Three steps to energy savings this winter

Three steps to energy savings this winter

Last winter, many customers on variable-rate plans for their generation supply faced high bills, resulting from a combination of high usage during the prolonged cold weather and volatile market prices.

We suggest a three-step plan to help customers avoid paying more than they have to for electricity:

1. Use energy wisely

We have many low-cost and no-cost tips to help you save energy. They include turning the thermostat down, if you can. Heating accounts for more than 30 percent of an average home’s energy bill. Turning the thermostat down about 1 degree saves about 2 percent on your heating bill, while turning it down 5 degrees saves about 10 percent. Also, seal your house against drafts, and have your ductwork checked for air leaks.

2. Shop for electricity

Shopping for everything from groceries to gasoline is part of almost every family’s routine. So why not shop for electricity, too? The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission has a website that makes shopping easy: PAPowerSwitch.com.

3. Shop smart

Customers have two choices when they shop for their electricity: fixed rate and variable rate. If you have a variable rate, it means the price you pay per kilowatt-hour can change anytime, based on factors like weather and market conditions. A fixed-rate plan offers pricing stability for a defined period of time. There are many fixed-rate offers below PPL Electric Utilities’ price to compare — the rate PPL Electric Utilities charges customers who don’t shop.

Even if you’re already on a fixed-rate plan, it’s a good idea to check the terms and expiration date of your supply agreement. Sometimes fixed-rate plans automatically shift to variable-rate plans when they expire.

As with any purchase you make, it’s always good to double-check what you’re buying, and know the terms of your energy contract and the price you’ll pay this winter.

No matter where you buy your electricity, it will still be delivered safely and reliably by PPL Electric Utilities.

Revving up the electric vehicle market

Revving up the electric vehicle market

We were among the utilities that received a shout out at the White House on Nov. 18 for helping advance the electric vehicle market.

With U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, who cited the industry’s progress and commitment to electric transportation, the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) announced that 73 utilities have committed to spend at least 5 percent of their annual fleet acquisition budgets on plug-in electric vehicles.

For our part toward achieving that goal, next year we plan to purchase 15 Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. We’ve been using three Chevy Volts since the summer of 2011 as part of an industry study to determine the effect of electric cars on the grid.

In September, we were awarded a $116,100 state grant toward the purchase of the Volts, which will be used for field visits and travel between work locations. They will replace 15 older gas-powered cars in our fleet.

The national recognition that the we and our industry peers received is appreciated as we continue our support for the growth of plug-in electric vehicles. We’re using them as part of our business and at the same time showing the public that electric cars are a viable and environmentally conscious means of transportation.

We were one of about 25 utilities in the research project led by the Electric Power Research Institute and General Motors that studied the effect of electric vehicles on the grid.

That study helped us determine that our infrastructure and delivery system can handle the commercial growth of these vehicles.