Ron Raypole
How many of you remember dropping into Noble REMC with your parents or grandparents to pay the light bill? Whether you do that in person, by mail or online, today paying your monthly bill does a lot more than just keep the lights on.
Electricity keeps us connected to our modern world. Consider all the necessities and conveniences we enjoy in part because of the power lines running to the electric meter outside your home.
Count the number of televisions; desktop, laptop and tablet computers; printers; gaming consoles; and music and video players you own. Whether they get used every day or just occasionally, the electricity that keeps them working comes from Noble REMC.
Have you looked around your kitchen lately? There are modern conveniences we enjoy today that at one time were considered a luxury — from the coffee maker and toaster, to the microwave and dishwasher. Most of us have even added other modern appliances to make our lives easier.
If you’ve got a hobby room or workshop, the power tools and machines you use to cut and shape your projects are either plugged in or recharged from the outlets connecting your wiring to the REMC.
You use electricity to run all these devices, keep the lights on, do the laundry, heat and cool your home, and get hot water from the faucet. The good news is, even as we rely more on electricity, it’s still a bargain, especially compared to other things we pay for regularly.
Since 2011, medical care, home rentals and education have increased at rates of 3 percent or more per year. The prices on staples such as butter, meat and eggs have gone up nearly 2 percent annually. In fact, the price of a day’s worth of electricity is just under $5 for a Noble REMC member using an average of 1,200 kilowatt-hours per month. This is a great deal when you consider a Big Mac meal from McDonald’s costs about $7.
Electricity costs rise about 1 percent a year and, at the same time, people are consuming less. Co-ops across the country have reported a decline in average residential use per household since 2010. That means we’re doing more things with less energy.
When it comes to value, electricity is a clear winner, and we’re always looking for ways to work with you to make it even better. That’s why Noble REMC urges energy efficiency, encourages you to look for ENERGY STAR® appliances, and promotes technology designed to give members more control over their electricity use.
Energy performance dashboards, like SmartHub, help our members understand how they use and save energy. Members can take advantage of POWER MOVES® rebates on geothermal, air source heat pumps and heat pump water heaters. Using energy efficiently helps reduce the co-op’s overall demand, saving both you and the co-op energy and money.
That’s good for everyone trying to live within their budgets. And it’s going to become even more important as digital devices and internet-connected technologies become even more important in our lives.
RON RAYPOLE
President/CEO
