Powerful Living Energy & Consumption Partner with your local co-op on energy effi ciency matters By Anna Politano C
onsider the number of electrical appli- ances and electronic devices in your household. From TVs, video game con- soles, computers, tablets, smartphones
and a variety of kitchen appliances, do you have more to plug in? The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported consumers are us- ing more electronics in their homes, and in 2012, electricity generated for the residential sector ac- counted for 21 percent of total primary energy consumption. According to EIA, the bulk of resi- dential energy consumption is mostly distributed in these categories: space heating and cooling; ap- pliances, electronics, lighting and water heating. However, increased use of effi cient appliances and effi ciency measures—such as better insula- tion, double-pane windows, and caulking—go a long way in achieving cost savings for consumers. Electric cooperative consumer-members are in good hands when it comes to energy effi ciency. Co-op members have the opportunity to partner with their local cooperative, which employs trust- ed experts on energy effi ciency matters.
Peak Power Summer is around the corner, and for
Oklahomans that means higher temperatures, often reaching triple digits. During the year’s hot- test months, from June through August, demand for power increases signifi cantly. Generation and transmission cooperatives are charged with the responsibility of generating power at a constant rate; as a result, end consumers benefi t from un- interrupted electric power. To meet peak demands in the summer, baseload power plants—such as coal-fi red units—are normally operated to take all or part of the minimum continuous load for a utility’s power needs, producing electricity at a constant rate. Peak demand relates to the greatest demand placed on an electric system; in the af- ternoon and early evening hours (3 p.m. to 7 p.m.) during summer months, power plants work harder to output needed electricity for consumers.
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yet another savings opportunity for Caddo Electric members. Consumers who own a gener- ator in their home and who choose to run it during select peak hours in the summer benefi t from lower rates all year long.
“Opportunities like this allow the consumer to be proactive about their energy consumption. Members should seek opportunities to take con- trol of their destiny as they move into the future with energy usage,” said Mark Faulkenberry, se- nior manager of member relations for Western Farmers Electric Cooperative (WFEC), a genera- tion and transmission cooperative based in Anardarko, Okla. Oklahoma Electric Cooperative (OEC) based
Partner With Your Co-op To help consumers beat the peak and realize
cost savings, most electric cooperatives in Oklahoma offer energy efficiency audits and helpful resources. Caddo Electric Cooperative, based in Binger, Okla., partners with Energy Pioneer to give members the opportunity of a free home energy analysis. According to Director of Marketing and Member Services, Boyd Lee, con- sumers receiving the home energy assessment will receive a printout listing total savings that could be achieved if home improvements were implemented. “This energy audit is professional, reliable and free of charge to Caddo Electric members. Plus, we have received positive feedback from mem- bers who used it,” Lee said.
In addition, Energy Pioneer offers a loan up to $10,000 with a 5 percent interest rate for consum- ers who wish to move forward with any home energy effi ciency improvement. Loan payment installments can also be incorporated into the member’s electric bill. To further energy effi cien- cy opportunities, Caddo Electric extends a geo- thermal loan to qualifi ed borrowers at a 6 percent interest rate for seven years. The co-op also gives away the geothermal loop as well as rebate offers for geothermal installations.
A demand control generator program provides
in Norman, Okla., offers qualifying members a rebate of up to $1,000 on the installation of a geothermal system. Additionally, OEC instituted a time-of-use rate program, allowing members to be active players in their energy consumption during summer peak hours. According to Assistant General Manager, Patrick Grace, the time-of-use program at OEC is mandatory to all members. The program was im- plemented in 2011 and runs during the summer, typically beginning June 1 and continuing through August 31. Members are encouraged to switch energy consumption they would normally use during the hours of 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. to early morning or later evening hours. Currently, the summer ‘on peak’ rate for resi- dential members, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., is 25.67 cents per kwh (kilowatt-hour); the off peak rate, during the rest of the day, is 11.5 cents per kwh. “The program gives members a chance to
achieve cost savings by shifting their electrical load to any other time of the day,” Grace said. “It safeguards reliability and affordable rates for the future.”
Shaping the Future Brian Coker, manager of rates and revenue for
WFEC, advised consumers to be cautious about energy saving offers pitched by third parties other than their electric cooperative. “Co-ops have their members’ best interest at
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