A talk on electricity at the library

By Veronica Burns

“If I were to ask how much you are paying at the gas pump, you would be able to tell me to the cent. But if I ask how much your electricity costs, chances are, you don’t know.” This comment launched a recent presentation at the library. Invited by Norfolk’s Energy Task Force (ETF), Roger Liddell, an investment analyst who specializes in energy industry research, discussed the inefficiency of electric generation and suggested strategies to save money. Liddell has bridged his knowledge of the energy business with his love of the environment, and has worked with the Environmental Defense Fund, the Sierra Club and most recently, with Hotchkiss, to help the school lower its electric costs.

With evangelical zeal, Liddell emphasized the importance of knowing how much things cost. “The price is key. People respond to prices. Know the rate,” he said, pointing out that Connecticut has among the highest electric rates in the country. “Electricity is priced at the peak level,” he said, “it is not averaged out, so we need to address our usage at times of peak load to save everyone money.” Right now, although the peak “is a vibrant, dynamic, living thing,” we are charged for peak levels basically all day long, from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Mitch Gross, a CL&P spokesman says the company has filed to change that. “Historically we are seeing peak usage as between noon and 8 p.m., so we are proposing these hours as a new peak time.” Throughout his talk, Liddell stressed “peak usage” and that we should be aware of when we do laundry or run the dishwasher. “Flatten the peak,” he said, “save a bundle of money, it’s a win-win situation.” He also said that real-time meters should be installed in our homes, “the sooner the better.”

CL&P is already working on that. The company is waiting for approval from the Department of Public Utility Control (DPUC) to install 500 “Smart” meters in residences by the end of this year, and hopes to expand that number next year. According to Gross, “by the middle of 2010,  these meters will be in every home.” The meters will show customers real time usage, giving them the option to “adjust their lifestyle and use their electricity when it is at a cheaper rate.”

But before the arrival of the smart meter, how about a lesson in how to read your electric bill? Liddell showed a slide of a Con Edison bill and one from Connecticut Light & Power. On the former, the rate was clearly stated. The CL&P bill required some deconstruction but came down to three main parts, which, with a little search, can be found: Generation, Transmission and Distribution. The latter two equal the cost for CL&P to maintain the grid. “This is what you need to know,” said Liddell, adding that the CT residential customer averages 850 kilowatt hours a month, at 18.2 cents a kilowatt hour.

“Small changes can have a cumulative effect on your bill,” said Liddell, suggesting replacing inefficient appliances with those that are Energy Star-rated to purchasing compact fluorescent lighting (CFL) instead of the old-fashioned incandescent bulbs, which, he claims, “constitute 97 percent waste between fuel and light.” That waste comes from both the bulb and the generating station. He estimated the life cycle cost of one incandescent as $199 compared to $55 for a compact fluorescent. Norfolk has certainly demonstrated its support for CFLs. At the lighting sale organized by the ETF, 1,736 bulbs were sold, representing an estimated life cycle energy saving of 991,048 kilowatt hours.

A consumer alert is in order, however. If you have a nonworking CFL, it should not be placed in the regular trash. CFLs contain mercury and are therefore categorized as hazardous waste. First Selectman Sue Dyer says plans are underway to have a special container placed at the Transfer Station to accommodate collection. “I don’t know how quickly the Department of Environmental Protection will move on this, “ says Dyer, “but I would like it to happen this summer.” Given the lengthy lifespan of a CFL, hopefully, the barrel will remain mostly empty.

You and your kids can track “peak” on an active Web site, cvx.com, which is run by the Connecticut Valley Electricity Exchange, click on Convex/Connecticut. This site shows electricity highs and lows, and refreshes every five minutes.