Together, we save
by Doug Mork, manager of member services
Autumn greetings to you, the member-owners of Capital Electric Cooperative. I want to take a few minutes to thank those of you who have called us recently, asking about electric heat products and how you can make your home or office more energy efficient. I also want to remind you about the co-op rebate still available on geothermal heating and cooling systems, air-source heat pumps and Marathon water heaters. Our rebate is only available through Dec. 31, 2009.
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As I mentioned last month in the September center pages of
North Dakota LIVING, our co-op is concerned about the cost of electricity. We know you are, too, and the worry extends beyond North Dakota. Nationally, electric cooperatives continue to update power plants to produce cleaner coal, integrate renewable energy and lobby for careful consideration on climate change. Our ultimate goal as a Touchstone Energy® Cooperative is to continue to provide affordable and reliable electricity. This is a growing challenge.
To help us educate members on the growing challenges we face, Capital Electric Cooperative and more than 690 other Touchstone Energy Cooperatives in 46 states are working to help their members use energy more effectively and efficiently through a new, national campaign called “Together We Save.” The campaign focuses on how small changes in electricity use can add up. For instance, sealing doors, ductwork and vents can significantly lower your electric bill. So can lowering your thermostat a couple degrees in the winter and changing your incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent light bulbs. These few examples illustrate how “Together We Save” works: By implementing a few, inexpensive steps, you can help save energy and money.
A unique component of the “Together We Save” campaign is the interactive Web site at www.togetherwesave.com. The site offers a virtual home tour that helps consumers get an even better idea of potential dollar savings. Within each of the home’s rooms (living room, kitchen, laundry room, bedroom, basement and attic), there are at least two energy-saving steps you can take. As you complete these virtual changes, a digital counter keeps a running total of potential dollar savings, showing you how simple changes add up.
When you visit the Web site, you can also view informative and instructional videos on topics from weather sealing your home to installing a programmable thermostat. The videos are designed to offer easy-to-follow advice on energy savings tips and techniques.
Along with the Web site, the “Together We Save” campaign features television ads and print ads, radio spots and billboards. You may have already seen or read these parts of the campaign; they began this September.
The success of the “Together We Save” campaign depends on you — and the 40 million other electric cooperative members across the nation who are joining together to save energy. As I stated last month, in order to better control the cost of future electricity, we must act now to find a solution together.
As always, please keep yourselves informed on changes in the industry. The local center pages in North Dakota LIVING and our Web site here at www.capitalelec.com are good sources of information that affect you, our member-owners.
Capital’s rebate still available to qualifying members
Along with the “Together We Save” campaign, Capital Electric is working to save you money by offering a rebate program to members who qualify. It is designed to partially offset the initial investment costs of a geothermal heating and cooling system, an air-source heat pump or a Marathon water heater. It targets the most practical and energy-efficient equipment in our area, and supplements other co-op programs including the special rates offered for off-peak heating systems and the low–interest Energy Resource Conservation (ERC) loan program.
The following products and maximum rebates are listed below:
Geothermal heat pumps............$800
Air-to-air heat pumps ..............$500
Marathon water heaters............$100
Capital Electric’s rebate program, combined with its special electric rates, low-interest financing, and generous state and federal energy efficiency tax benefits now available to you under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, combine to make investing in high-efficiency equipment an educated decision — for yourself, your electric cooperative and the nation.
To find out if you quality for this rebate, call myself or Josh Schaffner, member services assistant at Capital Electric, at (701) 223-1513. For more information on energy efficiency, visit www.capitalelec.com. To learn more about energy efficiency standards and the new tax credits, visit the Energy Star Web site at www.energystar.gov.
IMPORTANT NOTE TO CAPITAL ELECTRIC MEMBERS
The rebate applies only to products sold by Capital Electric, based on our familiarity with the systems and their efficiency ratings. It is not available for products sold by other companies. This rebate is only available through Dec. 31, 2009.