Power of Community - Pedernales Electric Cooperative

I recently went on a diet – before the heat of the summer gets here – and so far I have been pretty successful. It got me thinking about how members could help themselves by shedding some heat gain at home.

What most people don’t realize is that we do not cool our homes down. We remove heat via the air-conditioning system. If you limit the heat gain, there is not as much heat to remove. With less heat to ...

You have probably been hearing through the grapevine from friends and family about our do-it-yourself workshops. Don’t be the one who misses out on these DIY events that promote overall conservation.

We'll host our next workshop Friday, May 18, from 1 to 3 p.m. at PEC’s Liberty Hill District office, located at 10625 West Highway 29.

All PEC members are invited and encouraged to attend. Here is just some of the information that will be covered:

• Education and ...

This do-it-yourself video shares air conditioner maintenance tips that will help you save energy and money.

This is a moderated blog, so all comments are reviewed prior to posting. Your e-mail address is required in case we need to contact you about your comment; your e-mail address will not be published. Review our Conservation Blog Guidelines for more information.

There's an old adage that suggests wearing light colors in the summer and dark colors in the winter. When purchasing a home, the same holds true for the color of the rock or brick.

The color of masonry or roof shingles may affect how much it costs to heat and cool your home.

A red brick home will hold more heat after the sun has gone down compared to white brick or limestone. The longer the heat has an influence ...

Want to learn how you can reduce your electric bill? Don’t miss out on our comprehensive DIY workshops that promote overall conservation.

We'll host our next workshop — the third of nine — Saturday, April 21, from 10 a.m. to noon at PEC’s Oak Hill District office, located at 9115 Circle Drive.

All PEC members are invited and encouraged to attend. Here is just some of the information that will be covered:

• Education and information on conservation, billing and ...

It's time to start thinking of spring cleaning to get done around the house before summer is upon us.

One area we all tend to neglect is the refrigeration coils on our freezers and refrigerators; they really should be cleaned twice a year. If you have a refrigerator or freezer in the garage, don't forget to clean it, too.

Another overlooked item that requires periodic cleaning are the window tracks on our windows. Dust and dirt tend to get in ...

PEC is contacting private and public school districts in our service area to help them be more energy efficient in their daily operations.

We will offer a free workshop in Cedar Park on April 18 to share low-cost or no-cost measures that schools can apply to reduce their energy use. The workshop will be presented by James M. Herritage from Touchstone Energy, a nationwide alliance of electric cooperatives of which PEC is an affiliate, and will provide valuable information for ...

We are happy to announce that we have partnered with another cooperative and Touchstone Energy affiliate, Service Concepts, to provide PEC members an opportunity to shop online for energy-efficient products at EnergySavers.coop, and to get a 20 percent discount on your purchases.

The online store features products from suppliers and manufacturers that have been evaluated by Service Concepts to ensure they are of high quality and will perform as promised.

Among the products offered at EnergySavers.coop are:

• Better quality ...

This do-it-yourself video shares spring cleaning tips that will help you save energy and money.

This is a moderated blog, so all comments are reviewed prior to posting. Your e-mail address is required in case we need to contact you about your comment; your e-mail address will not be published. Review our Conservation Blog Guidelines for more information.

I go to many PEC members' locations and almost every time one thing is constant — their computer runs 24/7.

I often ask why they leave it on all the time, and the most common answer is that they think it is hard on a computer to turn it on and off.

That is a false statement. If it was true there would not be an on-and-off switch.

All electronic equipment has an initial burn-in period of about 10 days ...