October is National Cooperative Month

Join Homer Electric in celebrating cooperatives in Alaska and across America during National Cooperative Month.

Every October, cooperatives are recognized for the qualities that make the business model unique: local democratic control, commitment to supporting the communities they serve and improving quality of life, special benefits and services, and the return of margins (the co-op term for profits) back to members in the form of capital credits.

Homer Electric is one of more than 900 electric cooperatives, public utility districts and public power districts serving 42 million people in 47 states. Electric cooperatives were formed because rural communities were struggling for lack of investment. Neighbors banded together and lit up the countryside when no one else would. That’s what we celebrate each October.

Energy Efficiency & Conservation Student Contest

 

Homer Electric is  proud to sponsor our 3rd Energy Efficiency & Conservation Student Contest for grades kindergarten through eight. HEA invites students to enhance their skills in science, writing and technology by entering the contest held in conjunction with the 2012 Energy & Conservation Fairs in November. 

The contest categories are:

• Kindergarten, Grade 1 & 2 - Coloring contest
• Grade 3 & 4 - Energy limerick poem
• Grades 5 & 6 - Song lyrics or game
• Grades 7 & 8 - Script for a play/TV show

Entries and registration form should be postmarked no later than October 26, 2012. For more information on contest rules, prizes and to download an entry form, go to HEA Energy Efficiency & Conservation Contest link.  Contact Tanya Lautaret at 283-2305 or tlautaret@homerelectric.com for details.

Generator Safety

Late autumn, winter, and early spring are times when the threat of inclement weather and other unexpected interruptions cause extended power outages. Many of us, including our friends, family and neighbors, have considered purchasing or borrowing portable generators to use in the event of such a power outage.

For the safety of you and your family, along with our field personnel, Homer Electric encourages you to be aware of generator safety and operation.

Generator Connections
Thorough knowledge about residential wiring is a must. The number one concern is to avoid "backfeeding" which is the result of improperly installing the generator and endangers the lives of our line workers and other emergency personnel. A generator must always be grounded before connecting to the building load. The safest thing to do is to consult with a qualified electrician and consider installing a transfer switch.

HEA strongly encourages all residential customers to have a properly licensed electrician install the equipment necessary to connect emergency generators, whether permanently mounted or portable, to their home's electrical system. All installations must meet the National Electrical Code.

For more information on generator safety, view HEA's Home Generator Safety brochure. 

Shedding Light on Energy Savings

     The lightbulb has undergone relatively few changes since it was introduced in the late 1870s. But new technology that can drastically reduce the amount of energy and money used to light our homes (accounting for roughly 13 percent of the average household’s electric bill) has arrived.

     Consumers have several options when choosing lights: traditional incandescent lightbulbs, halogen incandescent lightbulbs, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), regular halogen bulbs, and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Most consumers are well aware of the energy savings of CFLs, but some are turned off by their curlicue shape and color of the light they produce. In response, manufacturers are making CFLs that look like traditional lightbulbs. CFLs can be as much as 75 percent more efficient than basic incandescent bulbs.

      LEDs are beginning to find their way onto store shelves as well. They can last up to 25 times longer than a classic incandescent bulb but are much more expensive. (Some LEDs are yellow in color even though the light they produce is white.) The key to buying an LED: Find one that has fins beneath the actual bulb to help cool it. LEDs make sense in fixtures like a yard or porch light that stays on eight to 12 hours a day.

      Halogen lamps (reflector-based, incandescent hybrids, and advanced lamps) are another option. They provide excellent color quality and can be dimmed. In fact, the dimming properties of halogens are the hardest for other light sources to mimic.

      When halogen lamps are dimmed, filament temperature decreases. This causes the light to change from white to yellow or red-orange. In many environments, such as homes and restaurants, people have come to expect and appreciate this “warmness”  from dimmed lights.

      However, after traditional incandescent lightbulbs, halogen lamps are also the least-efficient and offer the shortest life (only three times longer than a traditional incandescent bulb). Recent federal efficiency standards will eliminate most reflector-based halogen lamps from the market beginning in 2012.

      Advanced halogen lamps, on the other hand, use IR technology. These products provide a 20 percent to 30 percent increase in efficiency but cost two to three times more than standard halogen products. Halogen incandescents also remain a good alternative for consumers not ready to make the leap to CFLs or LEDs.

