[YVEA News] SmartHub Available February 1
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Yampa Valley Electric Association is proud to introduce its new member portal, SmartHub. This new member portal makes it even easier to stay connected to YVEA via today’s Internet technologies. Members may now check usage, pay their bill, report an outage, stay up to date and much more, all from your web browser, iPhone, iPad or Android device. SmartHub replaces the previous eBill system and uses your same username and password. If you have not previously used YVEA eBill, you can sign up by going to yvea.smarthub.coop. To download the new SmartHub app for your mobile device, simply search for “SmartHub” in the Apple App Store® or in the Android® Market. The app is free to all our members.
Stop drafts from coming in and heat from leaking out of your home through doors and windows by applying weather stripping. It is relatively easy to use and available at your local home improvement store.
BRING IN THE NEW YEAR WITH LOWER ENERGY COSTS
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A new year provides a chance for new beginnings. If you want a new beginning that involves saving money, the Energy Education Council has the following tips, organized by how much certain costs contribute to your energy bill: • Heating and cooling — 46 percent: Because of the high cost, heating and cooling are good places to begin your savings. During winter, dress warmly and keep the temperature at home moderate. In the summer, wear light clothing and use fans to keep cool instead of running the air-conditioning. You can save money any season by closing off rooms that you do not need to heat or cool. • Water heating — 14 percent: We need warm water to shower, cook and clean, but we do not need warm water every moment of the day. However, many water heaters work hard to keep water warm constantly. You can give your water heater a break by setting its temperature to 120 degrees. • Appliances — 14 percent: Do laundry in cold water, when possible. Keep your refrigerator at 37 to 40 degrees. Keep attached freezers at 5 degrees and separate freezers at 0 degrees. Air-dry dishes and clothes as often as possible. • Electronics and other devices — 14 percent: Let Energy Star help you cut costs. Energy Star products use at least 20
ColoradoCountryLife.coop 8 January 2014
LED lightbulbs require less energy and last longer.
percent less energy than other products. Even if you are not replacing electronics, you can save money by unplugging products that are not in use. • Lighting— 12 percent: Lighting is one of the easiest ways to increase your home’s efficiency. Switch to compact fluorescent lightbulbs or light emitting diode lightbulbs. Both types use significantly less energy than traditional incandescent lightbulbs. CFLs and LEDs also last longer than incandescent lighting, so you will not have to replace lightbulbs as often.