Rochester Public Utilities | Blog

Archive for May, 2010

RPU will be closed on May 31 in observance of Memorial Day

Friday, May 28th, 2010

The RPU Service Center will be closed on May 31 in observance of Memorial Day. Payments can be dropped off at a drop box location or can be submitted online at www.rpu.org. Have a safe and happy holiday weekend.

Outage Pictures

Monday, May 24th, 2010

Here are some pictures from what caused the outage today in SW Rochester. Crews are still working to restore power in the area and to install the new utility pole. The cause of the outage was a large tree limb that fell onto the overhead line. The men inside the truck underneath the line were not injured.

Steve Johnson from the RPU Water Department was in the vicinity when the tree limb fell and gave safety instructions to the passengers in the truck and contacted the Rochester Police Department and RPU.

Rochester Public Utilities Begins Home Energy Report Program for 25,000 Customers

Friday, May 21st, 2010

Beginning the week of May 24, 25,000 randomly selected Rochester Public Utilities (RPU) residential customers will begin receiving comparative Home Energy Reports, providing insightful information that will help customers reduce their energy use and save money on their monthly utility bills.  These reports will be mailed out separately from customer’s actual energy bills and will compare homeowners’ energy use to that of their neighbors in the community so they better understand how efficiently they are using energy.

 

Home Energy Report participants also can access an online supplement to their reports by visiting www.rpu.org and following the Home Energy Reports link. Through this portal, RPU customers can view their energy usage by month, take advantage of rebates and other incentives, get practical recommendations for their household, and view the most popular tips visitors to the site either have done or intend to do. The program is expected to generate more than 3.8 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) in collective savings for RPU customers over the next 12 months – all through simple behavioral changes and by utilizing the energy efficiency tips provided in the Home Energy Reports.

 

“The Home Energy Reports deliver significant value to our customers by providing them with the information they need to control their monthly electricity bills and reduce their impact on the environment,” said Larry Koshire, RPU General Manager.  “Based on the success of Home Energy Reports at utilities across the country, we expect the program to result in considerable savings for our customers.”

 

Developed by OPOWER, an energy efficiency and Smart Grid software company, the Home Energy Reports provide RPU customers with easy-to-understand, relevant, and actionable in-home energy use data..  The Home Energy Report provides each customer with a greater understanding of how they’re using energy in their own homes, while providing specific energy efficiency tips for every customer based on their past usage and unique household characteristics, helping them save money on their monthly bills. 

 

“The Home Energy Reporting program has shown positive and increasingly impactful results over time, demonstrating the effectiveness of engaging customers and empowering them with the detailed information needed to manage energy consumption,” said Alex Laskey, president and co-founder of OPOWER.  “We’re pleased to partner with RPU to provide its customers with easy-to-understand information about their energy use that helps them make simple adjustments that will ultimately save them money on their monthly energy bills.” 

 

For questions regarding the Home Energy Reports visit the RPU web site at www.rpu.org.

 

 

  About Rochester Public Utilities

 

As the municipal utility of Rochester, Minn., for more than 110 years, RPU provides high-quality and reliable electricity to over 47,000 customers.  Water customers number more than 36,000.  RPU continually investigates innovative technologies to help customers realize the best value from the services they receive.  Current initiatives include fuel cell research, wind power, and photovoltaic offerings.

 

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System maintenance scheduled for Friday evening

Wednesday, May 19th, 2010

 

We will be doing system maintenance on Friday, May 21 starting at 5:30 p.m. The work is scheduled to last until midnight. During this time you will not be able to access your account or make payments online. We apologize for the inconvenience.

System maintenance scheduled for Saturday May 15

Friday, May 14th, 2010

We will be doing system maintenance on Saturday, May 15 starting at 9 a.m. The work is scheduled to take approximately 1 hour. During this time you will not be able to access your account or make payments online. We apologize for the inconvenience.