “We’re expecting record high temperatures and electricity demand to continue for the remainder of the week, so we are asking consumers and businesses to reduce their electricity as much as they are able for the remainder of the week,” Saathoff said. Emergency Procedures Background The Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) procedures are a progressive series of steps that allow ERCOT to bring on power from other grids if available, beginning with a Power Watch (Energy Emergency Alert Level 1). If the situation does not improve, ERCOT escalates to a Power Warning (Energy Emergency Alert Level 2), allowing operators to drop large commercial/industrial load resources under contract to be interrupted during an emergency. If the capacity shortage is not relieved by the contract demand response, ERCOT escalates to a Power Emergency (Energy Emergency Alert Level 3) and will instruct utilities to reduce demand on the grid by conducting temporary outages at the local distribution level. These controlled temporary interruptions of electrical service – or rotating outages – typically last 15-45 minutes before being rotated to a different neighborhood. Consumers should contact the utility company/ transmission provider listed on their electric bill for information about power outages at their homes or business, or about rotating outage procedures for their area. Energy Emergency Alert Communications Conservation Tips Consumers can help by shutting off unnecessary lights and electrical appliances between 3 and 7 p.m., and delaying laundry and other activities requiring electricity-consuming appliances until later in the evening. Other conservation tips from the Public Utility Commission’s “Powerful Advice” include: Turn off all unnecessary lights, appliances, and electronic equipment. When at home, close blinds and drapes that get direct sun, set air conditioning thermostats to 78 degrees or higher, and use fans in occupied rooms to feel cooler. When away from home, set air conditioning thermostats to 85 degrees and turn all fans off before you leave. Block the sun by closing blinds or drapes on windows that will get direct sun. Do not use your dishwasher, laundry equipment, hair dryers, coffee makers, or other home appliances during the peak hours of 3 to 7 p.m. Avoid opening refrigerators or freezers more than necessary. Use microwaves for cooking instead of an electric range or oven. Set your pool pump to run in the early morning or evening instead of the afternoon. Businesses should minimize the use of electric lighting and electricity-consuming equipment as much as possible. Large consumers of electricity should consider shutting down or reducing non-essential production processes. How to Track Electricity Demand View daily peak demand forecast and current load at http://www.ercot.com/ View daily peak demands by the hour at this link Get real-time notices of energy emergency alerts by following ERCOT on Twitter Consumer Assistance Public Utility Commission Consumer Hotline – 1-888-782-8777 Office of Public Utility Counsel Consumer Assistance – 1-877-839-0363 Call Your Electric Utility for Information about Local Outages ERCOT manages the state’s high-voltage bulk electricity grid. For questions about local outages at your home or business, or questions about rotating outage procedures for your neighborhood, contact the utility company or transmission provider listed on your electric bill. American Electric Power - AEP Austin Energy Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative Brazos Electric Power Cooperative Brownsville Public Utilities Board Bryan Texas Utilities CenterPoint Energy College Station Utilities CPS Energy – San Antonio Denton Municipal Electric Garland Power & Light Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative LCRA Magic Valley Electric Cooperative Nueces Electric Cooperative Oncor Pedernales Electric Cooperative Rayburn County Electric Cooperative Sharyland Utilities South Texas Electric Cooperative Texas-New Mexico Power ERCOT Region The ERCOT Region includes Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin, Corpus Christi, Abilene and the Rio Grande Valley. It does not include the El Paso area, the Texas Panhandle, Northeast Texas (Longview, Marshall and Texarkana), and Southeast Texas (Beaumont, Port Arthur, and the Woodlands). Region map http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/statement-for-texas-electricity-customers-please-conserve-energy/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/statement-for-texas-electricity-customers-please-conserve-energy/ Wed, 03 Aug 2011 15:25:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/summer-energy-conservation-tips-in-case-of-an-energy-alert/ The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) is the agency responsible for managing the delivery of electricity to most homes and businesses in Texas. Among other things, its is responsible for alerting customers in its service area of potential outages due to heavy demand for electricity. Most Texans are in ERCOT's service area, which is the largest in Texas and serves 23 million customers that represent 85 percent of the state’s electric load and 75 percent of the state’s land area. When an issue with electricity supply occurs, the first stage in ERCOT’s three-stage emergency power management plan is to alert electric customers in its service area of the issue. Thanks in part to a surge in air conditioning use from high temperatures as well as unexpected generation outages, an alert was issued on June 14. Another alert was sent out yesterday when it asked consumers and businesses to reduce their electricity consumption due to heavy pressure on the electrical grid. And we've gotten word that ERCOT is asking again for increased conservation later today from 3:00 - 7:00 P.M. CST. In these cases, to help manage the electricity supply and prevent rolling brownouts or other service interruptions, ERCOT offers a series of temporary energy conservation tips provided by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) that electric customers should try to observe during the alert period. Here are the PUCT’s energy conservation tips in case of a summertime energy alert: - Turn off all lights, appliances and electronic equipment that aren’t necessary. - When at home, set thermostats to 78 degrees or higher, close blinds and drapes and use fans to cool the air. - When away from home, set thermostats to 85 degrees, close blinds and drapes and make sure all fans are turned off. - During the specified timeframe — which is frequently the peak energy use period between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. — do not use dishwashers, laundry appliances, hair dryers, coffee makers or other home appliances. - Although refrigerators and freezers should be kept on, you should open avoid opening their doors as much as possible. - Food should be cooked with microwaves instead of electric ranges or ovens. - Pool pumps should always be set to run in the early morning or late evening instead of during peak times. Make sure to change pool settings if needed. Additional Energy Tips and Advice from the PUCT On its website, the PUCT encourages electric customers to not wait for an energy alert before making energy efficiency changes to their homes or changing the way they use electricity. The PUCT suggests that electric customers research no-cost or low-cost ways to save electricity. Furthermore, the PUCT also encourages electric customers to see if they can save money off monthly electric bills by switching from their current electricity provider to a different electric provider. The PUCT also reminds consumers who are thinking of switching that their choice of electric supplier has no effect on the reliability of electric service, the frequency or duration of power outages or the time it will take electric service to be restored in an outage. Sources " Power Watch: Energy Conservation Encouraged 3–7 p.m. Today ," Electric Reliability Council of Texas press release, July 14, 2011. Public Utility Commission of Texas website, “ Conservation Alerts .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/summer-energy-conservation-tips-in-case-of-an-energy-alert/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/summer-energy-conservation-tips-in-case-of-an-energy-alert/ Wed, 03 Aug 2011 10:10:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/urgent-request-for-texas-electricity-customers-increase-electricity-conservation/ ERCOT, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, has issued an urgent request to electricity customers to reduce their electricity usage from 3:00 - 7:00 CST. Power Watch - Conservation Needed ERCOT initiating level 1 emergency; Consumers asked to conserve 3-7 p.m. today Austin, Aug.2, 2011 -- The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc. (ERCOT), system operator for the state’s bulk transmission grid, initiated Energy Emergency Alert Level 1 at 2:40 p.m. when responsive reserves dropped below 2,300 megawatts (MW). Capacity is expected to be tight over the peak today, and ERCOT operators are closely monitoring the situation. “We are requesting that consumers and businesses reduce their electricity use during peak electricity hours from 3 to 7 p.m. today, particularly between 4 and 5 p.m. when we expect to hit another peak demand record,” said Kent Saathoff, vice president of system planning and operations. “We do not know at this time if additional emergency steps will be needed.” Forecast for peak demand today is 67,084 MW, exceeding yesterday’s new all-time record of 66,867 MW. Prior to this year, the record was 65,776 MW (Aug. 23, 2010). For more information, see Aug. 1 news releases: http://www.ercot.com/news/press_releases/show/403 http://www.ercot.com/news/press_releases/show/407 Emergency Procedures Background The Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) procedures are a progressive series of steps that allow ERCOT to bring on power from other grids if available, beginning with a Power Watch (Energy Emergency Alert Level 1). If the situation does not improve, ERCOT escalates to a Power Warning (Energy Emergency Alert Level 2), allowing operators to drop large commercial/industrial load resources under contract to be interrupted during an emergency. If the capacity shortage is not relieved by the contract demand response, ERCOT escalates to a Power Emergency (Energy Emergency Alert Level 3) and will instruct utilities to reduce demand on the grid by conducting temporary outages at the local distribution level. These controlled temporary interruptions of electrical service – or rotating outages – typically last 15-45 minutes before being rotated to a different neighborhood. Consumers should contact the utility company/ transmission provider listed on their electric bill for information about power outages at their homes or business, or about rotating outage procedures for their area. Energy Emergency Alert Communications Conservation Tips Consumers can help by shutting off unnecessary lights and electrical appliances between 3 and 7 p.m., and delaying laundry and other activities requiring electricity-consuming appliances until later in the evening. Other conservation tips from the Public Utility Commission’s “Powerful Advice” include: - Turn off all unnecessary lights, appliances, and electronic equipment. - When at home, close blinds and drapes that get direct sun, set air conditioning thermostats to 78 degrees or higher, and use fans in occupied rooms to feel cooler. - When away from home, set air conditioning thermostats to 85 degrees and turn all fans off before you leave. Block the sun by closing blinds or drapes on windows that will get direct sun. - Do not use your dishwasher, laundry equipment, hair dryers, coffee makers, or other home appliances during the peak hours of 3 to 7 p.m. - Avoid opening refrigerators or freezers more than necessary. - Use microwaves for cooking instead of an electric range or oven. - Set your pool pump to run in the early morning or evening instead of the afternoon. Businesses should minimize the use of electric lighting and electricity-consuming equipment as much as possible. Large consumers of electricity should consider shutting down or reducing non-essential production processes. How to Track Electricity Demand - View daily peak demand forecast and current load at http://www.ercot.com/ - View daily peak demands by the hour at this link - Get real-time notices of energy emergency alerts by following ERCOT on Twitter Consumer Assistance - Public Utility Commission Consumer Hotline – 1-888-782-8777 - Office of Public Utility Counsel Consumer Assistance – 1-877-839-0363 Call Your Electric Utility for Information about Local Outages ERCOT manages the state’s high-voltage bulk electricity grid. For questions about local outages at your home or business, or questions about rotating outage procedures for your neighborhood, contact the utility company or transmission provider listed on your electric bill. - American Electric Power - AEP - Austin Energy - Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative - Brazos Electric Power Cooperative - Brownsville Public Utilities Board - Bryan Texas Utilities - CenterPoint Energy - College Station Utilities - CPS Energy – San Antonio - Denton Municipal Electric - Garland Power & Light - LCRA - Magic Valley Electric Cooperative - Nueces Electric Cooperative - Oncor - Pedernales Electric Cooperative - Rayburn County Electric Cooperative - Sharyland Utilities - South Texas Electric Cooperative - Texas-New Mexico Power ERCOT Region The ERCOT Region includes Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin, Corpus Christi, Abilene and the Rio Grande Valley. It does not include the El Paso area, the Texas Panhandle, Northeast Texas (Longview, Marshall and Texarkana), and Southeast Texas (Beaumont, Port Arthur, and the Woodlands). Region map http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/urgent-request-for-texas-electricity-customers-increase-electricity-conservation/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/urgent-request-for-texas-electricity-customers-increase-electricity-conservation/ Tue, 02 Aug 2011 15:11:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/9-tips-for-buying-and-using-an-energy-efficient-refrigerator/ Refrigerators and freezers have never been more energy efficient that they are today — an ENERGY STAR–certified refrigerator uses 40 percent less energy than models sold in 2001. If you’re in the market for a new, energy-efficient refrigerator, here are nine tips for getting the most out of your purchase, including using it to help lower your monthly electric bills . 1. Look for the EnergyGuide and ENERGY STAR Labels The EnergyGuide label, which is on all new refrigerators, tells you how many kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity a particular model uses in a year. The smaller the number, the less energy — and money — it will consume. Make sure the refrigerator you’re considering is also ENERGY STAR–certified. Refrigerators certified by ENERGY STAR use 20 percent less electricity than current federal standards require. 2. Buy a Refrigerator with the Freezer on Top or Bottom Refrigerator models with a freezer at the top or bottom are more energy efficient than side-by-side models — bottom freezer models use 16 percent less energy while top freezer models use 13 percent less energy. 3. Be Wary of Extra Features Water dispensers and icemakers are convenient, but they also consume 14 percent to 20 percent more electricity, resulting in models that aren’t as energy efficient as they could be. 4. Find a Model with Automatic Moisture Control Refrigerators normally accumulate moisture on the exterior of their cabinets, or “sweat,” because of the temperature difference between their interiors and exteriors, much like a glass of ice water on a hot day. Some refrigerators use built-in devices called “anti-sweat” heaters to prevent sweating, but these devices use 5 percent to 10 percent more energy than other models. Instead, opt for models engineered with automatic moisture control that can prevent sweating without a heater. 5. Don’t Keep it Too Cold To help maximize your energy savings, make sure the temperatures of your refrigerator and freezer aren’t set too low. Setting one or the other 10 degrees colder than it needs to be can use up 25 percent more energy. To prevent your refrigerator and freezer from wasting energy, set the temperature in the fresh food compartment of your refrigerator to between 37 degrees and 40 degrees and your freezer to 5 degrees. If you have a separate freezer for long-term storage, you can set it to 0 degrees. In order to measure the temperature of your refrigerator and freezer, place an appliance thermometer in a glass of water in the refrigerator and another between frozen packages in the freezer. Check the thermometers in 24 hours, adjust the temperature settings and measure again as needed. 6. Regularly Defrost Manual-Defrost Models Manual-defrost freezers use about half as much energy as automatic-defrost models. If you opt for a manual-defrost model, make sure you defrost it regularly or you won’t achieve the expected energy savings. 7. Cover Liquids and Foods Any liquids or foods stored in your refrigerator need to be covered or wrapped. Uncovered drinks and unwrapped foods release moisture that make the refrigerator’s air conditioning compressor work harder. 8. Make Sure the Doors are Airtight You may not have to worry about making sure the doors on your new refrigerator and freezer are airtight right away, but making adjustments to the doors as they age is important to maintaining energy efficiency. To check the door’s seal, close the door on a dollar bill so that half the bill is in the refrigerator and half is out. If you can pull the bill out easily, then you need to adjust the latch or replace the seal. 9. Get the Right Size for You It’s important to buy a refrigerator that’s the right size for you, your family and your space. A refrigerator that’s too big and isn’t very full wastes energy, while one that’s undersized and too full may struggle to keep everything cold. Likewise, a refrigerator that fits too snugly in the corner may not have enough clear space around the condensing coils for efficient operation and could end up damaging the unit. On the other hand, buying a new, energy-efficient refrigerator that’s the right size will give you years of service that will save energy and save money. Sources California Energy Commission: Consumer Energy Center website, “ Refrigerators and Freezers .” U.S. Department of Energy: Energy Savers website, “ Refrigerators .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/9-tips-for-buying-and-using-an-energy-efficient-refrigerator/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/9-tips-for-buying-and-using-an-energy-efficient-refrigerator/ Tue, 02 Aug 2011 08:15:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/new-york-public-utility-sets-record-electric-use-as-heat-wave-continues/ New York electric utility Consolidated Edison Company (Con Ed) reported breaking its own record for electric consumption as customers in its service territory turned on their air conditioners to beat back a heat wave that baked much of the country. Con Ed is one of the nation’s largest electric companies and includes almost all of New York City and most of Westchester County. Electric consumption in Con Ed’s service territory peaked at 13,189 megawatts late afternoon on Friday, July 22, breaking the old weekday record of 13,149 megawatts set on Aug. 2, 2006. On Saturday, Con Ed also reported a peak electric consumption of 11,533 megawatts, breaking its previous weekend day record set on July 24, 2010. In all, Con Ed reported that its customers used 1 trillion watt hours over a four-day period last week, which the public utility said was about the same amount of electricity Vermont uses in two months. Public utilities in Illinois and Pennsylvania also reported record electric use last week due to broiling temperatures. Chicago’s Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd) reported an all-time high late Wednesday of 23,753 megawatts, which broke its previous record of 23,618 megawatts set on Aug. 1, 2006. Philadelphia’s PECO Energy Company (PECO) reported an all-time high late Thursday of 8,943 megawatts, which broke its previous record of 8,932, also set in Aug. 2006. Sources “ ComEd Sets New Peak in Demand ,” Commonwealth Edison Co. press release, July 21, 2011. “ PECO Breaks Power Usage Record Amid High Heat ,” WPVI-TV, July 22, 2011. “ Deaths Tied to Heat: 64 People, Thousands of Cattle ,” MSNBC, July 27, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/new-york-public-utility-sets-record-electric-use-as-heat-wave-continues/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/new-york-public-utility-sets-record-electric-use-as-heat-wave-continues/ Mon, 01 Aug 2011 08:14:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/7-of-the-worlds-greenest-most-energy-efficient-notebook-computers/ Saving energy is a good thing, especially if it helps you save money. But being green is not just about saving money. It’s also about supporting industries that decrease their environmental impact so that when you buy their products, you can decrease your environmental impact. The computer industry has come a long way over the years and many manufacturers implement environmental policies in manufacturing, distribution and disposal. Notebook computers, which now use 90 percent less energy than their desktop counterparts, have especially benefitted from such policies. If you’re in the market for a new notebook computer, or just want a glimpse of what some manufacturers are doing these days to be green, check out our list of seven of the world’s greenest, most energy-efficient notebook computers. Acer TravelMate The Acer TravelMate placed second out of a field of 21 notebooks when Greenpeace released its annual report on the greenest electronics on the market in 2010. The ranking was earned in part because of Acer’s policy of phasing out the use of toxic chemicals in manufacturing. The ranking also considered the TravelMate’s product lifespan, the amount of energy used in production and innovation such as LED backlight technology. The TravelMate is also ENERGY STAR–certified. Apple MacBook Air Apple’s MacBook Air may have gotten great reviews and wide-eyed stares for its amazingly thin design — just 0.11 inches thick at its thinnest point when closed — but it also received a Gold rating from EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) and an ENERGY STAR 5.0 certification. Additionally, recycling is a key part of the Apple sustainability plan. The MacBook Air is made of aluminum, which is easily recyclable, and manufactured without arsenic, lead, mercury or PVC. Asus UL30A The Asus UL30A was the top notebook on Greenpeace’s 2010 annual report on green electronics. When it comes to manufacturing, Asus emphasizes lead-free and halogen-free processes and enforces hazardous substances guidelines. The Asus UL30A sports a low-voltage processor and tools that enable users to turn off selected hardware to save energy and battery life, which earned rave reviews from critics. Dell Latitude Series Dell’s entire EPEAT Gold-rated Latitude series of notebooks has earned an ENERGY STAR 5.0 certification. Every notebook in the series is 100 percent recyclable as part of the company’s Asset Recovery Service and they also conform to European toxin laws, which are stricter than those in the Unites States. As a company, Dell has been making the environment a priority for years and was named the top green company of 2010 by Newsweek. Dell even uses compostable bamboo packaging. HP Elitebook 2540p The HP Elitebook 2540 was designed for business people on the go so it’s very light — at just over three pounds, it’s the lightest entry in the Elitebook lineup — but its also very tough. In fact, the company says it meets military standards for durability. The LED-backlit screen is a bonus, and while notebook’s standard tough-for-durability configuration may not be as energy-efficient as other models on our list, it can be custom configured to meet ENERGY STAR certifications. Lenovo Thinkpad L Series Like Dell’s Latitude series of notebooks, the entire Thinkpad L series by Lenovo has been awarded a Gold rating by EPEAT and has an ENERGY STAR 5.0 certification. Power settings on the notebook allow users to cut their energy use by up to an additional 40 percent. Packaging for the series is entirely recyclable and Lenovo offers disposal programs for old models that don’t put your information at risk. Toshiba Portege R700 Toshiba may have the deepest green pedigree of any computer manufacturer on this list. By 2007, the company had received more EPEAT Gold ratings for their notebooks than any other manufacturer and they’ve continued to emphasize environmental responsibility ever since. New machines like the Portege R700 are made with recycled materials and are designed to create as little waste as possible, while old machines are salvaged and disposed of properly. But just because the Portege R700 is green doesn’t mean it skimps on features. The R700 comes with a 500 GB hard drive, an LCD-backlit screen, 2 USB ports and 8 hours worth of battery life. Sources Treehugger website, “ 9 Greenest Laptops on the Market .” Vectren website, “ Office Equipment Tips for Businesses .