Dear Members,

I had a conversation with our Energy Efficiency Specialists, Brooke and Douglas, in late July and here’s how the dialog went. Just so you know, I complain about my power bill, too. I have also been known to occasionally give them a hard time.

Me: “Wow, I can’t believe how many High Usage Alerts I’m getting for my home for the month of July. That tells me I’m going to have a high power bill. Have you increased rates or something?”

Brooke: “No, the rates are the same as June. The co-op hasn’t made any rate adjustments that would have impacted your bill.”

Me: “Well, something’s going on. I keep getting these text alerts and email alerts almost daily telling me I’m using a lot more energy than usual.”

Douglas: “Well, have you considered the temperature setting of your thermoset or the above average temperatures we’re having?”

Me: “No, we tend to like being cool at the Lambert home. I just want to complain to somebody.”

Brooke: “If you’ll give us 100% control of your thermostat, we can assure you we will solve your issue of getting those daily high usage alerts.”

Me: “That’s OK, I like being married to a happy wife who likes it cool, so I will just pay the bill.”

For the first six months of 2023, every month was milder than the historical average. January and February were warmer than normal. Temperatures for March and April were closer to average but still milder, and May and June were cooler than normal. That’s good when it comes to paying the power bill.

Our goal is to provide the tools you need to track your energy usage, be alerted to equipment problems as soon as possible and to provide monthly payment stability. By signing up for High Usage Alerts, Energy Usage Alerts and Levelized Billing, you can take control of your power bills during hot and cold months and all year long.

But then came the month of July. I’m hoping by the time you read this, the temperatures and high humidity have subsided. But even though this July was not a record, it was a hot month by any standard.

Based on National Weather Service data from the Raleigh-Durham Airport, 26 of the 31 days for the month were 90 degrees or above. There were several days in the month when the heat index (the feel-like temperature) was well above 100 degrees. These are not the days you should volunteer to help a neighbor gather 1,000 square bales of hay.

I mentioned earlier about how I receive high usage alerts. If you are not already utilizing this free offering, I strongly encourage you to enroll.

We currently have 7,881 members using high usage alerts. These alerts are sent when the member’s daily usage exceeds an established threshold. We also have 3,136 members participating in Energy Usage Alerts. These members receive daily notifications of how much energy they used in the past 24 hours.

During winter several years ago, I started getting high usage alerts even though it was not extremely cold. That prompted me to investigate for a potential problem. I found my heat pump had stopped working and our home was being heated solely by heat strips. Because I had signed up for high usage alerts, we identified the problem in only a few days. This kept us from wasting power for weeks, and realizing there was an issue only when my high power bill arrived in the mailbox.

Our team goes the extra mile by attempting to identify problems that members may have before they know it. We look for abnormal usage that may indicate a problem at a member’s home. This type of problem may lead to wasted power, resulting in high power bills.

By using data analytics over the first six months of 2023, we identified 86 issues at members' homes from a combination of HVAC units, water heaters and well pumps operating improperly. These issues were identified before the members knew they had a problem. Our team's efforts saved those 86 members an estimated 231,450 kilowatt-hours that would have been wasted. This resulted in saving $27,588 that otherwise would have been paid through their power bills. Instead, these members were able to keep this money in their pockets.

Since energy usage fluctuates due to temperature changes from month to month, Levelized Billing is a good option to consider if you are seeking power bill stability throughout the year. From our website, here is a description of how Levelized Billing works:

Want to smooth out most of the fluctuation in the amount you pay for your monthly electric bill and not worry about a settle-up month? If so, sign up for Levelized Billing. You qualify if you have been a Randolph EMC residential member for at least 12 months and have a good payment history.

No Surprises

Levelized billing prevents drastic changes in your bill, even during the coldest or hottest months of the year. A levelized bill averages the previous 11 monthly bills and the current month’s bill. 

No Settle-up

Because the levelized billing amount is recalculated each month based on a rolling average, the need to “settle up” balances annually is eliminated. Reconciliation of your account will be necessary only if you move or decide to stop participating in the program.

Join Anytime

If Randolph EMC has been providing electricity to your service address for at least one year and your account is current, you are eligible to participate in levelized billing. We will simply calculate your levelized payment based on the average billing for your home.

You can learn more about this service and sign up on our website. 

Our goal is to provide the tools you need to track your energy usage, be alerted to equipment problems as soon as possible and to provide monthly payment stability. 

Cooperatively Yours,

Dale F. Lambert, Chief Executive Officer