Each summer, United Power selects youth who stand out from among their peers to represent the coop for a week in the mountains of northwest Colorado, immersing themselves in learning the value of cooperatives. With more than 100 fellow leaders from Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas and Wyoming, campers are able to craft new friendships and develop leadership skills they can model in their schools and communities back home. 

The 2018 Cooperative Youth Leadership Camp isn’t a camp in the traditional sense. There are no tents, no campfires, no s’mores. While there is time for fun, there’s much to cover and little time to do it during the weeklong camp. A lot of time and effort goes on behind the scenes to piece together an experience that is both challenging and entertaining for those attending, and it begins as soon as the buses and vans roll in to deposit campers from their respective cooperatives. 

On Day 1, campers were ushered into a valley in an outcropping behind the cluster of cabins where they would begin the process of establishing and managing their own cooperative for the week, including the selection of a Board of Directors, selecting a general manager and holding regular meetings with their “members.” In between, days are filled with cooperative-focused activities, leadership training and collaborative group projects.

Being a part of a cooperative isn’t all business all the time, however. Whether it was building camaraderie while rafting down the Colorado River, enjoying the breathtaking views atop Mt. Werner or competing in the annual volleyball tournament, there were ample opportunities built in for taking a break and having fun. 

This summer, two area youth represented United Power at the Youth Leadership Camp: Brooklyn Stubby, of Mapleton Early College, and Catera Gagna, of Brighton High School.

Applications for the 2019 Youth Leadership Camp will be available at the end of 2018. Visit www.unitedpower.com to learn more. 

In the past few issues of the United Newsline, United Power has been discussing the new residential demand rate that will go into effect in 2019. This month, members will begin seeing a new line on their monthly bills: a Demand Charge. This new line is appearing ahead of next year’s rate change to prepare and educate members on this shift in thinking about their electric consumption.   

For the remainder of 2018, your bill will show a Demand Charge with an associated kilowatt (kW) measurement, reflecting the highest 15 minute interval of power use over that month’s billing period. There is currently no charge associated with the Demand Charge (kW) line item, but by printing this new item on member’s electric statements and presenting a new online resource – the Power Portal – members have the information to pinpoint what drives their monthly demand and take steps to control their energy consumption.  

The Power Portal is United Power’s newest resource for members, and offers a detailed look at monthly energy consumption data and overall usage history. This free resource allows members to view monthly, daily and hourly energy use in 15 minute intervals. By graphing and making notes of highest usage intervals, members can determine what activities contribute to their energy and demand, and monitor any impact changing behaviors can make. For instance, by looking at the portal data you may see that your highest demand corresponded with a big dinner you hosted for family or a day when you were baking and doing laundry at the end of a long week. The Portal provides the records to determine what activities had the most affect on your demand. 

The Board will review proposed rate changes this fall, with the intention of introducing the rate slowly and incrementally over a four-year period. The process includes an extensive Cost of Service study, so rates are designed to reflect how the members affect our costs. Residential demand charges will be lower than commercial members. 

“Since we have detailed information about how members use power in their homes, the new demand rate will be a fairer way for us to bill members for their use,” stated Dean Hubbuck, Power Supply & Rates Director. “Residential users maximum impact on the system is lower than commercial customers, and their rates will reflect the difference. We believe a modest demand charge with a reasonable energy rate is the best way to recover our costs.”

Beginning in 2019, bills will show a charge for demand, accompanied by a corresponding reduction in the Energy Charge (kWh). The Demand Charge is figured by multiplying the highest demand interval (kW) by the per kW rate. Before final demand rates are approved, United Power is encouraging members to learn more about their personal electric usage and how they can make subtle changes to save even more.

You Have the Power

Curious to see when you used the most energy this past month? Was it the high temps or maybe your new hot tub using more energy than you expected? Use the Power Portal to pinpoint what’s driving your energy use. Access your complete energy consumption portfolio in 15-minute increments throughout the day to get a clear look at how you use energy. 

To use the Power Portal, login and click on My Consumption Data. Under the Usage Dashboard, select the Account to view, choose Current Month from the drop-down and select Billing Month. Under the blue bar chart, you may need to click the Demand option to turn on the orange Demand line in the graph. The orange diamond indicates the interval with the highest demand. Click the blue bar to display each 15-minute interval from that day. Hover over the graph for more detail. 