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/7-of-the-worlds-greenest-most-energy-efficient-notebook-computers/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/august/7-of-the-worlds-greenest-most-energy-efficient-notebook-computers/ Mon, 01 Aug 2011 08:09:00 GMT Spark Energy Staff http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/how-to-save-money-with-an-it-power-management-policy/ Power management for IT departments is becoming increasingly important for large and small companies alike. In the commercial sector, IT equipment and related communication technologies — computers, monitors, servers, printers, telephones, video conferencing equipment, etc. — now account for about 10 percent of an organization’s energy use. According to Gartner Group, an information technology research and advisory company, organizational waste from IT equipment is significant: - PCs and their monitors consume nearly twice the electricity of servers. - Even when a monitor is turned off or set to standby, a PC consumes almost as much power as a fully-powered, but idle PC. - Enterprise organizations waste close to $4 billion, or one-third of their annual energy consumption, powering PCs that aren’t being used. - Even when not in use, the majority of enterprise PCs are kept on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year round. - Most PC users in organizations incorrectly believe that IT departments need computers to be left on all the time in order to offer access to critical system maintenance or system updates. - Typical business hours account for less than 30 percent of a PC’s use, which means that PCs are wasting electricity more than 70 percent of the time. A typical PC consumes between 400 kilowatt-hours and 600 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, depending on factors such as brand, components and workload. In January 2008, the average price of electricity in the United States was $0.0898 per kilowatt-hour and ranged from $0.0533 in Idaho to $0.2536 in Hawaii. Based on these numbers, if all computers in a 10,000-machine organization were left on all the time, the organization’s annual cost for electricity would be between $1,867,632 and $13,329,216. A power management policy for PCs alone can save an organization between $20 and $60 per computer per year. Although Gartner Group estimates that organizations can save up to 50 percent of their energy costs on PCs alone by adopting a power management strategy, most IT departments fail to institute power management programs that result in PC users taking advantage of even the most minimal power saving features available on their machines. 7 Energy-Saving Tactics for Your Organization’s IT Power Management Policy Although an energy-saving power management policy may seem like an expensive thing to develop and implement, IT departments can often combine a little employee education with existing, free or inexpensive power management tools for an affordable policy that saves far more money than it requires. 1. Turn off IT equipment during non-business hours Completely shutting down computers, monitors, printers, copiers and other IT-related equipment when the office is closed not only conserves roughly 70 percent of the energy those devices would otherwise consume, it also cuts air conditioning costs by reducing internal heat gain. Don’t leave equipment in Sleep or Standby modes overnight because a small amount of power will continue to be drawn. 2. Be careful when using computer screen savers While screen savers may help prevent burn-in on some types of monitors, they don’t always do a good job of saving energy during periods of inactivity. For organizations that use screen savers, make sure they’re compatible with computers’ power management features. 3. Activate power-saving features in office equipment All modern printers, copiers, fax machines and other common office machines have built-in power management features. Make sure that these features are activated and running properly. 4. Opt for laptops and notebooks over desktops Most laptop and notebook computers are more than powerful enough for typical office use. Although the initial investment might be a bit more expensive, laptops and notebooks use 90 percent less energy than desktops. 5. Install plug load controllers in cubicles Plug load controllers use a motion sensor incorporated with a plug load surge suppressor and can control multiple loads, such as computers, monitors, task lighting and fans. Inactive equipment is easily shut down when cubicles are unoccupied. 6. Purchase or lease ENERGY STAR–certified office equipment Office and IT equipment certified by ENERGY STAR is energy-efficient and uses power management features to automatically power down during periods of inactivity, resulting in energy savings of up to 50 percent or more. 7. Purchase or lease ENERGY STAR–certified vending machines While vending machines may not seem like a big deal at first, this equipment runs all the time to keep drinks and food cold including nights and weekends. Vending machines certified by ENERGY STAR incorporate energy efficient compressors with refrigeration and lighting controls that can save 30 percent to 50 percent when compared to the energy use of older, non-certified equipment. Sources Triumfant white paper, “ Green IT Power Management .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/how-to-save-money-with-an-it-power-management-policy/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/how-to-save-money-with-an-it-power-management-policy/ Fri, 29 Jul 2011 08:35:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/retail-electric-suppliers-now-provide-more-than-half-the-power-used-in-illinois/ More than half of the electricity consumed in Illinois is now bought from retail electric suppliers, according to a new report released last week by the state’s utility regulators. The report, by the Illinois Commerce Commission's Office of Retail Market Development, found that 97,020 electric customers had switched from the state’s electric utilities, Commonwealth Edison Co. (ComEd) and Ameren Illinois, by the end of 2010. Although most of those electric customers were commercial and industrial businesses looking to save money off utility bills and better manage their power usage, residential customers have begun to switch in greater numbers. According to Roy Boston, Illinois State Chair for the Retail Energy Supply Association (RESA), 83,000 electric customers in ComEd’s service territory had switched to an alternate electric supplier by the end of June 2011. The total amount of electricity provided to commercial, industrial and residential customers that have switched to an alternative electric supplier now represents 58 percent of the entire electric load in Illinois, Boston said. According to the report, there are now 37 alternative electric suppliers certified to sell power in Illinois. Twenty-four of the electric suppliers are in ComEd’s service territory and 18 are in Ameren’s service territory. Sources “ Retailers Supply More Than Half of Illinois Power ,” Reuters, July 8, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/retail-electric-suppliers-now-provide-more-than-half-the-power-used-in-illinois/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/retail-electric-suppliers-now-provide-more-than-half-the-power-used-in-illinois/ Thu, 28 Jul 2011 08:15:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/how-long-will-it-take-to-switch-to-spark-energy/ If you’re an electric or gas customer who’s thinking about switching to Spark Energy, the length of time it takes to complete a switch — or set up new service if you’re moving — depends on which gas or power utility services the area in which you live. For Electric Customers in Texas The majority of Texas is deregulated as far as electricity is concerned and is controlled by ERCOT. For Texas electric customers, switching to Spark Energy, or setting up new electric service, is quick and easy: - A Standard Switch takes from three to seven business days - With a Self Selected Switch, you can determine when the switch happens, anywhere from a minimum of three business days to a maximum of 45 business days - For moves and move-ins, you can choose the time it takes to switch, from a minimum of three business days to a maximum of 45 business days - A Priority Switch/Priority Move-In can happen in as little as 24 to 48 hours - All options besides Standard Switch may incur a fee For Electric and Gas Customers Outside of Texas For electric and gas customers is states other than Texas, the power utility that services your area will handle moves and move-ins, so be sure to contact them for more details. The following power utilities outside of Texas that deliver the electricity and natural gas you purchase from Spark Energy offer slightly different time tables for switching: Power Utility State Type Days to Switch Baltimore Gas and Electric (BG&E) Maryland Electricity & Gas 15–45 Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P) Connecticut Electricity 15–45 Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd) Illinois Electricity 18–45 Consolidated Edison Company of New York (ConEd) New York Electricity & Gas 15–45 CMS Energy (Consumers) Michigan Gas 15–45 Nicor Gas Illinois Gas 15–45 NIMO New York Electricity & Gas 15-45 NIPSCO Indiana Gas 15–45 North Shore Gas Illinois Gas 8–38 PECO Energy Company (PECO) Pennsylvania Electricity 15–45 Peoples Gas Illinois Gas 8–38 Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) California Gas 15–45 PPL Electric Utilities (PPL) Pennsylvania Electricity 15–45 Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) New Jersey Electricity & Gas 15–45 The United Illuminating Company (UI) Connecticut Electricity 15–45 http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/how-long-will-it-take-to-switch-to-spark-energy/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/how-long-will-it-take-to-switch-to-spark-energy/ Wed, 27 Jul 2011 08:14:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/new-effort-helps-customers-save-energy-and-save-money-with-smart-meters/ A new non-profit organization, Grid 21, has launched a national campaign to educate electric customers on how to get the most out of their smart meters. Grid 21’s mission is to encourage consumers to use smart meters and other emerging tools and technologies to better understand and manage their electric use. Grid 21 started its Biggest Energy Saver Campaign June 13, the same day that U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced that the number of smart meters installed nationwide exceeded the five million mark. The campaign aims to educate consumers about controlling energy consumption and energy costs, give them easy ways to access and use data from smart meters and help jumpstart the market for energy management tools. The campaign will feature a customer-savings contest designed to demonstrate how information from smart meters can help people save energy and save money off monthly electric bills . The campaign will also feature a nationwide call for developers to create applications that will allow consumers to more effectively control their home energy use. Developers will be competing for prizes totaling up to $150,000. In Texas, for example, one grand prize winner from each participating utility’s service area will be awarded a new electric vehicle, while first-place winners will be awarded a suite of GE smart appliances that can talk to smart meters and provide feedback on energy consumption. “There have been dozens of pilot programs involving smart meters across the United States, and consistently customers have reduced their energy usage and controlled their costs. Now the time has come to move beyond pilot programs and into full implementation because customers deserve it,” said Steve Hauser, Executive Director of Grid 21. “Customers are the most important component of any business and what electric utility customers are telling us is that they want the ability to better manage their energy consumption and cost,” Hauser said. “The Biggest Energy Saver will introduce tools and capabilities to customers who can then use them for the contest and in their daily lives.” The Biggest Energy Saver contest will run this summer. More information, including contest rules and registration, will be available beginning mid-July on the Biggest Energy Saver website, www.BiggestEnergySaver.com. The website also offers information on how to use smart meters to save energy and save money. Founding partners of Grid 21’s Biggest Energy Saver Campaign include Texas-based utilities Oncor and CenterPoint Energy, California-based utility San Diego Gas & Electric, Itron and Landis+Gyr. IBM is also collaborating with Grid 21 on the campaign. Texas and California are the largest smart meter markets in the country. Of the five million smart meters currently installed nationwide, over three million of them are in Texas. And in May, San Diego Gas & Electric completed a rollout of smart meters to all of its residential customers. By the end of 2012, more than 20 million smart meters are expected to be installed in California and Texas alone. Sources “ Technology Companies and Utilities Launch Campaign to Spur Innovation and Empower Customers ,” CenterPoint Energy press release, June 13, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/new-effort-helps-customers-save-energy-and-save-money-with-smart-meters/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/new-effort-helps-customers-save-energy-and-save-money-with-smart-meters/ Tue, 26 Jul 2011 08:19:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/what-does-the-esi-id-number-on-my-texas-electric-bill-mean/ Texans– When you look at your electric bill, you’ll see something called an ESI-ID. The ESI-ID is a series of digits made up of two parts, which you’ll be asked to provide if you switch electric providers. The first part of your ESI-ID represents the electric company that you buy your power from. In a deregulated electric market like Dallas or Houston, that means a retail electric provider. If you switch electric providers, this portion of the ESI-ID will change to reflect the identity of the new supplier. The second part of your ESI-ID represents the physical location of the meter to which electric service is being provided. In other words, this number represents the street address of your home. Regardless of which company you buy your electricity from, this number will remain the same because it only identifies the location of the meter itself. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/what-does-the-esi-id-number-on-my-texas-electric-bill-mean/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/what-does-the-esi-id-number-on-my-texas-electric-bill-mean/ Mon, 25 Jul 2011 08:17:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/public-utilities-in-illinois-and-pennsylvania-report-record-power-usage/ Commonwealth Edison Co. (ComEd) and PECO Energy Co. (PECO), two of the nation’s largest public utilities, each reported breaking records for consumer power usage this week as heat waves continued to bake their service territories. Illinois-based ComEd, which provides electric service to Chicago and surrounding areas, announced that consumer demand for electricity had reached an all-time high late Wednesday of 23,753 megawatts, which broke its previous record of 23,618 megawatts on Aug. 1, 2006. A day later, Pennsylvania-based PECO, which provides electric service to Philadelphia and surrounding areas, announced that consumer demand had reached an all-time high late Thursday of 8,943 megawatts, which broke its previous record of 8,932, also set in Aug. 2006. ComEd and PECO attributed the increased operation of air conditioners for the record high consumer power use figures. Neither electric utility reported any service interruptions due to the record demand. Sources “ ComEd Sets New Peak in Demand ,” Commonwealth Edison Co. press release, July 21, 2011. “ PECO Breaks Power Usage Record Amid High Heat ,” WPVI-TV, July 22, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/public-utilities-in-illinois-and-pennsylvania-report-record-power-usage/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/public-utilities-in-illinois-and-pennsylvania-report-record-power-usage/ Fri, 22 Jul 2011 08:20:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/energy-efficient-home-to-save-85-percent-off-utility-bills/ A Tennessee resident has almost single-handedly built an extremely energy-efficient home that will do more than just save energy. Eric Enos estimates that his home will cut monthly utility bills by about 85 percent when compared to the residential energy costs of a similarly sized home. Enos built his home on a knoll on the north side of Black Oak Ridge overlooking Oliver Springs, Tennessee and covered three sides of it with mounds of dirt. Enos estimates that other homes about the same size would have monthly power bills of $400 or more, but that his “worst case scenario” power bill would be about $60. And that’s with 16-foot-tall ceilings in the kitchen and living room. Enos, who has been building his home almost entirely by himself after work and on weekends while he and his family reside in nearby Solway, says that his home’s energy efficiency is “all-inclusive” and that the structure is almost completely maintenance free. The home is constructed with foot-thick walls of insulated steel-reinforced concrete, which builds up a thermal mass. As Enos explains, insulated concrete helps inside temperatures stay more consistent while blocking temperature fluctuations from outside, dramatically decreasing the amount of work needed from furnaces and air conditioners. Since steel and concrete are the two most stable building materials, Enos says the combination of materials and the earth-sheltered nature of his construction provide the home with exceptional insulation while making it earthquake-resistant and nearly tornado-proof. Because there’s no wood, expansion and contraction issues that affect wood homes aren’t an issue and termites and fires can essentially be ruled out as concerns, according to Enos. Reliance on Power Companies Cut with Geothermal Heating and Cooling Perhaps the most interesting feature of Enos’ home is his use of geothermal heating and cooling to cut his reliance on power companies. Buried inside one of the mounds, between five and 14 feet deep, are 1,700 feet of geothermal lines, which enter the home and run throughout the concrete floors. The earth keeps the water in those lines a cool 58 degrees, the average annual temperature in Oliver Springs. In the summer, a geothermal pump in the attic circulates the cool water through the lines in the home’s concrete floors, keeping the home cool. In the winter, water in the lines under the floors is circulated through a tankless water heater in the garage, which heats the water and sends it back under the floors to heat the concrete, keeping the home warm. The home’s construction also includes a metal roof with a six-inch layer of insulating foam designed to prevent leakage and to deflect much of the sun’s heat away from the attic and living space below. Enos even uses special low-energy LEDs (light-emitting diodes) for interior lighting that are supposed to last 35,000 hours. Enos says the 2,400-square-foot home with 1,200-square-foot, three-car garage cost him about twice as much per square foot as a normal new home. Although some people may say that’s overkill for an energy-efficient home, Enos says it’s just a case of “being a perfectionist.” However, Enos does caution that designing a home like his is really only for people who plan on living in it long enough to recoup the added cost. "Building a house this way is not an intelligent move if a person is looking to move within the next five to 10 years," he said. Sources “ Homeowner Puts in a Year of Work on Model of Frugality, Efficiency ,” Knoxville News Sentinel , July 5, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/energy-efficient-home-to-save-85-percent-off-utility-bills/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/energy-efficient-home-to-save-85-percent-off-utility-bills/ Fri, 22 Jul 2011 08:14:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/popular-peco-discounted-residential-electric-rates-set-to-expire/ PECO Energy Co. (PECO) has begun notifying residential electric customers that two of the power utility’s most popular discounted heating rates are set to expire. The Philadelphia-based electric utility is phasing out its discounted heating rate, referred to as RH, and its off-peak heating rate. The RH provides a discount of about 45 percent to customers who consume more than 600 kilowatt-hours per month during the winter, which PECO said helps its RH customers lower electric bills by an average of about 5 percent a year. The off-peak rate provides a discount of about 70 percent, but only for power consumed by a water heater connected to a separate meter that prevents electricity use during peak hours. The discounts on these rates will be cut in half on Jan. 1, 2012 and will be eliminated totally by the end of 2012. About 141,000 of PECO’s residential electric customers get the RH discount while about 65,000 get the off-peak rate. About 9,000 residential electric customers get both discounted rates. PECO said it was ending the discounted rates as required by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC). The discounted rates were put into place decades ago to encourage Pennsylvanians to switch to electric heating. But then electric deregulation allowed competing alternative electric suppliers to enter the market and sell electricity to electric customers in PECO’s service territory. In order to compete with alternative electric suppliers and ease the transition to deregulation, the PUC allowed PECO to offer the discounts, which were subsidized by other PECO customers. The result was that the electric suppliers were essentially unable to compete for PECO’s discounted RH and off-peak customers because the electric utility’s default rate for those customers was allowed to be below market rates. Now, however, the PUC has mandated that PECO end the RH and off-peak rates. PECO began sending notifications about the end of the RH and off-peak discount rates to residential electric customers in June. The electric utility said it’s planning on notifying affected residential electric customers by sending about 11,000 letters each week over a four month period. PECO said it expects alternative electric suppliers to make competitive offers to its customers next year as the rates expire. Of PECO’s 1.6 million customers, about 300,000 have switched to alternative electric suppliers since Jan. 1. Sources “ PECO to End Discount Rates, Braces For Complaints ,” The Philadelphia Inquirer , July 6, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/popular-peco-discounted-residential-electric-rates-set-to-expire/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/popular-peco-discounted-residential-electric-rates-set-to-expire/ Thu, 21 Jul 2011 08:19:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/game-changing-solar-tech-breakthrough-gets-150-million-investment-from-the-department-of-energy/ Secretary of Energy Stephen Chu announced in June that a Massachusetts company has developed a “game changing” silicon solar wafer that could speed the adoption of solar technology by cutting the cost of solar cell manufacturing in half. Traditional silicon wafers are sliced from large blocks, a process that results in up to a 50 percent loss in material and, as a result, isn’t very cost-effective. However, Lexington-based 1366 Technologies has developed a much more efficient process called Direct Wafer that casts new wafers individually to specific measurements. Direct Wafer condenses four manufacturing steps into one, low-cost step. From a pool of molten silicon, a thin sheet of silicon is formed inside a furnace then removed and laser-trimmed to size. While conventional silicon wafer processing takes up to three days, the entire Direct Wafer process is completed in a fraction of the time. The revolutionary one-step process uses 90 percent less energy and results in a silicon wafer that can be used by any standard multicrystalline cell manufacturer. Direct Wafer was developed with support from a pilot program under the U.S. Department of Energy known as the Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E). The program invests in innovation and “is looking for high risk ideas that, if successful, can be high impact,” said program director Arun Majumdar. The ARPA-E program made an initial $4 million dollar investment in 1366 Technologies in 2009. The company also received a $3 million grant from the Energy Department’s Solar Energy Technology Program. On June 17, Chu announced that ARPA-E had offered the company a conditional commitment for an additional $150 million loan guarantee. Chu said the funds will go toward the creation of a Direct Wafer project that will be capable of producing about 700 to 1,000 megawatts of silicon-based wafers annually. New Process Could Help Solar Compete with Fossil Fuels — If Adoption is Encouraged If the projected cost savings of Direct Wafer are accurate, the process could make solar power affordable enough to compete with oil, coal and nuclear power. However, long-standing barriers to widespread adoption of solar are still a concern for some industry insiders. Brian Keane, president of Smart Power, a green energy marketing group, said that price and value were still two main areas of concern. Keane said that the primary value of solar is that it’s good for the environment, but that “quite frankly, no American actually thinks that's good value.” According to Keane, U.S. consumers need to be convinced of solar’s viability. “The perception is that solar is an idea from the 1970s that just didn’t work,” Keane said. “They think it’s not strong enough to power their lives, compared with oil, coal and nuclear power.” However, Keane added, cutting the price of manufacturing in half with the Direct Wafer process could go a long way toward helping