The desktop computer in your office. The living room TV and gaming console in standby or rest mode. Even the cell phone charger you keep plugged in throughout the day. All of these items are responsible for contributing to your “vampire load,” also known as the “phantom load.” Vampire loads come from devices that use electricity even when they appear to be off. These loads are approaching 10 percent of the average household electric use, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. 

Electronics and appliances in standby or rest modes require a little electricity to maintain minimal function of the device so it’s ready to go when you return to using it. The primary culprits are televisions, desktop computers and, particularly, gaming consoles which can use as much electricity as a refrigerator even when not in use thanks to frequent system updates. Chargers are another contributor to the phantom load. A single charger might not be a drain on your bill, but in an increasingly plugged in world, the impact can begin to add up. 

So how can you limit your vampire loads? The obvious solution is to simply unplug devices when not in use and disabling auto-update features that draw power when in rest mode. If you want a limited impact on your daily routine, consider investing in smart power strips. These devices can usually connect to your phone through WiFi or Bluetooth so you can turn them off and on automatically. Many of them even come with surge protection to keep your devices safe during storms or other events that may cause a surge. 

In the digital, connected age, these vampire, or phantom, loads can become a real problem. A little investment and some small changes can end up saving you on your bill. For more energy efficiency information, check out My Energy.

United Power welcomed approximately 2,400 new members on Jan. 17th as the co-op became the sole electric provider to the Town of Frederick. These new members come into the cooperative after a deal was reached last year for United Power to acquire the Town’s municipal electric utility.

After failed negotiations over territorial disputes and pending litigation over the Town’s taking of service rights, an agreement was reached last year between the Town and United Power for United Power to purchase the facilities and acquire the customers of the Town’s municipal electric utility, Frederick Power & Light. Citizens of the Town of Frederick voted to affirm the agreement at a special election last summer.

The addition of these new members pushes United Power’s total services to nearly 90,000 meters, ends all disputes over service rights, and strengthens United Power’s electric delivery system in this rapidly growing region.

“We are excited about bringing the entire Town of Frederick into the United Power membership,” stated John Parker, United Power CEO, after the election was affirmed in June. “We want to express our thanks to the citizens of Frederick for their support in this process, and we will be working hard to make this transition a seamless process for them.”

United Power has been working with the Town to ensure these new members are well informed of the transition details. Members will receive multiple communications from United Power. A series of mailers will be sent to members with important electric account details. In addition, a special welcome page has been posted on the cooperative’s website to ensure these new members have the information they need to take full advantage of the many programs and benefits available to them now that they are cooperative members.

In several newsletters in 2018, we’ve discussed the new rate structure and a rate increase of 1.5-2% that goes into effect on January 1, 2019.  It’s important to understand that while the rate change is effective for energy usage beginning on January 1, 2019, members won’t see the changes reflected on their bills until their February statements. 

The new rate structure, which breaks apart the energy and demand components into separate charges, allows us to more fairly charge members for both their energy consumption and their impact on the delivery grid. In the past these two costs were recovered through a blended rate, but with more accurate metering we can now utilize each members’ demand to correctly allocate those costs. 

“From a rate standpoint, we have the right information to correctly charge our members for their impact on the grid and the energy they use,” stated Dean Hubbuck, Director of Power Supply and Rates. “We have put together a rate that should put the power to control electric costs into the hands of our members.”

What is Demand?

Demand is how much capacity you need at any one time to serve the needs of your home or business during the billing period. United Power measures demand in 15-minute intervals, and members will be billed for their single highest 15-minute interval of consumption over the billing period. It is measured in kilowatts (kW) and your highest interval can occur at any time of the day or night. 

How Much Will the Demand Charge Cost Me?

Demand has been reported on billing statements since August of 2018, but without a corresponding dollar amount attached to the line item.  In 2019 members will be charged $1 per kW for the highest 15-minute interval of consumption over the billing period. So, if your demand is 6.97 kW, you would see a charge of $6.97 for this line item.

To offset the demand charge, the 2019 rates also include a corresponding reduction the cost of energy.  Now members can affect their electric bill in two different ways – by staggering use of appliances to reduce demand or by simply using less energy. So, while the rate change increases rates from 1.5-2% overall, members will have more power to control their bill than in the past.

What Affects my Demand?

Major appliances used for heating and cooling, cooking and laundry have the greatest impact on your energy use and your demand. The more appliances you operate at once, the higher your capacity needs are, which will result in a higher demand charge on your bill. Depending on your home, family size and appliances, your demand will vary, and your highest demand season may be different from other members.

How Can I Manage my Demand? 

Staggering the use of major appliances will be the easiest way to manage your electric bill under the new rate structure. When you consistently stagger the use of major appliances so they don’t run at the same time, you can keep your demand low. Make it easier by utilizing technology that helps you offset energy use like timers, delay start settings, mobile apps, and programmable thermostats. In the graph below, the red line represents demand.

Here are some helpful tips to manage your demand:

• Run the dishwasher after you’re done cooking dinner. Even better, use the delay start feature so your dishwasher runs later at night while everyone is in bed.
• Start your clothes washer before you go to bed in the evening, and then run the dryer after everyone has finished cooking breakfast the following morning.
• Grill outside or use small cooking appliances if the air conditioning is running. (Bonus: you won’t overheat your kitchen on a hot day!)
• Set your electric vehicle charger to run after you’ve you turned off other appliances for the day.

The changes to the rates are also complemented by a new Smart Choice Rate that takes the demand concept a step further. This new rate provides two different demand charges, and a much lower energy charge than with any other rate. The higher demand charges and lower energy charges may work well for a member who is willing to shift their demand throughout the day and night, and actively monitor their use. 