Learn more about the Power Portal and how to register at www.unitedpower.com/powerportal. 

The monthly view in the Power Portal presents your energy use for each day. Choose to view the month by calendar month to see the first through the last day of the month, or view by billing month to view from the first day through the last day of that billing cycle. Viewing your monthly usage helps highlight trends in when you use the most energy. 

By clicking on any blue bar representing daily energy use, you can zoom in to see every hour of the day by 15-minute intervals. This view can help you pinpoint the interval driving your peak and help you recall activities in your home that contributed. 

If you’ve seen your electric usage trickle up over the past couple months, it might have something to do with Colorado’s hot summer weather. By mid-July, the state had already experienced more than 30 days of temperatures higher than 90 degrees, breaking a July 2012 temperature record. 

While the excessive heat wave has probably contributed to some increase in your energy usage, there are some other factors that may have, as well. It’s a good time to talk about those reasons, and how you can use your air conditioning in a way that keeps you comfortable without the added burden on your bill. 

Summer vacation is over for school age kids, but for the past two months, they’ve been spending more time at home while you’re at work. That means more time running the air conditioning, playing on electronics and maybe even cooking. All those things require more energy. 

Along with having kids home during the weekday, maybe you or your family recently purchased a pool or used your existing pool more often to escape the summer heat. Water features, like pool pumps, use a lot of extra energy. 

Seemingly small things can also contribute extra energy usage over the summer. Remembering to close windows and blinds, which block solar heat from entering your home, can keep the house a little cooler. Programmable smart thermostats also give you control when you’re away from the home. You can turn the air conditioning on when you’re about to head home or turn it off if you’re out and forgot. 

The summer months are coming to an end and the kids are back in school, but there are a few tips and tricks you can use to help save a little more energy until fall rolls around or even when summer returns next year. 

Start with growth prevention. Grass and other plants can grow up around outside air conditioning units, making it more difficult for them to breathe, potentially freezing coils. Take a few extra moments each week to make sure any excess growth around your unit has been cleared. 

When you return home from a long day at work or out with the family, turn on your ceiling fan before the air conditioning. The breeze the fan creates will evaporate moisture from your skin and make you feel cooler, even when room temperatures are a few degrees warmer. Remember to turn off fans when you leave a room, though.

If you’re new to Colorado, you might not be familiar with the advantages the climate here provides. Opening your windows before going to bed allows cool air to move through your home so you can keep the air conditioning off. Remember to close windows early in the morning and pull blinds on the south and west sides of your home later in the day. 

Another quick and easy technique you can utilize is weatherstripping. Air leaks from your home through cracks around windows, doors and even the foundation. Applying weatherstripping and caulking seals in cool air and prevents hot air from entering. 
 

This past month, United Power announced a new line item would be appearing on member electric bills to prepare them for a new rate structure taking effect next year. The new line item, a Demand Charge, will not have a cost associated immediately, but will show the member’s highest usage interval in kilowatts (kW) from the previous month. The Demand Charge line item is appearing on bills now with no charge to give members an opportunity to understand how this new rate can help them better manage their energy costs.

Members on the standard residential rate are very familiar with total energy used, which is billed in kilowatt-hours (kWh). But the new residential demand rate will also measure the power, or demand component of electricity consumption, which is measured in kilowatts (kW). This demand component is something that many customers are less familiar with, so let’s talk about “watt” drives your demand.

Demand is measured in kilowatts (kW). One kilowatt equals 1,000 watts, which is the equivalent of turning on ten 100-watt light bulbs at once. Understanding the wattage of your household appliances will help you take control of your energy bill, but where can you learn more about this information?

Common wattage ratings can be found online, or by using tools like a Kill-A-Watt monitor. Below are some sample wattage ratings for common household appliances. Remember: the larger the wattage of an appliance, and the more appliances you operate at once, the higher the impact it can have on the energy usage and demand on your overall electric bill. 

Now is the time to pay attention to your energy use patterns. Staggering the use of higher wattage appliances will be the easiest way to manage your electric bill under the new rate structure. How many appliances do you run at once? Do you come home and turn everything on after the house has been empty all day? Are you using technology to help you remember to offset energy use like timers, delay start settings and programmable thermostats? Focusing on how you’re using your household appliances will help you see the corresponding affect to your energy and demand, and United Power’s new Demand rate will put you in the driver’s seat of your electric bill. 