marketers increase solar’s value proposition. Other industry insiders point to general concerns in the marketplace as barriers to widespread adoption of new innovations like Direct Wafer. Lew Milford, president of the Clean Energy Group, a non-profit energy and climate advocacy group, said that many new and innovative technologies ultimately fail because they never reach the point of commercialization, where products are introduced, marketed and sold to consumers. Milford described the point between a technology’s initial round of funding and commercialization as the “valley of death” for innovative technology companies. Milford suggested that effective commercialization for an ARPA-E technology investment such as Direct Wafer would have to come from state governments, whose policies supporting clean energy in order to create jobs and strengthen economies would build incentives for adoption. Majumder, who said that ARPA-E already has a close relationship with the states, said that his primary concern with the adoption of solar had to do instead with the decline in U.S. manufacturing. According to Majumder, the United States produced 40 percent of global photovoltaic cell manufacturing in the 1990s, a number that has dwindled to just 5 percent today. Majumber said that the United States could get the manufacturing and technology lead back, but that regaining the lead would be based on U.S. innovations such as Direct Wafer. Sources “ DOE Offers $150 Million Conditional Commitment for a Loan Guarantee to Support Breakthrough Solar Manufacturing Process ,” U.S. Department of Energy press release, June 17, 2011. “ Department of Energy Makes $150M Bet on Solar Tech ,” The Huffington Post, June 17, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/game-changing-solar-tech-breakthrough-gets-150-million-investment-from-the-department-of-energy/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/game-changing-solar-tech-breakthrough-gets-150-million-investment-from-the-department-of-energy/ Wed, 20 Jul 2011 08:13:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/doe-program-to-help-businesses-save-energy-save-money-and-create-jobs/ Secretary of Energy Steven Chu recently announced the first 14 partners to commit to the Better Business Challenge, part of the Better Buildings Initiative launched by the Obama Administration in February. The Initiative encourages private investment in energy efficiency upgrades to commercial buildings intended to make them 20 percent more efficient over the next decade. The Better Business Challenge seeks to increase the global competitiveness of American businesses by helping them improve energy efficiency on a large scale, reduce energy waste, save money and reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil, Chu said in a statement. The Challenge also aims to help the Obama Administration’s goal of helping U.S. businesses save $40 billion a year in energy costs. The energy savings are presumed to help companies grow, invest in new technologies and create jobs. The initial 14 partners of the Better Buildings Challenge include retail giant Best Buy, which has 55 million square feet of retail space, and commercial real estate titan Transwestern, with 78 million square feet across 442 office buildings. Financing for energy efficiency upgrades will also be provided by some of the initial 14 partners, including at least $250 million over the next 18 months from Citi and at least $100 million over the next 18 months from Green Campus Partners LLC. In all, the initial 14 partners of the Better Business Challenge will commit more than $500 million in financing to improve the energy efficiency of more than 300 million square feet of commercial space. Sources “ Obama Administration Announces 14 Initial Partners in the Better Buildings Challenge ,” U.S. Department of Energy press release, June 30, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/doe-program-to-help-businesses-save-energy-save-money-and-create-jobs/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/doe-program-to-help-businesses-save-energy-save-money-and-create-jobs/ Tue, 19 Jul 2011 08:10:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/leaf-battles-volt-for-top-selling-electric-car/ The Nissan Leaf has taken the lead from the Chevy Volt in U.S. electric car sales, despite a slow start to production and difficulties in acquiring cars for American consumers due to the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan in March. In a battle of the greenest, most fuel-efficient cars on the market, the diminutive all-electric Leaf has had 3,708 cars delivered so far this year, compared to the almost-all-electric Volt’s 2,745. Nissan and Chevy said that they each expect to sell 12,000 by the end of 2011. Although there’s growing demand for the gas-sipping cars, the base sticker price of the vehicles before government incentives — $33,000 for the Leaf and $41,000 for the Volt— keeps them beyond the reach of what many U.S. consumers can afford. Although the resulting sales figures are small, George Peterson, an analyst with the California-based consulting firm AutoPacific, said that may be the way Nissan and Chevy want it for now. “From a sales standpoint, Nissan and Chevrolet have been very cautious, wanting to make sure these vehicles are as bulletproof as possible, taking time to thoroughly inspect and check everything,” Peterson said. Peterson said that he expects sales of electric vehicles like the Leaf and Volt to increase to about 3 percent of total car sales and that the cars will remain a niche purchase. “We’re not going to see hundreds of thousands of these on the road,” Peterson said. Sources “ Nissan Leaf Steals Sales Lead On Chevy Volt ,” AutoGuide.com, July 5, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/leaf-battles-volt-for-top-selling-electric-car/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/leaf-battles-volt-for-top-selling-electric-car/ Mon, 18 Jul 2011 08:04:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/choosing-your-electricity-plan-fixed-rate-or-variable-rate/ If you live in an electric market that’s been set free by deregulation, you’ll be able to shop around for residential electricity from a retail electric supplier . When you do, you’ll probably be confronted with two main types of plans: fixed rate plans and variable rate plans. Sometimes the information about which type of plan is best can be a little confusing, but thankfully the differences between both types of plans can be easily explained. Fixed Rate Residential Electricity Plans Fixed rate plans lock you into one rate for the length of your contract and will charge you the same amount per kilowatt hour of electricity each month until your contract expires, whether the price of electricity rises or falls. If you’re like a lot of people and think electric rates are only going to go up, then being able to sign a contract and lock in your rate for up to two years, depending on what your electric supplier offers, might be a smart move. After all, if electric prices go up, you’ll be protected from any rate increases until your contract expires. The Mixed Benefits of Fixed Rate Plans : You won’t have to pay for increases if electricity prices go up. If electric rates go down, however, you’ll be stuck paying your contract’s higher rate. Variable Rate Residential Electricity Plans Variable rate plans allow your electric rate to change from month to month, based on fluctuations in the market. Because the electricity market is pretty volatile, signing up for a variable rate means you’re probably destined to pay a different amount per kilowatt hour every month. If you think electricity prices might fall, or at least fluctuate enough on the low side to come out cheaper on average than a comparable fixed rate plan, then a variable rate plan might be best for you. With a variable rate plan, you could end up being surprised — either in a good way or a bad way — when you get your monthly bill. The Mixed Benefits of Variable Rate Plans : If electric rates go down, so does the amount you pay for electricity. If electric rates go up, however, you’ll have to pay more. Sources : Electricity Texas website, “ Benefits of Fixed Rate Electricity Plans .” Switch Energy Pennsylvania website, “ Fixed Rate vs. Variable Rate Made Easy .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/choosing-your-electricity-plan-fixed-rate-or-variable-rate/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/choosing-your-electricity-plan-fixed-rate-or-variable-rate/ Fri, 15 Jul 2011 08:12:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/saving-energy-and-saving-money-with-peco-online-calculators/ If you live in Pennsylvania, PECO Energy Co., the state’s largest utility, offers a slew of online tools and calculators that can help you determine how much energy you’re using and how much money you’re spending to heat and cool your home. PECO’s Smart Ideas website offers tools for calculating ways to save money on your monthly utility bills for nine critical areas: - A heating comparison between heat pump, natural gas, fuel oil and propane systems - A gas heat conversion tool that calculates savings when customers convert from oil, propane or electric resistance heat to natural gas - A heater efficiency calculator for comparing the costs of natural gas heating systems of various efficiencies - A water heater calculator that examines the costs of natural gas water heating systems of various efficiencies - A heating/cooling estimator that can show you how much you’ll spend each month of the year on heating and cooling costs based on things like the size of your home, the efficiency of your system and average thermostat settings - An appliance calculator that determines the annual electricity use and electricity costs of running all sorts of home appliances and electronics, from televisions to refrigerators to ceiling fans and everything in between - A television tool that calculates the costs of running specific types of televisions, including tube, DLP, LCD and plasma models - A lighting calculator that tells you how much money you can save each month by replacing all your home’s incandescent light blubs with compact fluorescent light blubs (CFLs) - A thermostat settings tool that uses all sorts of variable information to calculate how much money you can save every year on heating and cooling costs by switching from your old manual thermostat to a programmable thermostat The website also offers a section on programs and rebates for qualifying energy efficiency upgrades to help you figure out how to maximize your energy efficiency dollars. Sources PECO Smart Ideas website, “ Tools & Calculators .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/saving-energy-and-saving-money-with-peco-online-calculators/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/saving-energy-and-saving-money-with-peco-online-calculators/ Thu, 14 Jul 2011 08:11:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/cable-boxes-and-dvrs-might-be-the-biggest-energy-hogs-in-your-home/ Those innocent-looking boxes that bring cable and satellite signals into U.S. homes and help Americans record their favorite programs are missing the boat when it comes to energy efficiency. In fact, set-top boxes are so inefficient that typical boxes have become the single largest energy drain in many U.S. homes, consuming more electricity per year than some refrigerators and central air conditioning systems, according to a study released in June. The study, “Better Viewing, Lower Energy Bills, and Less Pollution: Improving the Efficiency of Television Set-Top Boxes,” by the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), reported some staggering figures: - A single high-definition DVR and a single high-definition cable box together consume an average of 446 kilowatt-hours of electricity a year, about 10 percent more than a 21-cubic-foot energy-efficient refrigerator. By comparison, a 42-inch LCD TV with an ENERGY STAR 4.1 certification uses around 180.5 kilowatt-hours a year and a typical compact fluorescent light bulb uses 17 kilowatt-hours a year. - There are about 160 million set-top boxes in U.S. homes. - In 2010, set-top boxes in the U.S. consumed about 27 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, which is roughly equivalent to the output of nine average coal-fired power plants. - The electricity required to operate U.S. set-top boxes each year is equal to the entire annual residential electricity consumption of the state of Maryland, produces 16 million tons of carbon dioxide and costs households $3 billion a year. - Fully 66 percent of the electricity used to power set-top boxes, about $1 billion a year, is wasted, used to power the devices when nobody is watching television and no programs are being recorded. Instant Gratification, Not Saving Energy, Key to Television Service in the Unites States The reason behind the devices’ enormous energy consumption is that hard drives, tuners, clocks and other components, such as infrared receivers that wait to pick up transmissions from remote controls, are essentially on all the time and running at full power. The report found that the perpetually “powered on” state of set-top boxes is largely due to the way that electronics companies manufacture the devices to make them meet the ways that cable and satellite companies and Internet providers in the United States choose to offer their services, including things like downloading program guides at night so that there’s no performance lag during the day. For example, in some European countries, set-top boxes are designed to be energy efficient. They can go into standby mode when not in use, which cuts power consumption by about half, and can go into an optional “deep sleep” mode that cuts power consumption by 95 percent. However, because of the energy-efficiency technology, bringing these set-top boxes up to full power so that they can be used to watch television or record shows can take one or to two minutes, depending on the technology and the service provider. It’s that time lag, and not any sort of technical problem with making U.S. set-top boxes energy efficient, that is the problem, according to U.S. manufacturers and service providers. Americans simply don’t want to wait for their television or DVR to power up, the companies say. Although U.S. consumers are used to boot times for computers, they’re used to being able to turn on a television instantly and start using it right away. Most Americans don’t know, or don’t care, how wasteful their set-top boxes are. Saving Energy and Saving Money are the Goals of Pending Energy-Efficiency Certifications Regardless, energy efficiency is coming to set-top boxes just the same, and critics say manufacturers and service providers will finally be forced to do what they could have — and should have — been doing all along, which is providing responsive, energy-efficient set-top boxes with services that are more efficiently delivered. The Environmental Protection Agency has established new ENERGY STAR standards for set-top box certification that go into effect September 1, when certified set-top boxes will drop from an average of 138 kilowatt-hours a year to 97. By the middle 0f 2013, the agency’s certification will get even tougher, requiring set-top boxes to drop their annual energy consumption to 29 kilowatt-hours. Cable companies can become ENERGY STAR partners if they install certified set-top boxes in between 25 percent and 50 percent of the homes they serve. The biggest hurdle will be getting consumers to accept boot-up times and companies to change the way they manufacture and provide service to set-top boxes. Energy efficiency experts say technical fixes could minimize waiting times and inconvenience at little or no cost, but service providers, who haven’t come out against energy-efficient devices, don’t sound especially supportive of the move. “The issue of having more efficient equipment is of interest to us,” Justin Venech, a spokesman for Time Warner Cable, told The New York Times. But, he added, “when we purchase the equipment, functionality and cost are the primary considerations.” Sources “ Atop TV Sets, a Power Drain That Runs Nonstop ,” The New York Times , June 25, 2011. National Resources Defense Council report, “ Better Viewing, Lower Energy Bills, and Less Pollution: Improving the Efficiency of Television Set-Top Boxes ,” June, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/cable-boxes-and-dvrs-might-be-the-biggest-energy-hogs-in-your-home/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/cable-boxes-and-dvrs-might-be-the-biggest-energy-hogs-in-your-home/ Wed, 13 Jul 2011 08:12:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/saving-electricity-and-the-environment-peco-refrigerator-recycling-program/ When Pennsylvanians get new, energy-efficient refrigerators for their homes, old refrigerators often get relegated to a support role in garages or basements. After all, the old models still work, and they can be used to chill drinks and snacks for a basement game room or for bulk-purchased foods that homeowners hadn’t bought before because they lacked the space. Some consumers like to use things — cars, televisions, home appliances — as long as they can because they take pride in making things last, and, besides, they reason, smart consumers get value for their purchases and don’t buy something if they don’t need it. There are a lot of old refrigerators out there as a result of this philosophy, and many of them are 20, 30, or even 40 years old. In fact, there are more than 27 million pre-1993 refrigerators still in use, and about 26 percent of all U.S. homes have a second refrigerator, according to 2009 study by the U.S. Department of Energy. Unfortunately, old refrigerators that keep on working are a big problem for consumers, as well as for utilities, which are trying to avoid having build new power plants to handle the growing demand for electricity. Old refrigerators are terribly inefficient, and can use up to four times the amount of energy as a modern, energy-efficient model for the same amount of cooling. Hanging on to that old refrigerator costs consumers a lot of money — between $150 and $200 a month — and pulls a lot of electricity from power grids like the one owned by Pennsylvania utility PECO Energy Co. PECO Helping Customers Save Energy Thankfully, PECO’s new Smart Appliance Recycling program helps customers start saving energy and saving money on monthly bills by giving them $35 for their old refrigerators. The utility will even send a truck to pick it up and have it shipped to a “demanufacturing” facility in Hatfield that sucks out the harmful refrigerant for responsible disposal and prepares the 150 pounds of metal, 25 pounds of plastic, and 3 pounds of glass in an average refrigerator for recycling. In its first year of operation, the facility has recycled 50,000 refrigerators with an average age of 22 years. Demanufacturing those refrigerators saved 85,000 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 7,000 homes for a year, according to Jaco Environmental, the company that runs the Hatfield facility. So far, PECO’s Smart Appliance Recycling program has helped customers of the utility recycle 15,662 old refrigerators at the facility, which saved 27,000 megawatt-hours of electricity, the equivalent of planting 30,000 trees or taking 30 million miles of automobile driving off the books, according to PECO spokeswoman Cathy Engel. PECO’s Smart Appliance Recycling program will also pay customers $35 to recycle freezers and $10 to recycle room air conditioners. PECO Smart Appliance Recycling Program Requirements There are several requirement that need to be met in order to qualify for PECO’s Smart Appliance Recycling Program: - Homeowners must be PECO customers - Refrigerator and freezer size must be between 10 and 30 cubic feet - Units must be empty and working when they are picked up - In order to be picked up, units must be accessible by the removal team by a clear and safe path - Removal teams won’t risk injury, modify homes (remove doors and railings), or remove personal effects to remove units Sources “ GreenSpace: Cold War on the Inefficient Old Fridge ,” The Philadelphia Enquirer , March 21, 2011. PECO Smart Ideas website, “ PECO Smart Appliance Recycling .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/saving-electricity-and-the-environment-peco-refrigerator-recycling-program/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/saving-electricity-and-the-environment-peco-refrigerator-recycling-program/ Tue, 12 Jul 2011 08:16:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/6-tips-for-saving-energy-and-saving-money-starting-today/ Here’s a fact: When you save energy, you save money. Here’s another fact: You don’t have to wait to start saving money off your monthly utility bills — you can start saving today by making some simple changes to the way you use energy in your home. Here are six tips to help you start saving energy and money right away. 1. Install a Programmable Thermostat Programmable digital thermostats are more accurate and efficient when it comes to keeping your house comfortably cool in the summer and comfortably warm in the winter. Keep your thermostat at 78 degrees in the summer and 68 degrees in the winter when you’re home, then program it to raise the temperature to 88 degrees in the summer and lower it to 58 degrees in the winter when you’re away at work or out of the house for a while. This is called “setback.” According to the U.S. Department of Energy, you’ll save about 1 percent off your monthly utility bill for each degree of setback as long as the total setback period is least 8 hours a day. 2. Turn Off Your Computer and Monitor– Don’t Just Put Them to Sleep Setting your desktop computer and monitor or laptop computer to sleep may be a convenience when it comes to how quickly you can resume work or play, but sleep mode uses a lot more electricity than you think. Sleep mode still consumes about 10 to 30 percent of the electricity a computer or monitor uses in full operation. And since computers and electronics account for almost 10 percent of the average home’s electric bill, there’s room for some real savings by simply shutting your computer down. 3. Use Power Strips for Everything All your home electronics and gadgets continue to draw electricity when they’re “off” because they need juice for features like clocks, powering sensors that await commands from remote controls or carrying out scheduled tasks like recording your favorite shows. In fact, modern technology rarely ever turns off. To make sure that your technology does , attach it to power strips and then turn off the strips when you’re not using any of the electronics plugged into them. While it’s not necessarily a good solution for DVRs if you like to record shows, it’ll work wonders for things like computers and home theater systems. 4. Air Dry Dishes and Clothes To save energy when you wash your dishes, turn off the heat dry feature and let your dishwasher air dry your dishes. To save energy when washing clothes , opt to dry them on a clothesline rather than in the clothes drier. Your clothes will last a lot longer and you’ll save money if you don’t pay to dry them with a machine. 5. Wash Only Full Loads Washing dishes and clothes when the machine is only partially full wastes a lot of energy and water. If you have them, use energy efficiency settings on your dishwasher and clothes washer to help more closely match your energy and water use with your workload. In clothes washing machines, for example, wash only full loads using cold water. