Brighton, CO – United Power, Inc. (United Power) is launching an improved bid process for vendors utilizing SOVRA’s Bid Net portal. Interested vendors are invited to register online with United Power to access upcoming solicitations by visiting https://www.bidnetdirect.com/unitedpowerinc. 

Vendors will be able to log into a central portal to search for bid opportunities, download documents, and submit proposals. This will expand the pool of possible vendors, while providing a secure way for the cooperative’s partners to share information. The new process will allow United Power to attract and secure a wider range of qualifying bid proposals and ensure that bidders clearly understand the cooperative’s requirements and needs. 

“United Power is proud of the competitive, comprehensive process we use to solicit and select bids for goods and services,” stated Curtis Subia, Vice President of Asset Management and Supply Chain. “As a cooperative, securing the best products to meet our needs at a reasonable price is essential to ensuring our members benefit from quality service and competitive pricing. This strengthens our bottom line and helps keep rates stable without compromising the services members rely on.”

United Power invites vendors to visit the new portal to receive access to upcoming bids and RFPs. Registered vendors also gain access to a team of experienced customer service support representatives and can upgrade their service to receive customized bid alerts, advanced notice of term contract expiration, and notifications of any posted addendum at https://www.bidnetdirect.com/unitedpowerinc.

About United Power

United Power is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative, delivering electricity to homes, farms, and businesses throughout Colorado’s northern front range. The cooperative is one of the fastest-growing electric co-ops in the nation, serving more than 118,000 meters. Its 900-square mile service territory extends from the mountains of Coal Creek and Golden Gate Canyon, along the I-25 corridor and Carbon Valley region, to the farmlands of Brighton, Hudson, and Keenesburg. For more information about United Power, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow the cooperative on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.

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Summer is now here, and members may start to notice their electric usage increase over the next few days and weeks. Heat waves have brought record temperatures across parts of the West, and Colorado has already experienced many days above 90 degrees this July – with several approaching 100. 

Staying cool and saving energy is possible. Try a few of these simple tips in your home. 

• Adjust your thermostat by a few degrees. Many people will not notice the slight change, but your energy usage will. You can save up to 3% for every degree you adjust the thermostat, according to the National Renewable Energy Lab.
• Use programmable or smart thermostats. You can pre-cool your home so it is comfortable when you return from work or adjust the temperature remotely to save energy when you are away. 
• Use ceiling fans. Ceiling fans circulate air to create a “wind chill” effect, cooling you down without actually cooling the room. It pulls heat away from your body making you feel cooler. Paired with adjusting the thermostat, you can stay cooler without making your air conditioning work as hard. Since fans do not cool the room, remember to turn them off in empty rooms. 
• Block out the sun. Remember to close blinds or curtains. Open windows allow sunlight to warm the air in your home, which forces your air conditioner to work harder. 
• Cross ventilate your home. When the sun sets in the evening and the temperatures drop, open your windows to let Colorado’s mild climate do the work for your air conditioning. 

United Power members can access their energy usage history through the Usage Explorer, available for free through SmartHub, the cooperative’s online account management tool. You can learn more about the Usage Explorer here. 

You can find more tips about saving energy this summer here. 
 

Partner Groups Helped by Round Up

Click Here to Sign Up for Round Up

On the fourth Monday of every month, the Weld County Food Bank sets up its mobile food pantry at the intersection of Weld County Road 37 and Lilac Drive in Lochbuie. Early in the morning, as volunteers unload pallets of food from the pantry’s box truck, cars begin lining the surrounding streets. Local families arrive eager and grateful to receive meats, produce, beans, rice, and various other food items. More than 200 households receive food through the pantry’s monthly distribution. 

It is an unfortunate reality that all communities are home to vulnerable individuals and families who are struggling with financial limitations. In Weld County, nearly 40% of households are living in the margin between poverty and the basic cost of living, according to the ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) Report. Service organizations like the Weld County Food Bank exist to provide some assistance. Operation Round Up, which is a program funded and operated by the United Power Round Up Foundation, was introduced at the cooperative to tie together the needs that often exceed availability, the philosophy that cooperatives give back to the local community, and the belief that members are motivated to contribute. 

The United Power Round Up Foundation receives its funding from members who voluntarily elect to have their monthly billing statements “rounded up” to the next whole dollar. Those funds are monitored by a board of member volunteers, ensuring every dollar goes back into the community. The board works closely with partner organizations to leverage local connections and maximize each dollar’s benefit in the community. 

The foundation board added two partner organizations in 2025 to address growing food insecurity in local communities. Weld County Food Bank and the Food Bank of the Rockies joined the roster of partner organizations receiving regular, ongoing assistance to support United Power members. Almost Home in Brighton, the Carbon Valley Help Center in Frederick, Canyon Cares in Coal Creek Canyon, and Catholic Charities in Fort Lupton have been partner organizations since 2017.

“We are able to reach more of the community working with partner organizations,” said Andrea Nabarrete, who joined the foundation board in 2005. “We have better outreach, better coverage of services, and it prioritizes the greatest impact to our members.”

Round Up donations average just $6 annually for members who are enrolled, but that small change makes waves. The foundation has been able to distribute approximately $3 million in assistance since it launched in 1995, including nearly $370,000 in 2025. Last year, Round Up celebrated its 30th anniversary. 

“Round Up is a valuable way United Power demonstrates its commitment to the community beyond being the local electric utility,” said Round Up Foundation Board Chair Dale McCall. “It is a tremendous achievement to celebrate 30 years of giving back, but it is an even greater accomplishment to say we have been able to help so many people.”

Throughout the years, members have continued to show up for their neighbors through program participation. That is The Power of Local in action. Your giving changes lives.

“I am grateful to our members who participate,” said McCall, “and to the cooperative for continuing to support Round Up all this time.”