Keep winter energy costs in check by making sure your heating system and your use of it are as efficient as possible.
Take steps to reduce usage during colder weather
Ensure heat pump’s thermostat is not set to emergency. This also can be referred to as “E Heat,” “EM Heat” or “Supplemental Heat.” This setting only uses the heat strips of your unit, which will cost you more than
twice as much as the correct setting of “Heat.”
unattended and only operate it away from flammable items.)
Avoid adjusting nonprogrammable thermostats more than two degrees at a time. If you increase the set temperature by more than two degrees, the auxiliary heat strips will kick on to get to the desired temperature quicker.
Schedule a checkup of your heating system by a licensed heating and air dealer. They can ensure your unit is operating at its most efficient. This can extend the life of your unit as well. Energy efficiency upgrades to a home, such as added insuLimit use of space heaters. lation or replacing an electric Most space heaters use 1,500 furnace with a high-efficiency watts and are not designed to heat pump, can be costly in the heat a large room. Continually short term but lead to substantial operating one 1,500-watt space savings on a home’s energy costs heater can increase your bill by in the long term. NAEC’s energy approximately $120 a month. advisers can offer suggestions For those using space heaters in on the efficiency measures that their well houses, NAEC’s energy would benefit your home most. advisers suggest heat tape and NAEC offers qualifying meminsulation if possible. (Safety is ber low-interest loans to fund key if using a space heater. We energy efficiency improvements. recommend you never leave one Call 870-895-3221 for details.
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Winter’s colder temperatures cause heating systems to run longer and more often as members try to stay warm. Heating a home usually accounts for more than 40 percent of energy costs, according to research done by the U.S. Department of Energy. Properly maintaining a heating system and knowing energy efficient practices can help keep your energy costs in check. Here are steps NAEC’s energy advisers suggest you take to ensure you are heating your home as efficiently as possible:
NAEC contractor inspecting poles
Operation Round Up scholarship application available at naeci.com The member-funded Operation Round Up® program awards thousands of dollars in scholarships to local graduating high school seniors each year. NAEC is accepting applications for the 2021-2022 scholarship program. The application is available at www.naeci.com or through high school counselors’ offices. Applicants must mail or deliver the typed application to NAEC by April 13. They must include a high school transcript and three letters of recommendation. To be eligible for the scholarship, high school seniors must graduate at the end of the 2021 school year, and their parents or guardians must be NAEC members. Applicants also must have a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale through the first semester of senior year. The scholarship must be used to attend an accredited institute of higher learning on a full-time basis. For more information, please contact Tori Moss at 870-8956210 or tmoss@naeci.com.
YOUTH TOUR — The 2021 Electric Cooperative Youth Tour to Washington, D.C., was canceled due to the pandemic. The Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas will have a virtual Youth Tour for teenagers to speak with elected officials and learn about the cooperative business model. The application is at www.naeci.com/youth-tour.
North Arkansas Electric Cooperative has contracted with Osmose to inspect electric poles in select areas of Fulton and Izard counties. Members might see Osmose employees in those areas. They will drive trucks and wear apparel with the Osmose logo. These inspections allow NAEC to identify any damaged poles and either repair or replace them before they cause outages for members. Work is expected to be completed by the end of March. The Osmose post on the “News and Events” section of www.naeci.com includes a map of electric feeders to be inspected. Affected members with an email address on file received an email notifying them of the work as well. For more information, please email info@naeci.com or call 870-895-3221.
Osmose employees are inspecting electric poles in parts of Fulton and Izard counties.
Qualifying members may receive help paying electric bills through LIHEAP The federal government’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program provides help for qualifying members with their energy costs during the summer and winter months. LIHEAP is administered by community action agencies. In NAEC’s service area, those are Ozark Opportunities and Northcentral Arkansas Development Council. Assistance became available Jan. 11, and we encourage members to contact the agency serving their county for more information. Ozark Opportunities serves residents in Baxter and Marion counties. Northcentral Arkansas Development Council serves residents in Fulton, Izard, Sharp and Stone counties. The amount of help available varies based on a member’s income, number of people in the household and other factors. NAEC tries to work with members who are experiencing hardships. Members with questions or concerns about their account may reach an NAEC member service representative by emailing info@naeci.com or calling 870-895-3221 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays. As a reminder, the co-op will not disconnect anyone for nonpayment while the Arkansas Public Service Commission moratorium is in place. However, the suspension is not a bill waiver. We encourage members to pay at least some if able to avoid having such a large balance when disconnection procedures resume.
Northcentral Arkansas Development Council
www.nadcinc.org Fulton County 870-895-3628 Izard County 870-368-4329 Sharp County 870-994-7353 Stone County 870-269-4381 Ozark Opportunities
www.ozarkopp.org Baxter County 870-425-5118 Marion County 870-449-6250
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