To the editor:

Covington Electric Cooperative strives to educate its members about the importance of energy efficiency and using energy wisely. However, during extreme weather conditions, even them cost conservative energy consumer in the most energy efficient home is going to use more electricity than normal. During the month of January, there were 19 days where we never reached 50 degrees, nine days that didn’t reach 40 degrees, and during that time we also experienced record low temperatures. January 2014 was an extremely cold month and demand for electricity was unusually high as a result of the weather.

CEC understands that most of its members had significant increases in their recent utility bills and most, if not all, of these increases are directly related to the extreme cold weather we have experienced this year. Although higher bills can be expected in these conditions, there are steps that can be taken to moderate the impact on your utility bill. Any CEC member can request a free energy audit to help identify areas where energy is being used the most in their homes, and receive energy-saving recommendations. The home owner can then make informed choices if they want to implement energy efficiency improvement or alter habits to conserve energy. They may choose to continue as is with no changes, but they will do so with the understanding that usage levels go up dramatically in homes that are not efficient, particularly during the winter months.

Monitoring energy usage on a daily basis is the best way to avoid being caught off guard by higher electric bills. CEC would like to remind members to utilize a free usage monitoring service available to them by visiting www.MyUsage.com. This service shows daily usage along with the temperature readings for each day. Using MyUsage.com is easy. CEC members can simply: Go online to your utility provider, (Covington EC); Usage monitor account (enter your email address); Check your email, then copy and paste the validation code. Enter your account information including account and meter number; and last, enter a username and password to complete the free registration to being using MyUsage.com.

CEC is her to provide the reliable electric service its members depend upon, but we’re also here to do more. We provide useful information through our website, Facebook page, free energy audits, bill stuffers, and Alabama Living to help members make their homes more energy efficient and to use energy more wisely. These free tools and services are available and can make a difference for members who choose to utilize them.

Sincerely

Ed Short

General Manager

Covington Electric Cooperative