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Feb 15 , 2010
Kudos to our customers who in 2009 saved enough electricity to power over 6,800 Inland Northwest homes for a year and enough natural gas to serve over 3,000 homes! These savings show that every little bit we do in our homes and businesses to save energy really do add up.
What did customers do to save so much energy last year? They looked for the Energy Star ® label when buying new appliances, installed high efficiency water heaters and furnaces, and upgraded windows and insulation to help keep their homes warm in winter and cool in summer.
For their efforts, customers qualified for rebates and incentives from Avista and reduced the amount of energy used in their homes. Commercial customers also received incentives for making energy efficiency improvements which helps manage their operating costs.
In total almost 35,000 rebates and incentives totaling about $18.1 million were given to residential, commercial, industrial and limited-income customers in 2009 through energy efficiency programs. But offering energy savings programs to customers is nothing new to us – we’ve been doing for more than 30 years.
To make sure we’re able to keep up with the increasing demand from customers for the popular energy efficiency programs, we filed requests today with the utility commissions in Washington and Idaho for modest increases in the natural gas tariffs which fund these programs. If approved by the utility commissions, residential natural gas customers in Washington will see a $2.54 increase in their bill starting March 15, and Idaho residential customers will see a $1.52 monthly increase.
This leads to the question – why do we help customers use less of our product? Because generally it costs less to help customers reduce their energy use than it would cost to build new power plants or purchase additional energy to meet customer demand. Plus, using less energy is the best option for our environment.
Feb 12 , 2010
Today we launch our first-ever podcast. I sat down with Avista’s Director of Energy Efficiency, Bruce Folsom to discuss our energy efficiency programs and the rebates and incentives that are becoming more and more popular every year.
Take a listen. (You will be directed to a blank web page, which may take a moment to load).
Feb 03 , 2010
Last night was great chatting with KHQ viewers about energy assistance and Avista. If you didn't have a chance to join in you can view the chat log here.
Do you find value in live chats? Should we do them more? E-mail me to offer your thoughts. We did a previous live chat in November - read about it here. Feb 01 , 2010
My feet have stopped hurting. I got a little rest, and I now have a little perspective on Avista’s 2010 Energy Fair held last Saturday. It was great! Some 325 people of all ages and interests came through the Lair Student Center at Spokane Community College from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. They talked with Avista staff and our community partners about topics that ranged from installing energy saving door sweeps to filing for earned income tax credits. We were very pleased to partner with Community Colleges of Spokane for this first annual event. Also attending and providing valuable information were staff members from SNAP, Work Source Spokane and the CASH Coalition.
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Camille shows how to help insulate
drafty windows. | One of the biggest hits of the day was the interactive singing and dancing program from Wattson, our energy watchdog and his friend Edison. It was so fun to see the kids – their parents and a few Avista staffers – singing and dancing right along with the big dog and his pal, learning energy efficiency tips at the same time.
It warmed my heart to see a family relaxing around a table in the Lair Café, talking about the Wattson activity sheet the kids colored. Or catching bits of conversation from the older couple who discussed which lamp in their home would get the free CFL bulb they received at the fair.
A little excitement was in the air at least once an hour, when door prize winners were announced. And a lot of excitement followed the announcement of the two grand prize winners. Avista House Warming certificates, cozy blankets, and other energy-saving goodies were the coveted prizes.
All in all, I thought the fair was a wonderful success. Attendees told us the information was very helpful and they appreciated the free samples they received after each demonstration. We learned some things that will make it even better next year and we’re looking forward to it.
Jan 30 , 2010
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Come visit my co-workers and friends at Avista's 2010 Energy Fair. |
I've only been at Avista's 2010 Energy Fair for about an hour, but I've been impressed with the displays and information booths - and the number of Avista customers who have joined us today for energy efficiency demonstrations and to talk about their accounts. I hope to see you here.
The fair is going on from right now until 3 p.m. We have customer service reps available for face to face meetings. I'm actually set up in the Customer Service area right now typing this post. It's a busy place, but if you decide to come over, don't expect a wait, so it’s certainly worth it.
I must mention prizes. This is simple, when you get here, visit my friends at the information booths (there is one at each end). They will give you all the details you need to get entered into hourly prize drawings and two really cool grand prizes at the end of the day. (Word is the grand prizes include a $250 energy gift certificate - can't beat that.)
