House Republican Press Release

July 11, 2007

Press Office: 860-240-8700

Reps Hamzy, Burns: Cut Your Electricity Use by 10% This Summer; Get a 10% Credit on Your November Bill

Program Benefits People Who Lower Their Electricity Consumption by 10% from July 1^st through September 30^th

CL&P customers in Bristol and Plymouth who cut their electricity use by 10 percent between July 1^st and September 30^th from the same period in 2006 will receive a 10 percent credit on their November bill if they sign up for the 2007 Summer Saver Rewards Program, state Representatives William A. Hamzy and Ron Burns said today.

“Whether you’re already keeping your monthly electricity bills relatively low by using practical conservation measures or just started cutting back on your electricity consumption, you should definitely enroll in the 2007 Summer Saver Rewards Program,” said Representative Hamzy, R-78^th District. “It takes only a few minutes to sign up for the program, and if you succeed in reducing your electricity consumption b y 10 percent between July 1^st and September 30^th compared with the same time period in 2006, you will earn a 10 percent credit that will be applied to the bill you receive in November. There is no penalty if you fail to reduce your usage by 10 percent.”

“This is a great program that gives all of us another incentive to conserve electricity and lower our monthly bills,” said Representative Burns, R-77^th District. “You will not only save money on your monthly bills by using less electricity and get a 10 percent credit on your November bill if you reduce your consumption by 10 percent from the amount you used last summer, you also will be helping to relieve the pressure on the electricity grid that serves the northeast region. Reducing the load on the grid will help lower your monthly bill even more by reducing the charge that appears on the ‘congestion costs’ line on your bill. It also will ensure that everyone has adequate electricity to meet their needs this summer and help prevent brownouts or other service disruptions.”

CL&P customers can call 1-877-WISE USE (1-877-947-3873) to enroll or receive more information about the Summer Saver Rewards Program. Additional information can be found at ctenergyinfo.com, the legislators said.

Steps consumers can take to reduce their electricity consumption include:

Closing blinds or curtains on the south-facing side of homes during the day.
Turning air conditioning temperatures up by two degrees and turning off air conditioning units when no one is at home.
Turning off appliances and lighting when not in use; switching to energy-saving light bulbs; and unplugging electronic equipment (such as cell phone chargers) when not in use.
Purchasing energy-efficient appliances for home or business use when replacing older units.

Electricity companies were required to offer the electricity conservation incentive program to their customers under legislation (Public Act 07-242) passed by the Connecticut General Assembly this year.