The changes that people can make to save on energy related costs are nothing new. Use less. Insulate. The key is learning the strategies for using less energy, because the cheapest kilowatt hour is the one you don’t use. For people enrolled in real-time pricing programs like Power Smart Pricing, it also involves learning the strategies for being smart about when you use power.
When travelling across Illinois for Power Smart Pricing, our staff members talk to many people who tell us that their bills are rising and they are out of ideas for lowering their costs. Some are interested in installing solar panels or wind turbines, but the initial installation price for large renewable energy devices can make them impractical for many families. The first step in saving energy is awareness. Then, do a little research into the kinds of no-cost and low-cost solutions that lower energy costs. Next, take positive steps towards that goal, while understanding that both large and small investments can make a difference when used appropriately.
Your bills won’t ever turn to zero, but if you can cut your energy use down by 20 percent that might give you an extra 40 dollars to spend on your family’s other needs. Combining a lot of little things will make a real difference but only you can take the first step.
Here are some helpful links:
http://www.keepwarm.illinois.gov/default.cfm
http://www.ilenergyraters.org/
www.energystar.gov
http://www.powersmartpricing.org/energy-saving-tips.php
www.energysavers.gov
October 3, 2008
October 1, 2008
Low Fall Prices!! Electricity Sale!!
Now that historically lower fall prices are here with the quickly emerging fall temperatures, it is the perfect time to sign up for Power Smart Pricing. With days, like today, that have prices lower than the flat rate for every hour are great for new participants to get used to the new pricing structure. Looking at the price pattern and conserving prices are the highest will continue to maximize your savings. However, the savings will be even greater. If you are already signed up, get the word out! If not, look through www.powersmartpricing.org for the information or call us toll free at 1-877-655-6028.
September 25, 2008
Power Smart Pricing on TV
CNT Energy Communications Director Stephanie Folk will be making television interviews in the Champaign-Urbana area. She will be discussing the benefits of Power Smart Pricing and some of the energy saving tips that a homeowner can use at little or no cost to lower their utility bills. The interviews are set to air on WICD, most likely Thursday evening, and live on WCIA at 6am Friday morning.
September 23, 2008
Lighting for the Future
Move over Thomas Edison there are some improvements coming to the future of household lighting that will give the industry a much needed switch. Rising electricity prices and a demand for energy efficiency has invigorated innovation in bulb technology. Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL), halogen, and Light Emitting Diodes (LED) are emerging as cost effective alternatives to Edison’s incandescent bulb. In the past these lighting options did not have the necessary market or price tag to be successful, but advancements in technology and market demand has set the course for light bulbs to be changed world wide.
The transition to the new technology will be most noticeable in the hardware store. The new bulbs are all manufactured to fit into the existing sockets that were designed for Edison’s incandescents. As the advancements in design continue to improve, the bulbs will effectively match all of the existing functions that are found in a traditional bulb. For example dimming, light output, and light color are functions that are becoming cheaper to design and manufacture. The coming generations of lights are still a work in progress, but the existing options are well worth the small investment.
Compact fluorescent light bulbs use only a third as much electricity as a standard incandescent bulb and are very affordable. CFL’s contain a gas that gets excited and produces invisible ultraviolet light when it gets in contact with electricity. The white coating of the bulb then interacts with the UV light, which is emitted at non-hazardous levels, and makes it visible. The bulb is formed into coils, or tubes, to maximize the surface area, and therefore increase the amount of light that is produced. CFL advancement is coming rapidly as it has received government endorsements worldwide. The improvements will include: faster light up times, dimmable lighting options, and brighter light in smaller bulbs. This innovative process is not only more energy efficient, but it will produce light up to ten times as long as a regular bulb which means it will easily pay for itself.
Halogen light bulbs work in much the same way as a traditional bulb, but with more efficient materials. The proper combinations of gases is put into a small filament that when heated produces light. In this case, halogen can emit more light at the same temperature as an incandescent bulb. This means it requires less electricity to be just as bright. It also means that many of the functions that are available with traditional bulbs can be easily reproduced with Halogen bulbs. As the technology advances, companies will begin to sell halogen lights that do not produce as much heat and they will limit the emission of UV light. Like the CFL, halogen bulbs last much longer than the standard incandescent bulb.
There is considerable amount of advancement that is required before LED’s become a feasible household option. Currently, bulbs that match the output of a traditional 25 watt incandescent bulb cost around 40 dollars. Prices have continually been falling and eventually the technology will give the LED a place in the energy efficient household lighting market. They last ten times longer than CFL’s, are much cooler than Halogen, and operate with 80% less electricity than standard incandescent bulbs. It will be an interesting journey for the LED as it transitions away from smaller lighting applications to larger scale features.
