Fredericksburg, Va. -While disconnection for nonpayment and related fees are being waived for all Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC) member-owners during the COVID-19 outbreak, member-owners need to understand that electricity used during this time is not free; meters will still be read and bills will be sent. During these unprecedented times, REC will work with individual member-owners who need to make long-term payment arrangements as we go through and recover from this crisis. One of the best things to do now, is to carefully manage how much electricity is used.
As families spend more time at home, it’s natural that more electricity is being consumed as lights, kitchen appliances and electronics are used more than usual.
REC offers the following tips to reduce energy:
- Focus on your thermostat. During chillier evenings, keep your thermostat set to the lowest temperature comfortable. REC recommends a setting of 68 degrees or lower. Likewise, on warmer days, set your thermostat to 78 degrees or the highest setting comfortable for your family.
- Avoid placing lamps, TVs or other large electronics near the thermostat.
- Turn off any lights that are not needed.
- Take shorter showers to reduce the amount of hot water used.
- Consider cooking outside on the grill rather than firing up the stove or oven.
- Unplug any electronics that are not in use.
For more tips on saving energy, please visitmyrec.coop/save.
REC member-owners can monitor their daily – and hourly – energy use with the My Usage tool in MyREC SmartHub – myrec.smarthub.coop.
“As we adjust to social distancing and, in some cases quarantining at home, we will use more electricity than on a typical day,” said Casey Hollins, director of Communications and Public Relations at REC. “However, making just a few small adjustments in our homes can make a big difference.”
REC provides electric service to over 170,000 connections in parts of 22 Virginia counties. With its general office in Fredericksburg, Va., the Cooperative operates and maintains more than 17,000 miles of power lines through its service area, which ranges from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the tidal waters of the Chesapeake Bay. For more information about REC, please visit www.myrec.coop. Follow REC on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.