Get $10 Discount on Your Electric Bill

For the fourth year Paducah Power System customers have a chance to take a bite out of their summer electric bill and help a good cause at the annual “Power for Patients” blood drive September 1st and 2nd at the Cherry Civic Center.  Presenting donors will receive a one time $10 discount on their PPS electric bill.  The event runs from noon to 6pm both days.  Last year, more than 150 people participated, 20% of them donating for the first time.

 

Every two seconds someone in America needs blood.   By the time you finish reading this newsletter a few hundred people will have needed blood, and this special event is a way for you to give the gift of life.  An accident victim may use several dozen pints of blood.  Two to six units may be used during a cancer treatment, and a premature baby can use one to four pints while in intensive care.  Lives are saved every day in this region because people took the time to donate blood.

 

The $10 discount is available to PPS customers only.  There is a limit of one discount per household.  The blood drive is not restricted to PPS customers.  PPS encourages you to schedule an appointment to move through the donation process faster.

 

Go here to schedule an appointment or call Andrea Underwood at 270-575-4025.

 

Eligibility Requirements for Blood Donation 

To give blood you must be healthy, be at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds and not have donated blood in the last 56 days.  “Healthy” means that you feel well and can perform normal activities.  Medical staff will examine your health history and take your temperature, pulse, blood pressure and blood count prior to donation.  Your eligibility will be determined after the examination.  For a more complete listing of guidelines and how they are affected by various medical conditions go to www.givelife.org, click on “being a donor” and then “eligibility guidelines”.

 

Quick Blood Facts

-A single car accident victim can require as many as 100 units of blood.

-On average, a hip replacement typically uses one unit of blood, a cardiac bypass two units, a heart transplant two units, and a liver transplant ten units.

-A patient could be forced to pass up a life saving organ if compatible blood is not available to support the transplant.

-The rarest blood type is the one not on the shelf when it’s needed.

-If only one more percent of all Americans would give blood, blood shortages would disappear for the foreseeable future.

 

As I See It

By David R. Clark, General Manager

Paducah Power System is now in the middle of summer, and electric bills have risen considerably.  The summer is the heaviest season for PPS and about 40% of our electric revenue is collected during the three hot summer months.  I was recently reviewed wholesale power prices from the summers of 2006 and 2007 and compared them to 2009 and 2010 prices.  Back then the economy was humming along, and during heat waves across the country, wholesale power prices were very high during the summer day time hours.  Prices reached 20 to 30 cents per kilowatt hour during those periods.  Conversely, this summer, wholesale prices are very depressed and in the middle of a hot summer day range anywhere from 7 to 9 cents per kilowatt hour on the wholesale market.

 

The reason is industrial and commercial sales for all utilities are very depressed.  In the Tennessee Valley Authority area for instance, industrial sales are off 6 to 15 percent depending on the time of the year the observation is made.  It’s the same throughout the Midwest and East.

 

If economic recovery returns in a couple of years to 2007 levels, generators will greatly strain to meet the electric load in the hot summer months.  This alone will drive up wholesale power prices to those seen in 2006 and 2007.

 

The new Paducah Power Peaking Plant is undergoing commissioning and testing during its initial commercial operations period.  The plant is mostly running on “on-peak” hours, which stretch from noon to 8:00 P.M. during regular work days.

Presently, we rely on wholesale market purchases for what we call the “off-peak” hours, which are from 8:00 P.M. until noon the following day.  We have hedged our natural gas costs so if power prices go much over 6 ½ cents in the “off-peak” hours, we may elect to run the peaking plant during those hours to save money.  The purpose of the plant itself is to serve as a price-cap for PPS should wholesale markets ever get really high in the future.  The only time the Peaking Plant runs is when we can save money or make money in the wholesale markets.

 

Road Paved

Crews from Central Paving recently finished paving the sections of Rosewood and Schneidman Roads damaged during the early phase of construction of Paducah Power’s new peaking plant.  Heavy loads of rock and concrete caused the road to buckle and much of the asphalt to crumble last fall.  PPS rebuilt the road bed last year and graded it periodically during the construction.  Final paving was saved until this summer after all of the heavy equipment had been removed from the plant site and construction was finished. 

 

Things That Affect Your Bill

Your electric bill usually increases in the summer because your air conditioner has to run more to keep your home comfortable, but other factors can affect your bill, too.  Visitors in your home may drive up energy costs with extra showers and appliance usage.  Aging appliances that are not working properly or efficiently are culprits, too.  Old refrigerators that are placed in a garage or spare room and used as a second refrigerator can be especially costly.  Also, the number of days in a billing cycle can vary from month to month.  The more days you’ve used energy, the higher your bill will be that month. 

