UNITIL’S MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
June 2015 | Issue No. 26
30384-I-0519
Stay Cool With
Summer School:
Learn More About Summer
Energy Efficiency & Conservation
8
1
2
3
4
5
to Save Energy &
WAYS Keep Cool This Summer
Placing lamps or TV sets near your room airconditioning thermostat can cause the air
conditioner to run longer than necessary because
the thermostat senses heat from the appliances. Set
them apart and save energy.
Only about 10 to 15 percent of the electricity that
incandescent lights consume results in light -- the
rest is turned into heat! Switch to LEDs and keep
your cool!
Running your air conditioning at 78°F instead of 72°F
can save between 6 and 18 percent on your cooling
bill. The smaller the difference between the indoor
and outdoor temperatures, the lower your overall
cooling bill will be, so set your thermostat as high as
possible during the summer months.
Well-planned landscaping isn’t just for aesthetics
-- properly placed trees around the house can save
between $100 and $250 annually.
On average, households lose about 20 percent of their
cooled air through the duct system to the outside.
To avoid wasting energy, have your ducts inspected
to ensure they’re sealed properly and insulated if
necessary.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Just For Kids
DIY Summer Project:
Build an Ice & Snow Shield
6
7
8
If you use air conditioning, a
ceiling fan will allow you to raise
the thermostat setting about
4°F with no reduction in
comfort. Just make sure
to turn it off when you
leave the room (fans cool
people, not rooms).
By using the microwave,
toaster or a grill rather
than an oven, you’ll use
less energy and avoid excess
heat that increases room
temperature.
Programmable thermostats can
save up to $150 a year on energy costs
when used properly. Use one that can
automatically turn off your cooling system
when you are not home, and turn your system on in
time for you to arrive home to a cooled house.
By using the grill rather than an oven, you’ll
use less energy and avoid excess heat indoors!
MY UNITIL................................................. 3
IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD......................... 2
SAFETY FIRST........................................... 4
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WWW.UNITIL.COM
DID YOU KNOW?
In the Neighborhood
GRANITE STATE
SUPERCHALLENGE
RIVALS COMPETE IN
REMATCH
Yankees/Red Sox, Lakers/Celtics, and now
there’s Pinkerton Academy/Bishop Guertin
High School. How do you mark when
a great team rivalry is born?
For the second year in a row, the two teams
left standing on New Hampshire Public
Television’s Granite State Challenge (GSC)
were Bishop Guertin High School of Nashua
and Pinkerton Academy of Derry. On their
path to the GSC SuperChallenge, these two
powerhouse teams defeated past champion
Plymouth Regional High School, along with
strong teams from Bow, Goffstown, Concord,
Kennett, Nashua South, and Manchester
Central high schools. Unitil is proud to be the
lead sponsor of “Granite State Challenge,”
a beloved quiz show that brings New
Hampshire’s top high school academic teams
in head-to-head competition.
Center under GSC rules. Bishop Guertin beat
the Advanced Math and Science Academy
Charter School (AMSA) from Marlborough,
MA, team at their own game, in Boston!
If you’re keeping score – that’s now one
win for Massachusetts and two wins for
New Hampshire!
In 2014, Pinkerton Academy triumphed,
leaving Bishop Guertin with a year to plot its
comeback. This year, Bishop Guertin won
the SuperChallenge title and then competed
in the annual NH-MA Governor’s Cup match
against the winner of WGBH’s High School
Quiz Show team.
Congratulations to Bishop Guertin, and to all
the teams that competed in the 2015 season
of Granite State Challenge! We’re looking
forward to another exciting competition
next year.
6%
THE PERCENTAGE OF THE
AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD’S
ENERGY USE THAT GOES TO
SPACE COOLING.
Last year, Pinkerton defeated ActonBoxborough High by a score of 365 -200 in a
“home game” match at the NHPTV Broadcast
THE BUSINESS CORNER
Two Efficiency Myths Your Business Needs To
Bust This Summer:
MYTH 1:
During the summer, building operators only need to worry about
energy use related to cooling.
THE REALITY:
While employees may think they’re
in the clear by just turning on the AC
during the workday, they might not
realize that a coworker downstairs,
who has a tendency to get cold easily,
is cranking up the heat. Simultaneous
heating and cooling is extremely
inefficient and drives energy bills
through the roof. Through energy-use
audits, building operators can identify
where this inefficiency lies and communicate with tenants to ensure that
they are avoiding unnecessary energy consumption and costs.
• Bring in outdoor objects (like lawn furniture, hanging plants and bicycles) and
anchor objects that cannot be brought inside.
• If you live in an identified surge zone, elevate furniture or move it to a higher
floor to protect it from flooding.
MYTH 2:
• Listen to the advice of local officials, and leave if they tell you to do so.
The building is so big that having one open window won’t impact
its energy efficiency.
• Secure your home by unplugging appliances and turning off electricity and the
main water valve.
2/3 OF ALL U.S.HOMES HAVE
AIR CONDITIONERS.
THE REALITY:
Sure, having one window open in a giant, air-conditioned building
won’t make a huge difference in its overall energy efficiency success.
However, if one person doesn’t realize that ten other people also
have their windows open -- and one window is left open during a long
weekend -- tons of energy (and money) used to power the building’s
AC systems goes to waste.
$11B
With technology that leverages data analytics, businesses can
address these myths related to energy efficiency and make more
informed decisions about how they’re using energy. As a result,
they’ll be able to significantly cut energy consumption and slash
utility bills just by making simple operational changes.
To learn more visit:
THE AMOUNT IT COSTS
HOMEOWNERS EVERY
YEAR TO POWER THEIR
AIR CONDITIONERS.