     You can also try other simple measures for trimming lighting expenses. Add occupancy sensors to wall switches in bathrooms, basements, or laundry rooms. These devices will automatically turn lights off when no one is in the room.

     Dusk-to-dawn fixtures come with a photo sensor that shuts off a light when the sun comes up. However, if the sensor is positioned in such a way that it is covered by a shadow, or if the sensor breaks, the light will operate during the day. Replacing can be a fairly simple task, but pay careful attention to all of the safety warnings and precautions that come with the new sensor.

      Understanding how much energy different bulbs consume and replacing broken equipment can be easy ways to save energy while maintaining a home that provides ample light. 

Brian Sloboda is a senior program manager specializing in energy efficiency for the Cooperative Research Network, a service of the Arlington, Va.-based National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Additional content provided by ESource.

Renters Have the Power to Save Electricity

If you rent your home, it often seems that you can’t do much to control your electric bills. But in reality, there are lots of low- or no-cost tricks that you can put into place to cut down on electricity use. 

“Usually leases forbid renters to make alterations to a structure, so your energy-saving solutions have to be simple,” says Brian Sloboda, a senior program manager specializing in energy efficiency with the Cooperative Research Network, an arm of the Arlington, Va.-based National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

Electronics and Appliances

The notion that regularly powering down your computer will shorten its life is outdated. Nowadays, computers tend to become outdated themselves before frequent shutdowns cause any damage. The U.S. Department of Energy consumer website, EnergySavers.gov, offers this guideline: If you won’t use your computer for more than 20 minutes, shut off the monitor; if you won’t use it for more than two hours, shut the whole thing down.

However, there is a caveat: If your computer takes its time waking up, your own time might be worth more than the electricity you save.

Most electronics feature a glowing light when turned off—that means they’re still drawing electricity. A quick fix for this “vampire,” or phantom, load involves plugging various devices into a power strip. Simply flip the switch on the power strip when you won’t be using the devices. 

While your hands are most likely tied when it comes to the types of major appliances installed, if one needs to be replaced, lobby your landlord to purchase an ENERGY STAR model. Visit energystar.gov for more information on particular products.

Weatherizing

A roll of weather stripping and a tube of caulk can go a long way in saving energy and money. Check for gaps around doors and windows. Can you see daylight? If so, ask your landlord if you can seal cracks and reduce air flow.

The Air Sealing section on EnergySavers.gov offers tips on the right types of weather stripping and caulk for your residence. While you’re talking to your landlord, ask if he or she will pay the cost if you do the labor.

Look to your windows for additional savings. Of course, you probably can’t replace them, but if they’re drafty in the winter, try sealing kits you can purchase at any home improvement store. These plastic sheets fit over your window to block drafts. Curtains can also help—close them in the summer to block sunlight, and open them in the winter to let the warmth in.

Useful Tips

A few more simple tips can help shave your electric bills:

• When lightbulbs burn out, replace them with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). If they have an ENERGY STAR label, these bulbs typically last up to 10 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs and use 75 percent less electricity.
• Use your vacuum to clean coils in the bottom panel of your refrigerator. Never figured out where those coils are? Watch this video by Touchstone Energy® Cooperatives to learn how.
• Similarly, keep your dryer vents clean. Clogged refrigerator coils and dryer vents will cause your appliances to work harder and increase the risk of fire. 
• Don’t allow furniture to block air vents, and shut the vents in rooms you don’t use.
• Check the temperature on your water heater. These devices don’t need to be set at more than 120 degrees Fahrenheit for daily showers and chores.

Sources: U.S. Department of Energy (EnergySavers.gov), Cooperative Research Network

Magen Howard writes on consumer and cooperative affairs for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the Arlington, Va.-based service arm of the nation’s 900-plus consumer-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperatives.

CFL Safety Guide & Clean Up Precautions

As energy-savvy consumers know, equipping five of a home’s most frequently used light fixtures with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) can save a family $70 a year in lighting costs. Please be aware of proper disposal of CFLs. Most importantly, let the CFL cool before replacing the bulb and take special care not to break the bulb.

 

But what should you do if a CFL breaks?

