HECO pushes saving of energy

By Noelle Chun
Advertiser Staff Writer

It's a hot September day, and someone mistakes you for Rocky Balboa, which would have been nice if it were for muscle mass and not sweat volume.

Gannett News Service

You feel accomplished. You feel efficient. You feel like a can-do person.

You should feel guilty.

You have just ignored many of the Hawaiian Electric Co.'s suggestions on how to cut down electricity bills and save the earth. But you might not know this unless you are aware of HECO's latest push to save energy in Hawai'i.

On Sept. 8, HECO reported that the humid weather, growing economy and increasing home use of power drove customer demand for electricity on O'ahu to a record 1,297 megawatts at 7:09 p.m.— just over the previous record high of Aug. 17.

"We're at a turning point for energy conservation," said Peter Rosegg, HECO spokesman. "Energy use is growing faster than the population. People naturally think about saving water. We hope people will soon learn to do the same for electricity."

October marks National Energy Conservation month, and HECO is encouraging people to become conservation savvy. And with this summer's record use of electricity and surging oil prices, there's good reason.

Generating electricity sucks up 29.8 percent of Hawai'i's petroleum. And Hawai'i is 95 percent reliant on imported fuel.

Concerned about the possibility of overload on its systems, HECO is urging customers to reduce electricity use at peak times, such as 5 to 9 p.m., when residents tend to power up air conditioners, washers, computers and stoves.

"Electricity is like air," said Rosegg. "You don't think anything of it while you have it, but when the power goes out, everything halts."

If people can tweak their lifestyles to be more energy-conscious, HECO hopes the need for a new power plant and higher fuel prices can be forestalled, and energy bills can be shaved.

Reducing energy use can help consumers save money, too. Shortening daily showers by two minutes, for instance, saves up to 1,533 kilowatt-hours and $215 per year, HECO says.

It's all part of a long-term plan to address the reliability of electric supply and cost in four ways: conservation and efficiency, renewable energy sources, new technology, and conventional power plants.

The company is considering a graduated billing system based on time of use — similar to long-distance phone charges. This would encourage energy users to avoid "peak energy periods."

Additionally, over the years, HECO's goal is to incorporate more renewable energy sources. Currently, renewable energy sources account for 7 percent to 8 percent of electricity, HECO says. State legislation sets the goal to raise that to 10 percent by 2010 and to 20 percent by 2020.