Restock your winter emergency kit

Spring rain is good for flowers. It is not good for extension cords. Water and electricity, as you know, are a risky mix. April is a smart time to check your outdoor setup before yard work and storm season begin. • Start with your cords. If a cord is cracked, frayed or warm when in use, replace it. Do not tape it. Do not run it through puddles. Keep connections off the ground and out of wet grass. • Plug outdoor tools only into outlets protected by a ground fault circuit interrupter, or GFCI. These are designed to shut off power fast if something goes wrong. Test them each month. Push the “test” button. Then reset. • Using power tools in a damp garage or driveway? Dry your hands. Wear shoes. Keep cords away from metal and standing water. • Never pull a plug by the cord. Grab the plug itself. Yanking the cord can loosen wires and create a shock hazard later. • Store cords indoors when you’re finished using them outdoors. Sun and rain break them down over time. • If you use a generator during storms, keep it outside and far from doors or windows. Never plug it directly into a wall outlet. Small steps matter. A quick check now can prevent injuries later.

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Lightning, high winds and torrential downpours can put your home and neighborhood at risk of power surges and outages. And those can damage your expensive household electronics. So, prepare for spring storms to protect yourself and your electronics from harm. · First, install surge protectors as a first line of defense. Use them for computers, televisions, exercise equipment and other sensitive devices. Look for protectors with indicator lights that show when protection is active. · During severe storms, unplug electronics and turn them off—excluding things like the refrigerator and medical oxygen tanks. Even the best surge protectors cannot block a direct lightning strike. · If your home experiences frequent outages, consider installing whole-house surge protection, which is installed at the electrical panel. An electrician can explain whether this option makes sense. · Backup power options, such as battery packs or portable generators, can help keep essential devices running in case the power goes out. Portable generators should only be used outdoors and far from windows and doors to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. · After an outage, wait a few minutes before turning electronics back on. This helps protect devices from voltage spikes as power is restored.

As you get to the business of spring cleaning, inspect your tools—vacuum cleaners, pressure washers, carpet cleaners and power tools—to make sure they are in shape for another season. · Before starting any project, inspect cords and plugs for cracks, fraying or exposed wires. Damaged equipment should be repaired or replaced. Using tools with ground-fault circuit interrupter protection is especially important in garages, basements and outdoors. · Follow manufacturer instructions and avoid overloading outlets or power strips. High-powered tools should be plugged directly into a wall outlet, not extension cords, unless the cord is rated for the tool’s electrical load. · When cleaning or repairing appliances, unplug them first. Water and electricity are a dangerous combination, so keep tools dry and avoid using them with wet hands or on damp surfaces. · For outdoor projects, use extension cords labeled for outdoor use and keep connections off the ground. Wear appropriate protective gear, including gloves and eye protection, and keep tools away from children and pets. Taking a few extra minutes to check equipment and follow basic precautions can prevent injuries and electrical hazards while tackling spring projects.

By: Energy Efficiency Program NPPD Manager Cory Fuehrer Have you ever gone over to a friend’s place for a fish dinner and left smelling like fried carp? If so, it could be that their kitchen exhaust hood was not working properly. While commercial kitchens use exhaust systems that are fairly complex, exhaust hoods in most homes are relatively simple. They capture polluted air by drawing it in with a single fan and venting it outside or filtering it before recirculating the air back into the kitchen. In doing so, they reduce the amount of airborne grease, smoke and odors to help protect your walls cabinetry and ceilings. Many kitchen exhaust hoods even assist in removing excess heat or providing additional light over a cooktop or range. Whether you are building a new home, remodeling a kitchen, replacing an old hood or are simply wanting to make the most of your current one, the following factors impact a hood’s effectiveness and efficiency while clearing the air: Types Under-cabinet – Most common type. The fan is usually located in cabinetry above. Wall-mount/Chimney – In addition to the hood, the ducting and often the fan housing are visible. Often matched with high-performance options. Island/Canopy – Ducting extends down from the ceiling over a cooktop. The fan is in the ducting or mounted outside the home. This type requires higher fan capacity due to lack of a wall for smoke containment. Downdraft – Unit is built-in behind or next to the cooktop. This type also requires higher fan capacity due to fumes being drawn downward. Built into microwave – With an overhead microwave, this type is a popular space saver. However, fan capacity is limited. Ducted, Ductless and Convertible Ducted range hoods vent externally, which means they draw kitchen air out of the house through ductwork in the wall, ceiling or floor. External venting is available in all types of range hoods but is particularly common in wall-mount, island, canopy and downdraft types. Ducted range hoods are often labeled as “vented” in product names and specifications. If reducing heat in the kitchen or removing odors is a significant concern, a ducted range hood is recommended. Ductless range hoods filter kitchen air then recirculates it back into the kitchen. Under-cabinet and microwave hoods are most commonly ductless. Ductless range hoods are most common in the under-cabinet and built-in microwave styles. Product specifications will most likely say “recirculation”, indicating it is ductless. As the name implies, a convertible range hood can vent externally or recirculate the kitchen air. Under-cabinet and canopy hoods are the most likely types to be convertible, but keep in mind that kits are available for non-convertible models that make them convertible. Rated CFM The Cubic Feet per Minute (CFM or cfm) rating is a measurement of fan capacity. Hoods over electric ranges or cooktops should have a minimum capacity of 100 CFM per linear foot of appliance. Fan capacity for gas appliances should be a minimum of 1 CFM per 100 British Thermal Units (BTUs) that the stove or cooktop is rated at. (e.g., a 40,000 BTU stove needs 400+ CFM). Note that residential building codes in the state of Nebraska require installation of a makeup air units for kitchen exhaust systems capable of moving 400 CFM or more. Width and Mounting Height The hood must be at least as wide as the stove or cooktop beneath it, if not six inches wider. A 30-inch stove should ideally have a 36-inch hood to capture peripheral smoke and grease, especially for island or canopy installations. For optimal performance, hoods should be mounted 20 to 24 inches above electric ranges and 24 to 30 inches above gas ranges. Your local public power provider, in partnership with Nebraska Public Power District, wants to help you make the most of the energy they provide. That includes helping you comfortably create culinary creations while using your kitchen in the most efficient manner possible. In addition, they may offer EnergyWiseSM incentives to reduce the initial costs of efficiency improvements. Contact your local utility or visit www.energywisenebraska.com for additional details.

