Control Your Energy Costs

Electric costs are up. Here’s why.

The cost of electricity has gone up, and the increase is expected to continue. There are a variety of factors contributing to this increase for the electricity used in your home or business.

> The cost of fuel to generate electricity at coal-fired power plants has increased mainly because the cost to transport coal to the power plant has increased.

> Power plants using natural gas are operating at a higher cost because of the increase in gas prices.

> A newly-implemented federally-mandated system for buying and selling electricity on the open market - a system known as MISO (Midwest Independent System Operator) - has so far caused an increased cost in the delivered price of electricity. For example, our power supplier, Wisconsin Public Power Inc. (WPPI) is paying about $400,000 per month more than expected under the new system.

> Several key power plants serving Wisconsin have been, or are, out of service for repair or, in the case of nuclear plants, refueling. Although these downtimes are scheduled, when combined with other factors they contribute to an overall increase in electricity costs.

> The cost to move electricity from power plants over transmission lines has increased driven mainly by the need to build more and larger lines to accommodate our constantly increasing demand for electricity.

> Our demand for electricity continues to increase.

As a municipally-owned utility, Waunakee Utilities operates on a not-for-profit basis. Consequently, the rates you pay are lower than surrounding communities. Waunakee Utilities continually works to limit electric cost increases and ease the impact of higher costs for electricity as much as possible. However, the outlook is clear that energy costs will continue to increase.

Here’s Some Things You Can Do to Conserve Energy and Lower Electric Costs.

Things You Can Do That Cost No Money, But Can Reduce Energy Use

• Turn down water heater thermostat to 120°F.
• Turn off lights when leaving a room.
• Set thermostats to 68°F in winter when you're home, and down to 60°F when you go to bed or when you're away.
• Set thermostats to no more than 10oF below the outside temperature in the summer.
• Use energy-saving settings on washing machines, clothes dryers, dishwashers, and refrigerators.
• Clean your refrigerator's condenser coils once a year.
• Air dry your clothes as much as possible.
• Air dry dishes as much as possible.
• Close heating vents in unused rooms.
• Close drapes (and windows) during sunny summer days and after sunset in the winter.
• Maintain the humidity level in your home between 35% and 45%.
• Set the example for everyone in your household when it comes to reducing energy use.

• Install and use a programmable thermostat.
• In the attic and basement, plug the air leaks a cat could crawl through, and replace and reputty broken window panes.
• Clean or change the air filter monthly on your warm-air heating system during winter and on air conditioning units in the summer.
• Install an insulated wrap around your water heater.
• Insulate the hot and cold water pipes as far as you can – especially near the water heater.
• Install a compact fluorescent light bulbs.
• Use motion sensors on light switches or outlets, particularly in bedrooms and bathrooms.

• Caulk and weatherize air leaks. Start with the attic and basement first (especially around plumbing and electrical penetrations, and around the framing that rests on the foundation), then weatherize windows and doors.
• Seal and insulate warm-air heating (or cooling) ducts.
• Have heating and cooling systems tuned up every year or two.
• Buy or make insulating shades for your windows, or add insulating storm windows.
• Increase the insulation in your attic to a minimum of R49 (about two feet of insulation).
• Consider replacing worn out appliances with ENERGY STAR rated appliances.