September 2007

High Temps Blister Service Area

Customer-owners face extreme temperature challenge

You can tell your grandchildren. You just lived through the hottest month on record.

You can also tell them August 2007 set records for electricity use. For the average Walton EMC customer-owner, last month will mark the most energy used and highest electricity bill ever.

It’s simple to see why, since today’s lifestyle includes the comfort of air conditioning. With the highest temperatures ever, air conditioners ran the most ever.

During August, the average air conditioning unit ran for hours on end several days on end. With the temperatures we endured, that’s actually normal. The typical residential air conditioner is sized for an average high temperature of 92 degrees, not 106 degrees.

And when the biggest energy user in the home runs more than normal, you can expect energy bills to be more than normal.

Coupled with the blazing temperatures for August is a higher power cost adjustment.

The power cost adjustment reflects price fluctuations in wholesale power costs paid by Walton EMC. It allows us to temporarily rectify price spikes in the energy market without permanently adjusting rates.

Don’t forget that the effects of this heat wave may be on a bill you’ll receive when the hot weather is only a distant memory.

If your meter is read in the middle of the month, the bill that includes most of the excessive heat may not reach you until the end of September.

To help customer-owners, Walton EMC conducted a massive information campaign during the record heat. Besides using the front of the August newsletter, tips and advice were distributed through the co-op’s website and to the news media. Several print articles and radio interviews resulted.

You can see the hot weather survival tips here.

Temperatures in red are record highs

Average high for August = 98.2 degrees

Athens data from National Weather Service

<back>