Wright Hennepin Electric News

Energy saving blog: Saving energy by ensuring freezer and refrigerator efficiency

A fridge and freezer account for one sixth of an average home’s electric usage. This is usually more than any other appliance in the household.

CEO blog: Wall Street Journal comments on our challenges

The lead editorial in Saturday's Wall Street Journal quoted my friend and MREA CEO Mark Glaess regarding the cost of renewables in Minnesota. I think the editorial contains eye-opening information that every electric consumer should be aware of. I have reprinted the editorial here for you to review.

CEO blog: Light at the end of the tunnel?

I find myself constantly in search of clues about the state of the local economy and what it means for WH and its members. That's why I invited a panel of five local real estate agents to our last board meeting.

Energy saving blog: Save energy by maintaining your air conditioner

Air conditioners lose some of their efficiency from normal wear and tear over the operating life of the unit. Coils and filters become dirty, belts slip and refrigerant may also begin to leak over time. This causes your home to lose comfort, and your monthly energy costs to soar – by as much as 20 percent!

News release: Wright-Hennepin receives innovation award for the development of new outage software

News release: Protect your trees from the emerald ash borer

News release: Wright-Hennepin members donate more than $43,000 to many local worthy causes

Energy saving blog: Air source and ground source heat pumps

Imagine using a single, very efficient unit to both heat and cool your home. Heat pumps not only make this possible, but can potentially greatly reduce your heating and cooling costs.

News release: Wright-Hennepin's 75th anniversary and strong 2011 performance highlighted at Annual Meeting

Energy saving blog: Save money with Cool Cash air conditioning

I know you’ve all have seen the phrase above many times through Wright-Hennepin’s (WH) advertising, bill stuffers and newsletter. But what does it mean for you as a member, and what does it mean for WH as an energy supplier?

CEO blog: Statement on recent stray voltage trial

As you may have learned, WH was recently involved in a stray voltage trial, brought by one of our members. Because WH is a member owned cooperative – and because ensuring safe and reliable electricity is our highest responsibility – I felt it was important to present you some information about the case.

Energy saving blog: Learn how to save energy at WH's Annual Meeting

As some of you may know, Wright-Hennepin will be conducting its 75th Annual Meeting on March 29. For those of you who haven’t attended this event, you’re missing out on some valuable energy-saving information as well as fun events and prizes.

Celebrating 75 years - Wright-Hennepin's Annual Meeting to be held March 29

News release: Winter storm causes outages

Energy saving blog: Save on your water expenses with low-flow shower heads

Can you save water and still get a great shower? YES!

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, showering is one of the top uses of residential water in the United States, representing approximately 17 percent of indoor water use. Stop and think about how much you’re paying for your water usage – especially for showering. You pay to bring the water into your home, to take it away from your home and you pay to heat it as well. Basically, you are paying three times to use water for showering – that can really add up!

Energy saving blog: Save money on your lighting costs

Did you know the standard incandescent light bulb only uses 10-20 percent of the energy it consumes for light? The rest of the energy it uses is given off as heat.

CEO blog: Life before electricity: "It was a very dark place indeed"

In preparation for WH’s 75th anniversary next month, I have enjoyed reading the yellowing clips and documents in our archives that record the milestones of bringing power to this area. That prompted me to explore other sources of information about the development of electricity itself.

News release: Wright-Hennepin receives Outstanding Member of the Year Award

CEO blog: A WH version of the Consumer Electronics Show

I’m a gadget guy. I like to watch the latest technology trends and determine how WH can quickly implement them to increase our service offerings.

Energy saving blog: The cost-saving advantages of space heaters

Portable heaters can come in handy for a variety of situations and can save you money on your overall heating costs. There are situations where you may only need to heat a small area, and using a small space heater can be less expensive than turning up the thermostat on your whole-house heating system. Space heaters can also be used to raise the temperature of rooms used by individuals who are sensitive to cold, without the added expense of over-heating the rest of your home.

