New services benefit electric customers

The Public Service Commission is working with SWEPCO and other Louisiana electric companies to offer two new services to customers. One will let you know when your power is out, and the other will help you save money through energy efficiency.

SWEPCO Alerts come to customers by text or email message. With this new service, SWEPCO customers can be informed of power outages regardless of where you are at the moment.

Storms and the power outages they cause are an unfortunate reality in our state. With modern communications, electric companies can tell customers what you need to know quickly so you can plan your response.

Last summer, I asked all electric utilities in Louisiana to send email and text messages to customers when outages occur. I got the idea from Entergy, which had offered this service in its territory across Northeast and South Louisiana.

SWEPCO customers may enroll in the new service at SWEPCO.com/ Alerts. There is no cost to customers, but phone usage or text charges may apply.

Customers will receive an email, text message or both when an outage has been reported in their area. Customers are urged to confirm their outage by reporting it at SWEPCO.com or by calling 1-888-218- 3919. Customers will receive updates as crews assess damage and an estimate of when electric service will be restored.

“We know being without power is an inconvenience,” SWEPCO President and COO Venita McCellon-Allen said. “These email and text alerts allow SWEPCO to share information with you as soon as it is available.”

Instructions are available at SWEPCO.com or by calling 1-888- 216-3523. For customers with multiple people in a household or business who would each like to receive alerts, each person should register separately at SWEPCO.com.

I joined with SWEPCO to announce this new service in early March. On the day of the announcement, less than 200 customers had signed up. By the next day that number had climbed to nearly 10,000.

Efficiency help available

“gridSMART” is the name given to SWEPCO’s new energy-efficiency programs for residential, commercial and industrial customers. It began in November. Details can be found at SWEPCOgridSMART.com/Louisiana.

SWEPCO’s Louisiana residential customers can sign up for either a low-cost home energy survey or a more detailed, comprehensive assessment to promote energy efficiency. Incentives are available to residential customers for insulation, home weatherization, duct sealing and air-conditioner upgrades.

To help homeowners save money, an approved contractor will inspect the customer’s house, equipment and appliances. The contractor provides “direct-install” measures to help the customer immediately save energy and money on their energy bills. Examples include compact fluorescent and LED lighting, kitchen and bath aerators and power strips.

Following the home walk-through, the contractor makes homeimprovement recommendations based on results and potential energy savings.

The program also includes provisions for multi-family dwellings and income-qualified customers.

gridSMART includes help for small businesses who use less than 100 kilowatts of peak demand as well.

This separate program was built just for small businesses. It’s a turn-key approach that helps business owners save money and energy. SWEPCO provides engineering assistance, site-specific energy analysis, financial incentives and quality control on installation.

Finally, there is the Large Commercial and Industrial Solutions Program. This program offers technical support and incentives for a suite of efficiency measures to SWEPCO commercial customers with a demand for at least 100 kilowatts of power at peak consumption. This might include lighting and mechanical measures that help large customers save on energy and maintenance costs.

For more complex measures, there is the custom track. SWEPCO helps customers identify unique efficiency opportunities by analyzing associated costs and savings. It offers incentives resulting from the installation of other custom measures.

For all large commercial and industrial customers, SWEPCO provides incentives per kilowatt-hour saved on an annual basis for verified savings due to measures installed.

gridSMART is similar to new energyefficiency programs being offered by CLECO and Entergy in other parts of Louisiana.

These programs hold out the promise of lowering bills not only for the individual participating customers but for all of us.

Reducing demand for electricity means putting off the construction of expensive new power plants, meaning we all benefit.

Foster Campbell is the North Louisiana representative on the Louisiana Public Service Commission. You can reach him at 676-7464 or foster. campbell@la.gov.