Reported by: Bill Price
Photographed by: Michael Benedic
Web produced by: Ian Preuth
A month after the Tri-State's biggest blackout, Duke Energy is unveiling new technology that not only will make restoring power faster, but help all of us save money on future electric bills.
The new Duke Energy office on Olympic Blvd. in Erlanger looks like another one of the long low-slung office warehouses you often see in suburbs. But the company has turned the warehouse office into its new $1 million "Envision Demonstration Center," the only one of its kind in the nation.
Inside, a large section of the center is a demonstration room that shows how electricity, in particular, flows from sub-stations through utility lines and poles to our homes. New two-way switches on poles and transformers will tell Duke Energy about blackouts long before the first customer calls.
Some 40,000 newly installed high-tech meters outside homes can communicate directly with Duke Energy offices. Those new meters will offer electric rates based on the cost of generating electricity during different parts of the day.
When customers are set up with smart outlets and appliances in the home, they will have more choices on when to run energy-hungry appliances, and when they can be turned off.
Johnna Reeder of Duke Energy said, "The conservation helps us not only to build fewer new generating plants, but it also will help consumers save money by using less electricity more efficiently, which is also good for the environment."
Duke Energy says it wants to be prepared for electric or hybrid cars, which along with big power consuming appliances, could make family electric bills soar unless they're run more efficiently.
Duke Energy hopes to open the demonstration center to the public sometime next year.
The utility company also has tips for people to cut their electric bills right now, regardless if they have a smart meter or not. Do not leave your cellphone charger plugged in all the time. It uses electricity even when its not connected to your cellphone.
In addition, automatic coffee makers can use up to $11 worth of electricity a month if they're used every day and left on for several hours. Unplug them after your coffee is finished brewing, especially if the coffee maker has a hot plate the pot sits on. Even better, look for a coffee maker with a thermal pot that keeps coffee hot without a hot plate.
