Saving Money on Energy Bills During Missoula's Summer Heatwave

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - A big thank you goes to Jennifer, the customer service representative with NorthWestern Energy for helping me to figure out my estimated electricity usage this month as we are using our air conditioning day and night.

We’re all concerned about how much our energy bills will increase during the present heat wave, especially if we have air conditioning.

I’ll get to my own bill in a moment, but first, JoDee Black, spokesperson for NorthWestern Energy, provided details on how the company is utilizing all its resources to keep Montanans cool.

Northwestern Energy Spokesperson Explains Summer Energy Demands

“During these hottest days of summer, we really lean on our on-demand, 24-hour generation resources, and that includes our generation from Colstrip (coal) and other thermal sources,” began Black. “The Yellowstone County generating station is in the testing phase, which means that some energy from that plant is coming onto the grid, and we anticipate that it will be fully dispatchable later this month or in August.”

As far as alternative or ‘renewable’ energy goes, Black said wind power has not been much of a factor, as compared to solar.

Solar Power has Helped Much More than Wind Energy

“The good news is, is that with our sunny skies, we have had quite a bit of solar generation from the facilities that we contract with, and that's helping power our homes right now, as well as our hydro (water power) here in Montana.”

Since we’re all trying to save money by conserving energy, Black provided some common sense advice.

“Are you able to turn your thermostat up a little bit?” she asked. “Are you making sure that in the heat of the day your window coverings are closed? Is the insulation in your house sufficient to keep the heat out of the house, and if you're using air conditioning, that you're not letting it escape outdoors?”

Black said with energy bills rising, the NorthWestern Energy customer service department is there to help.

The NW Energy Customer Service Department wants to Help Those in Need

“If anyone finds themselves in a situation where they're concerned about their ability to pay their energy bill, the best thing they can do is reach out to NorthWestern Energy,” she said. “If you're one of our customers, we can help immediately. We have programs in place to help with that. We can make referrals to help you, but the best thing to do is contact us.”

The number for NorthWestern Energy’s customer service department is 888-467-2669.

Now, about my usage over this heat wave, Jennifer helped me estimate that my usage will be about 51 kilowatt hours. At .149 cents per kilowatt hour, if I run my A/C to keep my home at about 74 degrees, it will cost me about $7.65 per day, or $229.50 over a 30-day period.