No buyer’s remorse with Realgy Energy Services, We are and remain below ComEd’s pricing
According to the Illinois Commerce Commission, ComEd’s energy price is projected to drop to around 5.55 cents per kilowatt-hour, from the current 8.3 cents per kilowatt-hour, that is a 2.75 cent decrease. The ComEd energy price includes the costs of transmitting electricity from power plants over high-voltage lines to the local distribution system.
Contracts municipal politicians and officials in 15 towns negotiated with power suppliers more than a year ago, to lower residents’ electricity bills, will soon exceed the costs ComEd customers pay starting in June.
The price being paid by most residents in Oak Park, which has an energy-supply contract with Integrys Energy Services Inc. until December 2013, is 5.79 cents per kilowatt-hour, 4 percent higher than the projected ComEd charge.
However this is not the case with Realgy Energy Services, they have been and remain below ComEd’s Pricing.
In northern Illinois, all customers pay ComEd to deliver their electricity but are free to choose a supplier to provide the electricity itself. The cost of electricity typically accounts for about two-thirds of an electric bill while delivery charges make up the rest.
Read the whole story Some suburban electricity deals to be costlier than ComEd
Realgy Energy Services Facebook promotion leads to donation to the Food Bank of Northern Indiana
PRESS RELEASE 18 MARCH 2013 | By: Realgy, LLC
Realgy Energy Services Facebook fans chose to donate to the Food Bank of Northern Indiana
In October 2012, Realgy Energy Services ran a promotion on its Facebook page for fans to decide which charity to donate $1 for every Facebook “Like” during November and December 2012. Among the selected charities was the Food Bank of Northern Indiana, which won by a landslide. “Thanks to our Facebook fans, Realgy will be donating $116 to the Food Bank of Northern Indian, a very deserving charity in our service territory,” says Michael Vrtis, President, “This promotion has not only increased our fan base by 116 likes but will also be making a difference in the lives of those that rely on the Food Bank.”
Picture courtesy of The Food Bank of Northern Indiana
The Food Bank of Northern Indiana has been feeding the hungry since 1993 and working with the community to increase awareness of the effects of hunger. “We appreciate innovative ways businesses and organizations like Realgy Energy Services help us feed the hungry in Northern Indiana,” says Marijo Martinec, Food Bank of Northern Indiana, Director of Community Impact. She added, “Thanks to all the individuals who “Liked” Realgy Energy Services on behalf of the Food Bank!” A donation of just one dollar can provide up to eight meals for those in need.
A group of people who worked for many years with large utilities, energy service companies and energy marketers came together to found Realgy Energy Services in 1999. Within these organizations they saw the limitations of the systems and software and decided they could provide a more efficient service. Today Realgy Energy Services is a retail energy marketer and wholesale energy provider in three deregulated states Michigan, Indiana and Illinois with plans to expand. Realgy has had a perfect record (certified A+) with the Better Business Bureau; http://ct.bbb.org since 2003 and has been recognized as an Inc 500 | 5000 company in 2011 and 2012. http://www.inc.com/inc5000/profile/realgy
A Big thank you to all of our Facebook Fans for helping Realgy Energy Services make this generous donation!
5 energy-saving tips that cost $10 or less
There are plenty of very expensive ways to save energy and reduce your utility bills, but if you’re on a budget or don’t want to spend unnecessary money on home improvements, Realgy Energy Services has a list of 5 energy-saving ideas that will cost $10 or less.
1. Turning off your lights when you’re not in the room will cost $0 but will save you money!
Lighting accounts for about 10 percent of a typical household’s electricity bill, so turning off your lights when you’re not in the room is a great way to save some money off lighting costs, whether or not you upgrade to CFL light bulbs.
To find out how much money you can save simply by turning off lights when you’re not using them, head over to energy.gov
2. Installing low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators for under $10 each can help reduce the amount of hot water you use in your home.
This improvement can be a significant source of energy savings since about 73 percent of the water used in a typical shower is hot water. Using low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators can reduce your home’s water heating costs by as much as 50 percent.
3. Replacing an old incandescent light bulb with a CFL will cost less than $10.
Incandescent light bulbs may be cheaper than compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) but they also waste a lot of energy, Ninety percent of the energy used by a traditional incandescent bulb is given off as heat. In addition, incandescent bulbs burn out much faster than CFLs which last at least 6 times longer and use about 75 percent less energy. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, upgrading 15 inefficient incandescent light bulbs to CFL or LED bulbs could save about $50 per year.
Still confused about the difference between watts and lumens? Check out this Realgy Energy Services blog post: Watt vs Lumens: How bright is that light?