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, fully 85 to 90 percent of energy use in clothes washers goes towards heating water and washing only full loads will save the average homeowner 3,400 gallons of water a year. 6. Lower the Thermostat on Your Hot Water Heater Some water heater manufacturers set their thermostats at 140 degrees. Not only is that inefficient, but water that hot can scald you. Instead, set your water heater to 120 degrees — each 10 degree reduction in water temperature can save you from 3 to 5 percent off your energy costs, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Sources U.S. Department of Energy booklet, “ Energy Savers Booklet: Tips on Saving Energy & Money at Home .” Energy Savers website, “ Thermostats and Control Systems .” Energy Savers website, “ Lower Water Heating Temperature for Energy Savings .” Energy Savers website, “ When to Turn Off Personal Computers .” ENERGY STAR website, “ Top 10 Tips for Renters! ” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/6-tips-for-saving-energy-and-saving-money-starting-today/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/6-tips-for-saving-energy-and-saving-money-starting-today/ Mon, 11 Jul 2011 08:15:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/saving-energy-with-over-5-million-smart-meters/ More than five million smart meters have been installed nationwide as part of a federal effort to modernize the country’s aging electric grid, according to an announcement by U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu. At a White House Grid Modernization event June 13, Chu said that the smart meter initiative will provide electric companies and consumers with more information about how electricity is used. The devices will give the utilities greater details about electric use in their service areas and will provide electric customers real-time data about their electricity consumption that will allow them to make informed decisions about how and when they use electricity in order to save energy and save money off electric bills . As a result, a modern electric grid equipped with smart meters will “give consumers choices and promote energy savings, increase energy efficiency, and foster the growth of renewable energy resources,” Chu said. Of the more than five million smart meters that have been installed by electric companies, nearly 90 percent of them have been installed in Florida, Texas, California, Idaho, Arizona, Oklahoma, Michigan and Nevada. Along with the smart meter milestone, the Department of Energy announced plans to create a nationwide data map of electric use built from information contributed by electric customers. The map is expected to help electric customers further understand their electricity use and make energy- and money-saving decisions. Sources “ Energy Secretary Chu Announces Five Million Smart Meters Installed Nationwide as Part of Grid Modernization Effort ,” U.S. Department of Energy press release, June 13, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/saving-energy-with-over-5-million-smart-meters/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/saving-energy-with-over-5-million-smart-meters/ Fri, 08 Jul 2011 08:15:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/the-history-of-electricity-deregulation-in-illinois/ Larry D. Habb, president and chief executive officer of Illinois Power Co., the state’s second largest power company, told colleagues in 1995 during an electricity policy meeting that the state should embrace energy deregulation as a way to increase consumer choice and pave the way toward saving energy and saving money. “We've seen all the other highly regulated industries go through deregulation, and competition is coming to this one,” Habb said. What is Electricity Deregulation? Electricity deregulation can sometimes be a little complicated, but usually it’s pretty simple. The basic idea behind deregulation is that competition will provide an incentive for cheaper electricity. In a deregulated market, although residential and commercial customers can continue to buy electricity from their utilities, customers are allowed to buy electricity from competing retail electric providers, called alternative retail electric suppliers (ARES). In a deregulated market, the utility remains responsible for transmitting electricity and distributing it to homes and businesses, regardless of which electric provider supplies it. 1997: Electricity Deregulation Begins in Illinois Two years after Habb’s speech, state lawmakers passed the Illinois Electric Service Customer Choice and Rate Relief Law of 1997, which deregulated the state’s two biggest electricity monopolies — Ameren Illinois Utilities (AIU), formerly Illinois Power Co., and Commonwealth Edison Co. (ComEd) — and gave large commercial customers the ability to purchase electricity from an ARES that had been approved to do business in the state. Residential and small business customers weren’t allowed to purchase their electricity from an ARES and were forced to remain with their utility. However, in order to protect residential and small business customers, the Illinois Commerce Commission, which oversees the state’s public utilities, reduced the price of electricity by 20 percent and froze the rate for 10 years. 1997–2007: Mandatory Transition Period In the decade between 1997 and 2007, called the Mandatory Transition Period, the power to choose an electric provider was reserved mostly for large commercial and industrial customers, which were granted that option during a 12-month phase-in period from Oct. 1999 to Oct. 2000. Under the Customer Choice Act, state utilities were no longer permitted to own the means to produce electricity. During the Mandatory Transition Period, utilities were required to sell their electricity generation assets to other affiliated and unaffiliated energy companies and became companies that only delivered electricity. Illinois’ residential customers finally gained the power to choose their electric provider on May 1, 2002, when the state’s electric market was opened to roughly 4.4 million customers. However, the rate caps on electricity prices, which were going to remain in effect for another five years, effectively discouraged any ARES from serving residential customers. However, competition among ARES for commercial customers thrived. In October 2005, approximately 22,000 commercial customers were buying their electricity from an ARES. 2006: The Retail Electric Competition Act In 2006, the General Assembly helped the state’s many ARES to begin serving residential and small business customers by passing the Retail Electric Competition Act. The act established the Office of Retail Market Development, removed certain barriers to competition and encouraged residential and small business customers to switch to an alternative electric provider by promoting temporary, fixed-discount programs. 2007: Electricity Prices Surge as Rate Caps Expire Immediately after the caps on the utility’s electricity rates expired Jan. 1, 2007, electricity rates in Illinois soared. Most residential customers saw rate hikes of roughly 50 percent. Although residential customers saved an estimated $5.2 billion between 1998 and 2006 because of the rate caps, they were insulated from wholesale price increases during that time. The resulting shock that came from the inevitable price increases that followed the expiration of the rate caps led to significant criticism and amendments to the Customer Choice Act. In the summer of 2007, the state’s General Assembly passed the Illinois Power Agency Act, which created the Illinois Power Agency and provided over $1 billion in new electricity rate relief over four years to residential and certain commercial customers. 2008: First Residential Customers Switch to an Alternative Electric Provider During 2008, thanks to a pilot program by one ARES in ComEd’s service territory, the first residential customers — only a handful — left their utilities and switched to an ARES. The number of small business, commercial and large industrial customers that had switched since the start of deregulation had more than doubled to 55,000. 2009: Residential Electric Provider Competition Slowly Builds By November 2009, although only 234 residential customers had switched to an ARES, the number of small business, commercial and large industrial customers that had switched climbed to approximately 71,000. By the end of 2009, just eight ARES had obtained Illinois Commerce Commission certification to serve residential customers. 2011: Increased Competition Hits its Stride Four years after the utility’s rate caps expired, and 14 years after the AUI and ComEd markets were deregulated, some 52 companies are now listed as ARES on the Illinois Commerce Commission website. Of those, 13 have obtained Illinois Commerce Commission certification and registration to serve residential customers in ComEd’s territories, and 30 are certified and registered to serve ComEd’s commercial customers..In Ameren’s service area, eight ARES have obtained certification and registration to serve residential customers and 16 have been certified and registered to serve commercial customers. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/the-history-of-electricity-deregulation-in-illinois/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/the-history-of-electricity-deregulation-in-illinois/ Thu, 07 Jul 2011 08:12:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/3-tips-for-saving-money-when-you-wash-clothes/ Washing clothes takes up a big chunk of energy and water used by the average home each month. But it doesn’t have to take up as big a chunk as you may think. Here are three tips for saving energy, water and money when you do your laundry. 1. Wash Only Full Loads of Laundry Clothes washing machines consume about 21.7 percent of water usage in an average home, which amounts to about 13,000 gallons of water a year. However, a home that washes only full loads saves an average of 3,400 gallons of water a year, or more than 25 percent. To save money on your monthly water bill, make sure to wash only full loads of clothes. Just follow these simple steps: - Check your owner’s manual for the capacity of your washing machine. Most range from 6 to 18 pounds. - Weigh yourself, then weigh yourself with a load of laundry and take the difference in order to measure the weight of the laundry and see if it’s a full load. - If you have a full load, choose the highest water level on your machine. 2. Wash Using Cold Water Only 10 to 15 percent of the energy used to wash clothes is consumed by a washing machine’s motor. The other 85 to 90 percent is spent heating water. Unless your clothes are really soiled, wash with cold water to start saving money on your monthly electric bills . 3. Consider Upgrading to Machines with Auto Water-Level Controls If you have an ENERGY STAR–rated washing machine with auto water-level controls, you don’t necessarily need to wash with full loads all the time to save energy and water. Such energy-efficient machines will do a good job of taking the guesswork out of laundry. Sources GreenYour website, “ Wash a Full Load of Laundry .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/3-tips-for-saving-money-when-you-wash-clothes/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/3-tips-for-saving-money-when-you-wash-clothes/ Wed, 06 Jul 2011 08:18:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/how-to-choose-energy-efficient-windows,-doors-and-skylights/ Windows, doors and skylights are the parts of your home that allow you to interact with the outside world. As such, it’s important that they function well, let in the desired amount of light and look good. But because windows, doors and skylights are particularly vulnerable points for heat gain and loss, it’s also important to understand the various factors that contribute to their energy performance, how they’re rated and how to judge their energy efficiency before you buy so you can save more off your utility bills . Here are a few tips to help you make the right choice. 3 Ways Windows, Doors and Skylights Gain and Lose Heat Windows, doors and skylights gain and lose heat in three ways: 1. Direct conduction allows heat to pass through the various parts of windows, doors and skylights, including the glass, glazing and frame. Direct conduction also occurs through the surface of doors. 2. Heat, typically from the sun, radiates through windows, doors and skylights into a house. Heat from inside the house, from hot or warm objects such as people, computers and TVs, also radiates out of a house through windows, doors and skylights. 3. Air leakage through and around windows, doors and skylights means cool air escapes during warm months and warm air escapes during cool months. 3 Energy Performance Ratings for Gaining and Losing Heat There are three basic energy performance ratings that explain how well windows, doors and skylights resist gaining and losing heat: 1. U-factor — Determines Non-Solar Heat Flow U-factor is used to describe the rate at which windows, doors and skylights conduct non-solar heat flow, or heat energy that doesn’t come from the sun, like warm air in your home that you’ve heated during the winter. The lower the U-factor, the better, regardless of climate. Some U-factor ratings may only refer to the glass or glazing of windows, skylights and glass doors. However, U-factor ratings from the National Fenestration Rating Council take into consideration the performance of the entire window, including the frame and spacer. 2. Solar Heat Gain Coefficient — Determines Solar Heat Flow The solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) describes the amount of solar radiation that the materials in windows, doors and skylights absorb and then release as heat into a home. Unlike U-factor, a lower SHGC rating isn’t necessarily better, and the right SHGC rating for a home depends on things such as climate, cardinal orientation and shading. A product with a low SHGC rating doesn’t transmit much solar radiation, which means it blocks more heat from entering a home, a feature that benefits homes in warmer climates by keeping cooling costs down. A product with a high SHGC rating transmits more solar radiation, which means more heat from the sun can enter a home, a feature that benefits homes in cooler climates by keeping heating costs down. 3. Air Leakage — Determines the Tightness of Seals Air leakage describes the rate of air infiltration around a window, door or skylight — in other words, how tight the seal is. A product with a lower air leakage rating will do a better job of preventing cool air inside from escaping outside during warm months (as well as warm air from coming inside) and warm air from escaping outside during cool months (as well as cool air from coming inside). A lower air leakage rating is always better. Determining How Much Sunlight You Want to Come Through Windows, Doors and Skylights Finally, you’ll want to find windows, doors and skylights that allow the ideal amount of sunlight through based on the design of your home, your daylighting needs and your personal preference. To do this, consider these two energy performance characteristics: Visible Transmittance Visible transmittance (VT) measures the amount of visible light that’s transmitted through the glazing on a window, door or skylight and is expressed as a number between 0 and 1. A higher VT means more visible light will be let into your home. A lower VT means less visible light will be let into your home. To choose the right VT rating, consider your daylighting requirements and whether you want to control glare in a particular area — for example, if you don’t want to be blinded each day at the same time as the sun travels directly over a skylight with a high VT rating. Light-to-Solar Gain The light-to-solar gain (LSG) rating of a window, door or skylight describes the ratio between SHGC, which determines solar heat gain, and VT, which determines the amount of visible light that’s transmitted. LSG is probably the most broad determination of overall energy efficiency. The higher a product’s LSG rating, the more light can be let into a home without allowing excessive amounts of solar heat gain. Sometimes LSG ratings aren’t included, so make sure to look for products that provide this rating. A Word on Ratings The National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) tests, certifies and labels windows, doors and skylights and, using a label developed in 2005, provides reliable ratings that allow you to compare products based on energy performance. Air leakage is an optional rating for manufacturers and not a requirement to get an NFRC label. Although the NFRC label can be found on all ENERGY STAR–qualified window, door and skylight products, ENERGY STAR only bases its ratings on U-rating and SHGC. Sources Energy Savers website, “ Energy Performance Ratings for Windows, Doors, and Skylights .” National Fenestration Rating Council website, “ Fenestration Facts .” National Fenestration Rating Council website, “ The NFRC Label .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/how-to-choose-energy-efficient-windows,-doors-and-skylights/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/how-to-choose-energy-efficient-windows,-doors-and-skylights/ Tue, 05 Jul 2011 08:23:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/most-fuel-efficient-cars-available-in-the-united-states/ A lot of people who started saving money on their monthly bills by switching from their electric utility to an alternative electric supplier are also probably interested in cutting other energy costs, such as gasoline. For those looking to trade in that old gas-guzzling clunker for a shiny new gas-sipper — but aren’t interested in electric drive vehicles like the Chevy Volt or Nissan Leaf — here’s a list of cars available in the U.S. that, according to a range of critics, lead their segments in fuel efficiency. Two-Seaters: Honda CR-Z (35 City / 39 Hwy / 37 Combined) Honda’s CR-Z sport hybrid is the Mighty Mouse of fuel-efficient cars. An inline 4-cylinder gas engine produces 122 horsepower and 128 foot-pounds of torque. An electric motor adds another 13 horsepower and a not-insignificant 58 foot-pounds of torque. Transmission: AV-S7 Automatic Fuel to drive 25 miles: 0.68 gallons Miles on a tank: 353 Minicompact Cars: MINI Cooper (27 City / 37 Hwy / 32 Combined) When BMW bought the Mini brand and re-launched it in 2001, they unleashed the MINI Cooper, a car that has managed to be both a fun-to-drive racer and a fuel-efficient city commuter. The one downside to its efficiency? Premium gas. Transmission: 6-Speed Manual Fuel to drive 25 miles: 0.78 gallons Miles on a tank: 380 Subcompact Cars: Ford Fiesta SFE (29 City / 40 Hwy / 33 Combined) It's no secret that American automakers have long struggled to field a small car to compete with offerings out of Japan. However, many reviewers believe Ford may have finally succeeded in the Fiesta. As one automotive critic said, "Many months before we drove the first U.S.-spec Fiesta, Ford gave us a week behind the wheel of the European version. Some of us were impressed, others blown away, and everyone shared the same sentiment: 'I hope they don't ruin the U.S. version.' Hallelujah, they didn't." Transmission: AM6 Automatic Fuel to drive 25 miles: 0.76 gallons Miles on a tank: 395 Compact Cars: Lexus CT 200h (43 City / 40 Hwy / 42 Combined) The Lexus CT 200h gets great fuel economy because it shares its powertrain with the Prius. But this hybrid hatchback is a Lexus, through and through. Surprisingly, it’s also the most affordable vehicle Lexus makes. Transmission: CVT Automatic Fuel to drive 25 miles: 0.60 gallons Miles on a tank: 374 Midsize Cars: Toyota Prius Hybrid (51 City / 48 Hwy / 50 Combined) What can be said about the Toyota Prius that hasn’t already been said? Love it or hate it, the Prius gets a combined 50 miles to the gallon — better gas mileage than any other car on this list. With numbers like that, it’s no surprise that in April, cumulative Prius sales in the U.S. hit the two million mark. Transmission: CVT Automatic Fuel to drive 25 miles: 0.50 gallons Miles on a tank: 536 Large Cars: Hyundai Sonata (24 City / 35 Hwy / 28 Combined) Hyundai has made a family sedan that competes favorably with other sedans from Germany, Japan, and the United States. Transmission: 6-Speed Manual Fuel to drive 25 miles: 0.89 gallons Miles on a tank: 466 Small Station Wagons: Audi A3 and Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen (30 City / 42 Hwy / 34 Combined) The Audi A3 and Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen share the same numbers when it comes to fuel efficiency and emissions. There are differences, though. One’s an automatic Audi and the other’s a manual Volkswagen. The key to their economy? Diesel fuel. Transmission: 6-Speed Automatic (Audi A3); 6-Speed Manual (Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen) Fuel to drive 25 miles: 0.74 gallons Miles on a tank: 444 Midsize Station Wagons: Kia Rondo (20 City / 27 Hwy / 22 Combined) Kia stopped making the Rondo in 2009, but it’s still king of the hill when it comes to fuel-efficient midsize station wagons. Transmission: 4-Speed Automatic Fuel to drive 25 miles: 1.14 gallons Miles on a tank: 313 Just for fun, would you like to know what the least fuel-efficient car in the world is? It’s the Bugatti Veyron, a 16-cylinder, 8.0-liter rocket on wheels that will go from zero to a bazillion in the blink of an eye. But then again, so will your gas bill. The Veyron gets a whopping 8 miles to the gallon in the city and a mere 15 on the open road. However, if you can afford the Veyron, which costs over a million dollars, you might be able to stomach the higher gas bill. Sources “ 2011 Lexus CT 200h is a Foxy, Feisty Take on the Prius ,” USA Today , May 9, 2011. “ 2011 Honda CR-Z EX — Road Test ,” Car and Driver , September 2010. Edmunds.com, “ Audi A3 Review .” Edmunds.com, “Hyundai Sonata Review.” Edmunds.com, “ Kia Rondo Review .” FuelEconomy.gov, “ 2011Most and Least Fuel Efficient Vehicles .” Kelley Blue Book, “ 2011 Ford Fiesta Review: You're Not Gonna Believe This .” U.S. News & World Report: Best Cars & Trucks, “ 2011 MINI Cooper .” U.S. News & World Report: Best Cars & Trucks, “ 2011 Toyota Prius .” U.S. News & World Report: Best Cars & Trucks, “ 2011 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/most-fuel-efficient-cars-available-in-the-united-states/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/july/most-fuel-efficient-cars-available-in-the-united-states/ Fri, 01 Jul 2011 08:33:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/daylighting-using-natural-light-to-save-money/ If you’re designing or modifying a home for energy-efficient lighting, it’s important to consider ways to ensure that you get the quality of lighting you’re looking for as well as expected savings off your residential electric bill . There are several design principles and methods for using artificial lighting to achieve effective and efficient indoor and outdoor illumination for your home. But you should also consider incorporating the principle of daylighting, which uses windows and skylights to increase the natural light in your home so you don’t have to rely as much on artificial lighting during the day. Although daylighting faced problems in the past because energy-inefficient windows and skylights contributed to both heat gain and energy loss — and created other issues, such as paints and fabrics that faded from direct sunlight — advances in energy-efficient windows and lighting design have turned daylighting into a viable and affordable natural-lighting solution. The Key Principles Behind Daylighting There are several key principles to designing or modifying a home for effective daylighting: - Base your daylighting decisions on utility, not aesthetics. The sizes and locations of windows should be based on the cardinal directions instead of how they make your house look from the street. - South-facing windows are best for quality daylighting and for moderating seasonal temperatures. South-facing windows allow the most winter sunlight into the home but little direct sunlight during the summer, which limits heat gain during warm months while increasing heat gain during cold months. - North-facing windows are best for admitting relatively even sunlight and producing little glare. They also do the best job of limiting unwanted solar heat gain during hot summer months. - East- and west-facing windows are the least effective choices when it comes to daylighting. While they provide quality light in the morning and evening, they also allow significant solar heat gain during warm months and contribute little to solar heating during cold months. Daylighting Can Save You Big Bucks off Monthly Electric Bills It’s one thing to say that daylighting can save you money by lowering your electric bills, but it’s another thing to be able to prove it. That’s why the Energy Center of Wisconsin conducted an experiment on daylighting at the Energy Resource Station in Ankeny, Iowa. The experiment measured commercial HVAC (heating and cooling) energy use in two different buildings— one that incorporated daylighting principles (the test building) and one that didn’t (the control building). The experiment simulated three different seasons — summer, fall and winter — and found that daylighting produced significant annual savings per square foot in the test building: Lighting Savings: 32 Percent — Annual lighting costs were 15 cents per square foot in the test building, compared with 22 cents per square foot in the control building. Cooling Savings: 25 Percent — Annual cooling costs were 14 cents per square foot in the test building, compared with 19 cents per square foot in the control building. Heating Savings: -1 Percent — The only recorded energy increase in the experiment was with heating costs, but, at -1 percent, was easily overshadowed by decreases in the other categories. Annual heating costs were 6.1 cents per square foot in the test building, compared with 6 cents per square foot in the control building. HVAC Fan Energy Savings: 3 Percent — The annual energy use for HVAC fans was 12.7 cents per square foot in the test building, compared with 13 cents per square foot in the control building. Demand Charges Savings: 24 Percent — Annual demand charges were 41 cents per square foot in the test building, compared with 53 cents per square foot in the control building. Total Savings: 22 Percent — Overall, the annual HVAC use cost $0.89 per square foot in the test building, compared with $1.13 per square foot in the control building. Although many residential electric customers don’t pay demand charges, in which electric companies charge more for electric use during peak demand, the demonstrated lighting and cooling savings achieved through proper daylighting are significant enough that homeowners should consider incorporating daylighting principles in new home construction or as a home improvement project. Sources Energy Savers website, “ Daylighting .” Daylighting Collaborative website, “ Why Daylight ?” Energy Center of Wisconsin report, “ Energy Savings from Daylighting: A Controlled Experiment ,” May, 2005. