WA State: Energy Adviser – Resolve to Cut Energy Consumption (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

(VANCOUVER, WA) - - New Year’s resolutions can evoke strong feelings. Some people swear by them as a means to bettering one’s life and achieving new goals, while others have sworn off them entirely, arguing they so rarely work out that to make them is to guarantee disappointment down the road.

But there’s one resolution that everyone can easily achieve and promises to reward everyone who follows it, no matter how great or modest their efforts — the resolution to reduce home energy consumption.

Whether you own a house, rent an apartment, or run a business, there many ways to conserve electricity and reduce energy expenses without sacrificing personal comfort, convenience or safety.

“There are many low-cost and no-cost ways to reduce energy consumption in our lives,” said Trevor Frick, the Clark Public Utilities Energy Councilor of the Day. “Whether it’s making behavioral changes, a little handiwork around the house or a combination of the two, a little effort will add up to some satisfying results.”

Just as the easiest way to eat an elephant is taking one bite at a time, the easiest way to change personal habits and reduce consumption is make one small change at a time.

For a head start, contact Frick, the Energy Councilor of the Day, for some personalized tips. He possesses a wealth of energy-saving knowledge.

From there, think about your habits. Do you leave the water running when you brush your teeth? Do you leave the lights on after you leave a room? Do you tend to leave your computer running all day? There are countless things we all do that consume more electricity than we actually need. Once you’ve got a sense for your habits, figure out which ones you can improve. You’ll be glad you did.

Upgrade all your lightbulbs to LEDs now or when your current bulb burns out. Most use a fraction of the electricity of traditional incandescent bulbs and about half that of compact florescent bulbs. Plus, they last for up to a decade or more. Once you’ve made the switch, remember to flip the switch and turn out the lights whenever you leave a room.

Our lives are filled with electronics that run constantly — even when we think they’re shut off. Alone they don’t use much power, but together their consumption really adds up. Rein in your electronics, especially those around the entertainment center or office, by connecting them to controlled or advanced power strips and shutting those off when not in use. You can even automate the task by investing in smart plugs and programming them to shut off at a specific time of day, like right before bedtime.

Resolve to reduce your heating expenses this winter by using sweaters or blankets to stay warm and turning down the thermostat to 70 degrees or less during the day and 65 degrees at night.

Caulk and outlet insulation are cheap, widely available and highly effective. Light switches, outlets and fixtures are often sources of tiny air leaks. Individually they’re too small to notice, but together they’re responsible for a surprising amount of heat loss. Use the caulk to seal around exterior windows or gaps behind light fixtures in and outside the home. Insulator kits fit all varieties of switches and outlets and install in minutes.

If your exterior doors leak cold air, install new weather stripping around the frame. If that’s not an option, place a rolled-up towel at the threshold.

If you want to take things to the next level, and you’re ready to invest in your property, Clark Public Utilities is offering significantly higher incentives for window replacements and heat pump systems in electrically heated homes, for a limited time only. The utility is also offering great incentives for insulation improvements for residential customers. Certain restrictions apply. There are many great solutions for business customers as well. For more information, contact the Energy Counselor of the Day by phone at 360-992-3355 or email at ecod@clarkpud.com.

Energy Adviser is written by Clark Public Utilities. Send questions to ecod@clarkpud.com or to Energy Adviser, c/o Clark Public Utilities, P.O. Box 8900, Vancouver, WA 98688.

WA State: Nearly One-Third of Spokane Utility Customers Are More Than 2 Months Late Paying Bills (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

(Spokane, WA) - - As the coronavirus pandemic continues to cripple the economy, the number of people struggling to keep up with their utility bills is outpacing the community’s ability to help them.

The number of Spokane residents and businesses who have fallen more than two months behind on their city utility bills has more than doubled since January, now accounting for nearly one-third of all utility customers.

Officials are contemplating how to respond, as the pandemic and its economic ramifications have stretched far beyond what the city planned for when the coronavirus reached Washington this spring.

Early in the pandemic, the city paused utility shutoffs and allowed customers to set up a deferral or interest-free repayment plan. It also launched a fundraising effort and distributed $182,000 through its U-Help utility assistance program, which provided $130 to the average customer who received assistance.

The city could double down on those efforts by launching another fundraising campaign for utility assistance and continuing to accept more deferrals and repayment plans. Or, the answer could simply be to hope for federal or state support, without which the city may need to cut costs to accommodate the reduced revenue from people failing to pay. The city is now owed $4.8 million from overdue utility accounts.

As city officials consider their next steps, Spokanites continue to fall further behind.

“We’re concerned about the health of our families and businesses. Long-term, we’re concerned about the financial risks for critical utility services for our community,” said Marlene Feist, director of strategic development at the city’s Public Works Department.

The U-Help program is administered by the nonprofit Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners, or SNAP, which can field dozens of calls for assistance in a day, according to Carol Weltz, its director of community engagement.

“It’s constant and I don’t see it slowing down at all, and we only have a limited amount of help. They need more help than we can even offer them,” Weltz said. “I don’t know how people are going to pull out of this.”

Feist shares those concerns. A family that is months behind on city utility bills is likely to also be skipping payments like rent and electricity bills.

Many of those reaching out to SNAP have never needed assistance before, Weltz said. Funds for the U-Help program have dwindled to about $28,000, and the nonprofit can only provide so much to every person or family.

About 24% of customers are between one and two months late, which Feist says is typical, as some people just forget to pay or pay later.

But the rate of delinquency greater than 60 days increased from 15% of customers in January to about 30% this month, according to a report provided to the Spokane City Council by city officials this week.

“More people are entering delinquency … and those outstanding balances are continuing to age,” Feist said.

Avista has seen a similar trend.

“The number of Avista customers in Washington with past due amounts at the end of October this year is slightly higher, but in line, with the number at that time last year. But the dollar amount that is past due is approximately double,” Avista spokesperson Casey Fielder said.

In normal times, the city would shut off someone’s utilities between 75 and 90 days after the bill is considered late, but only after a notice is given.

Residential utility customers have fared the worst, but the number of commercial ratepayers at least 90 days late on their bill also has increased. The city approved 123 repayment plans for residential utility customers, with an average balance of $799.

Councilman Michael Cathcart asked city officials to produce a map showing the concentration of overdue accounts in 2020 compared to 2019. As he expected, it showed a dramatic increase in the number of northeast Spokane residents and businesses – who he represents in City Council District 1 – that are at least 90 days late on utility payments.

The map, he wrote on Facebook, demonstrates “how the shutdown has exacerbated these economic disadvantages and Impacted residents in North and Northeast Spokane to a significant degree worse than those elsewhere in the community.”

“We can’t control state mandates, but now more than ever it’s important that we consider how local public policies can address or worsen this situation and how we can overcome these challenges,” Cathcart wrote. “Perhaps now is the time to rethink how resources are expended and applied throughout the city.”

Those in need of utility assistance should call SNAP at (509) 456-SNAP.