WWW.UNITIL.COM/ENERGY-EFFICIENCY
You can also play interactive games, view interesting videos and participate in fun
activities to help expand your knowledge about electric and gas energy.
Page 2 | energy for life
The official start of Hurricane Season is June 1st. In the event of a hurricane watch
or a warning, your family should immediately prepare your environment – whether
you are ordered to evacuate or not. Here’s what you can do:
• Cover windows with storm shutters or pre-cut plywood.
ENERGY.GOV/ARTICLES/ENERGY-SAVER101-INFOGRAPHIC-HOME-COOLING
• If you are not advised to evacuate, stay inside, away from windows, skylights and
glass doors.
• Do NOT use open flames, such as candles and kerosene lamps, as a source of light.
• If power is lost, turn off appliances to reduce damage from a power surge when
electricity is restored.
Don’t Forget Your Emergency Disaster Kit!
Every household should prepare an Emergency Disaster Kit, and update it
each season. Find out the 10 essential items every kit needs by visiting
WWW.REDCROSS.ORG
For more information on how we can all prepare and stay safe in the event of a
hurricane or major storm, please visit us at WWW.UNITIL.COM/OUTAGE-CENTER or
contact your local American Red Cross at WWW.REDCROSS.ORG.
GENERAL CUSTOMER SERVICE INQUIRIES
MASSACHUSETTS GAS & ELECTRIC: 1-888-301-7700
MAINE GAS: 1-866-933-3821
Have you ever wondered why shoes hanging on a power line don’t get fried? Or why natural
gas flames are blue? Or whether garbage could someday be a source of energy? Now you
can get answers to these and all your energy-related questions.
WWW.UNITIL.COM/ESMARTKIDS
Summer Storm Reminders
• Close all windows and doors.
ENERGIZE YOUR SUMMER WITH E-SMART KIDS
If you are happy, we are happy! Here is some helpful information from our
Customer Service team. And remember, you can visit UNITIL.COM anytime
to track energy usage, review past payments and pay your bills right online!
• Fill your vehicle’s gas tank.
Just For Kids
Check out our ongoing energy education and let the
fun (and the learning) begin! Visit:
MY
NEW HAMPSHIRE GAS: 1-866-933-3820
NH CAPITAL ELECTRIC: 1-800-852-3339
ENERGY
SAVING TIP
The quickest way to save energy
on home cooling is to regularly
clean and replace your cooling
unit’s filters.
NH SEACOAST ELECTRIC: 1-800-582-7276
You can also contact us online. Fill out our online form and
we’ll respond to your request as soon as possible.
Visit us at: WWW.UNITIL.COM/CONTACT
energy for life | Page 3
DIY SUMMER PROJECT
Safety First
Build a Snow & Ice Shield
Feel like getting your tools out of the workshop and digging into
a quick project? Snow and ice shields can help protect natural gas
equipment from the weather, are easy to make, and can be a quick
little DIY project for a warm summer morning. You’ll be thankful
you did it on that cold winter’s day!
• Build an overhead shield that’s strong enough to handle the force
of falling ice and snow.
• Install a brace from the overhead shield to the structure to
provide additional support.
• Use color-coded stakes around the meter to alert snow plows.
Call a qualified contractor if you have questions about materials to
use or need help building a shield. And please be careful during the
spring and summer when having mulch delivered and/or spread, do
not cover your gas meter. It could cause damage to the meter and
quite possibly a gas leak.
THE TOP THREE THINGS YOU NEED
TO KNOW ABOUT GAS LEAKS:
1
How To Recognize A Gas Leak:
•You smell a rotten egg odor
•You see dirt or water being blown from ground
or waterways, or fire above ground
•You see dying vegetation near a pipeline
•You see a dry or frozen spot on the right of way
•You hear a hissing, blowing or roaring sound
2
What To Do If You Suspect A Leak:
•Leave the area immediately and warn others to
stay away
•From a safe place, contact the Unitil Gas Leak Line
at MA, NH or ME numbers (see chart) and call 911
3
What Not To Do If You Suspect A Leak:
•Do NOT use your cell phone or operate anything
that could generate a spark, like turning on
a light, appliance, flashlight or power tool in
the affected area
•Do NOT use a lighter, match or candle
•Do NOT open exterior doors or windows in an
attempt to ventilate.
AMERICAN RED CROSS
HOME FIRE CAMPAIGN
Did you know that seven times a day in the U.S.
someone dies in a home fire? And every 40 minutes
an injury from a fire is reported?
Our Partner, The American Red Cross, reports that
home fires are the most common disaster, and have
set out to make a difference. The American Red
Cross and its partners have launched an initiative
that aims to reduce deaths and injuries caused by
home fires by 25% in five years with the Home
Fire Preparedness Campaign.
You can make a difference too by taking steps
to protect yourself and your loved ones and by
joining the Red Cross to
reach out in your local
community. The Red
Cross is asking every
household in America to
join us in taking two simple steps that can
save lives:
1. Install and check smoke alarms.
2. Have (and practice!) an escape plan.
Join the campaign as a volunteer or
contact your local Red Cross office to
learn more about escape plans and
smoke alarms at:
WWW.REDCROSS.ORG.
FACT OR FICTION?
“HEAT LIGHTNING IS CAUSED BY THE TEMPERATURE”
This is fiction! The lightning that is often seen in the summer months around
nighttime within distant clouds is usually referred to as “heat lightning,” but this
name is a misnomer. Heat lightning is not caused by the temperature outside, but
is merely a distant thunderstorm, usually from 60-100 miles away.