The environmental implications and savings are the key to the story. According to the Energy Star website, “If every American home replaced just one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, more than $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars.” It is recommended to find the four or five most used light bulbs in your home and replace them with an energy efficient one. All this just adds to the age old question, “How many people does it take to change a light bulb?”
The transition to the new technology will be most noticeable in the hardware store. The new bulbs are all manufactured to fit into the existing sockets that were designed for Edison’s incandescents. As the advancements in design continue to improve, the bulbs will effectively match all of the existing functions that are found in a traditional bulb. For example dimming, light output, and light color are functions that are becoming cheaper to design and manufacture. The coming generations of lights are still a work in progress, but the existing options are well worth the small investment.
Compact fluorescent light bulbs use only a third as much electricity as a standard incandescent bulb and are very affordable. CFL’s contain a gas that gets excited and produces invisible ultraviolet light when it gets in contact with electricity. The white coating of the bulb then interacts with the UV light, which is emitted at non-hazardous levels, and makes it visible. The bulb is formed into coils, or tubes, to maximize the surface area, and therefore increase the amount of light that is produced. CFL advancement is coming rapidly as it has received government endorsements worldwide. The improvements will include: faster light up times, dimmable lighting options, and brighter light in smaller bulbs. This innovative process is not only more energy efficient, but it will produce light up to ten times as long as a regular bulb which means it will easily pay for itself.
Halogen light bulbs work in much the same way as a traditional bulb, but with more efficient materials. The proper combinations of gases is put into a small filament that when heated produces light. In this case, halogen can emit more light at the same temperature as an incandescent bulb. This means it requires less electricity to be just as bright. It also means that many of the functions that are available with traditional bulbs can be easily reproduced with Halogen bulbs. As the technology advances, companies will begin to sell halogen lights that do not produce as much heat and they will limit the emission of UV light. Like the CFL, halogen bulbs last much longer than the standard incandescent bulb.
There is considerable amount of advancement that is required before LED’s become a feasible household option. Currently, bulbs that match the output of a traditional 25 watt incandescent bulb cost around 40 dollars. Prices have continually been falling and eventually the technology will give the LED a place in the energy efficient household lighting market. They last ten times longer than CFL’s, are much cooler than Halogen, and operate with 80% less electricity than standard incandescent bulbs. It will be an interesting journey for the LED as it transitions away from smaller lighting applications to larger scale features.
The environmental implications and savings are the key to the story. According to the Energy Star website, “If every American home replaced just one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, more than $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars.” It is recommended to find the four or five most used light bulbs in your home and replace them with an energy efficient one. All this just adds to the age old question, “How many people does it take to change a light bulb?”
September 18, 2008
Your Interval Meter
An interval meter is a digital meter that is capable of recording your energy use on an hourly basis. This hourly interval data is necessary to calculate your electricity costs, as the electricity prices change hourly. Your new meter might also be an AMR (automatic meter reading) meter, which means it can be read remotely. It is not necessary to have an AMR meter for the PSP program.
The most useful display on your meter is the “02” display. To estimate whether your bill is reflecting what the meter is displaying, you will need to note and record the “02” readings (total kWh) close to the dates that your meter is read. Then by subtracting the previous reading (near the time of the previous meter reading) from the current reading (near the time of the current meter reading), you get the total number of kWh used between the dates you read the meter. You can then compare that to the total number of kWh you see on your bill. These should be close.
This data, called instantaneous data, is not one of the displays on your meter. The type of communicating meter (a Smart Meter) required to do this is significantly more expensive than the interval meter. It is possible that in the future, these types of meters and/or additional equipment may become available that would allow this and other features. We will be keeping an eye out for any developments on this front, and will keep you informed.
The most useful display on your meter is the “02” display. To estimate whether your bill is reflecting what the meter is displaying, you will need to note and record the “02” readings (total kWh) close to the dates that your meter is read. Then by subtracting the previous reading (near the time of the previous meter reading) from the current reading (near the time of the current meter reading), you get the total number of kWh used between the dates you read the meter. You can then compare that to the total number of kWh you see on your bill. These should be close.
This data, called instantaneous data, is not one of the displays on your meter. The type of communicating meter (a Smart Meter) required to do this is significantly more expensive than the interval meter. It is possible that in the future, these types of meters and/or additional equipment may become available that would allow this and other features. We will be keeping an eye out for any developments on this front, and will keep you informed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
