Tideland experienced record low energy sales January through July, due in large part to mild weather conditions. That changed drastically in August when we set our third-highest monthly sales record, trailing behind August 2016 and January 2018.

Paul Spruill, General Manager & CEO

Between July 2020 and August 2020, sales jumped 8 million kilowatt hours. That’s an increase of 24.4 percent month over month. When compared to the average kilowatt hour sales for the past three August billings (2017-2019), we billed 3.1 million more kilowatt hours in August 2020. That amounts to a 9 percent increase.

Fortunately, we continue to operate with a wholesale power cost adjustment (WPCA) credit at a rate of .179¢ per kilowatt hour. As a result, we credited $291,000 back to members during the month of August. For the first six months of the year, cumulative WPCA credits totaled only $384,000, another measure of just how low kilowatt hour sales had been.

As we enter the shoulder months and milder fall temperatures, member bills are expected to flatten back out. Now would be an ideal time to enroll in levelized billing before the start of home heating season. Members on levelized billing make monthly payments based on a rolling average of their most recent electric bills. You can enroll in the program after one month of utility service with no minimum 12-month wait. The program is especially helpful if you annually experience high seasonal bills in winter or summer.

I also highly encourage you to sign up for high energy use alerts before the start of winter heating season. So many high bills could be prevented with this one simple service. One of our service representatives will be glad to take a look at your account and recommend a daily use alert target if you need some guidance before setting one up.

Lastly, I want to touch on hurricane season and the tragic stories we’ve learned about in the wake of Hurricane Laura. To date more than 26 of our fellow citizens have perished in the aftermath of that storm and the vast majority have been due to carbon monoxide poisoning. We have sounded the alarm about improper generator use regularly and often, but in the fog of a disaster, critical safety messages are often obscured.

Whether you own a generator or not, I highly recommend that you install a carbon monoxide detector in your home. Installation is now in fact required for all new homes built in North Carolina, whether or not gas appliances are present, due to the widespread use of generators in a crisis situation. The preventative measures we take now on a clear, sunny day can stop such senseless tragedy. Please take this safety message to heart.