United Power is committed to providing members with tools and resources to take control of their energy use. This new year it is easier to become more energy efficient. 

Rates that Work for You

Changes in work life over the past few years have made many members more aware of the ways they use energy. Now is a good time to review your rate options and choose one that works for you and your family. United Power’s residential rates are designed to fit a variety of lifestyles and enable members to select a rate that fits their usage patterns. 

For more information about United Power’s rates, visit our Residential Rates page, or to have a member services representative review your history and recommend a rate option, call 303-637-1300.

Free Member Resources

United Power’s website and online account portal are rich resources to help members understand and manage their energy usage. Through the online account portal, available on the web or via the United Power mobile app, members can see detailed energy data and historical comparisons. Learn more here.

The cooperative also has an online calculator to help members understand what drives their demand. More tools and resources are available for members on our My Energy page.

‘Smart’ Way to Save on Heating & Cooling

Heating and cooling accounts for approximately half your annual energy usage on average, making it the most expensive part of your energy costs. The most efficient way to manage your heating and cooling is installing a smart thermostat, which gives you control even when you are not home. A simple adjustment to your thermostat could save you as much as 10% annually, according to the Department of Energy, which recommends adjusting your temperature a couple degrees when you are home and a couple more when you are away. Many smart thermostats can learn your schedule and make these adjustments automatically. 

Click here to learn more about United Power’s Smart Rewards program and smart thermostat rebates.

Talk to an Energy Management Specialist

A United Power energy management specialist is available to walk through your energy concerns, analyze your usage, and provide you with practical information you can use to control your energy usage. They can walk you through available rates, programs, and rebates to ensure you are maximizing your energy usage. 

Schedule an Assessment

United Power was focused on securing new power contracts this past year with the flexibility to meet its growing demand in advance of the upcoming exit from its current wholesale power provider — effective May 1, 2024. The cooperative’s leadership recognized the opportunity to stabilize rising wholesale power costs and ease its financial burden when it announced the exit in 2022 and began requesting power supply proposals from regional and national generators. In keeping with its established reputation as a forward-thinking, innovative electric utility, the co-op is partnering with nationally recognized industry leaders to reduce its carbon intensity through a carefully curated mix of generation resources, including natural gas and renewable options, and developing groundbreaking demand response systems that will cut costs when energy is most expensive. 

United Power had a stellar year in addition to the new power contracts, which included eclipsing a new milestone in residential rooftop solar installations. The coooperative also launched a website refresh with enhanced focus on member engagement and data-driven navigation updates, renewed the popular Member Choice Grant program, engaged with local communities in new ways, and debuted an all-new battery pilot program for members.

New Power Supply Contracts & Groundbreaking Innovation

United Power has the largest load among Colorado’s electric distribution cooperatives, which means it will require a diverse group of suppliers to meet its energy needs as it continues to grow.

The cooperative announced a power supply contract with Denver-based Guzman Energy in July — featuring fixed wholesale pricing and securing approximately one-third of its supply needs beginning in May 2024 — and a strategic relationship with Xcel Energy in September to explore opportunities for maximizing the value of their combined portfolios. Smaller contracts with OneEnergy and Whetstone Power will add approximately 40 megawatts (MW) of renewable resources to the co-op’s energy mix. 

Also announced this past year were two groundbreaking battery storage agreements with Ameresco and Whetstone Power. The cooperative will strategically install more than 100 MW of battery storage at substations located throughout its service territory to increase system resiliency and reliability, balance load, reduce costs, and more efficiently incorporate local renewables. 

“The use of batteries on our distribution network is essential to a resilient and responsive power system and we are excited to move ahead with one of the most aggressive plans for such a system,” said Mark A. Gabriel, United Power’s President and CEO.

Read more about United Power’s power supply.

Rooftop Solar Milestone

More United Power members are opting to generate power locally than ever before. Rooftop solar has quickly become the preferred solution for members who are looking to offset their energy usage with renewable options. 

The cooperative has a residential solar penetration of nearly 11%, which ranks among the highest representations for electric utilities of all sizes and more than double the national average. Last year, United Power became one of the first cooperatives to surpass 10,000 residential solar installations. Members have added nearly 6,500 rooftop solar systems to their homes since early 2020, more than doubling the total number of systems interconnected to the United Power grid. The combined generation potential of these systems is nearly 70 MW.

United Power is proud to support a robust solar community, and is committed to providing a member-friendly connection process, which has been recognized by the Colorado Solar and Storage Association. 
United Power also debuted an all-new member program for those interested in pairing their solar system with battery storage. Members interested in learning more about the cooperative’s solar interconnection process and the new battery pilot program can find more details under the My Energy tab at www.unitedpower.com.

Online Experience Improvements

United Power members may have noticed a new look and feel to the website and online account portal. The cooperative launched a refreshed website design in June, focused on helping members quickly navigate to their desired location in fewer clicks and finding information faster.

United Power also rolled out an update for its online account portal, SmartHub, to improve functionality and enhance user experience. Members may sign up for a free account at www.unitedpower.com/smarthub.

Giving Back to the Community

Concern for communities is a cooperative principle United Power values and takes seriously. That is why the cooperative renewed its Member Choice Grant program for a third year and distributed $12,000 to nonprofits nominated by its members. For updates about grants and 2024 nominations, visit Member Choice.

Additionally, the cooperative identified new ways to interact with its members and support local athletics and education through a Friday Night Lights check presentation in Brighton and honoring a lineman in Carbon Valley during the fall football season.

United Power is looking forward to celebrating its 85th anniversary and the change in power suppliers this year. Join us as we recognize how the cooperative has championed community growth, helped spur economic development, supported community engagement, and will continue being more than just your local electric utility now and into the future. Just as we have since 1938, United Power will continue to be “Here for Good” in the communities we serve.