SMECO Announces Energy Saving Winners
Front row (from left): Michelle Downs, Venus Ann Lanham, Leanne Hicks, Marian Trossbach, and Jay Robinson.
Back row (from left): SMECO Corporate Communications Director Terry Ressler, APT Field Representative James Butler, Diane Zrimsek, Richard Dyson, Cal Spreitzer, and Sears Store Manager Dave Weavill.
Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO) has awarded prizes to the winners of the Energy Savings Challenge.
The first place winner, Richard Dyson of La Plata, won a $1,000 gift certificate donated by Sears. Two second-place prize winners received energy efficiency kits, valued at $200 and donated by AM Conservation Group.
Eight customers won third-place prizes, energy efficiency kits valued at $45, donated by Niagara Conservation.
The challenge compared customers’ energy use in April, May, and June of 2013 to their energy use during the same months in 2012. SMECO customers are able to review their monthly energy use by clicking the Home Energy Reports (HER) link on the cooperative’s website.
Mr. Dyson won the top prize by reducing his energy use by 54.1 percent. Diane Zrimsek, of Lexington Park, came in second by reducing her energy use by 1,349 kWh, a 53.2 percent difference. According to Ms. Zrimsek, “Last fall I renovated my downstairs and in the process I replaced my HVAC system. It was 20 years old. Just doing that saved a lot of energy. Also when the Energy Challenge started I bumped up the programmable thermostat that I received through the CoolSentry program a few degrees, and just dealt with it being a little warmer throughout the summer. I got my electricity bill down to $50-$60 all summer.”
Jeff Shaw, SMECO’s environmental programs and energy conservation director, reinforced the co-op’s message: “We encourage customers to save energy if they want to save money. Customers can also save money on appliances by purchasing certified ENERGY STAR products and receiving rebates through the EmPOWER Maryland program.”
Surface Aviation Interoperability Lab (SAIL) formed a new routine that saves energy and reduces costs by powering down unnecessary equipment. The result was a 12 percent energy savings over the last year.
The lab made several changes to help with energy savings, such as turning off machines when not in use, switching outdoor lights to light emitting diodes (LED) and using a sensor to ensure they are off when not needed.
