July 2018
Dominion Energy Recognized for Storm Restoration Work
Edison Electric Institute recognized Dominion Energy's efficient and safe storm restoration work last month when it presented us with two awards. The company received the 2018 Emergency Assistance Award for Puerto Rico Power Restoration for its contributions to the unprecedented emergency power restoration mission in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria, and the Emergency Recovery Award for its work following the March 1 Nor’easter wind storm.
Hurricane Maria made landfall as a Category 4 in Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017, impacting all critical infrastructure, damaging at least 80 percent of the island’s energy grid, and leaving all residents without power. Dominion Energy was one of many electric companies from the mainland that provided mutual assistance to the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority.
The company sent 80 lineworkers and 55 company vehicles to the island. Crews worked 14-hour days for four weeks restoring power to nearly 2,000 customers in some of the harshest conditions imaginable. They overcame rough terrain, high temperatures and intense humidity to set 226 new poles and replace more than 14 miles of wire.
Dominion Energy also was recognized for its work in the wake of the March 1 Nor'easter wind storm that disrupted service to 690,000 customers in Virginia. Because of peak wind gusts of 60-70 mph that caused severe damage in some areas, this restoration event became a rebuild effort rather than a repair event. More than 500 poles and 1,135 crossarms were replaced, as well as thousands of miles of downed wires and overhead conductors. Power was restored to all customers in five days.
4 Tips for a Stress-free Move
Are you moving soon? You’re not alone. According to the Census Bureau, nearly half of all moves in the U.S. take place in the summer, from May through Labor Day. Whether your new home is down the block or across the state, here are a few tips to save your sanity:
1. Manage your service online.
Skip the phone call and start, transfer or stop your electric service quickly through your online account. Give ample notice to ensure your request will be scheduled for the exact date you need power in your new home. As an added bonus, if you start or transfer your electric service online before September 7, you’ll be entered for a chance to win one of three $400 gift cards toward home improvements.
2. Know your lifting limit.
Moving specialists recommend packing boxes to weigh less than 50 pounds. Lift with your knees to put less strain on your back. Transporting heavier items with moving dollies is a smart alternative to lifting, and most companies offer low daily rates to rent dollies and hand trucks.
3. Give yourself extra room.
Are you a DIY mover? Be sure to rent a truck that holds around 10 percent more than what you own. Too much is better than too little; extra space means less stacking, reducing the risk of falling boxes. So, how do you know which truck size to choose? Use this packing calculator to estimate what size truck you need.
4. Don’t box up every day essentials.
Misplacing medications and essential toiletries can add on to an already stressful process. Use wardrobe boxes to avoid re-ironing your entire wardrobe. On average, two adults require about four wardrobe boxes. It’s also a good idea to pack an overnight bag with essentials (toilet paper, toothbrush, etc.) to avoid rummaging through boxes.
Combine these smart moving tips with managing your electric service online for a hassle-free, stress free move.
Busted! 5 Energy Myths Exposed
Urban legends and tall tales about energy use can have a genuine impact on your energy bills. These misconceptions can increase utility bills and reduce comfort. Here are five energy myths that may be costing you:
Energy myth 1 – Setting the thermostat higher or lower will heat or cool a room faster.
- Furnaces and air conditioners work at the same speed, no matter what the thermostat setting. In fact, more energy may be wasted as the system continues to run to reach the higher or lower set point.
Energy myth 2 – Leaving lights on uses less energy than turning them on and off.
- In most cases, the small surge of power needed to turn a light on is much less than the power that is wasted by leaving it on when it's not needed.
Energy myth 3 – Closing off vents will reduce heating and cooling costs.
- Closing vents is not a good way to save on energy costs. Heating and cooling systems are designed to distribute air evenly, and closing vents throws the system off balance. This causes pressure to build up, resulting in duct leaks that waste energy.
Energy myth 4 – Leaving a ceiling fan on will cool a room.
- Ceiling fans circulate air, making your skin feel cooler. This allows you to save energy by raising the thermostat. However, they don't cool the air. Leaving them on in empty rooms wastes energy.
Energy myth 5 – Hand washing dishes is cheaper than using a dishwasher.
- It's widely believed that dishwashers are convenient, but use more water and energy than hand washing. In fact, washing a typical load of dishes in a dishwasher uses 37 percent less water. Also, using a dishwasher, rather than hand washing, can cut your annual energy costs by more than $40, according to ENERGY STAR.
