News > The Value of Electricity Continues to Shine

The Value of Electricity Continues to Shine

August 6, 2020

Medical care, residential rent and education costs have increased over the last decade at rates at about three percent or more per year. Butter, meat and egg costs have gone up by more than two percent annually.

In comparison, electricity costs rise about one percent a year, but cooperatives across the country have reported a decline in average residential use per household since 2010 due to investments in energy efficiency. That means members are doing more with less energy.

Kilowatt-hour usage per Cooperative household—that is, the amount of energy it takes to run an appliance per hour—dropped by eight percent in the last 10 years.

When it comes to value, electricity is a clear winner, and Stearns Electric Association is always looking for ways to work with you to make it even better. That’s why Stearns Electric urges energy efficiency, encourages you to look for ENERGY STAR® appliances and promotes technology designed to give members more control over their electricity use.

As an example, residential home lighting shifted from less-efficient lighting—primarily incandescent bulbs—to more energy-efficient lighting, like LEDs, between 2009 and 2015 according to data from the Energy Information Administration. In the 2009 survey, 58% of all households used at least one energy-efficient bulb indoors. In 2015, 86% of households reported using at least one LED bulb and 18% of households reported they had no incandescent bulbs in their homes.

Energy performance dashboards, smart thermostats and power strips, and appliance settings that shift most water heating, laundry and dishwashing outside of peak rate periods help reduce the Cooperative’s overall power demand, which helps member-consumers control or even trim their monthly utility bills.

That’s good for families, couples and individuals trying to live within their budgets. And it’s become even more important as digital devices and internet-connected technologies are included in our daily lives.

Today, U.S. households own an average of 11 connected devices, including seven with screens to view content, such as smart phones and TVs, a study from Deloitte found. Technology and the gateways that keep it working use electricity, so you’ll count on Stearns Electric for more than the power that keeps the lights on.