City of Jamestown, NY, Board of Public Utilities
“Jamestown: Up Close & Wonderful”
October, 2013
BPU Flushing Set for October 5 –17 Weather-Permitting
Fall flushing of water
mains began in Falconer on October 5 and
will continue Sunday
through Thursday over
a two-week period ending October 17.
Specific nightly flushing locations are noted on
www.jamestownbpu.com where you
may view actual nightly flushing maps.
Locations also are posted on FACEBOOK, Twitter, on page 2 of the Post
Journal, on the Time Warner Weather
Channel crawl and on radio stations
SE93,WJTN, WHUG, WKSN, 106.9FM and WRFA. If you are confused,
contact BPU Communications at 6611680. If you receive voicemail when
you call, please leave your location
and telephone number so we can call
you back.
The BPU flushes water mains twice
a year by opening hydrants systematically and
allowing the water to run
full-force, flushing out
sediments in the lines.
The process cleans the
pipes and also allows for
greater water flow through
the lines. The flushing also includes
inspection of hydrants and valves for
fire protection.
BPU Customer Service offers a
commercial rust/iron remover free-ofcharge to customers who may experience discolored laundry as a result of
flushing. The product assists with removing rust from appliances and
clothes, if the clothes are not dried
before rewashing in this product. Local
stores also sell such projects.
Questions? Contact BPU Communications Coordinator Becky Robbins
at 661-1680, weekdays.
Take Pride in Your “Hometown Public Power”
You may not be aware that BPU electricity is “Public Power.” Public power exists
in communities where the municipalities
own their electric utilities for the benefit of
its citizens.
In Jamestown, the Board of Public Utilities is governed by a board of directors appointed by the Mayor and approved by City
Council.
One main advantage of this structure is that the central goal of the utility is
to provide low-cost, reliable service instead of maximizing profits for the sake
of any shareholders. We don’t have shareholders.
The American Public Power Association celebrates “Public Power Week” at
the beginning of each October. Let’s all celebrate these advantages of public
power:

Not-for-profit: lower costs and no split allegiance between
customers and shareholders

