Practical Ways
To Manage
Your Energy Use
Electricity is a valuable resource to everyone in
our community. Without it, we are simply left in
the dark. That is why helping our customers use
electricity safely and efficiently is so important.
We strive to provide electricity at a fair price,
balanced with our responsibility to deliver
reliable service. You can help by using energy
wisely in your home and business.
In this booklet, you’ll find helpful
information for managing your energy use
and lowering your electricity bills.
Your Electric Meter
Your energy use is measured by a meter in kilowatthours (kWh). Most Idaho Power customers have
a digital smart meter that displays two numbers,
alternately, every few seconds. The number that
measures energy use is the kWh reading. It records
usage continually, much like an odometer on a car.
Reading your meter often can help you learn about
how you use energy. To see how many kWh you
have used so far this month, simply write down the
kWh displayed on your electric meter and subtract
the reading shown on your last bill. For example, if
the meter reading was 48650 on your last bill and
today it reads 49000, you have used 350 kWh (4900048650=350). If it has been 10 days, you are using an
average of 35 kWh per day (350/10) and likely will use
about 1050 kWh during the month (35 kWh x 30 days).
For more detailed instructions about how to read
your smart meter, go to www.idahopower.com.
Understanding Your
Energy Use
Account Manager 24/7
When you become an online manager of your Idaho
Power account, you’ll have 24-hour access to a Web
portal providing you with everything you’ll need to
make choices about how you want to do business with
us. Learn about your energy use with data from your
new smart meter and consider options for participating
in a broad range of programs.
Energy Use Comparison
Annual Electricity Energy Use
$559
Avg. Home
Uses
Least
Energy
Appliance Use Comparison
Uses
Annual Total Cost
Most
Energy
$819
My Home
Heating $1,080
Electricity
Gas
How My Usage Compares
How I Use Energy
Energy Usage
Bill Changes
Your home used more energy than most
of the similar Bill Comparison
homes in your area.
When I Use Energy
Bill-To-Date*
Last Month’s, Current Month and Next Month’s Billed Usage
Total
Electricity
900 kWh
Gas
Appliance Profile
Heating is your highest energy expense. Try the
Detailed Analysis
540 kWh to refine your profile and get specific
recommendations for reducing your bill.
720 kWh
360 kWh
180 kWh
0 kWh
December
726 kWh
$56.61
Actual Usage
January
826 kWh
$64.68
To Date Usage
February
Bill-To-Date
539 kWh
$44.62
Estimated Total Usage*
* This is a simplified estimate of the amount of your next bill. Past usage is not necessarily a reliable
predictor of future usage. View additional information and details about these results.
To register, go to www.idahopower.com where you’ll
find the “Account Manager Login” box on the home
page. Click on “Register Now,” then provide your
account number and last payment amount. For your
security, we’ll verify your identity, and you’ll create
a username and password. After that, you are in the
driver’s seat – it’s all about your options and choices.
With this resource at your fingertips, doing business
with Idaho Power is easier than ever… 24/7.
Where Does My Money Go?
An annual energy bill for a typical single
family home is approximately $2,200.*
Heating 29%
11%
4%
Cooling 17%
Water
Heating 14%
29%
12%
Appliances 13%
Lighting 12%
13%
Electronics 4%
17%
14%
Other 11%
*source: www.energystar.gov
Larger Appliances
500 kWh
132 kWh
90 kWh
90 kWh
60 kWh
10 kWh
72 kWh
44 kWh
Water Heater (family of 4)*
Refrigerator/Freezer (auto defrost)
Household Lighting
Clothes Dryer (5 loads/wk)
Clothes Washer (5 loads/wk) hot water *
Clothes Washer (5 loads/wk) cold water
Range Oven
Dishwasher (3 loads/wk) heat dry*
Smaller Appliances
36 kWh
23 kWh
15 kWh
15 kWh
11 kWh
9 kWh
3 kWh
2 kWh
TV (6 hrs per day)
Fish Tank (10 gal. with filter & light)
Video Game System (on 4 hrs per day)
Microwave Oven
Computer, CPU and Monitor
Hair Dryer
Vacuum
Stereo
To estimate your kilowatt-hour use for any item:
watts x hours used/1000=kWh
Please Note: These charts show typical monthly appliance energy use.
