Unplugged Roulet Report What is more important in keeping your electric bills low? Is it how much electricity you use, or when you use it? Clearly the amount of electricity you use monthly in kilowatt hours (kWh) is the measurement for almost every efficiency and bill savings advertisement you read. Reducing your purchases clearly can lower your electric bill, however, is that the best method to keep your bills low? To keep electric rates low, the best way is to avoid building new power plants, and to more effectively utilize the ones already built. The highest load periods are during the afternoons in the summer, when air conditioners are working the hardest; and on cold winter mornings, when everyone is getting the house warmed up and heading off to work. No one wants a hot house in the summer or a very cold one in the winter, so not using heat or air is not practical. The easy things, though, that can also make a difference include; not running the dishwasher during those high load periods, instead run the dishwasher when you go to bed, not washing or drying clothes during those high load periods, save that for other times as well. When you leave in the morning or afternoon turn the thermostat up (or down). If everyone did the easy things, the amount of peak load could be reduced dramatically, thus lowering the cost of each kWh significantly. Both methods can work well, one costs money to gain efficiency, the other costs nothing and does the same thing. May 25, 2012
Transcript
UnpluggedRoulet Report
What is more important in keeping your electric bills low? Is it how much electricity you use, or when you use it?
Clearly the amount of electricity you use monthly in kilowatt hours (kWh) is the measurement for almost every efficiency and bill savings advertisement you read. Reducing your purchases clearly can lower your electric bill, however, is that the best method to keep your bills low?
To keep electric rates low, the best way is to avoid building new power plants, and to more effectively utilize the ones already built. The highest load periods are during the afternoons in the summer, when air conditioners are working the hardest; and on cold winter mornings, when everyone is getting the house warmed up and heading off to work. No one wants a hot house in the summer or a very cold one in the winter, so not using heat or air is not practical.
The easy things, though, that can also make a difference include; not running the dishwasher during those high load periods, instead run the dishwasher when you go to bed, not washing or drying clothes during those high load periods, save that for other times as well. When you leave in the morning or afternoon turn the thermostat up (or down). If everyone did the easy things, the amount of peak load could be reduced dramatically, thus lowering the cost of each kWh significantly.
Both methods can work well, one costs money to gain efficiency, the other costs nothing and does the same thing.
100% Purchase Price6.25% for up to 24 months6.75% for up to 36 months7.25% for up to 48 months
Spring/Summer Promotion
Members having more than 30% debt-to-income ratio or have collections and/or late payments within the past 2 years, bankruptcy and judgements will be assessed 1% higher rate than stated rates above.
Energy Efficiency Extras
Do your exterior doors let the heat in? If your air conditioner’s thermostat is set below 75 degrees and your house is still too hot, it’s a good bet the cool air is leaking out through cracks and holes around your windows or the attic, or around electrical outlets and penetrations where cable and phone lines come into the building. Or, your home’s older exterior doors are energy inefficient.
It’s not uncommon for homeowners to overlook the doors when they replace the old, single-pane windows their homes “came with” with double-pane models that help save energy. But just as much air can escape through or around an energy-inefficient old door, even if there’s no glass on it.
A new exterior door is likely to fit more snugly into its opening, and it’s bound to be better insulated than one that’s a decade old or older. Older steel doors, for example, often are hollow. Today’s improved models have a core of foam insulation and a seal that prevents air from escaping between the edge of the door and its frame when the door is closed. Fiberglass doors are built with interior insulation as well.
And new sliding-glass patio doors, like windows, feature several layers of glass and energy-efficient coatings that keep the hot air outdoors and your nice, cool air inside during the summer.
If you want to keep your old doors, you can stop some of the leaking by applying weather-stripping around them. And you can sometimes adjust sagging doors that have settled in and no longer quite fit their frames without leaving a gap.
Or, you can pair your old door with an aluminum, steel or fiberglass storm door with energy-efficient glass and some insulation in the frame.
