Wallingford Electric Gives Winter Rate Decrease

Back in May, we reported here about the increase in electric rates that Wallingford Electric put in place to offset the higher cost of power during the heavy usage months of summer. But, as the old saying goes, "what goes up, must come down", and Wallingford Electric is proving that the maxim holds true, even for electric rates.

The Public Utilities Commission voted Tuesday to approve a 2.8% decrease in winter power charges that will go into effect on November 1st and continue until the end of April 2009. What this means for a household that uses 870 kilowatt hours of electricity is that they will pay $96.58 this year for the same power they paid $99.34 last winter. I know, that's not a huge savings, but at this point in the current economic storm that's pounding the entire country, every little bit helps. It should also be noted that this should not be considered an official total until all the final numbers are in and total costs have been determined at the end of the month.

Usually, electric rates typically fall in the winter, then rise again in the summer to encourage energy conservation during peak periods. Even so, the costs usually balance out over the course of the year. You may pay more seasonally in the summer, but with the winter adjustments you end up paying about the same annually. Wallingford is blessed (thankfully!) with some of the lowest electric rates in New England, with the exception of some areas of Maine, and PUC Director George Adair is cautiously optimistic that next summer's peak energy costs may also lower than usual. That would be something to look forward to.

So, mark your calendars for November 1st and watch for those extra $$$ to appear on your electric bill.

(And by the way, don't forget the Fall Electronics Recycling event for Wallingford residents, coming up on Saturday the 25th at Lincoln Middle School in Meriden from 9am to 1pm. See blog post here.)

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• Wallingford Electric Customers Get Double Jolt

Wallingford Electric Customers Get Double Jolt

Wallingford residents are about to get a double jolt when two increases to their electric rates go into effect. The summer rate increase, made during May to October, will add $7.46 to your monthly bill. But, because of the rising costs of wholesale energy, the Public Utilities Commission has also approved an additional $11.41 increase to the bottom line. This amounts to an $18.87 increase to your monthly electric bill during the summer months. This total is for an "average" residential customer who uses 870 kilowatt hours of electricity. If you are good at conserving energy, you'll see a smaller increase; if you run all your electric appliances full tilt all the time, your rates will jump accordingly.

According to the Wallingford Electric Division, the price they pay for wholesale power has increased from $37.6 million in 2004 to $62.1 million in 2008. The division buys its power from a Norwich-based co-op of municipal power companies.

I don't know about you, but any time the price of something I can't do without goes up, I get a little testy. The cost of gas has been headed north of $4.00 for some time with no end in sight, taking a lot of other things with it, like food, transportation, leisure activities, etc. I suppose it was only a matter of time before electric rates jumped on the bandwagon. The summer rate hike is only temporary, of course; it should be lowered again once the peak energy season is over in October. But I sure don't have to like it.

So what do ya do to ease the pain? Here are a few tips to take the bite out of those increases:

1. Replace incandescent bulbs with compact flourescent ones. (Make sure you dispose of the fluorescent ones properly!)
2. If you ain't using it, turn it off! This includes lights, TV, stereos, computers, appliances, transformers, chargers, AC, etc.
3. Take shorter showers. Heating water can be up to half of your electric bill!
   
4. Rinse dishes and do laundry in cold water.
5. Open your curtains on cold days to let the sunshine help heat the room; close them on hot days to keep heat out and help increase the efficiency of your AC.
6. Use ceiling fans correctly to draw cold air upwards through the room. (Cold air sinks, remember?)
7. Line dry your clothes when possible.
8. Use programmable thermostats. Set your thermostat to 78 degrees when you are home and 85 degrees or off when you are away.
9. Don't open the fridge door too often, and fill up the fridge with food. Having lots of food in your fridge keeps it from warming up too fast when the door is open. So your fridge doesn't have to work as hard to stay cool.
10. Lastly, if you're looking for energy-saving investments, use ENERGY STAR® appliances and windows, install a whole house fan, increase attic insulation, consider using window shading, fix faulty weather stripping and caulking, or use a more efficient AC unit.

While these tips (and there are many more) won't eliminate your energy drain, it could possibly lower it enough to where you can still enjoy the warm weather, and rate hikes be damned.

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