Contact: Priscilla Knight, 703-392-1580, pknight@novec.com
New Participants May Win $50 Gift Cards
NORTHERN VIRGINIA — The Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative is urging customers to join the Co-op’s Load Management Program to help NOVEC save millions of dollars each year. Customers who sign up by May 30, 2010, may win one of six $50 gift cards.
“Load management helps us reduce peak electricity demand when temperatures plummet or skyrocket,” explains Ken Blaylock, manager of the Co-op’s substations and telecommunications department. “The less electricity NOVEC must purchase and provide during peak-demand times, the less money the Cooperative must pay for wholesale power all year round. By using the program to shave just 10 percent from peak electricity use during the five single, highest-use hours of the year, NOVEC’s 143,000 customers collectively save an estimated $5 million annually.”
To help achieve this cost savings, NOVEC initiated the Load Management Program in 1979. Blaylock says the energy-saving program has saved the Co-op and its customers more than $40 million dollars over the last 30 years. NOVEC customers have allowed the Co-op to install more than 45,000 load management switches on their water heaters and air conditioner compressors. But Blaylock says the more customers who participate in the Load Management Program, the more money they all will save.
“To encourage more customers to join the thousands of customers who already participate in the Load Management program, we’re running a contest,” says Gil Jaramillo, manager of Business Development and Energy Services. “A customer who signs up for the program by May 30, 2010, will have a chance to win one of six $50 gift cards.”
How NOVEC’s Load Management Program Works
Under the program, NOVEC installs on a customer’s electric water heater a switch the Co-op can use remotely to turn off the heater for approximately two hours on days when power use soars. An insulated water heater will hold most of its heat during this short period.
If a customer participates in the air conditioner program, NOVEC will install a switch it can use to turn off the compressor for 10 minutes out of every half-hour during peak-use periods.
Customer Benefits
- Lower Electric Bills
Savings from lower wholesale power charges are passed on to all NOVEC customers. - Electric Water Heater Repair
If a participating homeowner’s electric water heater malfunctions, NOVEC will make a free diagnostic service call. NOVEC will replace, free of charge, malfunctioning thermostats, elements, reset buttons, and fuses. (Leaking water heaters and pipes are not covered since they are plumbing issues. However, if a new water heater is needed, NOVEC Solutions, a NOVEC-owned company, will offer a new energy-efficient water heater at a competitive price.) - First-Call Response for Air Conditioner Problems
If a participating homeowner’s air conditioner is not working, NOVEC will send a service representative to the home to help diagnose the problem, free of charge. The homeowner avoids paying for an unnecessary service visit. - Assistance 24-7
For water heater repair or air conditioner evaluation, customers may call NOVEC at 703-335-0500 or 1-888-335-0500, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Customers may obtain more information and enroll in the Load Management Program by visiting www.novec.com/loadmanagement12 or by calling 703-335-0500 or 1-888-335-0500.