If you're just kicking around the house today, please come over to Spokane Community College (SCC) Lair Student Center (Building 6), 1810 North Greene Street. Anyhow, Wattson, Avista's Energy Watchdog is about to take the stage in the Kid's area and I don't want to miss it, so, I’m signing off.
Jan 27 , 2010
It’s winter in the Inland Northwest and that usually means cold, snow and high utility bills. This year there’s little snow, but it is cold, and utility bills are inching upward. What better time to reach out for information about bill assistance and energy efficiency? All this and more will be available at Avista’s 2010 Energy Fair, scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 30, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at Spokane Community College (SCC) Lair Student Center (Building 6), 1810 North Greene Street. ( See map here.)
Free admission to the event includes access to all demonstrations, free samples, complimentary food and beverages, and door prizes.
Avista is partnering with Community Colleges of Spokane for this first annual event. All kinds of information and demonstrations will be available throughout the day, including information about payment options, energy assistance and energy efficiency.
Fair attendees can speak with Avista staff and learn first-hand about low-cost and no-cost easy energy efficiency tips and tricks. They’ll see how to install such things as rope caulking, window plastic and door sweeps to help keep the warm air in their homes and the cold air out. And following each demonstration, free samples of each item will be distributed. We’ll also have information about online tools that can give you more information about your energy use and what you pay for it. These can be really helpful.
Avista customer service representatives will also be available to answer billing questions, provide information about payment options and refer customers to energy assistance programs, as needed. SNAP representatives will be on hand to answer questions about energy assistance, weatherization and other topics. And Community Colleges of Spokane will have information tables, as well. For the kids, and the kids at heart, Wattson, Avista’s Energy Watchdog, will guide attendees through fun, energy-focused crafts and presentations of his musical message of energy efficiency and safety. Jan 04 , 2010
The end of winter break might mean an end to higher energy usage for your home. Here’s a story one of my colleagues told me last winter (an Avista employee, mind you).
He arrived home during winter vacation after work. The house was lit up like a beacon in the night – not because of holiday decorations, but because every light in the house was on. The door from the garage to the house wasn’t closed tight and the winter chill was blowing in.
Upon entering the house, he finds his kids (home for winter vacation) in full-relax mode – sprawled out by the gas fireplace or room’s heat source in shorts and T-Shirts. You’ve probably seen this yourself. One kid has the TV on and every overhead light and lamp on in one room, but isn’t watching the TV. A handheld videogame, mobile phone or even a book is occupying his attention.
My co-worker continues to walk through the house, flipping off lights as he goes and encouraging his family members to put warm clothes on, rather than summer attire. He adjusts the thermostat back down to a reasonable temperature and starts dinner.
Sound familiar?
The fixes are easy and as this little story tell us, can be done quickly. But what about the rest of the day when you’re not around to police your home’s energy usage? Try as you might, the simple lessons about keeping your sweater on and hands off the thermostat, doesn’t always stick. That’s winter vacation for you.
Another culprit of higher winter energy usage around the holiday season is house guests. Gotta love ‘em, but you’ve certainly got less control over their use of your hot water (showers, baths, more dishes and clothes to wash), trips outside bringing in cold air through the open door and of course the battle over the thermostat.
Even short stays can use a great deal of energy. You’ve got lights up for decorations. The oven is on for hours of cooking or reheating your family’s favorite entrees and snacks. And there are those dishes to be washed and outside doors left open.
So, what’s the magical solution? Sorry, it’s no secret, just commonsense. Winter will always bring higher energy usage. Your systems work harder to work effectively when it’s colder. Even when you keep the thermostat at 68; that 68 degrees is harder to achieve when it’s freezing outside. It’s dark early in the day, so lights need to be on longer. More people in the house means more energy is being used.
The commonsense part comes with knowing where the energy is going and who is using it. You’re unlikely to avoid increased energy usage with guests – but you can try, just be subtle. In the case of the kids home from college, relate the costs to them – you’d be surprised about how much they already know about budgeting.
When it comes to budgeting, Avista has you covered. While the peaks of energy use for you might happen in the winter, it doesn’t have to take a bite out of your holiday budget. By signing up for Comfort Level Billing you can smooth out the highs and lows of your energy usage into one level, monthly payment and we don’t charge you interest to hold the balance. If your credit ever goes over a certain amount, we’ll send you a check back. It’s as easy as that.