Capital Credit Retirement to Distribute $4.5 Million to Members in August

Even if you’re new to the cooperative world, you’ve probably heard membership has its benefits. Maybe you’ve already heard how consumer membership works or you understand the ability to participate in annual director elections. Perhaps someone you know ran for a seat in a previous election. But you may be confused in the coming weeks when you receive a check in the mail from United Power with your name on it — your little “piece of the pie.”

When you make a payment to United Power, a portion of that payment goes directly toward your investment in our electrical system through capital improvements. These improvements help maintain our system, provide reliable energy to you and your neighbors and propel us into the future. 

However, capital improvements aren’t always necessary, leaving the cooperative with a surplus of funds earmarked for these projects. So, each year, the Board of Directors assesses the cooperative’s financial condition and determines if a “capital credit retirement” period is feasible. This year, the board approved a $4.5 million retirement, to be distributed to members in August. 

Capital credit retirements are the refund amounts members receive during this period. United Power establishes a capital credit account for every member, and uses it to record their investment. Each year funds remaining after expenses are allocated to these accounts. Upon board approval, a percentage of these funds may be retired. This year’s retirement represents the 12th consecutive year United Power has retired capital credits. 

Your capital credit amount is determined based on two factors: how much electricity you use and how long you’ve been a member. The longer you are a member and the more power you use, the larger your share of each retirement. 

“United Power has a commitment to providing reliable energy to our members, but we also prioritize doing so at an affordable rate,” said John Parker, United Power’s Chief Executive Officer. “While we talk a lot about the benefits we provide to our members both individually and in the community, receiving something you can hold in your hands is a meaningful benefit, and one that differentiates cooperatives from other utilities across the country.” 

This year, more than 80,000 checks will be issued to residential and business members. Anyone who had service in 2017 or earlier will be eligible for this year’s capital credit retirement. While many members will receive a check, anyone who is refunded an amount less than $10 will receive it as a credit on their bill. Look for this credit on your bill in August or September. 

United Power issues checks because it’s important for members to see the real benefit of membership, and handling a check achieves that goal. 

“We know some checks won’t pay the rent, but it does provide a little extra cash to tide someone over until their next paycheck,” said Parker. “For our larger users, like local businesses, municipalities, farms and school districts, these checks may have a substantial impact.”

Capital credit retirements have returned a steady stream of money back to members in recent years. During the past decade, United Power has been able to retire millions of dollars back to its members. 

Frequently asked questions about capital credits can be found online at www.unitedpower.com, or you can call a member services representative at 303-637-1300.

Important Reminders:

• If you move, please be sure to leave your new address with us so we can continue to refund any capital credits you are eligible to receive in the future. 
• Upon death, the deceased member's capital credit account is available for estate retirement. The representative of the estate should contact United Power to settle the capital credit account. 

It's Your Money, and Here's How it Works

Capital credits are just one of the ways United Power is different from other utilities. We’re different because we’re owned by you, our members. As we’re heading into our retirement cycle, here’s a brief synopsis of how capital credits work.

Step One: Membership

If you receive power from United Power, you are not just another customer. You are a member. Members have unique privileges, one of which is the principle of economic participation. A portion of each electric bill goes toward the cooperative’s operation and infrastructure, making you a part owner. 

Members may also vote annually in board elections or run for a board seat to make their voices heard. By actively engaging and participating with the cooperative, you will always have a voice in our operation. 

Step Two: Allocation

Every spring, United Power looks at the prior year and allots any funds remaining after all expenses are paid into a budget item called “patronage capital.” These designated funds are then “allocated” to members, based on the prior year’s electric consumption – the more power you use, the larger your allocation. 

The allocation is not a check, but a bookkeeping of the amount of money you have invested into the cooperative’s electric system based on your electric consumption. This allocation amount is reflected as an actual dollar amount on your bill in May each year. 

Step Three: Retirement

Every year our board decides if a capital credit “retirement” is feasible. If they decide to retire capital credits the money is paid out or “retired” from each member’s account, based on their past electric use and length of service. At United Power, anyone who receives a retirement of $10 or more receives a check, and any amount under $10 is returned as a credit on members’ bills.    

Look for more information about this year’s capital credit retirement in our August issue, and we’ll tell you how to enter to win a prize just for telling us how you’re going to use your capital credit refund!