Separating myth from reality can have a positive impact on your utility bills. Click here for additional ways to save.
June 2018
Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation Awards $1 Million in Grants
Whether it’s rescuing sea-turtles, recycling school paper or exploring the great outdoors, Dominion Energy’s Environmental Education and Stewardship grants support a variety of initiatives that benefit schools, organizations and communities across the country.
This year, Dominion Energy is awarding $1 million in grants through its philanthropic arm, the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation, to nearly 130 organizations in 12 states working to improve natural spaces or encourage environmental stewardship. Since 2003, Dominion Energy has donated nearly $32 million to a wide variety of environmental projects across its footprint.
View the state-by-state listing of all recipients and videos showing the impact of the programs.
Storm Season Safety: Are you Ready?
While nothing can prevent storms from happening, being prepared helps to reduce much of the anxiety that may accompany them. Advanced preparation will help keep your family safe and protect your property from damage. Before a storm arrives, take steps to stay safe and minimize damage:
- Regularly check local news, radio or your mobile device for information about any storm watches or warnings in your area.
- Keep supplies in an emergency preparedness kit. Include water bottles, non-perishable food, blankets, first-aid supplies, flashlights and a battery-powered radio.
- Consider using surge protectors or unplugging sensitive electronics.
- If you have a portable generator, make sure it’s fueled and you know how to connect and use it safely.
- Make sure your yard is free of heavy debris that could be tossed around in the wind. Trim trees to prevent limbs from falling on your house.
If your power goes out, please make sure to report it online through our Outage Center from your computer or smartphone, or call 1-866-366-4357. You can also sign up for text alerts to receive information about major storms and outages in your area.
See additional tips on how you can prepare your household for storms.
Tips for Cool Summer Savings
Worried about those high summer energy bills? Don’t sweat it. These measures will help you stay cool and save all summer long.
- Check for attic air leaks around recessed light fixtures, pipes, wiring and flues. Seal them with expandable foam or caulk.
- Make sure your walls and attic are insulated to levels recommended for your climate zone. A qualified insulation contractor can help.
- Don’t spend your energy dollars outdoors. Seal windows with caulk and install weatherstripping around outside doors.
- Turn on ceiling fans in occupied rooms. They make your skin feel cooler, reducing the need for air conditioning?
- Install Wi-Fi enabled programmable thermostats to save energy by automatically adjusting temperatures based on your schedule.
- Hire a qualified professional to inspect and clean your air conditioning system. This will help ensure that the system operates at peak efficiency.
Now your home is ready to handle the hottest temperatures summer has to offer. All you have to do is sit back and enjoy the savings.
See additional summer savings tips.
May 2018
The future is bright with Solar for Students
Dominion Energy has expanded its Solar for Students program to give more students the chance to observe and learn how power is generated by the sun. The hands-on learning program provides a permanent solar array right outside the classroom and the materials, training and curriculum needed to engage children in learning the science behind renewable energy.
Solar for Students was introduced as a pilot at four schools three years ago, and this year it is being introduced at five more schools. Dominion Energy and its partners will host "Solarbration" events this spring to showcase the latest solar projects and give the community the chance to learn more about this collaborative learning endeavor. In addition, the company just announced plans to expand the program to eight more schools. Funding for Solar for Students is provided through the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation.
Get your house in shape for summer
As the warm weather approaches, many of us find ourselves working a little harder to get our bodies in shape. But now is a great time to get your house in shape as well. Check out these measures to help trim your summer energy bills.
- Check for attic air leaks around recessed light fixtures, pipes, wiring, and flues.Seal them with expandable foam or caulk.
- Consider installing a whole-house fan.The fan draws cool outside air through open windows and pulls hot indoor air into the attic and outdoors.
- Install ENERGY STAR® certified ceiling fans.Ceiling fans make your skin feel cooler, reducing the need for air conditioning.
- Install a programmable thermostat to save energy by adjusting temperatures based on your schedule.
- Hire a qualified professional to inspect and clean your air conditioning system.This will help ensure that the system is operating at peak efficiency.
- Don’t spend your energy dollars outside.Seal windows with caulk and install weather stripping around exterior doors.
- Is your roof getting up there in age?Replace it with a cool roof.Cool roof materials reflect solar heat, keeping it from radiating into your home.
Now your home is fit to handle the hottest summer temperatures. The payoff is lower energy costs and increased comfort. Just sit back and enjoy the savings.
See additional summer energy saving tips.
