HELP REDUCE ENERGY COSTS!
On extremely cold and windy or hot and humid days of the year, when people are getting up or getting home from work/school, conditions may call for Peak Alert. Please help lower demand by reducing your use of electricity wherever you can during extreme weather conditions.  Please RAISE the setting on your air conditioner four degrees in the summer or LOWER the temperature of your heating system four degrees in the winter during peak demand weather conditions. Delay using large appliances such as clothes dryers and dishwashers until after 10:00 p.m., to avoid a possible new peak.

Peak demand generally occurs in the morning between 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and in the evening, 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. New record peak demand results in higher electric costs for everyone. Firelands offers several load management programs to help reduce the risk of setting new record peaks. Contact your Member Services Department to learn how you can participate in your local cooperative Peak Buster programs, helping to reduce peak demand.

THANK YOU!
Peak load demand continues to be a growing concern for all electric utilities.  Buckeye Power recently purchased two peaking plants - small gas-fired generating facilities that provide extra capacity during peak demand periods.  "The power we generate at our own plants is less expensive than power we may have to buy from the energy markets," says Firelands General Manager John Noss.  "If we can keep our energy demand lower, we don't have to buy the 'high-priced stuff' from outside, and we all save money."

Ohio's electric cooperatives offer load management programs to encourage their members to help reduce demand during very hot, humid summer weather and very cold, windy winter weather when new peaks are likely to occur.  In addition, Buckeye Power is investigating various renewable energy options to its generation portfolio.  "Buckeye already purchases some hydro power and will soon add biomass generation.  Green power alternatives like wind, biomass, hydro and solar are becoming more cost-effective and will definitely be an increasing part of the Ohio electric cooperatives' energy mix in the future," says Noss.

Click here to learn more about Firelands' renewable energy projects and sources.