Q: I was paying in the third-tier level on my co-op electric bill last winter and don’t want to do that again, what are some solutions?
A: Well that’s simple, just use less! Perhaps if you just changed one more incandescent bulb to LED….We call this “Fears for Tiers” after the 80’s English rock band “Tears for Fears”. As anyone knows that actually looks at their electric bill, and not just the bottom line, you will find valuable information and of course some explanation of charges assessed. With that wealth of information is the price you end up paying but it depends on the kilowatt hours you used. This is called rate structure in the utility business and it may seem unfair as the heavier users (some commercial and industrial exclusions) are charged more per KWH than others. An easy metaphor to use would be filling up with gas. What would happen when you pull up in your gas guzzler and the pump charges you $4.50 a gallon. The compact on the other side of the pump is at $2.50 a gallon! It may not make you go out and buy a Prius (over my dead body) but it’s the kind of sting that gets you thinkin’.
To be perfectly clear, the co-op didn’t set this up to create animosity between ratepayers (large and small) but in an effort to curtail usage overall by conservation of resources. We humans, while interestingly different, react similarly when it comes to our purse and pocketbook. A higher price on this and that will curtail its usage or purchase until a point in which we can start swiping again. In the case of the co-op, they must balance their entire grid system and all its infrastructure as well as maintaining reasonable costs to its members (you and me, and the devil makes three). It is hard to miss the growth in the valley and keeping the lights on (at a reasonable cost) is no easy task. Reducing big investments involved with additional grid expansion is paramount and the solution at the top of the list is conservation. You don’t need to pay for something you don’t use and we all take that to the bank. The tiered pricing structure directly influences our natural tendency to want to save money and in doing so, conservation is the direct result.
On to solutions that you thought would never come. It comes as no surprise that heating your home or business is a significant fraction of your bill, gas or electric. AirWorks is obviously in the business of doing everything necessary to help you conserve and thereby reduce your bills, and amazingly enough be more comfortable. First off, take care of what you have by maintaining it professionally (hopefully by AirWorks). Just because it is running is no indictor of running efficiently. Refrigerant charges and electrical components need attention as do all the tiny parts and pieces involved. A ten-year old heat pump with no love and attention runs like a twenty-year-old gas guzzler. If you have a twenty-year old anything that heats, there is no way that it is doing so with modern levels of efficiency. We do our best to call out systems in need of replacement but all systems need a check-up, from the filter up. Don’t “fear the tiers” but make a plan to use less and be more comfortable. We are here to help so give AirWorks a call at (406) 630-4170 and have a pleasant weekend.
