[Press Release] : Conservation needed to control electric costs

[Press Releases]

You have received this message because you subscribe to the City of
Columbia’s Web Mail service. To view linked material click on provided
links or copy and paste them into your browser's address menu.
______________________________________________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 8, 2007

CONTACT: Connie Kacprowicz
Public Information Specialist
-or-
Dan Dasho, 
Director of Water and Light
(573) 874-7325

Conservation needed to control electric
costs					

	(COLUMBIA, MO) - Continued hot weather in Columbia has been
increasing the electric demand this week. When the demand is higher than
the forecasted electric load, Columbia Water & Light has to purchase
expensive energy from the wholesale market. In order to avoid these high
costs, which can make customer rates more expensive, the utility is
urging customers to conserve. 
	Cost saving tips to save energy:
●	Set the thermostat no lower than 78 degrees and turn it up to 82
degrees when the house is unoccupied. 
●	Leave window shades that receive direct sunlight down during the
day. 
●	Try to use the oven, dishwasher and other appliances that
produce heat during the late evening and early morning hours. 
●	Maintain your heating and cooling system by replacing air
filters at least four times a year. 
●	Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothes. 
●	Keep fireplace chimney dampers closed.
●	Consider moving your extra refrigerator or freezer out of the
garage to the basement and your appliance won’t have to work so hard
to stay cool. 
●	Don’t block vents and air returns with furniture, drapes or
rugs. 
●	Clean dust and lint away from appliances (heating/cooling unit,
refrigerators, hot water heaters, etc.) on a regular basis so the motors
run more efficiently.
	The forecasted peak load for Columbia on Wednesday, Aug. 8, is
270 megawatts. On Aug. 7 the peak was 262 megawatts at 5 p.m. Columbia
Water & Light generally sees the electric load gradually creep up during
consecutive days of high temperatures. The utility expects to near the
forecasted load on Thursday, Aug. 9, and might need to call a peak
warning. Peak warnings are a way of alerting the public to the critical
condition and ask for voluntary curtailment. 
	Columbia Water & Light has been running air conditioner control
switches, through the Load Management program, since Monday. These
switches level out the demand for electricity by rotating the times when
an air conditioner’s compressor operates. The customer’s air
conditioner is switched off for seven and a half minutes each half hour
but continues to operate the rest of the time. Columbia Water & Light
can cut up to 20 megawatts of the electric load with these switches so
customers are given a 3 percent summer discount for participating.
Customers can sign up for Load Management by calling 874-7325 or online
at www.GoColumbiaMo.com.

- 30 -
______________________________________________________

Archived press releases can be viewed online at: 
http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/Public_Comm/Public_Information/Press_Releases/

______________________________________________________

If you would like to stop receiving messages, modify list options, or
subscribe to other lists visit the Web Mail section of our Web site and
follow the instructions provided. 

http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/Web_Mail/index.php 


** Virus scanned by City of Columbia MO Spam/Virus Firewall **