Join Us September 22

for Adopt A River

THE COOL TRUTH

ABOUT ENERGY SAVINGS

THE COOL TRUTH ABOUT ENERGY SAVINGS

While flying into Capital City Airport recently, I saw giant stacks at three power plants. Do they all belong to the Board of Water & Light? What can you tell me about these plants? -- D.R., Holt

IYes, those power plants are the BWL’s. The one west of Lansing, off Canal Road in Delta Township, is the Erickson Power Station. It came online in 1973.       There are two plants in or near downtown Lansing, but only one is actively producing electricity. South of downtown Lansing, near General Motors’ Grand River Assembly Plant, is the Eckert Power Plant. Parts of Eckert were built in the 1920s. Other parts were built in stages, from the early 1950s to the early 1960s. The other plant is the Ottawa Power Station, located on the Grand River across from the Lansing Center. It became operational in 1940 but the BWL decided to decommission this plant in the early 1990s.  It still houses a “chiller” plant that provides air-conditioning to parts of downtown Lansing. Our two remaining coal-fired plants, Eckert and Erickson, are capable of producing 494 megawatts of electricity for more than 97,000 residential, business and industrial customers.

Do you have a question for the Lansing Board of Water & Light?  Send it to Q CORNER:

  E-MAIL: mailto:mdn@lbwl.com

    FAX:  (517) 702-6855

   MAIL:  Lansing Board of Water & Light

          Communications Department

          1232 Haco Dr., P.O. Box 13007

          Lansing MI 48901.

Maintaining an energy-efficient home is like maintaining a healthy, fit body. You have to think “holistically” — the whole house, not just the furnace or attic insulation.

Just like dieting and exercise, the whole-house approach means regular maintenance and fine-tuning. Here are some warm-weather tips to save money:

n If your air conditioner is a window unit, clean its filters and coils every month. If your home has central air conditioning as part of the furnace system, the furnace and air ducts should be inspected annually by a qualified furnace repair/inspection company.

n Close window drapes and blinds during the day, especially windows facing south or west. Windows act like solar heaters, warming a home’s interior.

n If you have central air conditioning, install a programmable thermostat and set it for 10 degrees higher during the time you are away from home. The Michigan Public Service Commission says this can save 3-5 percent on your electric bill.

n Wear light clothing, and see if you can set the air conditioner thermostat a few degrees higher and still remain comfortable.

n Look for air leaks around doors and windows. Use caulk or weather stripping to stop the leaks.

There are also some long-term strategies that can save on your energy bills. If you’re in the market for a new air conditioner, the Department of Energy recommends checking out the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER). The higher the SEER, the better.

The current minimum for central air conditioning is a 13 SEER. If you’re shopping for a portable air conditioner, look for one that has the Energy Star^® label. Models with the Energy Star^® label have a 13 SEER or better.

For more ways to save on warm weather cooling costs, visit the following Web sites:

                                    www.michigan.gov/mpsc
                                    www.energysavers.org
                                    www.accee.org

. . . if the lights go out.

That old slogan from the 1960s, “Power to the People,” takes on a special but different meaning at the Lansing Board of Water & Light.

Power is what we do — we produce and deliver.

But even with hundreds of BWL’s “Hometown People” working daily to keep the electricity flowing to your homes and businesses, outages do occur.

That’s why it’s important for all BWL customers to know about PowerLine, our toll-free phone number.

When a widespread power outage happens, phone lines can be jammed, as thousands of customers try to report an outage at the same time.

We urge you to call PowerLine:
1-877-BWL-5001. It’s a toll-free number that can handle up to 40,000 calls an hour.

PowerLine will record your outage information quickly and automatically. However, for the system to work properly, PowerLine must recognize your telephone number. Check your BWL utility bill. If your correct phone number isn’t printed there, please write it down in the space provided on your payment stub and return it with your payment.

It was a record high at the BWL Chili Cook-off on June 22 — and we’re not talking about the air temperature or all that spiced-up chili.

Instead, the BWL raised a record $35,000 in four hours to support local non-profit organizations. Proceeds will be split between the HOPE Scholarship Connections Program and Impression 5 Science Center.

HOPE offers hundreds of Lansing-area students two years’ free tuition at Lansing Community College. Impression 5 is a great place for youngsters to have fun while learning science. Impression 5 also administers the BWL’s award-winning Adopt A River Program (this fall’s Adopt A River Day is September 22).

First place winners in our 12th annual cook-off were: Cadillac Club (People’s Choice), Mayfair Bar (Best Restaurant Chili), Balloons Galore (Best Corporate Chili), Texas Roadhouse (Best Meatless Chili), and Bennigans (Hottest Chili).

Now, on to some cool news. The Lansing Board of Water & Light recently signed an agreement with the Arts Council of Greater Lansing to be the Signature Sponsor for Silver Bells in the City.

This amazing, free event attracted 100,000 people to downtown Lansing last November. For the BWL, a long-time major sponsor of Silver Bells,  it’s a natural transition to become a stronger partner with the Arts Council to continue this great holiday tradition.

We have a surprise or two for this year’s Silver Bells, which will take place on Friday, November 16. Please mark your calendars. This year’s event will be the best ever!