Project Plant It! hits half-million milestone
Project Plant It! is the environmental education program created by Dominion Energy to educate children, plant trees and improve the environment. Each year, this program teaches thousands of students and community members about the value of trees in our ecosystem and how to recognize and care for them. Through the program, each participating child receives a free redbud tree seedling to plant at home for Arbor Day. This year marks a major milestone with the distribution of 500,000 tree seedlings since the program began in 2007, which equates to about 1,250 acres of new forest.
With Project Plant It!, educators receive STEM-based lesson plans and instructional tools that can be downloaded at no charge at www.projectplantit.com. This year, to further engage children about the many benefits that trees provide to the ecosystem, a new lesson plan about conservation of natural resources was added to the Educator's Guide on the website. Along with this manual of 12 lesson plans and helpful resources, the website features interactive games and videos about trees that children can enjoy with adults.
April 2018
Delivering Sustainable Value
From investing in cleaner energy to strengthening local communities, we’re committed to operating in a responsible manner. You deserve to feel good about where your energy comes from, and to know that you’re getting a good deal for your energy dollar. See more.
Celebrating the Lives of Seniors
Dominion Energy recently partnered with the South Richmond Adult Day Care Center to document and honor the lives of seven senior citizens who spend most weekdays at the center.
The personal history project was spearheaded by Vera Thoms, a corporate philanthropy coordinator at Dominion who has a passion for helping others preserve and tell their life stories. While meeting with the center’s executive director, Vera suggested she could work with the seniors and their caregivers to gather and organize their favorite photos, memories and words of wisdom into shadowboxes or books.
“Every person has a unique life story, and I think it’s really important to capture and preserve those experiences and memories to share with others,” said Thoms. For seniors, in particular, it can be a cathartic exercise that helps them find value and worth in their own lives and share that legacy with future generations.
In late January, Dominion Energy hosted a “Portrait of My Loved One” event to share and present the finished personal histories to family members and staff. Family members were invited to take the stage to share their own memories and many took the chance to express their love and gratitude.
As Eileen Hopson, the wife of army veteran Andrew Hopson said, “I’m so thankful for the staff here for giving us this wonderful home away from home and I’m thankful to Dominion Energy for this amazing history project.” A few of the memories Andrew shared: He was a championship bowler and could outrun his young nephews into his seventies.
To cap off the celebration, Vera announced that the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation would donate a $5,000 grant to provide music and art therapy to the seniors at the center, another way to keep them connected and engaged in life and those around them.
Ready for a room makeover? Enroll in or stay on eBill for a chance to win!
Go or stay paperless and receive your bill from the comfort of your newly made over room. When you enroll in or stay on eBill before May 31, 2018, you’ll be entered for a chance to win a $4,000 room makeover, complete with an in-home interior design consultation, and gift cards to complete the makeover. Two second place winners will also receive one $500 gift card each.
With eBill, you’ll:
- Never forget to pay your bill
Get an email reminder when your bill is ready to view online, and also three days before payment is due. You also have the option to receive those reminders via text.
- Choose the way you pay
It’s easy to pay. Choose between free, same-day payments from your bank account, scheduled payments, or automatic bank draft – just sign in to your online profile at DominionEnergy.com. The choice is yours.
- Have immediate access to your bill
Gone are the days of making the trek to a mailbox to get the mail. eBill gives you 24/7 online access to view, pay or print your Dominion Energy bill from your desktop, smartphone or tablet.
Start enjoying the benefits of eBill and be entered for a chance to design the room of your dreams! It's easy to enroll. You can either sign up at DominionEnergy.com/ebillpromo or you can enroll at participating bank's online bill payment site. If you are already enrolled, just keep doing what you’re doing, you’re automatically entered for a chance to win!
March 2018
Dominion Energy ArtStars winners brighten communities
ArtStars WiseJams program students showcase their musical talent.
This year's Dominion Energy ArtStars award-winners are brightening communities and inspiring a whole new generation of talented students and performers across Virginia. The five non-profit organizations being honored as 2018 Dominion Energy ArtStars were granted $10,000 each for bringing outstanding arts or cultural education into K-12 schools.
The following ArtStars winners and their exceptional programs were recognized at the 2018 Virginia Commission for the Arts 50th Anniversary Program:
- ART 180 provides free art programs to young people in challenging circumstances at partner organizations and its own teen center in the Jackson Ward neighborhood of Richmond. See how ART 180 is helping students gain confidence and find their creative voices.
