Progress Energy customers could see slight rate decrease

By Jack Osteen / The Item Mindy Taylor, Progress Energy Carolinas community relations manager, said customers' bills will decrease slightly after July 1.

By ANNABELLE ROBERTSON
Item Staff Writer
arobertson@theitem.com

If the hot weather has you down — and your air-conditioning bills up — good news could be on the horizon. Progress Energy Carolinas Community Relations Manager Mindy Taylor told a Sumter audience on Tuesday that if Congress approves its latest proposal, customers will see a slight decrease in power bills beginning July 1.

"The reduction would reflect the fact that global prices for energy have stabilized from the record highs of recent years," said a recent Progress Energy press release regarding a similar proposed reduction for customers in North Carolina.

Taylor, who spoke at the Sumter Rotary Club held at Sunset Country Club, did not offer specific numbers concerning the rate decrease but said it would be small. Instead, she gave an overview of Progress Energy and the company's plans for the coming years.

The Fortune 500 energy company, headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., started life in 1908 as Carolina Power and Light Co. It is now the 11th largest utility company in the country and the eighth largest energy generator, with 1.5 million customers in the Carolinas and an additional 1.6 million in Florida. It is capable of generating up to 21,000 megawatts of electricity and $9 billion in annual revenue.

"There's a lot going on at Progress Energy," Taylor said. "Our company is going to set the conservative example. We're going to make sure that our buildings and our utilities are energy efficient."

Like other corporations, Progress Energy has been exploring alternative energy sources, including solar projects, wind power and biomass power. But each are variable and often unreliable, Taylor explained. Solar panels, for example, are expensive and work only when the sun shines, about 20 percent of the time. Wind mills provide power only when the wind blows, or about 35 percent of the time.



Energy-saving tips:

  Set your thermostat to 78 degrees or higher. Every degree below that consumes 7 to 10 percent more electricity.

  When you leave home, turn the thermostat up a few degrees.

  Replace filters monthly.

  Keep shrubs, plants and debris at least three feet from outside units.

  Turn off kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans immediately after use.

  Using ceiling and portable fans to supplement air conditioning, when rooms are occupied.

  Keep central air conditioning system fans in the "auto" position when cooling.

  Use shades or drapes to block the hot sun.

  Use awnings, trees and shrubs to shade your house.

  When replacing your cooling equipment or heat pump, purchase a higher Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating rated unit. The minimum available is now 13 SEER.



Learn more at www.savethewatts.com and www.palmettocleanenergy.org.