Your use may vary because of family size, lifestyle, amount of use and
the wattage rating of your appliances.
*electric water heater
Energy Saving
Tips & Ideas
Year-round Tips
1. Choose compact
fluorescent lights
(CFLs) or light emitting
diodes (LEDs) when
replacing light bulbs.
6. Wash full loads of
laundry and dishes and
use water and energy
saving settings – and cold
water, whenever possible.
2. Always opt for ENERGY
STAR® qualified bulbs,
fixtures and appliances.
3. Unplug or shut
off items that aren’t
in use, even energy
efficient lights.
4. Lower the
temperature on your
water heater to 120° F.
Find instructions online.
5. Fix leaky faucets
as soon as possible.
A hot water leak is
an energy drain.
7. Weatherstrip and caulk
your doors and windows
if you can see light or feel
air coming through them.
8. Replace the refrigerator
door gasket if you can
slip a dollar bill between
the door and the frame.
9. Consolidate refrigerators
and recycle the old one
(we’ll pick it up for free
and give you $30). Call
toll-free 1-866-899-5539.
10. Use power
management settings
on your computer and
monitor. Plugging them
into a power strip makes
them easy to turn off.
Summer Tips
1. Use a fan to let moving
air cool you and rely
less on air conditioning.
Ceiling fans should
rotate counter clockwise
in summer.
8. Don’t drastically turn
down the temperature
on your thermostat.
Your house won’t cool
down any faster.
2. Close the blinds
before the sun gets a
chance to heat up the
house. If it’s safe to do
so, open windows at
night to cool the house.
3. During the heat of the
day, keep windows and
outside doors closed.
4. Set your furnace or
A/C switch to “auto”
rather than “on.”
5. Cook and do
laundry late at night
or early in the morning
when it’s cool.
6. Hang your laundry
to dry. As a bonus, your
clothes will smell fresh.
9. When replacing an
old air conditioner, look
for a more efficient
one (SEER 14 or higher),
preferably an ENERGY
STAR® qualified model.
7. Replace the furnace
filter and clean the
outside of your air
conditioner. Schedule a
tune-up if needed.
10. Cook with a microwave
or a barbeque instead of
the stove or oven. Either
will heat up your food
but not your kitchen.
Energy Saving
Tips & Ideas
Winter Tips
1. Turn down the
thermostat at night and
when the house is empty.
Installing a programmable
thermostat makes this easy.*
2. Make sure your
ceiling fans rotate
clockwise in winter.
6. Increase insulation in
the attic, walls and crawl
space, if applicable.
7. To protect your pipes
and keep it warmer
under the floor, make
sure your crawl space
vents are closed.
3. During the day, let
the sun heat your home
by opening curtains and
blinds. Be sure to close
them again in the evening.
8. Keep your fireplace
damper closed when the
fireplace is not in use.
4. Regularly clean or
replace the air filter
in your furnace.
9. Install window film or
storm windows if you have
single-pane windows.
5. Maintain your furnace
or heat pump regularly
to keep things running
smoothly and efficiently.
10. Use a timer or motion
sensor for outdoor
lights so they are on
only when needed.
*does not apply to heat pumps
More Energy-Saving Ideas
www.idahopower.com/tips
Check out more tips online.
www.EnergyStar.gov
Hints for buying and operating efficient products, as well
as tips for building and purchasing homes.
www.EnergySavers.gov
General and technical information on energy efficiency
for consumers.
www.aceee.org
Publisher of the Consumer Guide to Home
Energy Savings.
Energy Efficiency Programs
Idaho Power actively seeks cost-effective ways to
encourage wise and efficient use of electricity. To learn
more about our programs and incentives, go to
www.idahopower.com/energyefficiency.
Account Manager
Sign up as an Account Manager at www.idahopower.com
to get details about your usage, billings and payments,
set up Budget Pay, use No Fee Electronic Check to pay
bill, update account information and more. To register
as an Account Manager, you will need your Idaho Power
account number and last payment amount. Once you
have this information, click “Register Now” in the
Account Manager box. It’s quick, easy and convenient!