Greater portion of revenues stays in our community

Lower electric rates than those charged by privately-held utilities

Greater reliability: quick response by local crews who know their

customers and care about them

Recognized commitment to energy efficiency, safety and the
environment

Local employment

Purchase of supplies from local vendors

Tax payments in lieu of taxes help the City and School District

Local management and operations bring added community leadership for innovation and development
Thanks to WCA Hospital, Our
Good Neighbor of the Month!
The BPU expresses thanks to
WCA Hospital, our BPU Good
Neighbor of the Month!
The Good Neighbor Fund at
the BPU is designed to help customers who qualify to receive help
on BPU utility bills in an emergency. These customers must
receive no other public assistance
and must show a record of paying
BPU bills for at least the previous
six months prior to asking for
help.
The BPU collects gifts for the
fund through the mail to the attention of the Good Neighbor
Fund and through bill payments
when customers may donate extra
money paying bills. The Good
Neighbors of the Months are companies, people or stores that contribute $250 to the fund.
The BPU maintains a BPU
Good Neighbor Fund at the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, 418 Spring Street. Donations to the Good Neighbor Fund
may be sent there or directly to
the BPU at P.O. Box 700.
Don’t waste time standing in
line to pay your BPU bill.
Pay your bill online.
Log in at https://
account.jamestownbpu.com or click
on the “Access BPU Account” link
under “Quick Links” on the BPU
website homepage at
www.jamestownbpu.com and follow
the directions.
You’ll need your customer number to
register. Your customer number
includes the six digits beginning with
the number one (1) that appears after
the dash of your account number on
the printed bill.
Sign up for a Home Energy Audit—Most Free from the State...BPU Rebates Apply!
New York State offers free home energy audits to New Yorkers who earn less than $108,000 a year,
through its Green Jobs, Green New York program. If you earn more than that amount, you may qualify
for a $300 BPU subsidized home energy audit for $100. If you do some of the work recommended by the
audit, the BPU offers rebates to help pay for the energy efficiency improvements you make.
BPU rebates will cover 25% of the cost of the weatherization improvements with a $1,500 maximum
limit per audit for all residential electric customers; and 50%, up to $3,000, for customers who have used
electric as their primary heat source for at least three years. Upon verification, rebates will be issued in the form of a
check within 4-6 weeks from the date that the rebate request is received by the BPU.
Interested BPU electric customers who wish to participate may contact BPU Energy Efficiency Coordinator Dan Reynolds at 661-1646 or by e-mail: [email protected]. Dan can explain both the New York State and BPU
Home Energy Audit programs.
Take Advantage of Our ENERGY STAR Appliance Rebate Program before 2014
Each year the BPU evaluates its energy efficiency programs to determine how energy efficiency
dollars may be allocated to different programs to help its electric customers save the most energy.
Sometimes programs are added or changed in the new year.
The BPU ENERGY STAR Appliance Rebate Program (still in effect until December 31,
2013) is not expected to include appliances in 2014. That means that electric customers may
want to take advantage of appliance rebates through the 2013 program while they’re in effect.
Rebates now are available for the following ENERGY STAR certified, new products, listed with
the amount of rebate credit issued to the customer:
Refrigerator
Clothes Washers
Dehumidifiers
Dishwashers
Residential Windows
$100 Residential Entry Doors
$100 Central AC Units per Ton
$ 30
Window AC Units under 7500 BTU
$ 50
Window AC Units over 7500 BTU
$ 25
Residential Skylights
HVAC Heat Pumps per Ton
$250
C
$ 50
$100
$ 50
$100
$ 25
To apply for a rebate, an electric customer may mail or bring into Customer Service the receipt from the purchase of
a new product, the completed rebate form and the energy guide that is provided by the retailer at the time of purchase.
For windows, skylights and entry doors, customers also must provide the original NFRC labels. Copies of the rebate
form are available at www.jamestownbpu.com by clicking the white ENERGY EFFICIENCY icon on the home page;
and at BPU Customer Service, open 7 a.m.—5:30 p.m. weekdays at 92 Steele Street.
The limit for ENERGY STAR item rebates is $1,000 per customer account per calendar year and $5,000 per year for
rental property owners.
The BPU also offers collection of an old item at the curb when a new unit is purchased. Items not included in free
pick-up include HVAC pumps, central air conditioning units, doors, windows and skylights.
Full details on this program are available on the BPU website.
BPU Energy Efficiency Coordinator Dan Reynolds is available to answer questions or to explain all BPU energy efficiency programs at 661-1646 or by e-mail: [email protected].
Commercial/Industrial Lighting & Motor Rebate Program
Includes Most BPU Customers
The 2013 Lighting
and Motor Rebate Program for Commercial
and Industrial Customers
assists all commercial
and industrial electric
customers with the exception of Service Class 6 customers.
This program offsets the purchase
cost of new permanently installed
light fixtures, ballasts, bulbs, sockets,
LED exit signs, occupancy sensors,
electric motors and variable speed
drives. All T8 lamps and ballasts must
be listed in the CEE directory which is
available on-line at www.cee1.org.
Portable equipment and labor costs to install equipment are not included.
Rebates reach a maximum of $15,000 per company per year.
To qualify for rebates of
$1,000 or more, an electric customer
must contact the BPU through Dan
Reynolds (661-1646) to schedule a
lighting assessment before a project
begins. The BPU reserves the right to
inspect the work before issuing a rebate.
Information is available at our
website: www.jamestownbpu.com.
Power Plant Work Improves Electricity Production Efficiency
Two major projects
undertaken this summer
and fall at the BPU’s
Electric Generating Plant
will help maintain and
improve reliability and
efficiency in electricity
production at the plant.
As Jamestown’s electricity production methods transition from coal
to natural gas, the General Electric LM6000
natural gas turbine becomes the main source
of locally-made power at
the BPU. The original
gas turbine was commissioned in November,
2001, and became operational in March, 2002.
U Upgrades this summer focused on the improvement of the computer system and controls which operate the
turbine. A view of the
turbine may be seen,
above right.
As the BPU studies
ways in which to provide
a back-up to the gas
turbine, employees have
worked to convert one of
the previous coal boilers
to natural gas. Boiler 10
(shown lower right) was
one of three coal boilers
still at the plant. This
project is needed for a
redundant source of reliable power.
BPU Rebates,
Quick
Payback:
BPU Attic
Insulation
Program
The BPU Attic Insulation program
provides one quick way to cut your
energy costs and keep your home snug
during our chilly times of the year!
Attic insulation rebates are provided
to BPU electric customers who own
residential property in our electric territory and who use permanently installed
electric equipment as their main heat
source.
BPU rebates will pay up to 50% of
the cost of material; up to $500 per
building; and up to $5,000 per person
who may own more than one building.
The cost of installation is not included
in the rebates.
Rebates will be in the form of a
credit on your BPU bill for owner occupied residences and by check for rental
property units. Rebates normally take
approximately eight weeks to process.
How to Participate?
Take pictures showing the dept of
insulation before and after the installation. Submit your pictures with the
original receipt or invoice from the
insulation purchase and the rebate
form. Rebates are available for fiberglass and cellulose insulation.
Insulation should be about 14 inches
thick in our region and attic insulation
Should have an R-value of 49-60.
Customers may contact BPU Energy
Efficiency Coordinator Dan Reynolds
at 661-1646 with questions concerning
this or any other BPU energy efficiency
program.