Keeping your family on the energy straight-and-narrow is an ongoing battle, but budgeting and knowing the costs will help you win in the end.
Dec 23 , 2009
I’ve heard this a few times since I started talking with customers online over the past year, “I’d love to be more energy efficient, but I don’t know where to start and how to pay for it.”
I think a lot of people are in the same boat. You know your windows are drafty and that your heating unit is on its last leg or that your insulation doesn’t exist – but how does all that, coupled with your energy usage and budget, get you to be more energy efficient?
It’s complicated stuff to be sure. But, if you’re an Avista customer in Spokane County, starting in 2010, we’ve got an uncomplicated solution for you.
Just today Avista announced we received $1 million of stimulus funding from the State of Washington Department of Commerce Credit Enhancement Program to establish a low-interest revolving loan fund to help customers make recommended energy efficiency improvements to their homes and small businesses. Partnering with Avista to establish the revolving loan fund is Sustainable Local Investments Partners (SLIP), who will provide administrative services, process facilitation and outcome reporting.
This program is unlike some of the stimulus-funded programs awarded recently to Avista and other utilities across the country. When most stimulus funds are spent, they are gone for good. Not this program; it’s set up to be around a while and as customers repay loans, the money is returned, allowing for further investment by other customers.
Interested customers will start with a commercial energy audit currently offered by Avista or in a new home audit program which the company will launch early 2010. The City of Spokane, City of Spokane Valley and Spokane County are partners in the audit program. Avista is matching nearly $700,000 pledged by the governments to help offset a portion of the costs to you. The audits will provide you with an analysis of ways to make your home more energy efficient and will alert you to Avista rebates and federal energy tax credits for which you may qualify.
We’ll have more on the revolving loan and energy audit programs in early 2010 when all the details and processes are established.
Nov 22 , 2009 Yesterday morning I jogged the Jingle Bell Run in downtown Spokane. Luckily it wasn’t as snowy and cold as last year, but nonetheless it was chilly enough to make the family want to eat something warm when we got home. I chose to put some pork chops in the slow cooker and later mix in some veggies and rice for one of those simple quickie meals that fills you up, but also reminds you that it’s winter outside and it’s nice to be indoors.
Quick meals aren’t going to be the norm for most of us for the next few weeks. With Thanksgiving and many other holiday gatherings fast approaching, you probably aren’t going to get away with a quickie dinner like I made. If your house is anything like mine – Thanksgiving dinner is a production, and of course there’s nothing wrong with that.
One thing you might want to keep in mind during the holidays is that little choices about how you cook can save you money on your energy bill. We put a number of holiday cooking energy tips here, but a few of the one’s I will be watching out for are: using the right size burner on the stove; using the microwave when possible instead of the stove and making sure that the dishwasher is totally full before running it. I also like to keep the oven propped open a little after cooking so that heat warms the house instead of just burning off inside (not recommended with kids around though).
These might seem like little things that don’t make much of a difference, but trust me – little things add up.
That goes for other items this winter as well. When the kids are home during winter break, make sure they know that wearing long pants and a sweater are better than cranking the heat to 78! If you have guests over for a few days remember that you’ll be using more hot water for dishes, showers and maybe even keeping the heat a little warmer to ensure they are comfortable.
You can’t avoid those expenses because they come with the joy of being around friends and family, but when you get your bill, just reflect on how energy was used during the billing cycle. I bet you’ll be able to point out a few reasons besides the cold weather for any changes.
Hope you have a great holiday season.
Nov 11 , 2009
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An example of just one part of the
analysis provided for you after through
the home energy analyzer. | I’m a big fan of Avista’s My Account website features and the free home energy audit is a pretty cool way to figure out where your energy dollar is really being spent. We sent out a news release today encouraging the use of these tools, hopefully you’ll see it in the local media.
This tool is especially important as we enter the cold winter months because no one likes those high winter bills and having more information about your home can only help save money.
In the audit, based on a series of online questions, you will learn:
• How your home uses energy
• How your home compares to others of similar size for energy use
• What low-cost and no-cost steps can be taken to reduce your home’s energy use
• The expected annual dollar savings of various efficiency improvements
• The top ways to save energy, customized to each customer’s home
Links to applicable rebates and incentives are also included.
So, if you haven’t signed up for a My Account, try it out here. You get access to these free tools – and you can then leave comments on any blog post for the entire world to see after signing in.
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