October 2007 Power Lines Newsletter
Download a PDF file of the newsletter
In this issue
- Keeping the lights on
- When the power goes out
- Simplify life with Always Current
- LIEAP assistance available from CAT
- See the light - get CFLs
- Marathon® Water Heaters
- GLOW Christmas Basket Raffle
Keeping the lights on - Our commitment to reliable service
Providing safe, reliable electric service is our top priority. While no electric system can be 100% interruption proof, we work every day to ensure that our distribution system is well maintained and free of any hazards.
Trimming Trees
Trees and tree limbs are a common cause of outages, especially during wet and windy weather. As a result, tree trimming is an important part of our outage prevention program. Overgrown trees that could make contact with our power lines are trimmed or removed. Your support in allowing us access to trees that are on your property is essential to help prevent outages.
Improving Reliability
Our line crews ensure that our distribution system is well maintained and free of any hazards. This includes upgrading parts of the distribution system to higher-capacity wires, placing sections of line underground in hard-to-reach areas where outages are more frequent, and building new sections of line that give us the ability to re-route power temporarily during outages to get your lights back on quickly.
Preventing Problems
System inspections are a proactive way we prevent outages. Each year we scan our entire system using an infrared camera that identifies “hot spots” created by potentially faulty equipment. This allows us to make repairs before outages occur.
We also inspect our utility poles and replace those damaged by insects, moisture or other factors.
Planning for the Future
Our engineering staff designs additions to our distribution system with the future in mind. We use growth forecasts to determine where new substations will be needed and when to increase capacity on main feeders to meet our needs today and in the future.
Providing reliable service is a top priority for your PUD. We take it seriously.
When the power goes out
- Check your breaker box or fuse panel for tripped breakers or blown fuses.
- Call our Outage Hotline to report the 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.
Simplify life with Always Current Automatic Bill Payment
Always Current makes paying your PUD bill simple! 
- Receive your PUD statement by email
- Your payment is automatically deducted from your account
- View your payment history and electricity usage online, anytime
To Sign Up
To sign up for Always Current, download and complete this enrollment form.
Low-Income Energy Assistance Program available through Community Action Team
The Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) is a federally-funded program that assists low-income households with home heating costs. Community Action Team (CAT) is the agency that distributes LIEAP funds in our area.
This year, CAT will begin taking calls on October 1st to schedule LIEAP appointments for elderly and disabled customers, and those with children under the age of 6. All others can call CAT beginning December 1st to schedule an appointment. Their phone number is (503) 397-4951.
PUD assistance programs
The PUD also offers two assistance programs for low-income customers - the Neighbor’s GLOW Fund and the Special Waiver. For more information about them, contact Customer Accounts at (503) 397- 0590 or custsvc@crpud.org.
Get into hot water... and stay there for a lifetime!
Ordinary water heaters last 10 to 15 years. Their metal tanks corrode and eventually leak, leaving you with quite a mess and no hot water.
That’s why you should choose a Marathon® water heater. Marathon water heaters have plastic tanks that will never corrode, rust or leak. They’re also the most energy-efficient water heaters on the market, which means you’ll spend less to heat the water you use.
We offer rebates of up to $250 and 0% financing on Marathon water heaters. With a deal this good, you don’t need to wait until your old water heater fails to replace it, you can install a Marathon tank now and you’ll be in hot water for a lifetime.
To learn more, contact our Energy Experts at (503) 366-5470 or visit www.crpud.net.
See the light - get CFLs!
Switch to ENERGY STAR® qualified CFLs
If every American swapped just one light bulb for an ENERGY STAR labeled Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL), it would collectively save more than $8 billion in energy costs and remove 2 million cars worth of greenhouse gas emissions from our atmosphere.
Need another reason to switch?
CFLs save money - The less energy it takes to light your house, the lower your electric bill will be. That’s why you should replace the lights you use most often with CFLs.
CFLs last a long time - CFLs can last up to 10 times as long as standard bulbs, so they’re an excellent choice for lighting in hard-to-reach areas.
CFLs produce good light - In a recent test by Popular Mechanics, CFL bulbs outperformed standard bulbs in tests for color, brightness and quality of light.
Learn more:
To learn more about CFLs, visit www.energystar.gov or contact our Energy Experts at (503) 366-5470 or experts@crpud.org.