July 2000
Our utility crews must trim trees on a regular basis. Cutting tree branches away from above-ground wires helps us keep electric lines clear and ensures reliable service for the community.
Power outages may occur when a tree or limb disturbs a power line. Clearing power lines is part of our commitment to providing you the best service, all year round.
Guard dogs, bushes, fences and locked doors can all be obstacles to our meter readers. When we visit your home, can we get to your utility meter?
It is important that our meter reader can reach your meter so that we can determine your energy use. Keep in mind that if you can’t get to your meter, neither can we.
Please trim bushes or clear snow in front of your meter and make arrangements, if necessary, for a meter reader to have access to your meter. Barriers can be hazardous, as well as inconvenient.
Call us if you have any questions about how you can help “clear the way” to your electric meter.
Help your electric bill take a vacation when you do this year. Many appliances will continue to consume power even with no one at home to enjoy the benefits.
The following tips can save energy—which saves you money:
Instead of leaving lights on continuously, put lights on a timer, and consider using highly efficient compact fluorescent bulbs.
Reset your thermostat to reduce the time your air conditioner will be forced to run.
Turn the water heater thermostat down or off; most take only a few hours to return to normal temperature when turned on.
All these actions can add up to big savings!
There are lots of ways to keep cool and keep your energy costs low this summer, besides using an air conditioner. Fortunately, one of the benefits of living in a temperate climate is the cool nights. You can take advantage of that by following these easy steps:
Insulate your home. This keeps out the summer heat as well as keeping in the winter heat.
Use blinds, shades or awnings to keep direct sunlight out.
Open windows in the evening to cool the house. A well insulated home can take up to eight hours to heat up from the summer sun. It’s just getting hot inside as the cool evening arrives.
Use fans instead of air conditioning to keep cool.