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/daylighting-using-natural-light-to-save-money/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/daylighting-using-natural-light-to-save-money/ Thu, 30 Jun 2011 08:24:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/ideal-thermostat-settings-for-combining-comfort-with-savings/ Running your air conditioner too much during the summer and your heater too much during the winter can end up costing you a lot of money. But following these simple rules can help ensure that you’re comfortable when you need to be while saving money off your residential electric bills . Save About One Percent off Your Electric Bill for Each Degree of Setback You should allow your home to get warmer during the summer and cooler during the winter when you’re not home. Setting your thermostat back 10–15 degrees for 8 hours a day can save you about 5 percent to 15 percent on your electric bill for the year, or about one percent for each degree of setback. Preferred Summer Thermostat Settings When you’re home, set your thermostat to 78 degrees. When you’re away at work or know you’ll be gone for a while, raise your thermostat temperature to around 88 degrees. Preferred Winter Thermostat Settings When you’re home, set your thermostat to 68 degrees. When you’re away at work or know you’ll be gone for a while, decrease your thermostat temperature to around 58 degrees. Use a Programmable Thermostat Programmable thermostats can help you easily and conveniently manage your home and away temperature settings by setting up a schedule. In the winter, a programmable thermostat can lower the temperature just after you leave and warm it back up right before you return. Likewise, in the summer, it can allow the temperature to increase after you leave and lower it back down to a comfortable level before you arrive home. Sources Energy Savers website, “ Thermostats and Control Systems .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/ideal-thermostat-settings-for-combining-comfort-with-savings/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/ideal-thermostat-settings-for-combining-comfort-with-savings/ Wed, 29 Jun 2011 08:10:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/electricity-safety-for-philadelphians-working-around-the-home-this-summer/ As the days continue to warm this summer, Pennsylvanians are starting yard work and home improvement projects that were shelved during the cold winter months. However, for folks doing things like working in their yards, digging underground, trimming trees or building fences, power lines can be a big problem. After all, contact with a power line can be fatal. If you’re doing some work around the house this spring and summer, we’ve got some tips to help keep you safe. Make Sure You Call PECO Before You Dig If you live in the Greater Philadelphia Region or certain other areas in Pennsylvania, PECO Energy Co. distributes electricity to your home, regardless of whether you buy your electricity from them or from an alternative electric supplier . That means, as your residential electric utility, PECO maintains all the power lines, poles, transformers and other equipment that delivers your electricity. If you’re going to be doing things like working underground, planting a tree or laying a foundation, you should call PECO before you dig so that they can come out and mark all power lines, gas lines and telephone lines for your safety. Call Pennsylvania One Call at 811 at least three days in advance of the work you’re planning to do. Tips for Working Safely Outdoors Near Exposed Power Lines Digging around buried power lines isn’t the only danger you need to be wary of. Here are some tips for safely working around exposed lines, such as aerial power lines: - Even if you’re a do-it-yourselfer, you should consider contracting a licensed professional if outdoor yard work, landscaping or other home improvements require working near power lines. - Aerial power lines, as well as those attached to utility poles and those entering your home or other buildings or structures, are just as dangerous as underground lines. To be safe, keep a distance of 10 feet or more from all power lines — that includes you, your equipment and anything you carry. - Pay special attention to power lines running through tree limbs and branches if you’re climbing or trimming trees. Consider using a qualified contractor to trim trees located close to aerial power lines. - If you, contractors or other professionals need to work within 10 feet of a power line, you should call PECO New Business Services in advance at 800.454.4100 so that the electric utility can protect the work area. Tips for Working Safely Outdoors With Electric Tools Although avoiding power lines is important, power lines aren’t the only things you need to be mindful of when working outdoors this summer. You should also be mindful of safely using electric tools: - Be sure to inspect your electric tools — from small tools like jig saws to big ones like drill presses and bench grinders — on a regular basis, including before the first time you use them after the long winter break. Frayed power cords, broken plugs or cracked housings are signs of serious potential trouble and should be repaired or replaced before using the tools. Never use a damaged power tool. - Never use electrical tools anywhere around water or in the rain and be especially careful not to use electric lawn mowers on wet grass. - Always use three-pronged outlets and plugs and always remove a power cord from a socket by grasping the plug, not the cord. - Always use personal protective equipment, such as face shields, gloves, boots and glasses when working with electric tools. The manuals that came with your equipment will have the details on the protective equipment you should use. Always use the appropriate type of extension cord. When working outdoors, use an extension cord marked for outdoor use. Using an indoor extension cord outside could result in a fire hazard and an electric shock. Sources “ Important Spring Safety Tips from PECO ,” PECO Energy Co. press release, May 19, 2011. PECO Energy Co. website, “ Home Energy Safety Tips .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/electricity-safety-for-philadelphians-working-around-the-home-this-summer/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/electricity-safety-for-philadelphians-working-around-the-home-this-summer/ Tue, 28 Jun 2011 08:16:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/alternative-electric-provider-referendum-passes-in-illinois/ An Illinois municipality has passed a referendum that allows the village to bid for cheaper electricity without needing the consent of residents. The Village of Lincolnwood in northeastern Illinois put the Electrical Aggregation Referendum on its April 5 ballot after Village trustees voted unanimously to request permission from residents to shop the state’s retail electric providers , and solicit competitive bids on residents’ behalf for the lowest possible electricity rates. Even though Illinois approved electricity deregulation in 1996, only large commercial and industrial customers have been able to benefit from switching to a more competitive electric provider until recently. Beginning this year, however, residential and small business customers will be able to choose to buy their electricity from competing retail electric providers. These customers were previously forced to buy their electricity from one of the state’s two public utilities, Ameren Illinois Utilities (Ameren) or Commercial Edison Co. (ComEd). “Since the state deregulated the electric market, nearly all of the change has been limited to the commercial market,” David Hover, executive director of the Northern Illinois Municipal Electric Cooperative (NIMEC), an association of 140 municipal and government entities that have banded together in order to reduce electricity prices. Hover added that the change has been dramatic, saying that “76 percent of the commercial market has moved from ComEd to take advantage of lower cost suppliers.” Lowest Rate From Electric Provider Could Win Bid Although the Village already saves 7 percent on street lighting by working with NIMEC, the municipality now has the legal authority to solicit bids from other energy companies without the consent of residents. Now that the referendum has passed, Lincolnwood plans to work with NIMEC again to find cheaper electric rates from alternative electric suppliers. At no cost to its members, the cooperative aggregates its members’ electricity load and presents it to competing electric suppliers for bid. In exchange, the electric suppliers pay an origination fee to NIMEC for performing all the legwork. Once NIMEC receives bids for the village’s residential and small business customers, the village plans to hold two public hearings in May to discuss the bids. The rates will be compared to those offered by ComEd and the village will enter into a contract with an alternative electric provider only if that provider’s rates are lower. “It may not prove to be an enormous savings, but a savings nonetheless. If it's only one-and-a-half percent, we might not switch, but it doesn't cost anything to switch suppliers,” said Lincolnwood Mayor Jerry Turry. If one or more of the bids is lower than the current rate, then the village would sign a fixed-rate agreement for one year with the “lowest, responsible supplier.” If the bids are all higher than the current rate, then the village would reject all bids and continue to buy its electricity from ComEd. Deregulation is Confusing for Consumers and Communities The process works well for consumers, Hover said, because “most residents are not sufficiently informed about deregulation or the various [electricity] supplier options to make an informed choice.” Any residential or small business customers who wanted to opt out of the new contract would be allowed to do so. Those customers would continue to get their electricity from ComEd at the higher rate if Lincolnwood switches to another electric provider. So far, only Fulton, a city in Whiteside County in northwest Illinois, has passed a referendum similar to the one Lincolnwood approved. Other nearby municipalities, including Glenview and Northbrook, aren’t participating in switching during the first year of eligibility in order to identify any drawbacks, according to Ashley Engelmann, Lincolnwood’s public works management analyst. Other communities that filed similar referendums include Oak Park, Crest Hill, Elburn, Fox River Grove, North Chicago, Wood Dale, Mount Morris, Erie and Polo. Sources “ Electricity Referendum OK'd for Spring Election ,” Lincolnwood Review , Jan. 7, 2011. Lincolnwood Village News website, “ Electrical Aggregation Referendum Information .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/alternative-electric-provider-referendum-passes-in-illinois/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/alternative-electric-provider-referendum-passes-in-illinois/ Tue, 28 Jun 2011 08:04:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/new-york-electric-bills-wont-increase-as-planned/ A power struggle in New York between state lawmakers and electric companies concerning a proposed double-digit rate hike was resolved amicably last month, if not without a little drama. When New York power generation companies sat down to set their electricity prices for the next few years, there was one feature missing from their calculations. State lawmakers had promised the electric companies $500 million in combined property tax breaks that generators were counting on to determine how much to charge New York electric customers. The problem was, the tax breaks were backed by nothing more than a promise. The power generation companies told state lawmakers that they wouldn’t settle for a mere promise, and that without passing legislation that made the tax break law, the generators would be forced to increase rates to cover any property tax increases that might be issued by the state. When lawmakers balked at the generator’s request, the electric companies took their case to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), which ultimately agreed in January to allow the generators to include potential property tax increases in calculations used to determine electric rates. As a result, generators were set to raise rates on May 28 by 12 percent for residential customers and 14 percent for business customers. City and state officials called FERC’s decision a windfall for electric companies, which could have taken in additional revenue totaling $1 billion or more over the next three years. After the FERC decision, the state found itself on the losing end of a high-stakes game of chicken with the power generation companies. Called to action by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the state Senate acquiesced and crafted an eleventh-hour bill that wrote the tax breaks into law. The bill quickly passed the Assembly and the state immediately petitioned FERC to reverse its decision on rate hikes since there now was no longer any need for them. Days later, with the state’s promise to generators now on paper, FERC announced that it had officially reversed its decision and rolled back the rate increase. In the end, the electric companies got their promised tax breaks. Sources “ State Zaps Power Companies' Reason for Huge Rate Hike ,” New York Post , May 18, 2011. “ A Pleasant Shock From Albany ,” New York Post , May 21, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/new-york-electric-bills-wont-increase-as-planned/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/new-york-electric-bills-wont-increase-as-planned/ Mon, 27 Jun 2011 08:16:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/the-green-way-to-play-video-games/ Although energy efficiency is rarely at the top of the list of things gamers worry about, a recent study conducted by the Electric Power Research Institute might do a little more than open some eyes, especially for green consumers who value energy efficiency and lower electric bills . Turns out Microsoft’s Xbox 360, Sony’s PlayStation 3 (PS3) and Nintendo’s Wii aren’t created equal, especially when it comes to the amount of electricity they use. In fact, the Institute found a staggering difference. When breaking tackles and throwing bombs on the gridiron in Madden NFL 11, the latest installment of a popular video game franchise, the Xbox drew 87.9 watts and the PS3 drew 84.8 watts, not including the connected televisions. But the diminutive Wii drew just 13.7 watts. That’s a huge difference. To calculate what that difference in consumptions means for gamers and their residential electric bills, the Institute calculated the consoles’ electricity consumption over the course of a year, using a 2006 Nielsen Company study that estimated serious gamers play for five hours and 45 minutes a day. The Xbox used 184 kilowatt-hours and the PS3 used 179 kilowatt-hours, which puts them in the same league as washing machines or television sets. But the Wii used just 29 kilowatt-hours. The Institute said that the difference can be attributed to the advanced, high-definition graphics in the Xbox and PS3, which consume significant power and are absent in the Wii. Sources “ An Efficient Way to Play Madden Football ,” The New York Times , Dec. 17, 2010. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/the-green-way-to-play-video-games/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/the-green-way-to-play-video-games/ Fri, 24 Jun 2011 08:21:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/small-comed-rate-decrease-likely-only-a-temporary-relief-for-customers/ Commonwealth Edison Co., Illinois’ largest electric utility, said a reduction in the cost of electricity supply is expected to result in a savings of about 1.5 percent for customers who buy their electricity from the utility instead of an alternative electric supplier . According to ComEd, Chicago-area households that average $82 a month on their electric bills will see their charges drop about $1.30 per bill. But the benefit of the rate decrease for supply may be short lived. The supply decrease could be offset by increased rates this summer when electricity use is expected to surge. And if as detailed here , if legislation passed by the Illinois House isn’t vetoed by Gov. Pat Quinn, the temporary supply decrease will be more than offset by increases to ComEd’s delivery rates. That price hike would increase a guaranteed minimum of 2.5 percent each year for the next two years and would affect all electric customers in the utility’s service area. ComEd is seeking the rate increases to help compensate the utility for investing in a planned $1.5 billion modernization of its power grid, including providing for the installation of “smart meters” in all homes and businesses. Sources “ Small Savings on ComEd Bill ,” The Herald-News , June 5, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/small-comed-rate-decrease-likely-only-a-temporary-relief-for-customers/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/small-comed-rate-decrease-likely-only-a-temporary-relief-for-customers/ Thu, 23 Jun 2011 08:27:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/what-is-a-tdu-delivery-charge-and-why-is-it-on-my-electric-bill/ Some electricity buyers are confused about seeing a TDU delivery charge on their electricity bill. This should help clear up the confusion. A transmission and delivery utility, or TDU, is the electric utility that distributes electricity from power generation companies to homes in Texas. Some of the TDUs in larger areas in Texas are CenterPoint Energy (Houston) and Oncor. Your electric bill is made up of two main categories: the generation, or electricity supply portion and the delivery, or TDU portion. Because electric markets in Texas are deregulated, you can choose who to buy your electricity from. The charges from this company – supply charges – are based on the electric plan you sign up for and are determined each month by how much electricity you use, what your electricity rate is and whether you have a variable-rate or fixed-rate plan. On the other hand, TDU fees are determined by the state’s Public Utility Commission (PUC) and the TDU delivery charge is one of those fees. Your electric utility is allowed to charge delivery fees to everyone who gets electricity distributed to their home. The fees contain profit for the utility so that it can maintain the electric grid and the entire delivery infrastructure, including poles, wires and transformers. Every electric customer must pay the TDU delivery charge, regardless of whether they choose an alternative electric supplier or not. You’ll probably be able to get cheaper electricity if you switch to an alternative electric supplier, but the TDU delivery charge will stay the same. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/what-is-a-tdu-delivery-charge-and-why-is-it-on-my-electric-bill/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/what-is-a-tdu-delivery-charge-and-why-is-it-on-my-electric-bill/ Wed, 22 Jun 2011 08:16:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/why-dont-more-communities-bury-power-lines/ In some parts of the country, communities bury their power lines. To many, it’s a safer and more aesthetic alternative to hammering poles into the ground and running exposed aerial wires in between. But in other parts of the country, like Houston, Texas, power lines are only buried in some of the newer communities, leaving much of the city draped in power lines. There are several reasons places like Houston don’t bury them. Burying Power Lines is Expensive Most new construction throughout the country uses underground utility lines. But going back and burying overhead power lines is usually cost prohibitive. While an above ground line might cost $20 a foot, an underground line can cost more than $400 per foot, according to Terry Finley, vice president of distribution engineering and services for CenterPoint Energy, Houston’s electric utility. The Uptown Houston District, which was created in 1987 to oversee public improvements in the city’s Galleria area, has spent millions to move or bury power lines. John Breeding, president of the District, said projects to bury power lines in the Galleria area cost $500 to $750 per foot, or between $2.6 million and $4 million per mile. “You're not just burying the lines but the switches and transformers,” Breeding said. “So, something that you just attach to a pole up in the air becomes a $50,000 cost to put underground.” CenterPoint spokesman Floy LeBlanc, who has worked with the District to beautify the Galleria area, said that the original estimate to bury all of the power lines in the area was $40 million. To help the District save money while addressing aesthetic concerns, CenterPoint found less expensive ways to move the power lines behind buildings, where they were less visible, rather than bury them. Underground Outages Tend to Last Longer Buried power lines tend to fail less frequently, but when they do, outages tend to last longer because it’s more difficult to locate the damage and repair it. In a 2003 study, Virginia electric utilities found that underground power lines stayed out of commission 2.25 times longer than above ground lines, with some outages lasting 7 times longer. Benefits from Buried Power Lines are Inconclusive In some areas of the country, like those that experience hurricanes, advocates for buried power lines say that underground lines are more protected and ultimately result in economic benefits because there are fewer outages from severe weather events. However, this may not always be the case, especially if the high-voltage lines that feed the buried lines in communities and business districts are above ground. If those lines are buried, too, as many were in Houston’s Galleria area when Hurricane Ike blew through town, then electric service would more likely be preserved. However, damage to high voltage lines in areas where they are above ground would affect supply to the underground lines they feed, resulting in power outages anyway. Mark Jamison is the director of the Public Utility Research Center at the University of Florida, an area of the country also subject to powerful hurricanes. He said that a cost-benefit analysis he and his colleagues developed showed that the benefits of burying power lines aren’t justified on a purely economic level. “We couldn't find a situation where it was just economics alone that says you should do such a project,” Jamison said. “That's not to say such a case isn't out there. But you needed to take into account other factors, such as aesthetics, to justify the projects.” Sources “ You Can Bury Power Lines, but Not All the Problems ,” The Houston Chronicle , Oct. 20, 2008. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/why-dont-more-communities-bury-power-lines/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/why-dont-more-communities-bury-power-lines/ Tue, 21 Jun 2011 08:14:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/designing-or-modifying-a-home-for-energy-efficient-lighting/ Whether you’re considering building a new home or making changes to an existing home, thoughtful lighting design can play a crucial role when it comes to the comfort, quality and energy efficiency of your home’s lighting. To help you make the best lighting decisions for your home, we’ve put together a list of some tips for designing effective indoor and outdoor lighting that can save you money on your residential electric bill . Designing Energy-Efficient Indoor Lighting There are a few basic principles that can help you design effective, energy-efficient indoor lighting for your home: - The most important thing to realize is that human visual performance depends as much on the quality of light in a home as it does on the quantity of light. - Ambient light may look good, but it is neither effective nor energy efficient. Instead, use task lighting that shines directly on work areas, such as the kitchen counter, rather than trying to light the whole house. - Match the appropriate amount and quality of light to the function you plan on performing in a particular space. - Use energy-efficient lights, like CFL (compact fluorescent light) bulbs or LEDs (light-emitting diodes), as well as energy-efficient controls and systems, such as light fixtures and devices for controlling lights remotely. - Be sure to maximize daylighting. Now that you understand the basic principals to indoor lighting, here are some methods for you to achieve the quality and energy efficiency you’re looking for: - Install wall- and ceiling-mounted fluorescent light fixtures for all high-demand areas — such as the kitchen, living room, bathrooms, halls and bedrooms — in which lights will be used for more than two hours every day. - Install dedicated CFL fixtures instead of simply using CFL bulbs in incandescent fixtures. - When using recessed lighting in ceilings, make sure to use only airtight fixtures that are approved by Underwriters Laboratory (UL), are IC (insulation contact) rated and meet ASTM E283 requirements. - Make sure all lighting fixtures are labeled and certified by ENERGY STAR. - Use occupancy or motion sensors in rooms, bathrooms, pantries and utility rooms to automatically turn on and off lights as needed. - Consider painting interior spaces with light colors that reflect light and reduce the need for artificial lighting during the day. Energy-Efficient Outdoor Lighting for Safety, Usefulness and Good Looks When designing energy-efficient outdoor lighting around your home, it’s important to consider the three main reasons for outdoor lighting: security, utility and aesthetics: Lighting for security typically involves illuminating the grounds surrounding the home and large areas such as the driveway. Lighting for utility usually involves illuminating exterior areas around the home and providing safe navigation where people are expected to walk at night, such as the porch, driveway and walkways. Lighting for aesthetics means improving the appearance of the home at night by illuminating the home’s exterior and landscaped areas. Here are some basic principals when it comes to designing effective and efficient outdoor lighting: - Opt for fluorescent, high-intensity discharge, LEDs or low-pressure sodium lights instead of inefficient incandescent lights that cost more money to use and don’t last as long. - Consider lower-watt options for security and utility lighting, which doesn’t need to be bright to work well. - Use photosensors or timers to save energy and increase convenience by automatically turning lights on at night and off in the morning. - For security lights, consider using flood lights combined with photosensors and motion sensors. - Opt for ground-installed solar-powered outdoor lighting fixtures around places that get a lot of sun, such as walkways, for cheap utility lighting that looks good. - To make more efficient use of outdoor lighting and reduce light pollution for neighbors, be sure to install reflectors, deflectors or covers on your light fixtures. Sources Energy Savers website, “ Indoor Lighting Design .” Energy Savers website, “ Outdoor Lighting Design .