Nevada Power offers tips for conserving electricity

Wednesday, March 14, 2001 | 8:53 a.m.

Nevada Power unveiled a new, voluntary conservation program that company officials say could save residential electric users hundreds of dollars on their bills.

The program, dubbed "Take Control" by the company, can trim up to 25 percent of the cost for electricity each month, said Robert Balzar, program director.

Steps that people can easily take include turning off lights and appliances when not in use, including computers, Balzar said.

He said a typical computer uses as much power as a refrigerator.

"There are many, many things that people can do that they ordinarily haven't disciplined themselves to do," he said.

The program will provide consumers with information so that they can make informed decisions about their electric use, Balzar said.

Nevada Power will soon have a toll-free number to provide information about electric uses and choices. The company already has a website (www.nevadapower.com/take control) to guide customers through a do-it-yourself energy audit.

The Take Control program also will extend to commercial and institutional electric users.

Balzar said the program can help both customers, who will pay 20 percent more for electricity beginning this month, and the company, which is still losing money on electricity at peak hours.

Company executives said the energy outlook is bleak for the coming hot months of the summer. Company and state officials have warned that blackouts, though unlikely, could occur during peak usage as air conditioners are cranked up.

Walt Higgins, president of Sierra Pacific Resources, the holding company for Nevada Power, said the company will work to keep the lights on this summer, but energy conservation will ease the problem.

"We are not out of this crisis by any means," he said. "We will probably get a pretty good dose this summer of what an energy crisis really means."