News release: Wright-Hennepin will offer 20 scholarships for local students in 2012

News Release: Youth tour trip to Washington, D.C. available through Wright-Hennepin

Energy saving blog: Tightening up air leaks in your home

Conserving energy in your home is about better insulating the envelope inside as well as outside. A very easy and inexpensive project to help you accomplish this is to install wall and switch plate seals.

CEO blog: A prediction for 2012

My year-end reading included an article in Forbes Magazine from November that might offer perspective on the energy-policy path our nation is on right now. In the article “Renewable Energy’s Sixty Years of Broken Dreams, But Keep Those Ideas Coming,” author Bruce Upbin laid bare the gulf between energy hopes and realities that have come and gone in America over the years.

Energy saving blog: Save energy by reducing phantom loads

Have you ever gotten up at night to get a glass of water and noticed a lot of little red lights shining around your living room? Devices that produce these lights are constantly drawing energy – whether they’re on or off.

Energy saving blog: Choosing a television that is energy efficient

Even though you may have gotten a great Black Friday deal on an HDTV, that new television may end up costing you more money than your old tube TV in the long run.

Wright-Hennepin board returns $1.2 million in capital credits to members

CEO blog: Ben Franklin's experiment with electricity and a turkey

With Thanksgiving on the horizon, I set a writing objective to try to find some interesting research or a unique story that connects this great American holiday with the electric industry. I soon found that this was no small task. The only thing I found was the usual fare about baking your holiday bird in an electric oven.

Energy saving blog: My new oven - a sensible solution for saving energy

There’s been a lot of buzz about energy conservation in recent years, and as you probably know, conserving energy is not always easy to do. However, I’ve discovered a way to save energy while cooking and baking, which may be very helpful during the upcoming holiday season.

Wright-Hennepin to host safety day for home-schoolers

Energy saving blog: How to save money on holiday lighting

The holiday season is approaching fast, and many of you are probably planning on using stringed lights to make your home look more festive. However, it’s important to consider how much these electricity-drawing additions cost.

Energy saving blog: Preventing air infiltration

Air leakage – or infiltration – occurs when outside air enters a house through uncontrolled spaces like cracks and small openings. Properly sealing cracks and openings in your home can significantly reduce your heating and cooling costs, improve building durability and create a healthier indoor environment for you and your family.

CEO blog: Could the next Steve Jobs come from WH's service territory?

On the heels of my last blog about the great electrical inventor Thomas Edison, came word that Apple Founder and CEO Steve Jobs passed away. As an uber-fan of Apple products, my attention zoned in on every Jobs’ story that ran in the days that followed his death.

Energy saving blog: Save money by properly maintaining your mechanical ventilation system

Fall is a great time of year to check your mechanical ventilation system. Keeping these systems well maintained is a simple, cost effective way to save you money on your winter energy bills.

Energy saving blog: Top 10 tips learned from energy-saving contest

What would you do with an extra $1,200? That is what one family calculated their electric bill savings to be over a four-month period of actively conserving energy. This family also won Wright-Hennepin’s 2011 “Littlest User” energy-saving contest.

CEO blog: In the spirit of Edison, WH and its members are part of ground breaking technology, innovation

As we get ready for WH’s 75th anniversary next year, I can’t help but think of Thomas Edison from time to time – how his pioneering ideas quite literally changed the world and ultimately how his inventions made WH possible. I think, too, about how important it is that we keep the spirit of Edison alive.

Energy saving blog: Wright-Hennepin’s new energy saving information blog

At Wright-Hennepin, we do regular member surveys to help us provide our members with relevant information. Based on the results of these surveys, you have told us time and time again that you’d like to hear more energy-saving tips that will help reduce energy use in your homes and reduce your electric bills. This blog is meant to help meet that objective.

CEO blog: You can teach an old CEO new tricks

I started my career with WH 31 years ago this week. So much has changed over the past three decades; it’s a constant challenge to stay ahead of it all – especially the technology. On my first day here, I was assigned a manual typewriter and a stack of five-part carbon paper to write and edit WH’s newsletter and other public communications.