Nothing affects your energy use and your bill like extremely low or extremely high temperatures. Especially when those temperatures stay high for an extended period, as we’ve experienced over the last month.

Heating and cooling are the largest contributors to your energy use, so when the temperature drastically rises, usage and bills go up. Your home’s age, how many people live there, and how cool you keep your home all play a part.

So, what can you do? United Power offers a variety of tools and programs to help you manage your budget and be more energy-efficient.

Monitor Your Daily Usage

Through the United Power mobile app and the Power Portal, you can watch for trends in your usage to see how much energy you’ve used before your bill arrives.

Make Your Smart Thermostat Work

Enroll your Nest or Honeywell smart thermostat in our Smart Rewards program and you’ll help us curb energy during peak times. This saves the cooperative from purchasing expensive peak power, reduces your energy use, and we pay you $25 at the end of the summer for participating.

Enroll in Pay As You Go

Never receive a bill after the fact. With Pay As You Go, you pay for electricity the same way you pay for gas or groceries, keeping you well informed of how much energy you’re using and what it is costing daily.

Energy-Saving Tips

Check out these energy-saving tips to help lower your bill:

• Keep your thermostat setting as high as you can. Every degree below 78 can increase your bill three percent or more.
• Have your air conditioner serviced regularly and don’t forget to change the filters. Dirty filters reduce air flow and cause your system to work harder, which can increase your cooling costs and lead to costly repairs.
• Plug those leaks! Use weather stripping, caulk or foam insulation to fill in the leaks around windows, doors, or under your sinks where the pipes go into the wall.
• Block the sun! During the day, close your blinds or curtains, especially on windows that face the sun to avoid extra heat gain.

Five Directors Earn Gold Certificate; Two Earn CCD

United Power’s Board of Directors is committed to continuing education opportunities that enable them to govern the cooperative more effectively and stay informed about industry changes. In the past few months, several directors have completed or renewed director certifications through the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). The cooperative’s two newest directors, Stephen Whiteside and Brad Case, received their Credentialed Cooperative Director (CCD) certificates late last year, and Dave Rose earned his Director Gold certification. Directors Tim Erickson, James Vigesaa, Ginny Buczek, and Elizabeth Martin have also recently renewed their Director Gold certificates.

NRECA’s three-step Director Education Program is designed to teach essential skills and knowledge through a series of educational courses. The first step in the process is the CCD, which helps prepare directors to fulfill their fiduciary duty as elected officials on behalf of their membership. Once the program has been completed, directors can proceed to the Board Leadership Certificate (BLC). Directors who have completed both the CCD and BLC, plus an additional three BLC credits, are eligible to earn Director Gold certification. To maintain Director Gold certification, directors must earn at least three credits from approved continuing education courses within a two-year period.

All of United Power’s directors are committed to achieving the highest levels of certification and professional training for the benefit of the cooperative and the members they represent. As of February, all eleven directors have completed at least the CCD certification and nine directors have received Director Gold certification.

Brighton, Colo. — United Power, a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative based in Brighton, Colorado, filed its non-conditional Notice of Intent to Withdraw from Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc. (Tri-State) with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in Washington, D.C., on April 29.

The electric cooperative previously filed a similar notice of intent late last year. That notice, which included a proposed Jan. 1, 2024 departure date, was conditioned upon the assessment of a just and reasonable exit fee by FERC. With this latest action, United Power’s Board of Directors reaffirmed its decision to depart from its wholesale power supplier with a non-conditional notice.

“After careful consideration, our Board stands committed to securing more affordable, more flexible, and lower carbon power,” said Mark A. Gabriel, United Power President and Chief Executive Officer. “We expect this will bring economic benefits and lower rates to our communities, along with greater flexibility to generate power closer to home,” he added.

