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Keeping costs low Why Beat The Peak? With power costs rising, Blue Ridge Energy is looking at all the ways to control costs. An important way members can join us in this effort is by signing up and taking action to Beat The Peak. Peaks are the short periods of time on the hottest summer afternoons or coldest winter mornings when the most electricity is being consumed. Power producers must generate enough electricity to meet that extreme demand. In our area, peaks usually occur between 2-7 p.m., on the hottest summer weekdays and from 6–9 a.m. on the coldest winter mornings. When you sign up for Beat The Peak, you’ll receive your choice of a text or email letting you know when a peak period is expected. Then, you can choose to take action to help “Beat The Peak” by shifting some of your electricity consumption outside of peak hours. Steps such as adjusting your thermostat, turning off unnecessary lights, and delaying laundry until after the peak are examples of simple but helpful steps members can take. If members voluntarily reduce their electricity usage during peak demand times, it can make a big difference in controlling expensive wholesale power costs to keep rates — and bills — low. Sign up today! It’s free and voluntary. Learn more or sign up at BlueRidge Energy.com/BTP. Or simply text “btp” to 70216 to sign up.
Teachers: Apply now for Bright Ideas grants! Teachers in K-12 classrooms with innovative ideas for creative learning projects can find and submit an application by visiting ncbrightideas.com. The deadline is Sept. 15 and winners are announced in November. Blue Ridge Energy will provide up to $25,000 to fund Bright Ideas grants in the cooperative’s service area! Individual grants are awarded at a maximum of $2,000. Bright Ideas grants are designed to fund innovative classroom projects that benefit students and would not otherwise be funded by regular school budgets.
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