Energy Assistance
Help With Winter Heating Bills
Energy Assistance is a federally funded program for
qualified households. It provides a one-time benefit
per program year to assist with heating costs. Program
eligibility is based on household size and income.
Idaho Agencies
Western Idaho Community
Action Partnership
Payette 208-642-4436
Cascade 208-382-4577
Council 208-253-4300
Emmett 208-365-3116
Weiser 208-549-2066
Nampa, Caldwell 208-454-0675
El-Ada Community Action
Partnership
Boise 208-322-1242
Homedale 208-337-4812
Mountain Home 208-587-8407
South Central Community
Action Partnership
Twin Falls 208-736-0676
1-800-627-1733
Rupert, Burley 208-678-3514
Gooding 208-934-5150
Eastern Idaho Community
Action Partnership
208-756-3999
Lemhi County
Idaho Care Line
Dial: 2-1-1 or 1-800-926-2588
Oregon Agencies
Community Connection of
Northeast Oregon
541-523-6591
Baker County
Community In Action
541-889-9555
Malheur and Harney Counties
Southeastern Idaho Community
Action Agency
Pocatello 208-233-7348
American Falls 208-226-7330
Blackfoot 208-785-1583
Weatherization Assistance
Idaho Power provides financial assistance to Idaho and Oregon
Community Action Partnership (CAP) agencies to help cover
the cost for weatherization of electrically heated homes for
qualified customers. To find out if you qualify for energy or
weatherization assistance, contact your local CAP agency.
Payment Methods
PreferredPay™
Your monthly Idaho Power bill amount is automatically
deducted from your checking account on the due date
printed on your bill. You’ll continue to receive a printed
statement in the mail each month. An application can be
found online at www.idahopower.com.
Electronic Billing and Payment – e-bill
Sign up with CheckFree to receive your Idaho Power bill
via email and make recurring payments from your bank
account with no fee. This safe and reliable payment
method is provided through MyCheckFree.com.
Mail
Checks and money orders only to:
Processing Center
PO Box 34966
Seattle, WA 98124-1966
No Fee Electronic Check
To use this payment method you must be an Account
Manager. You’ll need your latest Idaho Power bill to
register online at www.idahopower.com. After you
log in to Account Manager, the first time you make
a payment you’ll be asked to provide basic banking
information, including the routing number from your
checking account. Your banking information will be kept
secure and confidential.
Credit/Debit Card or Check with Fee
You can use a credit card or check to pay your bill
online or on the phone. You will be charged a nominal
convenience fee by NCO Financial, an independent
payment service, based upon the amount of your
transaction. You may either fill out an online form at
www.idahopower.com or call NCO Financial toll-free
1-800-829-5415.
Drop Boxes at Idaho Power Offices Use one of the many convenient drop boxes located
at Idaho Power offices listed by city in the “Service
and Billing” area of www.idahopower.com. Be sure to
enclose your payment stub and your check or money
order in the pre-addressed envelope provided.
Pay Stations Located in local businesses throughout Idaho Power’s
service area, pay stations accept cash or electronic
checks, accompanied by the bottom portion of your
bill. Pay stations cannot process checks over $3,000 and
some locations do not accept checks. Hours of operation
are subject to change without notice. To find a location
near you, go to “Pay Stations” at www.idahopower.com
/payments.
Budget Pay Budget Pay spreads your energy charges
evenly throughout the year. Your monthly
bill is averaged based on a 12-month billing
history. This payment option is available to all
current residential customers with no past-due
amounts owed.
Account Manager
Sign up as an Account Manager at www.
idahopower.com for assistance — including
account information changes, new account
sign-up, billing questions, payment arrangements,
or to turn on and turn off service.
Customer Service
Visit us at www.idahopower.com or call us at
208-388-2323, toll-free 1-800-488-6151 from
outside the Treasure Valley. Personal assistance is
available weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.,
Mountain Standard Time. Please note: Monday
is our busiest day. It may be easier to reach us
Tuesday through Friday.
CID# 46842/5k/06-12
© 2012 Idaho Power