Utility customers to receive personalized energy report

All Callaway County customers of Ameren Missouri will receive personalized energy usage reports in their mail next week.

Ameren Missouri provides electrical service in several areas of Callaway County, including Auxvasse, New Bloomfield and Holts Summit.

Lisa Manzo of Ameren Missouri said the personalized reports, which will be mailed to each of more than 1 million Ameren Missouri customers next week, are designed to help them manage their electrical use and costs.

Small to midsize business customers also will receive similar reports detailing usage and hints on how to conserve.

Manzo said "the front of both the residential and business energy reports provide customers with knowledge about their energy habits, including how much electricity they are consuming and how much that energy costs each day."

The personalized report for each home shows in bar graphs the amount of energy used at each residence in 2009 and in 2010. Another graphic shows the amount of energy used in each month for 2009 and 2010.

Many customers will notice a big jump in their energy use in the summer of 2010, which was the hottest summer in 30 years in Missouri.

Each Ameren customer also will receive a report showing the amount of their bill for each month last year and the average daily cost for the energy.

The back of the report, along with the enclosed Take Action and Save brochure, gives customers tools to reduce their use of energy. It also gives them energy saving tips along with residential energy efficiency rebates and discounts that are available.

Energy saving tips include:

• From your normal thermostat setting, lower your setting 3 degrees in the winter and raise it 3 degrees in the summer. This could save more than $80 a year. Seniors or people with medical problems should check with their doctor before changing temperature settings.

• In the summer, using a ceiling fan with air conditioning can lower the temperature as much as 5 degrees.

• In the winter, reverse a ceiling fan to force the heat down from the ceiling. This helps warm the room. Using a ceiling fan throughout the year could save up to $50 in energy costs.

• Control use of space heaters. A space heater left on at a high setting could add up to $100 in a single month.

• Open window shades on sunny days on the south side of the home during the winter. In the summer, close the shades in the house. Using properly insulated drapes can save more than $120 a year in energy costs.

• ENERGY STAR qualified televisions use 40 percent less energy than standard energy television sets.

• Turn off lights that are left on even though no one is in the room. A single 100 watt bulb uses 72 cents in electricity each month.

• ENERGY STAR fluorescent (CFL) bulbs use about 75 percent less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and may last up to 10 times longer. It is estimated that each of these bulbs saves $30 in electric costs over its lifetime.

• Turn down the temperature of the water heater to 120 degrees. Hot water accounts for nearly 25 percent of an average energy bill. Cutting shower time by five minutes can reduce hot water use and save $5 a month.

• Caulking and weather stripping windows and doors can save up to 20 percent in heating and cooling costs.

• ENERGY STAR refrigerators and freezers can save hundreds of dollars in electricity during the life of the appliance.

• An older spare refrigerator or freezer in your home can cost an extra $100 a year to operate.

  • Don't set the temperature colder than necessary on a refrigerator or freezer. Manufacturer's instructions recommend the proper setting.

• Vacuum dust from refrigerator coils, fins, evaporator pan and motor to make it operate more efficiently.

• Keep refrigerators and freezers away from heat, such as next to a stove or in the garage.

Ameren Missouri also has started a new website that allows customers to access even more personalized energy information. The website is ActOnEnergy.com/Missouri. For several years, ActOnEnergy.com has been available to Ameren customers in Illinois. Now Ameren Missouri customers also can access the website through ActOnEnergy.com/Missouri to learn new ways to manage their energy bills.