- Light House Studio in Charlottesville, a nonprofit filmmaking center, hosts 134 workshops for students in the Shenandoah region to develop their vision and build their creative skills. See how Light House Studio is empowering youth to express themselves in positive ways.
- Sandler Center for the Performing Arts provides access for students in grades Pre-K through 8 to live performances throughout the academic year in Virginia Beach.
- Signature Theatre of Arlington uses theater to engage 2,000 high school students in the arts while strengthening key academic skills in literacy and critical thinking.
- Virginia's Heritage Music Trail in Abingdon incorporates traditional Appalachian music instruction in southwest Virginia schools.
Dominion ArtStars Awards recognize arts organizations that best demonstrate the ability to advance the synergy between arts and education for the benefit of students and their communities.
Dominion Energy crews back from Puerto Rico: Restoration work tough, but rewarding
After a month of challenging restoration work on an island far from home, 82 Dominion Energy electric crews and support staff returned to Virginia in mid-February safe and sound.
“We had long, 14-hour work days that would start at 5 and go until 7 in the evening,” said Sean Feely, a returning lineman from Mechanicsville, Virginia. “It was hard to see people who had been out of lights for months … but great to be able to see their faces smile and light up when we were able to get the power back on and how happy they were.
Many of the residents had been living without electric service since Sept. 20, 2017, when Hurricane Maria wiped out much of the island’s infrastructure.
The Dominion Energy contingent worked through unfamiliar and harsh conditions to restore power in the mountainous Carolina region of Puerto Rico, about 30 minutes northeast of San Juan. Daily challenges included high temperatures, intense humidity, hazardous terrain, poor road conditions and uninvited visitors in the form of iguanas and boa constrictors.
All in all, the team managed to set 226 new poles, rework hundreds more, and restring or replace over 14 miles of electric wire to restore close to 2,000 customers.
When Dominion Energy crews arrived Jan. 18, only 50% of the residents in the Carolina region had power. A month later, 85% in that region were back on and about 80% of all Puerto Ricans had electric service.
Returning employees said they were touched and grateful for the hospitality and constant appreciation shown by the local people. Residents who had been without power for months still found a way to cook and deliver lunches to Dominion Energy line crews nearly every day. When Dominion Energy crews were reassigned to the other side of the mountain, the food kept arriving!
The company’s emergency response required months of pre-planning and coordination with utility partners in Puerto Rico along with peers in transportation, supply chain, safety, travel services and many other disciplines. The logistical effort included the shipment by barge of 57 bucket trucks and other vehicles, as well as hundreds of transformers and materials needed to support this successful and complex restoration project.
For more, watch a video recap of the restoration work and interviews of linemen from Dominion Energy.
Six surprising facts about energy-saving LEDs
You may already know that LED bulbs are very efficient, using 80 percent less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that if every American home replaced just one bulb with an ENERGY STAR® rated LED, the total annual energy savings would be more than $566 million. Here are some remarkable facts about LEDs.
- High quality LED bulbs have a rated lifetime of 25,000 hours or more. At an average of five hours a night, 365 days a year, an LED could last up to 14 years!
- Prices to purchase LEDs have dropped significantly in the last 10 years. Since 2008, the cost for LED bulbs has dropped by around 90 percent. Today, you can buy an ENERGY STAR® certified 60-watt equivalent LED bulb for as little as $1.50.
- LEDs come in different color tones. Looking for a warm light for a little atmosphere, or a sharper tone for crafting? LEDs have you covered. Look on the product label for color temperature in Kelvin (K). A lower temperature (2700K) provides a warm, yellowish light, while a higher temperature (5000K) bulb produces a cooler, higher contrast light.
- Some LEDs are the brightest bulb in the room. Advanced 'smart' features are available with some LED products. With an accompanying app, you can remotely turn bulbs on and off, dim them, change their color, and set them on a schedule and other cool stuff. The features available depend on the model you choose.
- LEDs are better for the environment. In addition to using less energy, LEDs contain no mercury, a hazardous material found in fluorescent lamps and other types of lighting. A DOE study found that LEDs have a lower overall environmental impact than incandescent bulbs and CFLs.
- LEDs were invented by accident. In 1961, two engineers at Texas Instruments were working on laser diodes for radar antennas when they accidentally discovered the first light-emitting diodes. These LEDs were in the infrared (non-visible) range. Visible LEDs were first developed by GE researchers in 1962.
January 2018