 

Since nearly half your energy costs are a result of heating and cooling your home, the key to lowering your bills this summer is to keep the air conditioner thermostat at 75 degrees or higher.    

 

Reducing Your Need for Air Conditioning

The best way to save on your power costs it to reduce your need for air conditioning.  Here are some tips to help you do that:

 

1.        Insulate and tighten your home-Focus most on the insulation levels and air leaks between the attic and living space.  This prevents heat from entering your home.

2.       Replace inefficient appliances-Look for Energy Star appliances when buying new ones and eliminate old or auxiliary refrigerators.

3.       Add ceiling fans and house fans-These use less energy than air conditioners and create a low level “wind chill” effect in a room.  Depending on the humidity level, fans can sometimes be a great help in attaining a desired comfort level.

4.       Shade your home-Protect south facing windows with deciduous trees or climbing foliage.  Consider new low-e windows on walls that get the most sun in the summer.

5.       Choose “cool” finishes-When painting the exterior of your home or replacing the roof select light colored materials that cut down on heat gain.

 

Sign up for Budget Billing

You have a few more weeks to sign up for budget billing.  This program allows you to pay the same amount every month for 11 months. On the 12th month, your account is balanced to reflect the actual usage. To qualify, you must have had service at your current address for at least one year, and your account must have a zero balance.

Enrollment is open during September for our residential customers. New budget billing customers will receive their first budget billing on their October bill. Existing budget billing customers do not need to reapply for the program each year. Budget billing customers will not be allowed to make payment arrangements.  Accounts that receive penalties for late payments are subject to being taken off the budget program.

For more information, call 575-4000 and ask for a customer service representative.

August Service Anniversaries

Greg Hunerkoch            2000

Brent Shelton          2000

Jason Carnes               2004

Andrea Underwood     2004

 

Grant Wiggins              2008

 

Marsha Roundtree         2009

 

September Tree Trimming

Spot trimming in areas with wind and storm damaged trees.

 

Energy Saving Tip

Use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) in place of comparable incandescent bulbs to save about 50 percent on your lighting costs. CFLs use only one-fourth the energy and last up to 10 times longer.

 

August 2010 Recipe

Baked Chili cheese Corn

 

4 cups fresh corn cornels or frozen, thawed                   

1 cup grated Cheddar cheese

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature                    

1 (7 ounce) can diced green chilies

2 teaspoons chili powder                                              

2 teaspoons cumin

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter 1 ½ quart baking dish or cast iron skillet.  Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until well combined.  Place in buttered dish and bake until bubbling, about 30 minutes.     

 

July 2010 Recipe

 Honey Herbed Butter for Corn on the Cob

 

½ cup fresh thyme                                1 cup mild honey

2 cups butter

 

For 1 to 2 weeks, set aside in a covered jar, fresh thyme and honey. Strain the herbs from the honey. Whip the herbed honey with 2 cups butter and serve with freshly boiled or grilled corn on the cob.

 

June 2010 Recipe

Cream Cheese Jalapeno Burgers 

2 cups seeded and chopped jalapeno                  16 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 pounds ground beef                                         8 hamburger buns

 

Preheat grill.  In a medium bowl, stir together the jalapenos and cream cheese.  Divide the ground beef into sixteen patties.  Spoon some of the cream cheese mixture onto eight of the patties.  Tope with the remaining patties, pressing the edges together to seal.  Grill burgers until done.  Do not press down on burgers during cooking as this will make the cheese ooze out.  Serve on buns with your favorite toppings.

 

May 2010 Recipe

Cajun Slaw

5 Tablespoons mayonnaise                               1 teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce

2 Tablespoons yellow mustard                           2 Tablespoons ketchup

2 Tablespoons olive oil                                      1 Tablespoon wine vinegar

1 teaspoon garlic salt                                        juice of 1 medium sized lemon

3 teaspoons salt                                               4 bell peppers, diced

2 medium sized yellow onions, chopped             1 shredded head of cabbage

 

Place shredded cabbage, onion and bell pepper in a large bowl.  For the dressing, put mayonnaise and mustard in a medium bowl and beat with a fork until combined.  Continue to beat the mixture while slowly adding the olive oil until the mixture has returned to the thickness of the original mayonnaise.  While still beating the dressing, add the Louisiana hot sauce and then the ketchup, salt and garlic salt until combined.  Add wine vinegar and then the lemon juice, while continuing to stir the mixture.  This will thin the sauce.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Pour over cabbage, onions and peppers.  Toss and let set for at least an hour before serving.