Spring is a good time to give your home’s electrical system a basic safety check before heavier summer use begins. Start by testing smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms and replacing batteries if needed. Check outlets and switches for warmth, buzzing sounds or discoloration, which can indicate wiring problems. Inspect power strips and extension cords and replace any that are damaged or overloaded. Power strips should never be daisy-chained together. Make sure cords are not pinched under furniture or stretched across walkways where they can be damaged. In kitchens and bathrooms, confirm that outlets near sinks are protected by ground-fault circuit interrupters. These outlets help prevent shocks and should be tested monthly. Spring is also a good time to clear clutter away from electrical panels and make sure breakers are clearly labeled. Never block access to the panel. If you notice flickering lights, frequently tripped breakers or burning smells, contact a qualified electrician. Addressing small issues early can prevent fires and costly repairs later.

The arrival of spring can mean a spike in your electricity use, as you turn on fans, spend weekends doing spring cleaning and dust off outdoor power tools to get your home and yard ready for warm weather. Before temperatures start to rise, you can take some small steps to prep your home and appliances for spring and summer. 1. Schedule a home energy audit. Audits can identify air leaks, insulation gaps and inefficient appliances that quietly drive-up costs. Look for programs offered by your electric cooperative or local government that might reimburse you for energy-efficiency upgrades like smart thermostats, heat pump water heaters and ENERGY STAR-certified appliances. 2. Review your family’s thermostat habits. As outdoor temperatures rise, resist the temptation to turn on the air conditioning sooner than needed. Instead, use ceiling fans to avoid high cooling costs without sacrificing comfort. Fans cool people, not rooms, so turning them off when leaving a room saves energy. 3. Replace dirty air conditioning filters. Clear debris from outdoor units. And schedule professional maintenance to improve efficiency and extend the life of the system. 4. Read your energy bills carefully. Understanding how rates work, including time-of-use or seasonal pricing, can help households adjust use to avoid peak charges. Ask about budget billing or for alerts when your electricity use spikes. Taking advantage of co-op programs and forming smart habits now can make a noticeable difference when summer temperatures arrive.

By: NPPD Energy Efficiency Program Manager Cory Fuehrer Have you heard what the latest gossip around the water cooler is about? The water cooler, itself! Business experts have long debated whether there is value to the chat that occurs when office employees meet during their venture to the device to obtain hot water for tea, coffee or a refreshing glass of cold water. Water cooler conversations tend to revolve around weekend plans, popular TV shows, movies, sports, or office-related, non-work-specific news. While traditional management approaches ranged from discouraging to prohibiting these interactions, research from the University of California, Santa Cruz reveals these interactions are crucial for boosting company culture, improving employee collaboration, fostering social support, and reducing stress. So where did this common office fixture come from? In 1906, Halsey Willard Taylor and Luther Haws were exploring ways to further reduce the deadly impact of typhoid in schoolchildren. Research during the middle of the previous century determined it primarily spread though drinking contaminated water. Observing that schoolchildren were drinking from communal tin cups of water, Hawley invented and placed the water fountains (or bubblers) into schools. In 1909, Haws created the Haws Sanitary Drinking Faucet company and patented his water cooler in 1911. The early water coolers stored water in a sealed glass container and used large blocks of ice to chill it. Shortly before the 1920s, the first five gallon water bottles began to appear and the iconic “upside-down bottle on a cooler” design often associated with 20th-century office life was launched. By 1938, the world’s first ‘self-contained electric water cooler’ was patented that provided internal refrigeration and eliminated the need for ice deliveries. The 1950s and ‘60s saw the introduction of hot and cold-water dispensers, which remain the standard design today. Today’s water coolers also have features such as touchless dispensing sensors, temperature controls, UV sterilization and machine usage tracking. Since sustainability and optimizing employee health have become major business interests with concerns of plastic waste skyrocketing and microplastics entering our bodies, most businesses have or are switching to plumbed and internally filtered water coolers. While these features can significantly add to the unit’s energy use, water coolers that have earned an Energy Star® certification save 22% or more of the energy that an uncertified, conventional model would use. In fact, if all water coolers sold in the U.S. were Energy Star®-certified, the energy cost savings would equate to more than $250 million each year. With the average commercial water cooler typically lasting five to 10 years, total savings would be between $1.25 and $2.5 billion. Your local public power provider, in partnership with Nebraska Public Power District, has additional ideas of how to efficiently use the electricity they provide. In addition, they may offer EnergyWiseSM incentives to reduce the initial costs of efficiency improvements. Contact your local utility or visit www.energywisenebraska.com for additional details.

Laundry can be a bigger winter energy user than people expect, but small adjustments save money without sacrificing cleanliness. Some rules of thumb: · Modern detergents work well in cold water, and many loads come out just as clean. · Wash full loads and select the right water level. For lightly soiled items, choose a quick or eco cycle. · Use high-spin settings to remove more water and shorten drying time. Dryer balls help separate clothing so warm air circulates better. · Clean the lint trap every cycle and check the vent hose for buildup. A clogged vent extends dryer run time and raises fire risk. · Time laundry for mid-day when the home may already be warmer or when off-peak electricity rates apply.