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/designing-or-modifying-a-home-for-energy-efficient-lighting/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/designing-or-modifying-a-home-for-energy-efficient-lighting/ Mon, 20 Jun 2011 08:15:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/saving-money-with-energy-efficient-landscaping-part-2-windbreaks/ If you’re going to have some landscaping done to your home, there are a few things you can do to beautify your environment that can also increase the energy efficiency of your home and help you save money on monthly utility bills . For part two of our tips for energy-efficient landscaping, we’re taking a closer look at how incorporating windbreaks can defend against wind chill and help you start saving money on heating costs. In case you missed it, check out part one , where we explored how to use shading techniques to reduce solar heat gain and help you start saving money on cooling costs. What is a Windbreak? A windbreak is a landscaping feature in which trees, bushes, shrubs, walls of vines and even fences are planted or constructed in such a way as to provide your home with protection from the wind. In cold climates, wind chill that cools the outside of your home — namely your roof, walls and windows — can radiate into your home, or blow in through cracks, and increase heating costs significantly. How Does a Windbreak Work? As wind blows against a windbreak, air pressure builds up on the windward side, or the side of the windbreak facing the wind. The air pressure causes wind speed to slow as large volumes of air are forced to move up, over and around the windbreak. As a result, wind speed is lowered on both the windward and leeward side (the side facing away from the wind) of the windbreak. However, the wind speed on the leeward side of the windbreak is lowered for a much greater distance, creating a warmer microclimate area. The Benefits of Windbreaks In short, a windbreak can lower the wind chill near your home. Wind chill happens when the speed of the wind lowers the relative temperature of the air and, although wind chill always lowers temperatures — even in moderate climates — it’s most prominent on cold, breezy days. For example, if the outside air temperature is 10 degrees and the wind is blowing at 20 miles per hour, the wind chill will lower the relative temperature to minus-24 degrees. That 34-degree difference can wreak havoc on a home’s heating costs. However, properly designed or constructed windbreaks can be used as barriers to reduce and redirect wind and modify the microclimate in the sheltered area. How to Design an Effective Windbreak Various factors of the windbreak structure determine the size and effectiveness of the microclimate area that’s created, including height, density, location and construction. Windbreak Height The height of the windbreak is the most important factor for determining the size of the microclimate area. Depending on the density of the windbreak, wind speed can be reduced on the windward side by a distance equal to 2 to 5 times the height. On the leeward side (down wind) wind speed can be reduced by a distance up to 30 times the height. For example, a row of 15-foot trees can reduce wind speeds up to 45 feet on the windward side and up to 300 feet on the leeward side. Windbreak Density The density of the windbreak, whether it’s low-density deciduous trees or the 100-percent density of a solid fence, plays a critical factor in determining how much wind speed is lowered. If your windbreak density is too high, low pressure develops on the leeward side and pulls air coming over the windbreak downward, which creates turbulence and reduces downwind protection. On the other hand, lower-density windbreaks create less turbulence and provide greater protection downwind in terms of microclimate size, but reduce wind speeds less. The ideal windbreak density for most homeowners is somewhere in the middle, and can usually be achieved by using a combination of deciduous trees (25-35 percent density), coniferous trees (40-60 percent density), bushes and shrubs. Location and Construction The best windbreaks for homes will usually follow these guidelines: - Plant one or more rows of trees and shrubs with low crowns (leaves and branches) to block wind close to the ground. - Plant dense evergreen trees and shrubs to the north and northwest of homes. - Plant trees, bushes and shrubs are together to block wind from ground level to treetops. - Evergreen trees combined with a fence or wall can deflect wind over the tops of homes. - Low shrubs can be planted on the windward side of a windbreak to block snow from blowing next to a home where it can cool one or more walls. Sources Energy Savers website, “ Landscape Windbreaks .” United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resource Conservation Service report, “ How Windbreaks Work .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/saving-money-with-energy-efficient-landscaping-part-2-windbreaks/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/saving-money-with-energy-efficient-landscaping-part-2-windbreaks/ Fri, 17 Jun 2011 08:17:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/led-light-bulbs-unveiled-at-international-convention/ The first LED (light emitting diodes) light bulbs capable of producing the same amount of light as a conventional 100-watt incandescent bulb were unveiled at an international lighting convention in Philadelphia, promising a future full of lower electric bills . The LED bulbs — by companies such as Switch Lighting, from California; Lighting Sciences Group Corp., from Florida; and Osram Sylvania, a unit of Germany’s Siemens AG — made their debut at the 2011 Lightfair International Trade Show, at a time when public policy is turning the page on Thomas Edison’s world-changing invention in the United States. A 2007 U.S. law that requires light bulbs use at least 25 percent less energy to produce the same amount of light will phase out 75-watt incandescent bulbs in January 2013 and 60-watt and 40-watt incandescent bulbs in January 2014. The bipartisan law, signed by President George W. Bush, exempts bulbs in appliances, three-way bulbs, colored bulbs and 19 other types of incandescent bulbs that aren’t as common. Energy-Efficient LED Technology Poised to Light the Way Although LEDs were mostly found on watches and elevator buttons 15 years ago, interest in the technology has skyrocketed, according to Jordon Papanier, of California-based LEDtronics. “The demand and the applications have exploded because the technology has started to catch up with general lighting applications,” Papanier said. Papanier said that a decade ago at Lightfair International, LEDtronics was one of only a handful of companies selling LEDs. However, this year at the trade show, LEDs are everywhere. Over the last couple of years, companies have advanced LED technology to the point where lights have become bright enough for general everyday use, such as in street lamps and office lighting. Additionally, engineers have gotten better at filtering out the often-criticized bluish tint of LEDs. And, with the incandescent bulb phase-out on the horizon, business for energy-efficient LED bulbs is taking off. “Everybody's going green,” Papanier said. “Saving the planet, cutting back on carbon footprints.” Philips: LED Bulbs Can Last More than 20 Years As an example of what consumers can expect from new LEDs, Switch Lighting said its 100-watt equivalent LED bulb will use 85 percent less electricity than comparable incandescent bulbs. The company estimates the bulb will pay for itself in about a year by helping lower monthly electric bills . And since all parts of LED bulbs can be reused, recycled or reclaimed, the company said there’s little chance of its bulbs ending up in landfills. Ed Crawford, of lighting giant Philips, said his company’s new 75-watt equivalent LED bulb, which uses a yellow filter to create the same color light as an incandescent bulb, is 80 percent more energy efficient and lasts 25 times longer than a traditional incandescent bulb. “With this light bulb if you screw one into your nursery when your child is born, you won't have to replace it until they're out of college,” Crawford said. The new bulbs from Switch Lighting and Philips are expected to hit store shelves in the fall. Sources “ LEDs Replace 100-Watt Light Bulbs Nearing Phaseout ,” USA Today , May 17, 2011. “ At Lighting Trade Show, It's All About Energy-Efficient LEDs ,” NewsWorks, May 17, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/led-light-bulbs-unveiled-at-international-convention/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/led-light-bulbs-unveiled-at-international-convention/ Thu, 16 Jun 2011 08:15:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/peco-informs-on-deregulation-and-alternative-electric-suppliers-in-pa/ Pennsylvania state Rep. Bernie O’Neill hosted informational sessions at his Warminster and Buckingham offices to discuss electric deregulation in Pennsylvania, what it means for consumers and how electric customers can choose alternative electric suppliers. O’Neill hosted Ted Dorand, PECO’s external affairs manager for Bucks County, who explained the state’s transition to competitive electric markets and answered questions about how alternative electricity suppliers work and what to look for when shopping for one. The sessions were held in response to calls O’Neill’s office had received from constituents confused about electric deregulation and the opening up of the electric market in Pennsylvania, according to Cindy Beck, office manager for O’Neill’s Buckingham office. “We’re just trying to connect services with people and get information out there,” said Beck, who coordinated the meetings. “In today’s tough budgetary times, every penny counts. If you can find a way to shave a few cents off of electricity, why not?” The sessions echoed an ongoing campaign by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to educate electric customers on the facts of electric deregulation and dispel the myth that PECO and other electric utilities will punish customers who buy cheaper electricity from alternative electric suppliers. On the contrary, electricity in a deregulated market can be purchased from any number of alternative electric suppliers and utilities like PECO don’t care which electric company customers use, said Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission Chairman Robert F. Powelson in an interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer . “You're just picking the commodity piece of your bill,” Powelson said. “PECO is agnostic about where you get your power. They don't care. So go out there and save money.” Sources “ PECO Rep to Answer Questions About Deregulation ,” Doylestown-Buckingham-New Britain Patch , May 10, 2011. “ Most Customers Opting to Stick With Peco — Forgoing Discounts ,” The Philadelphia Inquirer , May 8, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/peco-informs-on-deregulation-and-alternative-electric-suppliers-in-pa/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/peco-informs-on-deregulation-and-alternative-electric-suppliers-in-pa/ Wed, 15 Jun 2011 08:17:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/houston-ranks-fifth-in-estimated-damage-from-category-five-storm/ Houston, Texas would rank fifth highest among U.S. cities in terms of potential property damage if it were to suffer a direct hit by a category five hurricane, the most severe type of hurricane, according to a new report. The report, “2011 Storm Surge Report,” by CoreLogic, a California-based information analytics company, estimated that a category five storm would cost Houston $20 billion in property loss, which would rank the city fifth behind Long Island, New York; Miami, Florida; Virginia Beach, Virginia; and Tampa, Florida. According to the report, Long Island could suffer a staggering $99 billion in property loss from a category five storm. The report considered five data sets — coastal surge risk, hurricane propensity, coastal water feature, mainland determination and elevation — in developing its estimations. The most vulnerable ZIP codes in the Houston area include 77573, 77554, 77059, 77571, 77062, 77566, 77586, 77539, 77546 and 77521. Sources Swamplot (blog), “ A $20 Billion Bath for Houston ,” May 3, 2011. CoreLogic website, “ Advanced Storm Surge Analytics Enhance Your Coastal Risk Profile .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/houston-ranks-fifth-in-estimated-damage-from-category-five-storm/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/houston-ranks-fifth-in-estimated-damage-from-category-five-storm/ Tue, 14 Jun 2011 08:14:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/saving-money-with-energy-efficient-landscaping-part-1-shading/ If you’re a homeowner who’s thinking about having some landscaping done, there are several decisions you can make to both beautify your environment and help you save money on monthly utility bills through energy efficiency gains for your home. For part one of our tips for energy-efficient landscaping, we’re taking a closer look at how incorporating shading techniques can lower temperatures in and around your home so you can start saving money on cooling costs. Make sure to check out part two, where we explore landscaping techniques that block wind chill and help you start saving money on heating costs. Plants and Trees Lower Temperatures in Two Ways Trees, bushes, shrubs, vines and plants can help lower temperatures and decrease the work load for your air conditioning unit in two ways: - Shade — Blocking sunlight from your roof and walls is the most direct way to reduce solar heat gain in your home and lower your cooling costs. - Evapotranspiration — This is the process by which a plant moves and releases water vapor. A tree’s evapotranspiration can lower surrounding air temperatures up to 9 degrees. And because cool air settles near the ground, temperatures directly under trees can be as much as 25 degrees cooler. Shading Your Home There are four things you need to know when it comes to shading your home, including your regional climate, shading requirements, location of trees and type of trees. 1. Regional Climate The first thing you need to know about incorporating shading techniques into your landscaping is whether your regional climate means you’re better off with or without shading: - Homes in warm climates that get a lot of solar heat in the summer typically benefit from a direct shading of roofs and walls. - Homes in cool climates may actually suffer from too much shading, especially if protecting your home from solar heat gain in the summer is offset by additional heating costs incurred in the winter because roofs and walls don’t get not enough solar heat gain is reaching roofs and walls. 2. Shading Requirements The next thing you need to determine is the size and shape of the moving shadow that you want your tree or trees to cast: - To block solar heat in the summer use deciduous trees; they’ll let more solar heat in during the winter when you want it. - To provide continuous shade year round use dense evergreen trees and shrubs. 3. Location of Trees Determining where to plant your trees is critical in order to maximize shading benefits: - For summertime roof shading plant deciduous trees with high, spreading crowns (leaves and branches) to the south of your home. - For shading lower afternoon sun angles , plant trees with crowns lower to the ground to the west of your home. - Make sure to shade your air conditioner unit to increase its efficiency by an additional 10 percent . - In the case of solar-heated homes in cold climates , don’t plant trees on the southern side of your home, because the branches will block some winter sun. 4. Types of Trees: Slow Growth or Fast Growth Generally speaking, slow-growing trees will give you greater benefit for longer than fast-growing trees: - Although slow-growing trees will take years longer to get big enough to shade your roof, once they get to the right size they’ll live a lot longer. - Slow-growing trees usually have deeper roots and stronger branches, which makes them less prone to breakage from severs storms or snow loads. - Slow-growing trees are more drought-resistant. A 6-foot to 8-foot deciduous tree planted near your home will be able to provide shade for windows during the first year and will be able to provide shade for the roof in 5 to 10 years. Cooling the Area around Your Home Shading the ground and pavement around your home reduces heat radiation and cools the surrounding air before it reaches your home’s walls and windows. That means less heat radiates inside to your living space and your air conditioning system won’t have to work as hard to keep you comfortable. Trees, shrubs and groundcover plants do a great job of shading the ground and pavement around your home. You can use a hedge to shade a sidewalk, a row of shrubs to shade a driveway and a trellis with climbing vines to shade a patio. A trellis with climbing vines can be used to shade an entire wall and will grow fast enough to do so during the first year. You can also use a trellis with climbing vines, or a planter box with trailing vines, to shade your home’s perimeter, thereby lowering the temperature of the shaded area. Shrubs that are planted close to your home can also be a great idea for shading walls and windows. They’ll usually fill in pretty rapidly and will begin supplying adequate shade within a couple of years. Just make sure to keep dense foliage from growing immediately next to your home if wetness or continual humidity are problems, because the foliage will help retain moisture and prevent that part of your home from drying. Sources Energy Savers website, “ Landscape Shading .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/saving-money-with-energy-efficient-landscaping-part-1-shading/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/saving-money-with-energy-efficient-landscaping-part-1-shading/ Mon, 13 Jun 2011 08:12:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/who-to-call-when-the-power-goes-out-in-texas/ Whenever you lose power, it’s important to know who to call to report the problem. Many Texas consumers think you should report outages to the company that sends you your bill, your residential electric supplier ; however, you actually need to report the outage to your electric utility. Your electric utility is responsible for reliability issues, such as power outages, downed power lines and maintenance. Because hurricane season starts June 1, we put together a list of all the electric utility emergency contact numbers that Spark Energy customers in Texas can call if their power ever goes out, even in the event of a hurricane. It might be best to print out this information and keep it handy. After all, if the power goes out, you won’t be able to come back to this webpage for the information. Contacting Your Electric Utility If you don’t know who your electric utility is, find your electric bill and look for “Local Distribution Company.” Your electric utility is identified here. The following emergency numbers should be there as well, but we’ve also listed them here for your convenience. Oncor - 888-313-4747 TNMP - 888-866-7465 Customers in TNMP’s service area are encouraged to select option 2 when they call in order to hear a recorded message about known power outages. Customers who don’t hear a message about their power outage should select option 1 to be transferred to an agent who will record their information. Centerpoint For power outages: 800-332-7143 or 713-207-2222 For downed power lines: 713-207-2222 AEP Texas (AEP Texas Central Company and AEP Texas North Company) Customers in AEP Texas’ service areas — which include customers of AEP Texas Central Company and AEP Texas North Company — are asked not to call the utility in case of a major storm, such as a hurricane. According to the utility’s website: “In the immediate aftermath of a major storm, we ask that you call only to report safety hazards such as downed power lines or equipment that is sparking. During major storms, our telephone lines can become overloaded with customer calls. In these situations, we are aware of major damage to long-distance transmission lines and distribution circuits.” For downed power lines and other safety hazards: 866-223-8505 For power outages not the result of a major storm: go online at http://www.aeptexas.com/outages/report . http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/who-to-call-when-the-power-goes-out-in-texas/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/who-to-call-when-the-power-goes-out-in-texas/ Fri, 10 Jun 2011 08:14:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/3-steps-for-dealing-with-a-power-outage-from-a-hurricane/ Hurricane season is right around the corner and that means it’s time to think about preparing for the possibility of being unable to get power from your electric company for a while. Here are three simple steps for making sure you can deal with a power outage — before the lights go out. 1. Create a Disaster Supply Kit The first thing you should do to prepare for being without power during a hurricane is create a disaster supply kit. You can keep it in your garage or somewhere near your car in case you have to evacuate. Make a list of the following items and then cross them off as you add them to your kit: - Water — At least one gallon of bottled drinking water per day per person, for seven days. For a family of four, that’s 28 gallons. - Food — You need to buy enough non-perishable foods (canned foods, juices, snacks) to last for seven days. Make sure to include foods for infants and the elderly; a non-electric can opener; cooking tools and fuel, including plastic utensils, paper plates and bowls; and if you’re ambitious, a stove for cooking. - Medicine — Make sure you have a first aid kit, an ample supply of any prescription medications, some extra bandages and antibiotic spray or ointment. - Papers — Gather copies of important documents — things like driver’s licenses, Social Security cards, insurance papers, proof of residence, wills, deeds, birth and marriage certificates — and seal them safe inside a waterproof container, like a Ziploc bag or waterproof safe. Include road maps of the city and state you live in, as well as a map that includes surrounding states. - Hygiene — Get a large Ziploc bag and fill it with toiletries, such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss, moist wipes, mouthwash, soap, shampoo, razor and shaving gel or electric razor, feminine hygiene supplies and anything else you may need to keep clean. - Flashlights, Candles, Matches and Extra Batteries — Include a couple of high-power flashlights in your disaster supply kit, along with some candles that you can burn at night in order to save batteries. Make sure you have extra matches for the candles and extra batteries for the flashlights. - Cell Phones and Radio — Keep your cell phone charged and buy an extra battery and charge it too, just in case. Also, buy a battery-operated radio and keep it and several extra batteries in your kit. - Tools — Make sure you have a good travel-size tool set just in case you need to fix anything. - Clothing, Blankets and Pillows — Keep several days’ worth of clothing in your kit, as well as a few blankets and pillows. - Cash — Consider keeping a couple hundred dollars in your kit so you’ll have it if you need it. When the power goes out, ATMs won’t work. - Pet Care Items — If you have pets, you need to include identification and immunization papers; food and water for at least seven days; muzzle or leash; carrier or cage; and anything else you might need in case of a power outage or evacuation. 2. Prepare Your Home Once you’ve completed your disaster supply kit, the next thing you need to do is prepare your home for being without power. Just like you did for your disaster relief kit, make a list of the following tasks and cross them off when you complete them: - Water — Clean all the bathtubs and sinks in your home and then fill them with water. You’ll be able to use this water for taking sponge baths and for filling toilets for flushing. If you keep the water clean, and don’t bathe directly in it, you could also use it for drinking water if your seven-day supply of bottled water runs out. Consider buying several additional five-gallon containers of water to supplement your bathing and bathroom needs. - Fuel — Keep your cars’ gas tanks full in case of extended power outages or in case you need to evacuate and need to get on the roadways. Gas will be hard to find in town and far outside of town along evacuation routes as well once a storm hits. Consider filling a few five-gallon fuel tanks and taking them with you to extend the range of your car. - Refrigerators and Freezers — Turn your refrigerator and freezer thermostats to their coldest settings and keep the doors closed as much as possible. 