LIGHT READING INLAND POWER AND LIGHT inlandpower.com
JUNE 2018
Tips To Protect Your Home Devices Inland Power strives to provide safe, reliable and consistent electricity to our members. Nevertheless, Inland Power cannot guarantee 100% protection against all power quality problems in your home and power quality events can occur for reasons beyond Inland Power’s control such as lightning strikes, animal damage or faulty equipment in nearby homes and businesses. Most of the time members will never notice these voltage disturbances, but large variations may cause some members’ computers, household appliances, or other personal or business equipment to malfunction. Members should take prudent steps to protect themselves from possible power quality fluctuations as Inland Power is not responsible for loss or damage resulting from these events. A short list of the conditions you should consider when determining proper system protections are discussed below. Please remember this list is not inclusive of all possible scenarios. • SAG & SWELL FLUCTUATIONS — An abrupt decrease (sag), increase (swell) and longer duration fluctuations of power quality can occur at any time. Momentary sags do not generally disturb lighting, motors or heaters, but do impact the performance of electronics such as televisions, computers and networking equipment. High quality surge protectors and UPS power backup are highly recommended to avoid equipment damage and data loss. • LOSS OF A PHASE — It is common during an outage for only one or two phases of our power line to be affected, resulting in less than all three phases to the large equipment being energized. The loss of one or two phases to a three phase motor or pump can cause significant damage to a motor and its control system. It is the responsibility of each member to determine and install the appropriate protection equipment for their system in the event of a loss of a phase. • OVER-VOLTAGE — There are many causes for over-voltage conditions on a power system including lightning and operations on either the distribution or transmission system during abnormal conditions. While Inland Power has surge arrestors on our high voltage system, these devices are designed to protect our equipment. These lightning arrestors are not a substitute for surge protectors or similar devices designed to be installed on members’ equipment to protect against damage.
How Can You Protect Your Home? There are two major ways to protect your equipment from surges. First, you can provide protection at the point of entry or your electrical panel. Second, you can install protection at the point of use, where electrical equipment connects to electrical outlets. A combination of point of entry and point of use protection will provide the greatest level of protection. Homeowners can find a whole home or plug in surge protector at any local hardware or office supply store. Members should select protectors that are at least UL 1449 listed so that they meet the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) standard for protection. The lower the listing the better. Despite our best efforts, Inland Power cannot provide 100% protection against all power quality problems that you may experience in your home. Please be proactive in protecting your electronically operated equipment from the effects of power sags, swells and other possible disturbances. If you have any questions on how to protect your home, please contact Inland Power at (509) 789-4277 or inlandpower@ inlandpower.com and a member of our team will be happy to assist you.
• INSURANCE -— Each member should assess their need for an appropriate level of insurance coverage for their system and home.
i n la n d powe r is my coope rat ive
BPA Court Ordered Spill Surcharge
WE ARE A MEMBER-OWNED ENERGY COOPERATIVE COMMITTED TO SAFE, RELIABLE SERVICE AT COMPETITIVE RATES. - i n l a n d p o w e r m i s s i o n stat e m e n t
BPA Court Ordered Spill Surcharge Impacting Your June Electric Bill On April 2, 2018 the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the U.S. District Court’s ruling that requires the Army Corps of Engineers to increase spill of water over dam spillways to the maximum level that meets, but does not exceed, the existing gas caps at the eight mainstem dams on the Lower Columbia and Snake Rivers. This means that 24/7 spill at these 8 dams began on April 3 and will continue through July. As mentioned in recent Light Reading issues and the accompanying bill stuffer, Judge Simon of the Oregon District Court ordered the Corps of Engineers and BPA to spill additional water over the Lower Columbia and Snake River dams. This order was a result of a year-long hydro modeling effort ordered by the judge to impose maximum spring season spill. The ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals means the spill surcharge approved as part of BPA’s fiscal year 2018 rate case is moving forward. BPA anticipates that additional costs associated with the court ordered spill will be $38.6 million, which the agency is collecting through a surcharge to its customers. It is estimated that this will result in a surcharge of $192,707 on Inland’s power purchase over the summer. As such, Inland Power is passing along BPA’s estimated spill surcharge of $192,707 to our members. This is a surcharge of approximately .00075¢ per kWh and will result in a charge of approximately $1 per month for the average residential member. This surcharge will be in effect from June through September. You will see this labeled on your billing statement as court ordered spill for the next four months.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY TO D D A N D L I N D S E Y, YO U R E N E R G Y E F F I C I E N C Y T E A M
Tankless Water Heater vs. Heat Pump Water Heater Over the course of the last few months our energy services team has had several inquiries from Inland Power members regarding the differences between tankless and heat pump water heaters and which is the best option for their home. While Inland Power does not offer natural gas or propane fuel, we recognize that a portion of our membership has dual fuel options at their home and Inland Power strives to be a resource for all. Below is a quick summary of some of the pros and cons of each system.
Tankless Water Heater
A tankless water heater uses a heat source (electric or gas) to warm up cool water on demand rather than storing hot water in a tank. Pros: • The tankless water heater is small and saves space in your home. • Provides your home with instantaneous hot water on demand. • Cost-efficient for gas installations. Uses 30 to 50 percent less energy than a standard water heater as they do not keep 40-50 gallons of water continuously hot (gas version only). Cons: • Expensive upfront cost. Switching to a tankless electric water heater may require an investment into the electric capacity of the home. Few homes are equipped with the capacity needed to install a tankless electric water heater without first upgrading the home’s electrical capacity (electric version only). • If water flows are too low they cannot activate the heater. Water flows that are too fast are constricted thus not allowing the full temperature to rise creating reduced flow, lukewarm water or pockets of cold water sandwiched between hot water supplies.
Heat Pump Water Heater
A heat pump water heater uses electricity to move heat from one place to another instead of generating heat directly. The water heater pulls heat from the surrounding air and transfers it, at a higher temperature, into a tank to heat the water. Pros: • Uses 50% less energy than standard electric water heater. • Inland Power offers a $300 - $500 rebate. Cons: • Takes more space in your home. • Upfront cost of appliance is more than a tankless water heater.
By far the most energy efficient and cost-effective option for the majority of our membership is the heat pump water heater. For members looking to upgrade their water heater please contact Inland Power and we will be happy to help you evaluate the best option for your home. Call Todd or Lindsey at (509) 789-1801 or visit our website, www.inlandpower.com for more information.
Ductless Heat Pumps...A Cool Idea! If you use window air conditioners to cool your home, you are likely using more energy than necessary. In fact, you could save 25 to 50 percent annually on your home energy bill with a ductless heat pump, while still getting the comforts of cooling without dealing with an unsightly window air conditioning unit. And, don’t forget the $800 rebate offered by Inland! To Qualify: Heat pumps must be installed by an approved contractor and meet efficiency requirements. To find a certified contractor, or for more information about these and our many other rebate programs, visit our website at www.inlandpower.com, email us at conservation@inlandpower.com or call Lindsey or Todd in our energy services department at (509) 789-1801. Please note: Members who have natural gas at their home are not eligible for a ductless heat pump rebate.
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