CFLs are made of glass tubing containing about 4 milligrams of mercury. Although this isn’t much—classic thermometers contain 500 milligrams of mercury—consumers should still take precautions if a CFL breaks, since mercury vapors may pose health risks. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently updated the guidelines for cleaning a broken CFL. The revised guidelines break the process into three steps: what to do before cleanup, during cleanup, and after cleanup. More in-depth guidelines are available at www.epa.gov/cflcleanup.

Before Cleanup 

• Have people and pets leave the room.
• Air out the room for 5-10 minutes by opening a window or door to the outdoor environment.
• Shut off the central forced air heating/air-conditioning system, if you have one.
• Collect materials needed to clean up broken bulb:  stiff paper or cardboard, sticky tape, damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes (for hard surfaces) and a glass jar with a metal lid or a sealable plastic bag.

During Cleanup

• DO NOT VACUUM.  Vacuuming is not recommended unless broken glass remains after all other cleanup steps have been taken.  Vacuuming could spread mercury-containing powder or mercury vapor.
• Be thorough in collecting broken glass and visible powder.
• Place cleanup materials in a sealable container.

After Cleanup

• Promptly place all bulb debris and cleanup materials, including vacuum cleaner bags, outdoors in a trash container or protected area until materials can be disposed of.  Avoid leaving any bulb fragments or cleanup materials indoors.
• If practical, continue to air out the room where the bulb was broken and leave the heating/air conditioning system shut off for several hours.
• Local disposal locations include the Central Peninsula Landfill in Soldotna, the Homer Bailing Landfill Facility and at Home Depot in Kenai.

 

If a consumer has a particular concern they can contact EPA or their local/state environmental agency for assistance. The updated guidelines feature a brochure on proper handling of CFLs, cleanup procedures, and recycling tips. The brochure may be downloaded at www.epa.gov/cflcleanup.

 

How to Buy an Energy Efficient Appliance

You go shopping for a new refrigerator, and you’re on a budget. The best buy is the fridge with the lowest sales price, right?

Not necessarily. If you buy the lowest-priced refrigerator, you may end up spending more than if you buy a more expensive one. The reason? The cost of owning a home appliance has three components: the initial purchase price, the cost of repairs and maintenance, and the cost to operate it.

To figure out how much you’ll spend over the lifetime of the appliance, you have to look at all these factors. The appliance with the lowest initial purchase price, or even the one with the best repair record, isn’t necessarily the one that costs the least to operate. Here’s an example of how an appliance's energy consumption can affect your out-of-pocket costs.

Suppose you’re in the market for a new refrigerator-freezer. Different models of refrigerators with the same capacity can vary dramatically in the amount of electricity they use. For one popular size and configuration, for example, the annual electricity consumption varies across models from a low of about 600 kilowatt-hours a year to a high of more than 800 kilowatt-hours a year. Based on Homer Electric’s current electricity prices, that means the annual cost to operate this refrigerator can range from about $106 to $142, depending on which model you buy.

A $36 difference in annual operating costs might not sound like much. But remember that you will enjoy these savings year after year for the life of the appliance, while you must pay any difference in purchase price only once. As a result, you may actually save money by buying the more expensive, more energy-efficient model.

You can learn about the energy efficiency of an appliance that you’re thinking about buying through the yellow-and-black EnergyGuide label. The Federal Trade Commission’s Appliance Labeling Rule requires appliance manufacturers to put these labels on:

• Refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, clothes washers
• Water heaters, furnaces, boilers
• Central air conditioners, room air conditioners, heat pumps
• Pool heaters

When you shop for one of these appliances in a dealer’s showroom, you should find the labels hanging on the inside of an appliance or secured to the outside. The law requires that the labels specify:

·         The capacity of the particular model

·         For refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, clothes washers and water heaters, the estimated annual energy consumption of the model

·         For air conditioners, heat pumps, furnaces, boilers and pool heaters, the energy efficiency rating

·         The range of estimated annual energy consumption, or energy efficiency ratings, of comparable appliances.

Some appliances also may feature the ENERGY STAR logo, which means that the appliance is significantly more energy efficient than the average comparable model. To compare how updating appliances and making other changes around your home can impact your electric bill, visit www.TogetherWeSave.com. 

Source:  Federal Trade Commission, U.S. Department of Energy