4. Use a $10 power strip to slay energy vampires.
Just plug your devices into it and flip the strip’s power switch on when you want to use your devices and off when you don’t. Make sure not to use power strips with devices that have to run in standby mode to operate, like DVRs
Standby or vampire power as it is most commonly referred to, wastes $10 billion of electricity annually in the United States alone. The average US household has about 40 electronic devices that constantly draw small amounts of power.
5. Depending on how much you need, most homeowners can weather strip their windows and doors for under $10.
More than 20 percent of all the heated and cooled air that escapes your home sneaks out through gaps around windows and doors. When installing weather stripping, it is a good idea to measure the perimeters of the doors and windows needing weather stripping, total them up, and add about 10 percent to that number to make sure you have enough weather stripping.
Learn how to select and apply weather stripping at energy.gov
If you are still looking for ways to reduce your energy bills, enroll with a registered energy supplier like Realgy Energy Services. Check out Realgy Energy Services rates and see how much you could be saving www.realgyenergyservices.com
Sources:
ENERGY STAR, “Light Bulbs”
Energy.Gov, “Lighting Choices to Save You Money”
Energy.Gov, “Reduce Hot Water Use for Energy Savings”
ENERGY STAR, “Standby Power and Energy Vampires”
Energy.Gov, “Weather Stripping”
Energy.Gov, “When to Turn Off Your Lights”
Shedd Aquarium in Chicago is planning to create an energy saving road map that other cultural institutes can follow
However this task won’t be easy. Keeping 32,500 animals healthy, happy and well-lit takes a lot of energy. Part zoo, part art space, the building is a life-support system for 1,500 species operating under the parameters of just about every time zone on the planet.
John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Illinois
“What we’re talking about is bigger than the Shedd,” said Mark Harris, president and CEO of the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition, which led the consortium that developed Shedd’s energy saving plan.
Following a plan developed pro bono by a public-private consortium, Shedd plans to swap out light bulbs, buy solar panels and sell “negawatts” (getting paid to power down). The aquarium plans to participate in a program that pays big energy users to power down on days when the electric grid is strained by demand from air conditioners. But first that means finding out what in the aquarium can be safely powered down.
“The Shedd’s in a unique position. It’s been there for 100 years and it’s going to be there for another 100 more; so, when you look at a 15-year return on investment, that’s not too bad,” Hulsebosch said.
Read the whole story: Citizens Utility Board, “Shedd Aquarium looks to slice energy bill”
Does your TV use less energy than a 60-watt light bulb?
The Austrian company AMS is introduction new technology that will make it possible for a 42 inch flat screen TV to consume less energy than a 60-watt light bulb. This will exceed the requirements of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Star 6.0 proposed standards, which, when implemented this spring, call for 42-inch TVs to consume just 62.9 watts of power. For any size, the maximum power consumption is 85 watts.
Picture courtesy of Alliance To Save Energy
“One of the biggest power users in consumer electronics today is the flat panel TV. Higher efficiencies are being mandated by countries throughout the world to reduce energy consumption,” AMS spokesman Herbert Truppe said in a statement. “By intelligently connecting AMS sensor-driven lighting technologies to current TV designs, high-quality viewing experiences can be delivered with no increase to the cost of the television, while significantly reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions.”
Read the Whole story at Venturebeat.com
Business Energy Saving Tips
Check out this great infographic from The Hub, which highlights easy ways for businesses to reduce energy bills. Print it out and share with everyone in the office; the more people aware of the energy savings possibilities, the more effective it will be.
Simple changes can significantly reduce business electricity costs.
If you are looking for an even larger reduction in your commercial electricity costs, consider enrolling with Realgy Energy Services as your electricity provider. Our customers have realized cost reductions up to 9.6% as compared to the local utility. Find us online www.realgyenergyservices.com or call 877-300-6747 to speak with an account representative today.
Source:
Utility Exchange Online, Business Energy Saving Tips – An infographic
Space Heater Safety
Space heaters can be a convenient way to temporarily heat a room or a small space, but if used improperly, space heaters can cause nasty burns or worse, create a fire hazard.
According to The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, space heaters are associated with an estimated 25,000 residential fires and nearly 300 deaths each year. More than 6,000 people receive ER care for non-lethal burns resulting from contact with the heating elements or hot surfaces of space heaters.
Here are a few tips to use your space heater safely:
- Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions when installing, operating, and maintaining your space heater.
- Keep anything that may be flammable at least three feet away from space heaters.
- Place your space heater on a level, hard, non-flammable surface. Do not ever place on rugs or carpets.
- Avoid using extensions cords, but if absolutely necessary, use a heavy-duty cord of 14-gauge wire or larger.