3. Develop a Plan to Go Where the Power Is In case your electricity may be out for a while, or you’re instructed to evacuate, make sure you have a place to go — preferably one with power. Here are a few suggestions: - Make sure your family has a way to contact one another in case you’re separated when a storm strikes and the power goes out. - Arrange for a place to meet in your neighborhood, or at a family residence or another location further inland, such as a motel, that is more likely to have uninterrupted power. - Designate an out-of-town family or friend to serve as a point of contact in case it becomes easier to make long distance calls than to call across town. Sources Ready America (FEMA) website, “ Hurricanes .” National Hurricane Center website, “ Hurricane Preparedness: Be Prepared .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/3-steps-for-dealing-with-a-power-outage-from-a-hurricane/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/3-steps-for-dealing-with-a-power-outage-from-a-hurricane/ Thu, 09 Jun 2011 08:15:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/2011-hurricane-season-outlook-for-atlantic-and-gulf-coast-customers/ Hurricane season is here once again for Spark Energy residential electric customers. Although researchers at North Carolina State University’s Coastal Fluid Dynamics Lab say 2011 will be another busy year for Atlantic and Gulf Coast hurricanes, they predict it won’t be as bad as 2010. - About 13 to 16 named storms will form in the Atlantic Basin, an area including the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. That number is much higher than the 50-year average of 9.6 named storms, but less than the 19 storms that formed last year. - Of the 13 to 16 named storms forming in the Atlantic basin, seven to nine storms are expected to become hurricanes. - There is a 70 percent chance that one of the seven to nine storms will make landfall along the coast of the southeastern United States, a 40 percent chance that one of those storms will arrive as a hurricane and a 15 percent chance that the landfalling storm will be classified as a major hurricane, which is classified as category three or higher. - In the Gulf of Mexico, three to five named storms are predicted to form. Of those, two to four are expected to make landfall, with a 70 percent chance that one will reach landfall as a hurricane and a 15 percent chance that the hurricane will be category three or stronger. At Spark Energy, we take hurricanes seriously and recommend that you prepare for the possibility of being without power for an extended period. Source North Carolina State University Coastal Fluid Dynamics Lab website, “ 2011 Atlantic Tropical Cyclone Outlook .” “ Active Atlantic Hurricane Season Predicted for 2011 ,” PhysOrg.com, April 15, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/2011-hurricane-season-outlook-for-atlantic-and-gulf-coast-customers/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/2011-hurricane-season-outlook-for-atlantic-and-gulf-coast-customers/ Wed, 08 Jun 2011 08:07:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/5-reasons-your-electric-bill-is-so-high/ If you’re like most people, you probably think you spend too much on your electric bill. And you may be right. Many of the causes of high electric bills are related to the way you use electricity in your home, some of which you might not even be aware of. To help you start saving money, we’ve highlighted five ways in which you’re probably using too much electricity, as well as some tips for using less. 1. Letting Vampire Appliances Bleed You Dry One of the main reasons your electric bill may be high is that you have a host of items that stay plugged in whether you’re using them or not. While that might not have been such a problem years ago, most modern appliances and gadgets draw electricity when turned off . This is mostly because much of modern technology never really turns off. Instead, DVRs, computers, televisions and all sorts of other gadgets transition to a standby mode so they can be turned on faster or carry out a scheduled task like recording a TV show or brewing a pot of coffee. Problem is, these devices are sucking electricity out of your home while waiting for a command from you or waiting for a scheduled task to run. And anything with a clock, such as microwave ovens and coffee makers — and even older technologies, like VCRs — need power to keep time while turned off. Solution: You can start saving energy by connecting devices to power strips and turning off the power strips when you’re not using them. That way, off will really mean off. 2. Feeding Energy Hogs Big appliances, like dishwashers, clothes washers and clothes dryers have insatiable appetites for electricity and using them too often can drive your electricity bill way up. In fact, the average American family does almost 400 loads of laundry a year and uses almost 40 gallons of water for a full load. Solution : For your dishwasher , make sure that you fill it to capacity before you run it, choose an appropriate wash cycle and make sure that you use no-heat drying. For clothes washers and dryers , try having only one laundry day each week, fill your loads to capacity and select low heat for drying. 3. Misusing Lights and Ceiling Fans When it comes to lighting, many people make the mistake of using lights to affect the brightness of an entire room, which can contribute to high electric bills. However, lighting is efficient only when used directly to provide light to specific areas of a room, such as couches, chairs, kitchen tables and workspaces. You’ll also pay more on your electric bill if you keep lights on when nobody’s using them. Likewise, ceiling fans only affect the temperature of the room in which they’re installed, so it makes no sense to leave a ceiling fan on if nobody’s in the room. Additionally, ceiling fans have a toggle switch that allows the blades to switch direction for optimal efficiency based on the season . If you’re not switching the direction of your blades according to the season, you’re wasting money when it comes to using your ceiling fans. Solution : Use lighting only for specific areas that are occupied and make sure to turn off lights when those areas are no longer in use. Additionally, change out inefficient incandescent light bulbs for energy-efficient CFL blubs to save money when the lights are on. For ceiling fans, turn them off when nobody’s in the room and be sure to set the toggle switch so that the blades run counter clockwise during the summer and clockwise during the winter to circulate air more efficiently. 4. Using Appliances Past Their Prime Using old appliances is probably one of the bigger reasons why you’re paying more on your electric bill. The fact is old appliances simply use more energy than new energy-efficient models. If you don’t want to upgrade your refrigerator, dishwasher, clothes washer, clothes dryer, stovetop or oven, you should probably settle for spending more on your monthly energy bills. Solution: This one’s easy. Upgrade your appliances with new energy-efficient models. A new energy-efficient refrigerator, for example, uses about four times less electricity than an older model. 5. Charging Mania Look around your home at all the technology that uses chargers: cell phones, MP3 players, iPads and tablet PCs, electric razors, electric toothbrushes, laptops, portable game systems and a whole slew of similar devices. The more tech- and gadget-oriented you are, the more likely you are to have these devices plugged in and sucking energy from your home — and the more likely you are to pay an expensive electric bill because of them. Solution : Unplug AC adapters and chargers from sockets when not actively charging a device, as they’ll pull electricity simply from being plugged in. Also, make sure to only charge your devices when they need it. Unnecessary charging not only costs money, it can shorten your gadget’s battery life. Sources American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy website, “ Consumer Resources: Dishwashing .” ENERGY STAR website, “ Clothes Washers Best Practices .” ENERGY STAR website, “ Dishwashers for Consumers .” ENERGY STAR website, “ Fans, Ceiling for Consumers .” ENERGY STAR website, “ Standby Power and Energy Vampires .” “ GreenSpace: Cold War on the Inefficient Old Fridge ,” The Philadelphia Enquirer , March 21, 2011. LearnVest website, “ Save Energy And Save Money By Slaying The Energy Vampires In Your Home .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/5-reasons-your-electric-bill-is-so-high/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/5-reasons-your-electric-bill-is-so-high/ Tue, 07 Jun 2011 08:30:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/rate-hikes-approved-for-chicago-electric-utility-pending-likely-veto/ The Illinois state House approved a spending plan for Gov. Pat Quinn that included permission for Commonwealth Edison Co. (ComEd), the state’s largest electric utility, to raise utility rates. ComEd requested the rate hikes to offset investments in its power grid. The bill’s chief sponsor in the House, Rep. Kevin McCarthy, D-Orland Park, said the rate increase would result in at least 2,000 new jobs and bring both “cutting edge technology” and “outstanding reliability” to ComEd’s aging power grid. The legislation would increase ComEd’s electric rates by a guaranteed minimum of 2.5 percent each year for the next two years to help compensate the utility for investing in a planned $1.5 billion modernization of its power grid, including providing for the installation of “smart meters” in all homes and businesses. Since the increases would be assessed to the electricity delivery charge, the rate hikes would affect all electric customers in ComEd’s market, regardless if they buy their electricity from the utility or from an alternative electric supplier . The rate hikes were opposed by Attorney General Lisa Madigan, AARP Illinois, the Citizens Utility Board and Gov. Quinn, who has promised to veto the legislation. Madigan said the bill amounted to a “blank check” for ComEd since it provided for minimum, not maximum, rate increases. Although the House approved the rate increases by a vote of 67-47, the measure needed to receive 71 votes in order to override a veto by Quinn, potentially making the bill’s move to the Senate for confirmation a moot point. “We believe [the House vote is] a positive development,” Quinn spokesman Grant Klinzman said, since the House vote failed to hit a veto-proof majority. Sources “ House OKs ComEd Hikes, but Quinn Veto Possible ,” Chicago Sun-Times , May 31, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/rate-hikes-approved-for-chicago-electric-utility-pending-likely-veto/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/rate-hikes-approved-for-chicago-electric-utility-pending-likely-veto/ Mon, 06 Jun 2011 08:13:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/peco-electric-rates-to-increase-july-1/ Residential and commercial customers of PECO Energy Co., Pennsylvania’s largest electric utility, may want to consider switching to an alternative electric supplier before summer arrives. Beginning July 1, electric rates for PECO’s commercial customers will increase between 9.4 and 12.6 percent, the utility announced. Cathy Engel Menendez, the electric utility’s spokesperson, said that the sharp price increases reflect the higher cost of buying electricity during the summer months. PECO’s price-to-compare for small commercial customers will increase 9.4 percent, from 9.43 cents per kilowatt-hour to 10.32 cents. The price-to-compare for medium commercial customers will increase 12.6 percent, from 9.30 cents per kilowatt-hour to 10.47 cents. The increases reportedly won’t affect roughly 60,000 small commercial customers who switched from PECO and now buy their electricity from an alternative electric supplier . However, about 100,000 small commercial customers who still buy their electricity from the utility are looking at bigger electric bills starting in July. According to PECO, the GS Rate, or average monthly usage for general-service commercial customers, is 4,530 kilowatt-hours, which costs about $565 a month. The utility said that the average small commercial customer will see a $40 bump in their monthly electric bill. PECO announced earlier that residential electric rates would also increase July 1, by 4.3 percent. The utility was more specific this week, saying that its residential price-to-compare will increase from 9.99 cents per kilowatt-hour to 10.42 cents. For residential electric customers who use more than 500 kilowatt-hours in a month, the utility will charge 11.69 cents per kilowatt-hour. How Deregulation Affects PECO’s Electric Rates Deregulation ended PECO’s ability to generate electricity, forcing the utility to purchase electricity from power generators and sell it direct — at cost and without markup — to customers that choose to buy their electricity from the utility instead of an alternative electric supplier. PECO said that the prices it charges residential electric customers, called commodity charges, are based on procurement contracts the utility is able to sign with the electric companies that generate power. The long-term residential supply contracts are based on structured market-based auctions. However, PECO’s commodity charges for commercial and industrial customers are more volatile than for residential customers because they’re more dependent on short-term spot market electricity prices and can fluctuate more dramatically each quarter. While PECO’s electric rates can increase quarterly for all its customers, the electric utility’s distribution charge — the fee that the utility charges to deliver electricity to all of its customers, regardless of where they buy their electricity — is regulated by the state’s Public Utility Commission, which must approve any increase. The distribution charge is where PECO makes its profit, and reflects costs the electric utility incurs maintaining its wires and poles and customer service system. Sources “ For Commercial Customers, PECO Will Raise its Price To Compare ,” The Philadelphia Inquirer , May 18, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/peco-electric-rates-to-increase-july-1/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/peco-electric-rates-to-increase-july-1/ Fri, 03 Jun 2011 08:15:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/governor-may-veto-comed-automatic-electric-rate-increases/ Illinois Governor Pat Quinn said at a press conference recently in Chicago that he would veto the current version of a bill winding its way through the Illinois House that would allow state electric utilities to charge automatic rate increases to pay for upgrades to the electric grid. According to Quinn, state electric utilities, such as Commonwealth Edison Co. (ComEd), need to share some of the financial responsibility for electric grid modernization. Quinn also said that the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) must maintain the power to review electric rates in order to protect consumers. “They're big. They're behemoth. But they're not the people of Illinois,” Quinn said of the electric utilities. “We cannot allow energy policy in Illinois to be run by a company or two.” Under the proposed legislation, state law would be amended to allow ComEd and other utilities to raise electric rates without ICC review in order to recoup the cost of infrastructure improvements to the state’s electric distribution grid. ComEd said the proposed legislation would allow it to invest $2.6 billion in grid infrastructure during the next decade and, according to ComEd president Anne Pramaggiore, who testified at a House committee hearing last month, the legislation would result in improvements to the state’s economy and provide reliability increases for electric customers. Quinn said that he supports a comprehensive energy plan that will stabilize electric rates, create jobs and encourage investment in renewable energy, but that he would veto legislation that stripped ICC of its review authority. One of the bill’s co-sponsors, Rep. Kevin McCarthy, a Democrat from Orland Park, said he would add an amendment to the bill requiring ICC to approve all electric rate increases. Sources “ Illinois Gov Doesn't Back Automatic Utility Hikes ,” Bloomberg Businessweek , May 9, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/governor-may-veto-comed-automatic-electric-rate-increases/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/governor-may-veto-comed-automatic-electric-rate-increases/ Fri, 03 Jun 2011 08:11:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/report-energy-efficiency-up,-but-energy-consumption-unchanged/ The share of residential electricity used by appliances and electronics in U.S. homes nearly doubled over the past three decades, but overall residential energy usage remained nearly static due to federal energy efficiency standards implemented for appliances and electronics, according to a new report. The report, “Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS),” by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), found that while the amount of electricity used by home appliances and electronics increased from 1.77 quadrillion Btu (quads) to 3.25 quads from 1978 to 2005, the amount of electricity that energy companies provided households decreased from 10.58 quads to 10.55 quads over the same period, indicating overall energy consumption remained static in spite of the proliferation of electronic devices. One big reason for energy consumption remaining steady is the substantial improvement in home energy efficiency, particularly in heating. Energy efficiency standards enacted between 1988 and 1994 were found to have provided energy efficiency gains in home heating technologies and major home appliances, such as refrigerators, clothes washers and dryers resulting in a 31 percent reduction in energy usage per household. However, the proliferation of home appliances and electronics largely offset these efficiency gains. There were several notable trends found by the first release of 2009 data from RECS: - 76 percent of all U.S. households had at least one computer — 8 percent more than four years earlier — while 35 percent of households had more than one computer - While the average U.S. household had just one television in 1978, the average U.S. home had 2.5 televisions in 2009, with 44 percent of all U.S. homes containing three or more televisions as of 2009 - 45 percent of all U.S. households had at least one television with a screen size of 37 inches or greater, and the screen size and electricity consumption of the average television continued to grow over time - 79 percent of all U.S. households had a DVD player, and 43 percent had a DVR - Almost a third of all U.S. households had four or more rechargeable electronic devices, such as cell phones, plugged in at home EIA has conducted RECS periodically since 1979 to gather information and report on household energy data for the United States, Census Regions and Divisions, and California, Texas, New York and Florida. For RECS 2009, EIA expanded its survey to include Pennsylvania, Illinois, Michigan, Georgia, New Jersey, Virginia, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Arizona, Missouri, Wisconsin, and Colorado. Sources U.S. Energy Information Administration, “ Residential Energy Consumption Survey: Share Of Energy Used by Appliances and Consumer Electronics Increases in U.S. Homes ,” March 28, 2011. “ Homes Have More Energy-Efficient Appliances, But the Efficiency Gains Are Partly Offset by More Consumer Electronics ,” U.S. Energy Information Administration press release, March 28, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/report-energy-efficiency-up,-but-energy-consumption-unchanged/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/report-energy-efficiency-up,-but-energy-consumption-unchanged/ Thu, 02 Jun 2011 08:15:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/the-cold-hard-facts-behind-energy-saving-cool-roofs/ If you’ve ever been to the Mediterranean or watched a program about it on television, you may have seen neighborhoods full of homes with white-painted roofs. Cool roofs have been used to cool homes since ancient times in places like Greece, and are becoming popular in places like New York, California and Hawaii. Since white is a poor radiator of heat, white-painted roofs can help keep your home cooler by reflecting the sun’s energy away from your home and preventing it from radiating into your attic and down into your living space. But there’s a lot more to installing a modern cool roof than just painting your roof white, and modern cool roofs offer more benefits than simply saving money on your monthly electric bills . The Benefits of Cool Roofs Although most modern cool roofs are white, it’s the solar reflective surfaces of the materials used in the roofs — whether those materials are reflective paints, sheet coverings or reflective tiles or shingles — that make the real difference. In fact, standard roofs can get as hot as 150 degrees in the summer, but cool roofs under the same conditions could stay more than 50 degrees cooler. Such a significant difference in roof temperature can benefit you in several ways: - Reduce your monthly electric bills by decreasing the need to use your air conditioner to maintain a comfortable indoor environment - Improve the comfort of spaces in your home that aren’t air conditioned - Extend the life of your roof by decreasing its average operating temperature Installing a cool roof can also benefit your neighbors and the environment, especially when whole neighborhoods use them: - Reduce local air temperatures by mitigating a phenomenon known as the urban heat island effect - Decrease peak energy demand, which, in many urban areas, can help prevent power outages - Reduce power plant emissions — such as carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxides and mercury — by decreasing the amount of electricity you use in your home 4 Questions You Should Ask About Cool Roofs There are four basic questions you should ask about cool roofs before you decide if a cool roof is right for you: 1. What are the project requirements for installing a cool roof? From the materials that you can use — such as coatings, membranes, shingles or tiles — to the grade of slope of your roof, there are many types of installation or retrofitting options to consider when it comes to cool roofs. To determine which options are best for you, consider scheduling a consultation with a cool roof installer in your area. 2. What are the building regulations for a cool roof on my home? Building codes for your city and neighborhood can help you determine if a cool roof is permissible and what restrictions there are regarding materials and installation. Websites for your local state, city or municipality are likely to have the necessary information, as might a local builder or local cool roof installer. 3. Is the amount of energy saved by a cool roof worth the cost of installing one? Simply painting your roof white could reduce your air conditioning costs by 20 percent, and installing a complete cool roof could save even more. But like most energy efficiency home improvements, up-front expenses will outweigh savings until material and installation costs are eventually recouped by saving money on monthly utility bills. The U.S. Department of Energy offers a complex online cool roof calculator to help you determine how long that might be, but a local cool roof installer might be able to provide you with a simpler estimation. 4. Is my climate right for a cool roof? Homes in warm climates benefit from cool roofs more than homes in cool climates. In fact, cool roofs on homes in cool climates can sometimes have the undesired effect of costing homeowners more in heating costs than it saves them in cooling costs. But cool roofs can also be problematic in warm climates since they’re more susceptible to algae or mold growth than normal roofs that get very hot in the summer and kill algae and mold before it has a chance to grow. Make sure to ask your installer about cool roof coatings that prevent algae and mold from growing. Sources Cool Roof Rating Council website, “ Cool Roof Codes and Programs .” Energy Savers website, “ Cool Roofs .” Energy Savers website, “ Deciding Whether to Install a Cool Roof .” Energy Savers website, “ Types of Roofs — How They Can Be Made Cool .” Oak Ridge National Laboratory website, “ DOE Cool Roof Calculator .” U.S. Department of Energy report, “ Guidelines for Selecting Cool Roofs ,” July 2010. “ White Roofs Catch On as Energy Cost Cutters ,” The New York Times , July 29, 2009. