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Powerline Press NEWSLETTER September 2011


A Supplement of Oklahoma Living Published by Lake Region Electric Cooperative for its members. Vol. 2


No. 9


Why is my electric bill so high? When extreme hot weather hits, energy bills jump due to the increased consumption.


Energy Efficiency Tip of the Month


Is your washing machine more than 10 years old? According to the U.S. Department of Energy, families can cut related energy costs by more than a third, and water costs by more than half, by purchasing a clothes washer with an ENERGY STAR


label. Choose a front- load or redesigned top-load model.


Source: U.S. Department of Energy


Online Survey


Be sure to log onto our website and complete a member survey. Let us know how we are doing.


The high temperatures we have experienced this summer


have smothered Oklahoma in a blanket of heat with long pe- riods of over 100 degree-days. The hot days cause air condi- tioners to run almost constantly and in some cases, they do. Refrigerators and freezers in unconditioned areas also run more than usual during the hot days of summer. “There is no doubt energy bills this summer have been


higher, it has not been due to increased rates,” says Hamid Vadiatipour, LREC CEO. “It has been due to the sustained heat and electric consumption.” Lake Region Electric Cooperative constantly plans for in- creased electricity use and keeps its system running properly, during peak electric usage months. LREC has not experienced any electric shortages. The amount of energy used, called consumption, by the air conditioning system is directly related to how long they oper- ate. Your air conditioning is connected to a thermostat; it op- erates whenever the temperature in your home rises above the set point on your thermostat. When the outside air is running in the 100’s, this makes it very hard for your unit to change the air temperature in your home to the desired set tempera- ture on your thermostat. The thermostat senses the extra heat from the outside air and operates the air conditioning more often to keep up with the heat gain inside your home. The longer the air conditioning operates, the higher the energy consumption, which will result


Residential Thermostat


Some Dental Fillings


Mercury Thermometer


4 ft. tube fluorescent


Watch Battery


CFL Comparing Mercury Content


Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) contain tiny amounts of mercury, and they are not alone. Many common household items also contain mercury. For recycling tips visit www.epa.gov/cfl.


Source: ENERGY STAR, Natural Resources Defense Council LREC Powerline Press Source: ENERGY STAR, Natural Resources Defense Council 1


in a higher electric bill. One reason members are still seeing effects of the heat on electric bills is that electricity use is not billed until after the fact, in most cases. “It takes time for LREC to gath-


er meter reading data, have the bills printed and mailed and then allow for time in transit from the Postal Ser- vice,” says Ben McCollum, LREC Office Manager.


Instead of being burned this sum- mer with high energy bills; check out this energy-saving website, Together- WeSave.com, for more money-sav- ing ideas. If you have any questions about your bills, please call LREC at 918-772-2526 or 800-364-LREC.


6,000 mg


500 mg 500 mg


5 mg 12 mg 25 mg


istock photo


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