Only three months remain to tackle home improvement projects if you want to take advantage of energy efficiency tax credits authorized under the federal stimulus bill.  Measures that qualify include replacing windows, doors, or roofs with materials that reduce your home’s heat loss or gain; adding insulation; replacing certain air conditioners; and installing air-source heat pumps, hot-water boilers, and biomass stoves.

We want to make sure our members know about these tax credits and can take advantage of them before they expire on December 31, 2010.  This is an incredible opportunity for members to invest in residential energy efficiency and see energy bill savings right away.

You can recover 30 percent – up to $1,500 – of costs associated with buying and installing heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems and biomass stoves.  Installation costs are not covered for windows, doors, roofing, and insulation.

ENERGY STAR, a joint program of the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, provides guidelines on what qualifies for the tax credit at www.energystar.gov/taxcredits.  Tax credits are especially beneficial as they directly reduce, dollar for dollar, any taxes you owe.

These are tough times and it is important for our members to keep their monthly electric bills as low as possible.  Making home energy efficiency upgrades offers a great way to save energy and money, and these tax credits can help make that a reality.

If you are interested in renewable energy, the government also offers a renewable energy tax credit that expires December 31, 2016.  That credit covers 30 percent of the cost of materials and installation for solar panels, solar water heaters, and geothermal heat pumps, for both new and existing homes.

Be sure to keep your receipts and your Manufacturer’s Certification Statement (a signed statement from the manufacturer certifying that the product or component qualifies for the tax credit) for your records.  Then claim the credit on your 2010 taxes using IRS Form 5695.

For a list of state and local energy efficiency assistance available, visit the Database for State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency, a project funded by DOE, at www.dsireusa.org.

Source:  ENERGY STAR, Database for State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency.

No season in Texas is safe from severe weather.  When one of those destructive summer thunderstorms rolls through our area, lines can go down and members can lose power – sometimes for an extended period.

During an outage, some members rely on portable generators while power is being restored.  If you use a generator, do you know enough about it to operate it safely?

The safety of our members and our employees is a top priority at URECC (Upshur Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation), especially during dangerous times.  When storms hit our area, we rush to restore power as soon as conditions allow.  Our line crews take necessary precautions before they work on downed power lines, taking care to ensure that a line is de-energized before working on it.  But even after these measures, an improperly connected generator can put our workers’ lives at risk.

URECC is proud of our outstanding safety records, but sometimes, no matter how many steps we take to keep everyone safe, the very people we are there to help unknowingly put our lives – and their own – in danger.

Portable generators can prove fatal to lineman when used improperly.  Of course, no one would every purposely cause the death of a lineman.  Nevertheless, a generator connected to a home’s wiring or plugged into a regular household outlet can cause backfeeding along power lines and electrocute anyone who comes in contact with them – even if the line seems dead.   URECC employees are not the only ones in danger when a portable generator is used improperly.  Those who operate generators improperly can risk being electrocuted, starting fires, damaging property or being poisoned by carbon monoxide.  Portable generators can be very helpful during outages.  But it is imperative that you follow these safety guidelines when using one:

1. Never connect a generator directly to your home’s wiring unless your home has been wired for generator use, which includes having a transfer switch installed by a qualified electrical contractor.  The transfer switch will disconnect your home from the power grid.  Connecting the generator to a house’s wiring without such a switch can cause current to flow out of your home’s circuitry and along power lines.  This situation can hurt or kill anyone coming in contact with the lines.

2. Always plug appliances directly into generators or use only heavy-duty, outdoor-rated extension cords.  Make sure extension cords are free of cuts or tears and the plug has three prongs.  Overloaded cords can cause fires or equipment damage.

3. Ensure your generator is properly grounded.

4. Never overload a generator.  A portable generator should only be used when necessary to power essential equipment or appliances.

5. Turn off all equipment powered by the generator before shutting it down.

6. Only operate a generator on a dry surface under an open structure.

7. Always have a fully charged fire extinguisher nearby.

8. Never fuel a generator while it is operating.

9. Read and adhere to the manufacturer’s instructions for safe operation. Never cut corners when it comes to safety.

We encourage you to protect the well-being and safety of your family during outages and safeguard those who come to your aid during emergency situations.  When we work together for safety and the good of our communities, we all benefit.