Contact: Priscilla Knight, 703-392-1580, pknight@novec.com

NORTHERN VIRGINIA—The Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative asks all of its customers to reduce their power consumption at work and home as much as practical between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. this week. The reduction will help the Co-op avoid excessive peak-use charges and save customers money.

“The amount of power customers collectively use during the five highest peak-use hours during the year determines the ‘peak demand charge’ the Co-op pays the following year,” explains Ken Blaylock, manager, NOVEC substations and telecommunications department.

Blaylock says peak-use hours in summer usually occur in the afternoon when air conditioners work the hardest to cool, and in the early evening when families turn on lights, prepare dinner, wash dishes, and take showers and baths. 

“If customers use less electricity on the hottest days, they will help reduce the demand charges for next year,” Blaylock states “By shaving just 10 percent of their electricity use when temperatures soar, customers could realize a collective savings of about $4.7 million,” Blaylock estimates. In 2008, the average annual cost per customer for the peak demand charge was $335.

NOVEC passes the savings on to customers through the Power Cost Adjustment Charge on their bills and through a program called CashBack. 

Tips for Reducing Peak Electricity Use

• Turn the thermostat up to 82 — or turn it off — between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. and at all times when no one is home. A programmable thermostat will make adjustments automatically. When family members are home, run fans; the air movement will make them feel cooler.
• Close window shades, blinds, and drapes to block the sun’s heat.
• Delay running the dishwasher, clothes washer, and dryer until late at night or early in the morning.
• Turn off all unnecessary lights, electronic devices, and appliances.
• Cook with a microwave oven instead of the stove and oven. Grill outdoors.
• Spend time in a finished basement where temperatures are cooler.
• Consider going to the library, mall or the movies where it's cool, and turn off the air conditioner before leaving. 

For more peak-use reduction tips, visit www.novec.com/peak12.

Customers can make additional changes in their energy consumption habits to save more energy every day. These changes include: 

• Replacing or cleaning the air conditioner filter if it is not clean 
• Replacing incandescent light bulbs, which produce 10 percent light and 90 percent heat, with compact fluorescent bulbs, which create little heat and last much longer, and turning off lights when leaving a room.

Many more long-term energy-saving tips are available at www.novec.com/useitwisely12.