How many of us remember dropping into the Boone REMC office with our parents and 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 up your televisions; desktop, laptop and tablet computers; printers; your gaming consoles; music and video players; and personal assistant devices. Whether they get used every day or just occasionally, the electricity that keeps them working comes from Boone REMC.
Have you looked around your kitchen lately? Between the coffee maker and toaster and the microwave and electric skillet, a lot of us have added several other modern small appliances.
If you’ve got a craft nook 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 household wiring to Boone REMC.
You use electricity to run all these devices, and we still keep the lights on, use the stove, heating and air conditioning, and get hot water from tap. 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, residential rental rates and education have increased at rates of 3 percent or more per year. Butter, meat and egg costs have been up by more than 1 to 2 percent annually, and even bread costs have risen better than a half point on average.
Electricity costs rise about 1 percent a year, but electric co-ops across the country have reported a decline in average residential use per household since 2010. That means co-ops are doing more things with less energy.
Kilowatt-hour use per household dropped by 8 percent between 2010 and 2016, slightly less than the 9 percent decline reported by all electric utilities, nationwide.
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 Boone 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, smart thermostats and power strips, and appliance settings that shift most water heating, laundry and dishwashing outside of peak rate periods help reduce the co-op’s overall power demand. They also give you opportunities to control or even trim your monthly utility bills.
That’s good for families, couples and individuals 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.
The average home now has 10 Wi-Fi connected devices. That number is expected to explode to 50 by 2020. Technology and the gateways that keep it working use electricity, so you’ll depend upon Boone REMC for more than the power that keeps the lights on.
That’s why we’re always working to provide service that’s reliable, keep it affordable, and make it even more valuable to our member— you, your family and your neighbors.
Rate adjustment begins in April
A recent cost-of-service study has prompted the Boone REMC board of directors to approve an overall 1.2 percent rate increase. This will go into effect with April consumption and be reflected on May bills. The last time Boone REMC members experienced an increase to distribution rates was in 2007.
As a member-owned, not-for-profit cooperative, we strive to be proactive in our planning, offer education on our energy efficiency programs, and maintain the reliability, quality, and integrity of our system.