 

April 2010 Recipe

Maple Carrots

1 ½ Pounds of carrots, peeled and cut into half inch thick rounds

½ cup water

3 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons maple syrup

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

Salt and pepper, to taste

 

In a large skillet, bring all ingredients except salt and pepper to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer for about eight minutes.  Uncover and cook another four to five minutes, until the juices are reduced to a glaze.  Salt and pepper to taste.

 

March 2010 Recipe

Candy Bird Nests

 

3 ounces milk chocolate chips

3 ounces butterscotch chips

1 ¼ cups show mein noodles

 

Melt chocolate chips and butterscotch chips in double boiler.  Remove from stove and add chow mein noodles.  Form into nests on wax paper or cookie sheet.  Chill.  Add candy bird eggs or jelly beans.  Makes about eight nests.

 

February 2010 Recipe

 Orange Marmalade Chicken

 

2 teaspoons olive oil                            

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 teaspoons brown sugar                     

2 Tablespoons low sugar orange marmalade

Salt and pepper taste                           

2 chicken breast halves, boneless & skinless

 

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.  Line a shallow baking pan with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

 

In a small frying pan over low heat, cook garlic in olive oil until soft (but not brown).  Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar, marmalade, salt and pepper until well blended.  Place chicken breasts in prepared baking pan and spread garlic mixture evenly over chicken.  Bake until done.

 

 

January 2010 Recipe

Spicy Corn & Potato Chowder

 

1 bunch green onions, chopped

2 (14 oz) cans sliced new potatoes

2 (10 oz) cans low sodium cream of chicken soup

1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies

1 pkg taco seasoning mix

1 (10 oz) frozen whole kernel corn

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 cup water

1 (16 oz) French onion dip

2 cups cheddar cheese

2 cups milk

 

Mix all but last three ingredients together in a large soup pot.  Cook on medium heat until bubbly.  Reduce heat to medium low and add dip, cheese and milk.  Mix well, stirring often, until cheese is melted.

 

 

December 2009 Recipe

Candy Cane Fudge

1 package vanilla milk chips
1 can vanilla Creamy Supreme Icing
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
4 drops of red food coloring
2 Tablespoons of peppermint candy canes (chopped)

 

Put vanilla chips in pan on the stove at medium heat. Continue stirring until the chips have melted. Add icing to pan and continue stirring. Take off heat and add peppermint extract until dissolved. Pour mixture into a shallow pan. Take food coloring and add one drop in each corner of pan. Take butter knife and begin stirring until the food coloring has been swirled into the fudge. Add chopped peppermint pieces to top of fudge. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until the fudge is firm. Cut into small pieces.

 

November 2009 Recipe

Turkey Supreme

 

¼ cup butter

¼ cup flour

1 cup hot chicken broth

½ teaspoon salt

Dash pepper

1 cup half and half

Sliced turkey breast

Cooked rice or noodles

 

Melt butter in saucepan over low heat; add flour, stirring until smooth.  Pour hot chicken broth into the flour mixture and stir until smooth.  Add salt and pepper.  Heat half and half in a separate saucepan or in microwave, then add to the thickened sauce.  Cook over low heat for ten minutes, stirring constantly.  Serve sauce hot over sliced turkey breast and rice or noodles.  Sprinkle with toasted almonds if desired.

 

 

October 2009 Recipe

Easy Corn & Potato Chowder

 

1 ½ cups frozen hash browns (not shredded)                 

1 ½ cups frozen sweet corn

1 (4oz) can green chilies, drained                                  

1 can (14 oz) chicken broth

1 tablespoon chili powder                                             

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon onion powder                                            

½ teaspoon paprika

1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin                                        

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup flour                                                                  

3 cups milk (divided)

8 oz shredded Cheddar cheese                                     

 

In a medium saucepan, combine the frozen potatoes, frozen corn, chilies, chicken broth, spices and salt.  Cover and bring to a boil over medium heat.  While vegetable mixture is heating, combine flour and 1 cup of the milk in a shaker jar.  Shake vigorously until no lumps remain in the flour.  When the vegetable mixture comes to a boil, stir in the flour mixture and the rest of the milk.  Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.  Reduce heat to medium-low.  Simmer, stirring frequently until mixture is slightly thickened and the potatoes are tender.  Remove from heat.  Add the cheese; stir until melted.  Serve hot.

 

September 2009 Recipe

Iced Apple Tea

 

Provided by the US Apple Association

3 cups apple juice or cider

3 cups boiling water

6 tea bags

1/3 cup honey

1 teaspoon allspice

Apple slices, cut in circles to garnish

 

Add tea bags to boiling water and let stand fifteen minutes.  Remove bags and add allspice, honey and apple juice.  Simmer over low heat until honey is blended, about one minute.  Chill.  Serve over ice.