Jun 5 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Victor R. Martinez El Paso Times, Texas



Get ready. Your electric bill is about to increase.

And it has nothing to do with the El Paso Electric Co.

Blame this one on Mother Nature.

The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory warning of temperatures to exceed 100 degrees today through much of next week.

 Add thousands of students on summer break, and you have the recipe for a surge in electricity use.

"The peak demand for electricity in the summer is weekdays from 3 to 4 p.m. when the kids are home from school with the TV on, playing games, opening and closing refrigerators and businesses are up and running," said Teresa Souza, spokeswoman for El Paso Electric. "On the weekend, people are out of the house and a lot of offices are closed, so people aren't using as much electricity."

The company owns or has significant interests in six generating plants.

It serves about 370,000 residential, business and government customers in an area that covers 10,000 square miles from Hatch, N.M., to Van Horn, Texas.

"The peak usage last year was on July 15, which was on a Wednesday," Souza said. "On that day, our customers used 1,571 megawatts of electricity, which surpassed the previous year's peak of 1,524 megawatts."

The company's net dependable generating capability is about 1,643 megawatts.

Electricity use last summer increased 3.1 percent from the previous year, and it could rise again.

"Our electric bill is higher in the summer because the air conditioner is on all the time and the kids are either playing video games on the computer or watching videos," said Tony Elorreaga, who lives in a 2,500-square-foot East Side home.

Elorreaga, his wife, Lenore, and their three school-age children -- Jason, Andrea and Jenny -- are on El Paso Electric Co.'s Level Payment Plan. They are billed monthly based on the previous 12-month average. They pay $140 a month.

"We do other things to conserve energy in the summer," Elorreaga said.

"We don't keep our lights on in the house during the day -- only at night. We use the sunlight as our light source."

Elorreaga said he keeps the thermostat on his Ultracool set at 77 degrees.

On average, homeowners use 620 kilowatt-hours a month in the summer. The winter average is 440 kilowatts per household. Conserving energy can not only save money but also reduce the demand for such fossil fuels as coal, oil and natural gas.

"What people can do very easily is close their shades, curtains or shutters to prevent the sun from coming directly into their house," said Dorothy Baca, public safety and community development representative for El Paso Electric. "That's about a 5- to 10-degree cooldown, which makes a big difference."

Simply replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs could also bring down your electric bill.

"The incandescent cost more to run, and they give up heat immediately," she said. "So not only are you using more electricity, you are putting out more heat into your house, which is going to make your air conditioner run harder to bring down that temperature."

Another way to reduce your electric bill is to use ceiling and box fans rather than air conditioners.

"A ceiling fan uses less electricity, plus it circulates the air, so it's a win-win situation," Baca said. "But you have to remember to reverse the ceiling fan in the summer to push the heat up. In the winter you want to push the air down."

She said ceiling fans have a reverse button.

Turning off the air conditioner when nobody is home will also save energy.

"If you are not home during the day, nothing should be on, not even your thermostat," Baca said. "A lot of people think you should leave it on because it'll take less energy to cool down your home again. That's a mistake and a safety hazard."

It will take 10 minutes to cool down the house, she said.

The use of a box fan to help keep a room cool is a great alternative at night, Baca said.

"In El Paso, we have extreme heat during the day, but at night the temperature drops, not like Phoenix where it stays hot all the time," Baca said.

Victor R. Martinez may be reached at vmartinez@elpasotimes.com; 546-6128.

El Paso braces for 100-plus days

Conserve and keep cool

When it's hot, you don't have to choose between saving energy and keeping cool. By using the following conservation techniques provided by the El Paso Electric Co., you can cool your home and still control your energy costs.

--During the heat of the day, block the sun by closing draperies, shutters, blinds and doors to keep unwanted heat from entering your home. You can also use awnings to block the sun.

--Avoid cooking, bathing or doing the laundry during the hottest hours of the day. These activities produce heat in the home.

--Wait until there is a full load before washing clothes or dishes.

--Whenever possible, do your laundry during cooler evening hours, using cold or warm water instead of hot. Use your clothesline to dry laundry when possible.

--Reduce oven use by baking several items at once.

--Refrigerators operate more efficiently when they are full. And make sure your refrigerator's door seals are airtight and its condenser coils are clean so it will operate efficiently.

--Repair any broken windows or gaps that would let cool air escape.

--Wear loose-fitting clothing and drink plenty of fluids to help feel cooler.

--Set the thermostat as high as comfort permits, usually at least 78 degrees Fahrenheit. Lower settings don't promote faster cooling, but each degree you reduce the setting adds about 3 percent to operating costs.

--Turn off air conditioner before you leave home for extended periods.

--Use room and window fans to help cool the home. When it is hot outside during the day, a room fan can circulate cooler inside air, if the house is kept closed. If rooms are warmer than air outdoors, use fans to expel hot air on the sunny side of the house to draw in cooler air on the shady side.

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