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/the-cold-hard-facts-behind-energy-saving-cool-roofs/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/june/the-cold-hard-facts-behind-energy-saving-cool-roofs/ Wed, 01 Jun 2011 08:11:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/may/comed-rate-hikes-approved-will-begin-tomorrow/ Commonwealth Edison Co. (ComEd), Illinois’ largest electric utility, received approval from the Illinois Commerce Commission to collect an additional $155.7 million in yearly revenue from customers as part of the utility’s grid modernization plan. The rate hikes, which were approved unanimously by the commission, will increase an average electric bill from a single family by $3.15 a month, or $37.80 per year. The additional charges will be tacked on to distribution services, which means all customers who receive electric service from ComEd will see the increases, regardless of whether they buy their electricity from the utility or an alternative electric supplier . The new distribution rates will go into effect June 1 and show up on customer bills for the following billing cycle. Initially, ComEd had requested a $326.3 million increase, but the commission reduced the proposal by more than $170 million after Commission staff, the Citizen Utility Board, the Illinois Industrial Energy Consumers organization and the Illinois Attorney General recommended reductions in several areas, including operations, maintenance, incentive compensation and pension contributions. ComEd said that it opposes the Commission’s decision and that it needs the full rate increase to “recover the costs of making these [grid] investments and to continue maintaining a reliable electric delivery system.” ComEd said it’s moving forward with its “Energy Infrastructure Modernization Act,” a legislative proposal to invest $2.6 billion in Illinois’ electric grid over the next 10 years. The utility claims the investment will reduce outages and disruptions, create jobs and protect regulatory oversight. However, critics of the legislation, such as Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and David Kolata, executive director of the Citizen Utility Board, argue that setting utility rates using the proposed legislation’s formula would undercut the authority of the Commission, which currently has the power to approve or deny rate increases. If passed, the legislation would add another $3 a month to residential electric bills. Sources “ ComEd Rate Hike to Cost Customers About $3.15 a Month ,” Chicago Tribune , May 24, 2011. “ ComEd Increases Yearly Rates by $155.7M ,” NBC Chicago, May 25, 2011. “ ComEd Rate Hike to Cost Customers About $37.80 More a Year ,” The Herald-News , May 25, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/may/comed-rate-hikes-approved-will-begin-tomorrow/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/may/comed-rate-hikes-approved-will-begin-tomorrow/ Tue, 31 May 2011 08:07:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/may/study-texas-can-gain-cheap-electricity-rates-through-energy-efficiency/ Turns out that switching to an alternative retail electric company isn’t the only way that consumers and businesses in Texas can start saving money on their monthly electric bills . A new study, “Energy Efficiency Investments as an Economic Productivity Strategy for Texas,” by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, found that proper, cost-effective investment in Texas energy efficiency projects not only could save residential and commercial ratepayers $14 billion between 2012 and 2030, it could also result in the creation of 47,000 jobs per year by 2030. The council’s study, commissioned by the Texas Clean Energy Coalition, examined the target set by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) for the state’s utilities to meet 30 percent of the expected growth in demand for electricity through energy efficiency improvements, as well as estimates by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which is responsible for the state’s electric grid in the three-quarters of the state that is deregulated. The council found that the PUCT’s goal would save ratepayers only about $3 billion between 2012 and 2030 and create just 9,200 jobs per year by 2030. Instead, “an expanded set of productivity investments across the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors would not only reduce the growth in electricity demand, they would actually reduce overall electricity consumption 12 percent to 19 percent below 2010 levels by 2030,” according to the study. To achieve this level of benefits, efficiency gains from supply side and demand side investments would need to displace conventional electricity use by about 1.5 percent to 2 percent per year until 2030. “The extent to which the resulting benefits are realized will depend on the willingness of business and policy leaders to redirect investment patterns to this more productive opportunity,” the study concludes. Sources “ Texas Energy Efficiency Investments Would Save Money for Consumers and Businesses While Creating Thousands of Jobs ,” American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy press release, March 22, 2011. American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, “ Energy Efficiency Investments as an Economic Productivity Strategy for Texas ,” March, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/may/study-texas-can-gain-cheap-electricity-rates-through-energy-efficiency/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/may/study-texas-can-gain-cheap-electricity-rates-through-energy-efficiency/ Fri, 27 May 2011 08:12:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/may/power-for-heroes-spark-energy-newest-plan-helps-veterans/ In honor of Memorial Day, Spark Energy is launching Power for Heroes , a new electricity plan that gives you the opportunity to lock in a special low rate while making a difference in the lives of wounded U.S. military veterans. To offer the Power for Heroes plan, Spark Energy has partnered with Helping a Hero, a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that supports military personnel severely injured in the war on terror. When you sign up for the Power for Heroes plan, Spark Energy will donate a portion of your electric bill to Helping a Hero. Plus, you’ll get to enjoy a special low rate while helping fund critical services for wounded veterans. “The troops have done so much for us and for this country,” said Phil Tonge, President of Spark Energy. “They deserve more than our remembrance — they deserve our support. That’s why we’ve created this innovative electricity plan to support the troops and help ease their transition back to civilian life after the incredible sacrifices they’ve made.” Helping a Hero provides funding for financial, emotional, educational and career support, finances specially-adapted homes for disabled service members and assists communities with finding ways to deliver needed services and resources for wounded veterans and their families. “Working with Spark Energy is a great way to raise money for our wounded heroes,” said Meredith Iler, President of Helping a Hero. “Everyone needs electricity. Why not get it from a company that makes a difference?” For more information or to sign up for the Power for Heroes plan, go to sparkenergy.com/HERO or call 877-547-7275 and ask for the Power for Heroes plan. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/may/power-for-heroes-spark-energy-newest-plan-helps-veterans/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/may/power-for-heroes-spark-energy-newest-plan-helps-veterans/ Thu, 26 May 2011 11:53:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/may/texas-shoppers-get-sales-tax-holiday-for-energy-efficient-appliances/ If you live in Texas, you can take advantage of the state’s fourth annual sales tax holiday on ENERGY STAR appliances Memorial Day weekend, from May 28–30. If you want to start saving money off your monthly electric bill , you can get one of the following ENERGY STAR–certified appliance upgrades without having to pay a single cent in sales tax: - Air conditioners — $6,000 or less - Refrigerators — $2,000 or less - Clothes washers, but not clothes dryers — ENERGY STAR doesn’t label clothes dryers because most use about the same amount of energy - Dishwashers - Dehumidifiers - Ceiling fans - Incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs - Programmable thermostats, for those manufactured up to December 31, 2009 — ENERGY STAR suspended its ratings of programmable thermostats after December 31, 2009, but any ENERGY STAR–rated programmable thermostats in stock from before then are eligible Backorders, Out of Stock and On Order Appliances As long as you buy the appliance from May 28–30, you can still qualify for the sales tax exemption if the appliance you order is backlogged, temporarily out of stock or on order by the retailer. Internet and Catalog Sales You don’t have to go to a store to participate in the ENERGY STAR sales tax holiday. You can shop online or through a catalog as long as you meet the following conditions: - The ENERGY STAR–certified appliance is paid for and delivered from May 28–30, or - You order and pay for the appliance and the retailer accepts the order from May 28–30, even if the appliance isn’t shipped until after the exemption period expires. Layaway Plans You can qualify for the tax exemptions as long as you complete your order and the appliance is accepted into layaway from May 28–30, or you make your final payment on an appliance already in layaway. Delivery Charges Some delivery charges will be tax-exempt and others won’t. There are several different factors that determine the tax-exempt status of your order, including if you have a mix of eligible ENERGY STAR-certified appliance and non-eligible items and whether you are charged a flat delivery fee or not. You should ask your retailer for more information on delivery charges before you place your order. Installation Charges The tax-exempt status for installing appliances is a little complicated and depends on the type of installation and if the jobsite is residential or commercial. For more information on the tax-exempt status of residential and commercial installations, contact the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, your installer or contractor. Sources “ Economy Project: Energy Star Sales Tax Weekend ,” KERA (Dallas, Texas), May 23, 2011. Window on State Government website, “ ENERGY STAR Sales Tax Holiday Information for Sellers Memorial Day Weekend: May 28-30, 2011 .” http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/may/texas-shoppers-get-sales-tax-holiday-for-energy-efficient-appliances/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/may/texas-shoppers-get-sales-tax-holiday-for-energy-efficient-appliances/ Thu, 26 May 2011 08:21:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/may/the-top-4-myths-about-switching-electric-companies/ Residential electric customers have been able to take advantage of electric deregulation for a while in some states, like California and Texas, while in other states, like Illinois and Pennsylvania, the breakup of electric utility monopolies is a more recent development and electric choice for residential customers is relatively new. If you live in a deregulated electric market, the local electric utility is no longer the only electric company in town and many alternative electricity suppliers are allowed to compete for your business. Although the utility is still responsible for maintaining the electric grid, delivering electricity to homes and handling all service and outage problems, consumers can buy their electricity from the utility or one of several retail electric suppliers. Many people may understand that they have the power to choose an alternative electric supplier , but a lot of residential electricity customers still buy electricity from their utility because of misconceptions or rumors they’ve heard suggesting that something about their electric service will change for the worse if they switch. That’s why we’ve set out to set the record straight on the top four myths about switching electric companies. Myth #1: The utility will give you poor service if you switch. Your utility will not treat you differently or poorly, allow for interruptions of service or fail to respond to outages and service requests if you leave them and switch to an alternative electric supplier. Even in deregulated electric markets, electric utilities are regulated with regard to electric delivery. Utilities are responsible for providing the same level of service for all electricity users and are charged with maintaining the entire grid and its entire delivery infrastructure, including wires, poles and transformers, regardless of which electric supplier customers buy their power from. Like any company, some electricity suppliers offer better customer support than others. When you shop around for an electric company, make sure they offer things like U.S.-based customer service; convenient communication through phone, email and online chat; and bilingual support for Spanish customers. Myth #2: Your electric service could be temporarily interrupted if you switch. There will never be an interruption of service when you switch from your utility to an alternative electric supplier or from one electric supplier to another. Although switching might not be immediate in some cases — it could take a billing cycle or more to complete the switch — the transition is seamless. In fact, the only two things that might change are how much you pay for electricity and how you’re billed. In some markets, you may get separate monthly bills: one for the amount of electricity you use (from your electric supplier) and one for the distribution of the electricity to your home (from your utility). In other markets, you might get only one bill. In that case, your electric supplier will “piggyback” its supply charges onto the distribution bill from your utility, showing up as either a detailed list of charges or as a single line item charge, depending on what the utility allows. Myth #3: If you switch and the power goes out, nobody will respond. Your utility remains responsible for responding to power outages. That means that even if you switch to an alternative electric supplier, you’ll be able to call your utility just as you always have, at the same number, to report an outage. When you switch, your new electric supplier doesn’t take over maintenance and outages and the utility won’t leave you hanging because you left them. Myth #4: Alternative electric suppliers make up for cheap electric rates with hidden charges. Although it’s true that alternative electric suppliers often charge fees — just like utilities do — reputable electric suppliers are very up-front about additional fees and monthly charges. There are usually a few taxes, such as a sales tax, that every residential electricity customer will pay, no matter which company they buy their electricity from, including a utility. Other times, there may be a monthly fee associated with a particular type of plan, but at a reputable electric company, those fees are fully disclosed. Many electric customers who don’t switch from their utility to an alternative electric supplier are concerned that one or more of these top four myths about switching electric companies might be true. However, these myths are just that — myths. In reality, the only thing that’s different for most electric customers who switch, when compared to their utility, is the amount they save off of their monthly electric bill. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/may/the-top-4-myths-about-switching-electric-companies/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/may/the-top-4-myths-about-switching-electric-companies/ Wed, 25 May 2011 08:32:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/may/residential-electricity-could-become-more-efficient-with-new-solar-cell/ It turns out movies aren’t the only thing transitioning from two dimensions to three. A new three-dimensional solar cell developed by scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory can boost photovoltaic (PV) light-to-energy efficiency by 80 percent and could revolutionize the solar power industry. While a conventional 2D solar cell converts about 1.8 percent of the light that strikes it into energy, Oak Ridge’s new 3D solar cell has a demonstrated light-to-energy conversion of 3.2 percent. When sunlight strikes a typical solar panel, some of the energy that’s created by 2D PV cells gets trapped by natural flaws in the materials that make up the layers of the cells, resulting in lost electricity output. Oak Ridge’s new PV cell addresses some of these issues. The materials and three-dimensional structure of the cell improves its ability to convert energy from sunlight into electrons and then conduct those electrons through the cell to where they can be collected and used as electricity. But the advances don’t stop there. Oak Ridge scientists are also working on a follow-up to 3D PV cells that takes place in its own unique environment: a Petri dish. The lab is working on a hybrid solar cell that uses the natural light-harvesting abilities of photosynthetic bacteria to produce electricity. Sources “ 3D Solar Cell Boosts Efficiency By 80 Percent ,” Energy Matters, May 2, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/may/residential-electricity-could-become-more-efficient-with-new-solar-cell/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/may/residential-electricity-could-become-more-efficient-with-new-solar-cell/ Tue, 24 May 2011 08:27:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/may/using-less-residential-electricity-is-the-goal-of-federal-loan-program/ Although some energy-efficiency incentives offered by electric utilities may have expired by now, some utilities are still offering rebates, even to electric customers that have switched to an alternative electric supplier . However, a new, more ambitious program by the federal government is helping homeowners who want to do more than install CFL light bulbs or trade out their old refrigerators for new, energy-efficient models. To encourage large home energy-efficiency upgrades, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in November began a two-year pilot program to offer low-interest, government-backed PowerSaver loans to qualified homeowners who are looking to save money on monthly utility bills. Homeowners can apply for PowerSaver loans of up to $25,000 at eighteen regional and national lenders, often at or below market rates. The loans are meant to finance big-ticket home energy-efficiency upgrades such as high-efficiency HVAC systems, tankless water heaters , solar panels, and geothermal heating and cooling systems. The loans, which will serve an estimated 30,000 borrowers over the length of the pilot program, are expected to help homeowners save energy, reduce pollution, and create at least 3,000 jobs in the energy-retrofit market. Sources “ U.S. Helps Homeowners Get Loans to Improve Energy Efficiency ,” USA Today , April 25, 2011. “ HUD Announces Pilot Program to Help Homeowners Pay For Energy Improvements to Their Homes ,” U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development press release, Nov. 9, 2010. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/may/using-less-residential-electricity-is-the-goal-of-federal-loan-program/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/may/using-less-residential-electricity-is-the-goal-of-federal-loan-program/ Mon, 23 May 2011 08:23:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/may/saving-energy-goes-online-with-new-commercial-app/ Retroficiency, a start-up company from Boston, hopes the new Web-based energy performance application it launched earlier this month will make carrying out energy efficiency audits for commercial buildings more efficient. The company’s namesake application, referred to by Retroficiency founder and CEO Bennett Fisher as an “identification and qualification platform,” is designed to quickly provide a profile of a commercial building’s energy use and offer suggestions for potential energy efficiency upgrades. The application can be used by energy auditors to create reports faster, or by facility managers to prioritize energy efficiency projects and start saving money on energy costs . According to Fisher, there are a lot of building owners or occupants out there who are interested in exploring energy efficiency upgrades, but are dissuaded by the time-consuming prospect of having a human energy services professional take hours to manually inspect an entire facility on foot while writing up a minutely detailed report. “There's a huge bottleneck of finding efficiency opportunities and going after this,” Fisher said in an interview with CNET. “New York City wants to audit 20,000 buildings. How are they going to do this with a guy walking around with a clipboard counting light bulbs?” Retroficiency gets rid of manual processes and spreadsheets and relies instead on a short survey, predictive analytics and a huge database of tens of thousands of prior energy audits to infer specific things about the building, like probable electricity use. The application then makes suggestions for potential energy efficiency upgrades based on those inferences. Sources “ New Retroficiency App to Take Energy Efficiency Audits for Buildings Online ,” Los Angeles Times , March 9, 2011. “ Retroficiency App Sizes Up Building Energy ,” CNET, March 9, 2011. “ Local Firms Roll Out Energy Auditing Software ,” The Boston Globe , March 9, 2011. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/may/saving-energy-goes-online-with-new-commercial-app/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/may/saving-energy-goes-online-with-new-commercial-app/ Fri, 20 May 2011 08:10:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/may/5-ways-to-keep-cool-without-your-air-conditioner/ The vast majority of U.S. homes — 84 percent, to be exact — use air conditioners. And air conditioners can be a big expense when it comes to paying your bills. While you may be able to buy cheaper electricity by switching to an alternative retail electricity supplier , you can also reduce your electricity bills by simply using your air conditioner less often. To help, we’ve put together a list of five ways you can keep cool while using your air conditioner less often. 1. Use Windows and Shades Smartly The way you use your windows and shades can play a big role in helping keep your home cool without using your air conditioner, or at least using it a lot less: - Open your windows at night if it’s cooler outside than inside so that the house can cool naturally while you’re sleeping. - In the morning, close all windows and shades on the east side of your home, but leave open the windows and shades on the west side of your home — the ones that are in the shade — to continue cooling your home for a little while longer. - If you live in a cool climate, switch in the afternoons — open the windows and shades on the east side while closing those on the west side. Otherwise, close all windows when the outside temperature warms in order to capture the cool air already in your home. 2. Circulate Air with Ceiling and Floor Fans Running ceiling fans can make the ambient air temperature in a room feel up to four degrees cooler; floor fans can also help a lot: - Make sure to run ceiling fans counterclockwise so they push air down from the ceiling to cool you with a “wind chill effect” which, in turn, forces cooler air along the floor back up toward the ceiling. - When running a floor fan, place a bucket of ice in front of it. As the warm air runs over the top of the bucket, it’s cooled by the evaporating ice. The process is just like an air conditioner, only a lot cheaper. - If you run a floor fan in tandem with a ceiling fan, place the floor fan in a corner, with the bucket of ice, and let the cooled air blow into the center of the room, where it can be pulled to the ceiling and become part of the circular cooling effect. 3. Replace Your Hot Light Bulbs Incandescent light bulbs get really warm and contribute to increased temperatures in your home. So, too, can energy-efficient halogen lights, which can get blisteringly hot. To help, change out your incandescent and halogen bulbs for compact florescent light (CFL) bulbs or light emitting diode (LED) bulbs, which not only save energy, but operate with very little heat. In fact, LEDs are about 25 times cooler than an incandescent bulb. 4. Paint Your Roof White It may sound silly, but painting your roof white will prevent a lot of the sun’s heat energy from radiating into your attic and down into your living space. While black and dark colors, like those of many roof shingles, are great radiators — which means they allow heat to easily pass through — light colors like white are really bad radiators, which means heat has a harder time passing through. Painting roofs white is becoming a common option to keep heat out of homes in places like New York, California, and Hawaii. White roofs can cut air conditioning costs by as much as 20 percent and Steven Chu, the U.S. Secretary of Energy, even says that white roofs can help with global warming by reflecting the sun’s light back into space. 5. Seal Windows and Doors and Insulate Your Attic All these ideas for making and keeping cool air in your home without using your air conditioner won’t amount for much if the cool air escapes through cracks in doors and windows or out into your attic. But there are a few easy things you can do to effectively seal the cool air inside your home and make the rest of these tips really count: - Perform a few simple tests to determine where your home is leaking air . Then grab some weather stripping and caulk and seal off the offending areas. - In order to prevent cool air from escaping into your attic and warm air from radiating down into your living space, increase the insulation in your attic. To get even more ideas for things you can do to keep your home cool without using your air conditioner, consider a home energy audit for a more thorough, professional account of how your home uses energy. Sources eHow website, “ How to Cool Your Home Without Air Conditioning .” Yahoo! Green website, “ 14 Ways to Keep Cool in Your Home Without Air Conditioning .” Huffpost Green website, “ 8 Ways To Keep Cool Without Air Conditioning .” “ White Roofs Catch On as Energy Cost Cutters ,” The New York Times , July 29, 2009. http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/may/5-ways-to-keep-cool-without-your-air-conditioner/ http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/may/5-ways-to-keep-cool-without-your-air-conditioner/ Thu, 19 May 2011 08:18:00 GMT http://www.sparkenergy.com/blog/2011/may/experts-urge-peco-customers-to-switch-to-alternative-electric-suppliers/ Residential electricity experts in Pennsylvania are urging customers of PECO Energy Co., the state’s largest utility, to switch to an alternative electric supplier in order to sta