How Can I Learn More About My Demand & Energy Usage?

In the past year United Power has rolled out access to the Power Portal, a way for members to look at their energy use in near real time. The portal provides information about when the member is using power in 15-minute increments as early as the previous day.  This is a powerful tool to help members manage their energy use and see how they are impacting the power grid. Used in tandem with the demand rates, the Power Portal will provide the information members need to make good energy choices.  As always, members can call our Energy Management team if they need more information about how they use power, and to learn more about how they can affect their power bills.

To View Demand in the Power Portal:

• Click “My Consumption Data” and then select “Current Month” and “Billing Month.” 
• Turn on the orange Demand line using the controls below the weather data.
• The orange line is your Demand, and the orange diamond is your highest Demand to date, which occurred on December 3rd in this example. 
• Click on that day to view each 15-minute interval to zero in on the exact time your demand was reached.
• From the Daily View, you can hover over the peak demand (orange diamond) and it will give you the interval (14:15 or 2:15 p.m.) and the kW reached (7.064 kW).

You will be billed on your single highest 15-minute interval each month at $1 per kW. In this scenario, the demand charge (to date) would be $1/per kW x 7.064 kW = $7.06. If demand exceeds this amount before the end of the billing cycle, you would be billed at that higher amount. 

United Power likes to show its colors during the holiday season. In December, United Power featured its festive, hand-built holiday float, “Christmas Time is Here” in parades in Hudson and Brighton, both communities served by the cooperative. 

Employees worked together to build and decorate a 20-foot trailer with approximately 6,000 lights, more than a dozen holiday-themed props and plenty of spirit to light up the streets. 

The float debuted in Hudson’s holiday parade, hauled by one of United Power’s newly wrapped work trucks, which was wrapped in colorful LED lights. In Brighton, the cooperative debuted its restored 1939 Chevrolet pickup, painted a bright candy red, at the city’s 23rd annual Parade of Lights, celebrating United Power’s 80-year history connecting its members. 

United Power was also proud to roll it’s safety demo truck in Keenesburg’s inaugural holiday parade, Christmas in Keenesburg. 
 

United Power held a ribbon-cutting ceremony in December to celebrate its newly energized battery storage facility and the cooperative’s continued commitment to adopting and implementing innovative technology. 

Currently the largest utility-scale battery storage facility in Colorado, the Tesla PowerPack battery system, built in collaboration with ENGIE North America, is expected to save the cooperative roughly $1 million annually in wholesale capacity charges. Energy generated from all sources on United Power’s grid will be stored during low-demand hours to be discharged during high-peak periods throughout the year. 

“As a co-op, we have an obligation to our communities and members to continue scanning the horizon and exploring innovative technologies that help distribute affordable and reliable power,” said Jerry Marizza, United Power’s New Business Director. “When we stop looking ahead, that’s when we start falling behind. We hope to continue setting the bar for other utilities to follow.”

The system has the capacity to store and distribute up to four megawatts of energy, or enough to power up to 700 homes simultaneously. Size and duration of the batteries used was determined during a study of United Power’s monthly load profile in early 2018.

“Energy storage is the next logical step to integrating more renewables into the grid,” said Marizza. “As long as people want to watch television at night, renewables can’t provide 100 percent of energy needs without storage.”

Over the past few years, United Power has added other innovative and renewable projects to benefit its members. From Colorado’s first community solar farm to methane gas collection at the Erie landfills, these projects make economic sense for our members while providing reliable power.

In October, lights went on for the first time in two villages nestled deep in the jungles of northwest Guatemala. After weeks of grueling manual labor in adverse conditions far from home, line crews from Oklahoma and Colorado completed work on a project to provide the villages of Pie del Cerro and Tierra Blanca Salinas the gift of electricity. 

Between long days caused by the lack of major equipment and staving off dehydration brought on by dense jungle humidity, crews often returned to their rooms late in the evening exhausted – ready to do it again the next day. 

“Nothing came easy,” United Power lineman Kelly Snow said. “We had to gut it out each and every day. But even on the worst days, everyone showed up and gave it their all. We came to accomplish something, and we did.”

Line crews were stationed in the small city of Playa Grande, located roughly 300 miles from Guatemala City. Each morning, crews loaded into trucks and traversed dirt-packed and often jarring roads to the villages they’d be powering nearly an hour away.  

Once there, work had to be completed without the use of specialized tools or mechanical equipment, and vehicles were to be used for transportation only. 

Snow, who’s experienced the worst working conditions as a lineman in Colorado’s Front Range, said it’s hard to prepare for the difficulties of working in a third world country.

“It’s like stepping back in time,” he said. “We talked to others who were on projects before us and looked at all the photos, but there are still elements of the unknown. It’s hot and humid the whole time; hard to stay hydrated.”

Despite the harsh working conditions, crews were able to complete the first half of the project in just over a week – providing power to the first of the two villages – and the whole project on time.

“I’m proud to have been a part of this project to provide power to these families and kids,” Snow said. “It gives these kids the chance to continue their studies, and maybe even opens the door for computers or cell phones one day.”

Brief reprieves gave Snow and other linemen an opportunity to spend some time building relationships with villagers, playing games with the children and exploring the nearby jungle and lakes. 

Above and beyond providing electricity, the crews were also able to gift each household with two-year water filters and each school with a laptop and wheelchair.

“The Rural Electric Association was founded on the principal of bringing electricity to rural America,” Snow said just before the project. “It’s an inspiration to be a part of that foundation and spreading it to other countries.”