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SMUD - Connections
 
October 2009
  

YEAR-ROUND WORK KEY TO SMUD RESPONSE

Year-round work Winter weather is coming, and SMUD stands ready to meet the challenge.

Making sure the power is there when you need it is a year-round priority for SMUD maintenance crews. Each year they patrol and inspect all of SMUD’s nearly 9,800 miles of distribution lines and 500 miles of high-voltage transmission lines to spot and correct potential problems before they can happen. Preventive maintenance is performed constantly on lines, poles, substations and transformers to ensure high levels of system reliability.

In addition, SMUD crews prune between 60,000 and 70,000 trees annually to minimize the potential for outages from falling branches.

As storm season approaches, SMUD works with federal, state and municipal agencies to coordinate emergency response plans. And when a storm becomes imminent, SMUD crews, suppliers, emergency and customer service personnel are put on high alert, supported by the very latest in emergency response technology.

ARE YOU READY WITH YOUR STORM-PREPARATION KIT?

Keep an emergency flashlight handy. First things first: If power lines fall, stay away. Call 911 or SMUD's outage line at 1-888-456-SMUD (7683).

Be prepared for winter storms. Locate your electric service panel and learn how to operate the main breaker. Prepare an emergency kit, with:

  • Flashlight
  • Batteries
  • Matches
  • Bottled water
  • Wind-up clock
  • Manual can opener
  • Battery-operated radio
If an outage occurs, see if your neighbors' lights are also out. Call 1-888-456-SMUD (7683) to report the outage.

Turn on your radio for outage reports. If you can check online with a battery-powered lapop, visit SMUD.org and click on "Outages" to find out where power is out.

Shut everything off except for one light. This makes it easier for SMUD to restore power, and for you to know immediately when service is back on.

FREE CLASSES HELP LIGHT UP LIVES

Free classes.SMUD regularly offers free classes in its Customer Service Center, 6301 S St., to help customers get the most from their energy dollar.

Advance sign-up is required. To register, go to SMUD.org/etc or call (916) 732-6738. Here are the upcoming free classes:

Designing with Light
(Oct. 7. 6 to 8:30 p.m. or Oct. 8, 9 to 11:30 a.m.): Learn how to light your home while improving its look, feel and energy efficiency. These two free classes will cover general types of lighting in addition to specific lighting tools and tricks for different rooms.

Lighting for the Aging Eye
(Oct. 31, 9 to 11:30 a.m.): As we age, more light is needed to see accurately. Find out how to understand and ensure sufficient quality of light while reducing glare.

Efficiently Heating Your Home (Nov. 14, 9 a.m. to Noon): See how to optimize a home’s comfort and energy efficiency during the colder months.

A WEEK FOR PUBLIC POWER TO SHINE

The Sacramento Municipal Utility District was founded with the idea that providing electric power to Sacramento was a job best done by a public utility overseen by an elected Board of Directors.

For more than 60 years, SMUD has been providing Sacramento County and a small part of Placer County with a reliable source of electricity at competitive rates that are consistently lower than investor-owned utilities in the state.

SMUD is one of more than 2,000 utilities marking Public Power Week, Oct. 4-10. Collectively, these utilities provide electricity on a not-for-profit basis to 45 million Americans.

The annual event is sponsored by the American Public Power Association (APPA) in Washington, D.C. APPA is the service organization for community- and state-owned electric utilities.

For more information visit SMUD.org or APPAnet.org.

IN THIS ISSUE

YEAR-ROUND WORK KEY TO SMUD RESPONSE

ARE YOU READY WITH YOUR STORM-PREPARATION KIT?

FREE CLASSES HELP LIGHT UP LIVES

A WEEK FOR PUBLIC POWER TO SHINE

RATE CHANGES REFLECTED ON OCTOBER BILLS

Customers' bills received in October will be the first reflecting a series of rate increases that went into effect Sept. 1.

Customers using 750 kilowatthours a month will see their electricity bill rise by about $5.17 a month.

The three-stage increase, approved last June after a series of public workshops and hearings, is needed to meet higher costs and protect SMUD's ability to finance operations at competitive rates.

The Sept. 1 increase is 5.5 percent, to be followed by 5.5 percent in March of 2010 and 2.25 percent in January of 2011. Breaking the increase into three stages is intended to soften the initial impact and give customers more breathing room as the recession continues.

During the rate process, changes were also made to the Medical Equipment Discount (MED) Rate. Those rate changes will not begin until January of 2010, and all affected customers will be contacted directly to ensure that they are fully informed.

SMUD rates will remain among the lowest in California, with average rates about 25 percent below those of neighboring Pacific Gas & Electric.

For more information on saving money by reducing energy use, or for rebates on the purchase of energy-efficient appliances, visit SMUD.org or call 1-888- 742-SMUD (7683).

 CUSTOMER SERVICE:
1-888-742-SMUD (7683)
Hours: M-F 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Pay online: www.smud.org

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