NOTE: If the hot summer sun targets your exterior door for more than a few hours a day, don’t opt for a glass storm door. It can trap the heat and damage your door.Still too pricey? Consider covering the glass parts of your exterior doors with insulated drapes or honeycomb blinds, which do a pretty good job of stopping the sun before it shines
It Saves to be SafeLast Friday marked the beginning of National Safety Month, an annual observance of the National Safety Council (NSC) to educate and influence behaviors around the leading causes of preventable injuries and deaths. Safety is good for your health, and your wallet. Here are a few safety tips to remember:
Employ ergonomics. Ergonomics isn’t about having an expensive desk chair, it’s about designing your envirnoment, at both work and home, to fit you. Learn how to work smarter and prevent conditions such as back pain and overexertion. The resulting physical side effects of poor ergonomics can cause chronic pain, and can also cost you in lost productivity and pain-related health care.
Slather on the SPF. The NSC recommends wearing a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 on all skin that is exposed to the sun. Even on cold or cloudy days the sun’s rays can still cause significant damage to your skin. And did you know that the average cost of a 30-day cancer drug prescription was more than $1,600 in 2006, according to the American Cancer Society? That doesn’t even include doctor visits or other treatment. For less than $10 per bottle sunscreen can help keep your skin safe all year long.
Drive with diligence. Carpooling is a great way to save money during the summer, especially if you have kids involved in summer camps or activities. Added passengers make it all the more important to exercise safe driving. As traffic on the roads increases during the summer months, keep in mind common tips for avoiding distracted driving, improper safety belt use, impaired driving and aggressive driving to stay safe when behind the wheel. An accident can cost you more than just hospital bills and increased insurance costs, serious crashes can be fatal. Source: feedthepig.org
Welcome Brayson Andrew James. He was born May 29 in Durant. Brayson weighed 8 pounds, 9 ounces, and was 19 inches in length.
Proud parents are Jason and Brandi James. Brandi is the daughter of Rusty and Christie Weaver. Rusty is a Lead Mechanic at the Hugo Plant.
A “Willie” Close Call!A City of Anadarko truck settled into a sink hole created while it was pumping fluids from a sewer line leading north out of the WFEC Anadarko Plant. It was a near miss too, for the plant’s mascot posted in the vicinity, Willie Wiredhand. Fortunately, no one was injured and the road will soon be repaired. (Photo by Kooney Duncan)
New Baby
It’s Graduation TimeIt’s time once again to honor our graduates in the Summer edition of the EnerCom. If you have a son or daughter graduating from high school, college or technical school, please fill out the information below, attach the student’s photo and send to Sondra Boykin or Maria Crowder as soon as possible. Or, if you have a high quality digital photo, you can email that, plus the below information to [email protected] or [email protected]. Thanks.
Name of Student: _____________________________________
WFEC Transmission Services Secretary Kelli Keeling came into work one morning to discover her adding machine had been performing a plethora of calculations sometime during the night before. A thunderstorm moving through the Anadarko area was likely the key that set the calculator “spiraling” paper out of control. Kelli says the calculator is performing “normal” again, and it doesn’t appear to have incurred any permanent damage.
Photo by: Randy Amstutz
Sometimes Things Don’t Add Up!
Thanks to Clem Cassmeyer and Kevan Riley for sending in these beautiful photos of the rainbow they encountered on their way to work last Friday.
Photo by: Clem Cassmeyer
Photo by: Kevan Riley
Happy Birthday wishes go out to all WFEC employees enjoying a birthday.
Have a wonderful day! Bobby Barrow 06/08 Dan Clay 06/08 John Toland 06/08 Jimmy VanWorth 06/09 Jerry Glenn 06/11 Jo Ann Parker 06/12 Kris Bradford 06/13 Rick Bryan 06/15 Darryl Boggess 06/16 Keith Elrod 6/17 Daven Loftin 06/19 Bob Beuke 06/20 Sean Higginbotham 06/20
“It is not light that we need, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but THUNDER. We need the storm, the whirlwind,
and the earthquake.” Frederick Douglass
Hidden Employee Numbers
Congratulationsto Josh Kirby and Jimmy VanWorth forfindingtheiremployeenumbersinthelastissueoftheUnplugged.