- Never use your space heater near water because of the possibility of shock or electrocution.
- Always turn off your space heater when leaving the room or going to bed.
Source:
energy.gov, Portable Heaters
Why you should toss those old incandescent holiday lights
For most people the holidays mean time-honored traditions. But this year toss out some of those traditions by tossing out those old incandescent lights in favor of newer LEDs which consume less energy and cost even less to operate.
Older strings of incandescent lights can use up to 99% more energy than new LED light strings. In addition, LEDs are much cooler than their traditional incandescent counterparts, reducing the risk of combustion.
A string of new LED lights could last up to 40 seasons and since they are made with epoxy lenses instead of glass as are most traditional incandescent light strings, they are more resilient to damage.
As an extra bonus you can connect up to 25 strings of LED lights together end-to-end and not worry about overloading a wall socket.
If you are still not convinced that it is time to upgrade your holiday lights, check out these figures from energy.gov.
Estimated cost* of electricity to light a six-foot tree for 12 hours a day for 40 days
| Incandescent C-9 lights | $10.00 |
| LED C-9 lights | $0.27 |
| Incandescent Mini-lights | $2.74 |
| LED Mini-lights | $0.82 |
Estimated cost* of buying and operating lights for 10 holiday seasons
| Incandescent C-9 lights | $122.19 |
| LED C-9 lights | $17.99 |
| Incandescent Mini-lights | $55.62 |
| LED Mini-lights | $33.29 |
*Assumes 50 C-9 bulbs and 200 mini-lights per tree, with electricity at $0.119 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) (AEO 2012 Residential Average). Prices of lights based on quoted prices for low volume purchases from major home improvement retailers. All costs have been discounted at an annual rate of 5.6%. Life span assumed to be three seasons (1,500 hours) for non-LED lights.
Source:
Energy.gov, LED Lighting
What should you do during a Winter Storm?
The number one tip from ready.gov on winter weather and how to stay safe is to stay indoors during the storm! However this may not be possible or feasible, so if you must venture out during a winter storm please take these precautions:
Walk carefully on snowy, icy walkways.
Keep dry. Change wet clothing frequently to prevent a loss of body heat. Wet clothing loses all of its insulating value and transmits heat rapidly.
Watch for signs of frostbite. These include loss of feeling and white or pale appearance in extremities such as fingers, toes, ear lobes, and the tip of the nose. If symptoms of frostbite are detected, get medical help immediately.
Watch for signs of hypothermia. These include uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, slurred speech, drowsiness, and apparent exhaustion. If symptoms of hypothermia are detected, get the victim to a warm location, remove wet clothing, warm the center of the body first, and give warm, non-alcoholic beverages if the victim is conscious. Get medical help immediately.
Drive only if it is absolutely necessary. If you must drive, travel in the day—don’t travel alone, keep others informed of your schedule, stay on main roads, and avoid back road shortcuts.
Let someone know your destination, your route, and when you expect to arrive. If your car gets stuck along the way, help can be sent using your stated travel plans.
Source:
ready.gov, Winter Storms & Extreme Cold
In response to “Natural Gas Could Be Bigger Than the Internet, Welch Says”
Written by Michael Vrtis, President of Realgy Energy Services in response to the CNBC article “Natural Gas Could Be Bigger Than the Internet, Welch Says”
I greatly admire Mr. Welch, having worked for him at one time. I read his article with interest and thought his statements invited comment.
Natural gas availability has been plentiful and the availability of more domestic supply calls for long term planning considerations.
U.S. Natural Gas Marketed Production from 1900 to 2012 – courtesy of EIA
In planning for the long term, consider just the following two facts:
The United States already has a more than $2.00 advantage per dekatherm (MCF) over the rest of the world. The US average cost of natural gas is about $4.00 and the remainder of the world is over $6.00.
The amount of gas discovered and presently available has occurred with a method of recovery (hydraulic fracturing or fracking) that has been exempt from most of the Federal environmental regulations. State environmental regulations are not superseded by this Federal action. Thus, states can set their own environmental regulation. The growing state concern is ground water pollution, considering that it takes only 1-2 drops of a petroleum product (frack fluid) to make over 1,000 gals of ground water undrinkable.
So it is not regulation that will prevent natural gas from accelerating the US economy. Instead it is the over inflation of a political issue instead of any economic or environmental issue
Reducing our cost of natural gas has already occurred, reducing it further should not come at the expense of ground water.
Mr. Welch was a great business leader but his comments on regulation of natural gas fracking appear geared more toward political posturing than balancing the economic and environmental concerns that come with recovering natural gas.
Check out the CNBC article: “Natural Gas Could Be Bigger Than the Internet, Welch Says”