The latest filing moves the cooperative’s previously announced departure date to May 1, 2024. The modification to the exit timing comes after a recent FERC ruling that required departing utilities to provide non-conditional notices. Central to FERC’s decision is that United Power and its power supplier both require certainty regarding actual departure dates and contracting obligations for power supply. The non-conditional notice of United Power’s departure will allow Tri-State to plan for its reduced supply obligation and assess the economic viability of its higher cost coal generation units.

A FERC hearing to determine a just and reasonable exit fee begins May 3 in Washington, D.C. A ruling from the presiding FERC Judge on exit fees for Tri-State’s members is expected by the end of the summer, with a final Commission decision expected in 2023. Contract disputes between United Power and its power supplier have been ongoing as the cooperative seeks a just and equitable exit fee.

United Power is one of several electric cooperatives in the Tri-State system seeking more flexibility, lower cost power, and fewer contract constraints. Two others, Kit Carson Electric Cooperative and Delta-Montrose Electric Association, have already exited, while three other cooperatives have filed to reduce their participation by 50%. Current power rates through Tri-State are 20% above market, and contract requirements permit only 5% locally sourced power. Economic benefit for its members and the ability to generate local power continue to be the primary reasons United Power seeks to leave the Tri-State membership. United Power believes its withdrawal is in the best interest of its members.

Simultaneously, United Power today issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for wholesale electric power supply to serve a peak load of up to 600 MW and retail sales of approximately 3,000 GWh. Commitments of intent to participate in the RFP are due by May 16, with questions and clarifications due by June 13. Proposals for part one of the process are due by Aug. 8.

The complete RFP and information for interested respondents can be found at www.unitedpower.com/RFP. Questions about the RFP or selection process may be submitted to United_Power_RFP@enervision-inc.com.

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 cooperatives in the nation, and in June 2021 joined the elite ranks of cooperatives serving more than 100,000 meters. The 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. United Power is also a founding member of the NextGen Cooperative Alliance, which is dedicated to expanding the power supply and procurement options available to distribution co-ops and reforming the traditional generation and transmission business model. For more information about United Power, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow the cooperative on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.

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New Fast Charger is Third in Cooperative’s Network

Brighton, CO – United Power announced its third public electric vehicle (EV) fast charging station at a ribbon cutting event on Wednesday. The newest charging station in the cooperative’s growing network is located at its Carbon Valley office along Interstate 25, just south of Longmont, and fills a 30-mile gap in available charging options between Thornton and Loveland. All three charging stations are part of the ChargePoint network.

“Nearly 5,000 United Power members own electric vehicles,” said Mark A. Gabriel, United Power’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “We stand committed to strategically deploying a charging network capable of supporting our members and the thousands of others who commute daily throughout our territory.”

The charging station at United Power’s Carbon Valley Service Center is a 62.5 kW direct current (DC) fast charger available for anyone who has set up a ChargePoint account. Individuals may create an account using ChargePoint’s mobile app or an activation card available through the mail. The charging station was installed with the help of a grant from Tri-State Generation & Transmission.

United Power has paid careful attention to the growing electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle markets and rapid adoption of the technology among its members. The cooperative’s first charging station was installed at its Coal Creek office in 2019, and its second was added at Keenesburg’s Market Street Mart in 2021. These strategic locations fill gaps where charging was previously unavailable and made EV ownership more feasible for rural members. An online educational portal, savings calculator and additional resources are available for members interested in EVs at ChooseEV.

“Our goal is making electric vehicle ownership more practical and accessible for more of our members, especially those who live in rural areas,” Gabriel said. “We do that by considering the appropriate opportunities and the right programs that meet the needs of our members.”

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 cooperatives in the nation, and in June 2021 joined the elite ranks of cooperatives serving more than 100,000 meters. The 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. United Power is also a founding member of the NextGen Cooperative Alliance, which is dedicated to expanding the power supply and procurement options available to distribution co-ops and reforming the traditional generation and transmission business model. For more information about United Power, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow the cooperative on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.

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