| In This Issue |
Board Approves 2009 Budget
Lammers is Honored
PUD, BPA Sign 20-Year Deal
Stay Away from Downed Lines
Audit Underway
No Power?
Always Current Auto Pay Program
|
| Newsletter Signup |
 |
|
|
|
BOARD APPROVES 2009 BUDGET |
|
| At their December 16th meeting, the PUD's Board of Directors approved a $30.1 million budget for 2009 - a decrease of 5.4% from 2008.
The budget included these major goals:
- Keep electric rates stable
- Maintain core operations and services to customers
- Increase cash reserves for future power supply opportunities, capital projects and to mitigate future rate impacts
Read the press release |
LAMMERS IS ENERGY MANAGER OF THE YEAR
|
|
PUD Energy Services Supervisor Tim Lammers has been chosen as the 2008 Energy Manager of the Year for Electric Utilities by the Oregon Association of Professional Energy Managers (APEM).
Congratulations, Tim! |
PUD, BPA SIGN 20-YEAR AGREEMENT
|
|
|
Columbia River PUD has signed a new 20-year power
purchase agreement with its wholesale power provider,
Bonneville Power Administration. The contract guarantees
preference access to power sold by BPA and will provide
rate stability for PUD customers through the year 2028.
"This contract is for our children and grandchildren," said PUD General Manager Kevin Owens. "It offers a significant hedge against rising energy prices in the future. Most importantly, it guarantees that our core power supply is clean and renewable."
|
STAY AWAY FROM DOWNED POWER LINES!
|
|
|
During the winter, harsh weather and slick roads can result in fallen trees or car crashes that tear down power lines. In the event you encounter a downed line, remember these important safety tips to avoid serious injury:
- If you see a downed power line, stay away, keep all other people away and call the PUD immediately at (503) 397-1844 to report it.
- Never touch a downed power line. Always assume that any power line is live and dangerous.
Never cut trees or limbs that are touching the power lines.
- Always keep at least 50 feet away from any downed line. The ground around a live power line may be electrified as well, and is dangerous.
- Never drive over a downed power line, or under lines that are sagging over the roadway.
- Don't touch cars, debris or fallen branches that are near downed lines. Anything touching a power line is just as dangerous as the power line itself.
- If a power line falls on your car, stay inside and wait for help. If you must leave the vehicle because it is on fire, or in danger of catching on fire, open the door and without touching the outside of the car, jump away. Do not touch the car and the ground at the same time - this creates a path for the electricity to flow through your body. Land with your feet together and shuffle away from the car.
|
PUD'S ANNUAL AUDIT UNDERWAY
|
|
| Each year an independent auditing firm reviews the PUD's accounting records to ensure that we are conducting business in compliance with generally accepted accounting principles. As part of the audit, customer records and billing activity are reviewed.
If you have questions about how your bill is calculated, individual line items on your bill, your billing history or your energy usage, please contact Customer Accounts at (503) 397-0590 or custsvc@crpud.org.
If you feel that your bill was calculated incorrectly or that your account balance is not correct please write to our auditors and describe the error. Include a copy of your billing statement, if available.
Send your letter to:
Kenneth Kuhns & Co.
570 Liberty Street SE, Suite 210
Salem, OR 97301
|
NO POWER?
|
|
 Check your electric meter. If there are numbers in the display, then there is power to your home. Check your breaker box or fuse panel for tripped breakers or blown fuses. If there are no numbers the display, your power is out. Call our Outage Hotline to report your outage: (503) 397-1844 Turn off all electric heaters, water heaters and cooking equipment at the breaker or fuse panel. When power is restored, you can turn these back on one at a time, in 15-minute intervals. Unplug sensitive electronic equipment such as computers, TVs & stereos to prevent damage from voltage surges or spikes when power is restored. | |
|
|
|
