Gateway Energy SmartWatch Newsletter


	Watching Out For You Wow! Natural gas prices have taken a turn lower. As of Friday, August 21, natural gas prices fell to their lowest levels since July 15, 2002. A cool summer, no hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico (keep your fingers crossed) and a struggling economy all combined to create excess supply. But don't get too comfortable. Read more

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GO PAPERLESS!

LimeLite® Night Light

The perfect night light for your child's room. It is always cool to the touch, consumes only three-tenths of a watt, and is guaranteed to never burn out.

More on the LimeLite®

5 Ways to Shed
Light on the Subject

Unfortunately, fall is fast approaching. And that means shorter days and more electricity usage as you turn on lamps and outdoor lighting. Just because the cold is around the corner doesn't mean you can't keep warm by saving some money. Here are some bright ideas to keep you out of the dark. Read more

Energy-Efficiency Dollars:
Can You Cash In?

President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 into law on February 17, authorizing $38 billion in expenditures for energy-efficiency investments in everything from new technologies to appliance rebates. Read more

Watching Out For You (continued)

Source: Energy Information Administration, Natural Gas Futures Prices (NYMEX)

Sure, energy prices, driven by excess supply, have dropped to incredible lows. Producers have reacted to this by shutting down wells. Baker Hughes Incorporated, which produces technology solutions for the petroleum and natural gas industry, has maintained a count of natural gas and petroleum drilling rigs since 1944. Over the last year, Baker Hughes has monitored a significant decline in the number of rigs in the ground. In fact, more than 50% of the U.S.-based natural gas and petroleum rigs that were in production last year are now shut.

Some experts think as the economy recovers and demand begins to grow, decreased supply, due to only 50% of the rigs in use, increases the potential for a price spike in 2010.

The bottom line for you?
Fixed rates that get you through 2010 may help you avoid a nasty price run-up if the economy recovers faster than natural gas producers can restart the mothballed rigs.

For more information about Baker Hughes, go to:
http://www.bakerhughesdirect.com/cgi/bhi/myHomePage/welcome.jsp
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Paperless Billing Option Select your utility to sign up for paperless billing
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Coming soon: Paperless billing for Gateway customers in Texas and Elizabethtown Gas.
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Featured Product (continued)

It will plug into a standard electrical outlet just like a regular night light. The light lies flush against the wall. LimeLite® night lights provide a soft, green glow at night.

Power Consumption: 0.03 watts
Input Power: 110 volts AC, 60 Hz
Dimensions (Unit): 0.25" Thick, 2.75" Wide, 2.75" High
Dimensions (Display): 1.9" Wide x 1.3" High
Manufacturer Warranty: Lifetime

For more on the LimeLite® Night Light.

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Energy-Saving Tips (continued)

Light the night. Choose outdoor lights that have a photocell or motion sensor. Lights with a photocell charge during the day by the sun and will turn on automatically at night. Motion-sensor lights are activated when someone or something crosses its "path." Combine them both into one light and increase your energy savings even more.

Focus on the task. Install task lights to focus the light where you need it. Halogen or incandescent lights are especially efficient under kitchen cabinets to illuminate the sink and countertops, where you need focused bright light. Task lighting can be an inexpensive way to add ambience.

1, 2, 3. Consider three-way lamps, which make it easy to adjust the lighting level to exactly what you need. Three-way light bulbs contain two filaments, which can be used separately or combined for the brightest light. For example, a 25-50-75 bulb has a 25-watt filament that you can use for subtle ambience while watching TV and a 50-watt filament for room illumination. Click the bulb to the highest setting and the two filaments light up to a total 75 watts for close-up work like reading or knitting.

Go mini. If you use night lights, consider using 4-watt mini fluorescent or electro-luminescent versions, which are up to four times more efficient than incandescents. A CFL bulb can save you more than $30 in electricity costs compared to an incandescent lamp (since it has 10 times the life and uses one-quarter the electricity) and save 2,000 times its own weight in greenhouse gases. Luminescent lights use 1 watt or less and are cool to the touch, which is a bonus if you have little ones who like to get up in the middle of the night.

Clean and bright. Use a soft cloth to keep all the bulbs in your lamps clean. For fluorescents and recessed lights, use a clean, damp cloth. You can increase their efficiency by almost 20 percent by keeping the dust off.

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Energy News (continued)

Hold on. You said ... rebates? How much can I get? When?

The federal government has allocated $300 million, but the dollars won't be available tomorrow. Each state first must get its proposal approved by the U.S. Department of Energy. Then the money will start flowing into state-run programs.

"Will an energy-efficient margarita maker qualify?"

Unfortunately, the answer is "No." Nothing that fun is going to make the list (which is shown below).

What will likely qualify for energy-efficiency rebates are washers, dryers and heating and cooling equipment. Details are to be determined and will vary at the state level, depending on the state's proposal and its management infrastructure already in place. But when the states begin to roll these programs out - as early as this fall - we'll be back to tell you how you can cash in.

Just think: you can get that energy-efficient washer for your loved one just in time for the holidays!

Transparency has been a priority in the ARRA, and you can keep tabs on the progress your state is making by going to the Web sites listed below. Each state is providing an outline of its plan and progress to date. We will also be keeping you informed so that you can make use of these programs as they begin to hit the streets.

So pay attention if you are thinking of scheduling a home-improvement project or an appliance purchase. There just may be some federal dollars waiting for you.

Energy-Efficiency Eligible

Suggested home appliances that could be made eligible for an energy-efficiency rebate:

Central air conditioners
Room air conditioners
Clothes washers
Dishwashers
Refrigerators
Freezers
Furnaces (oil and gas)
Heat pumps (air source and geothermal)
Water heaters

State Funds Approved for
Energy-Efficiency Rebates (in millions)

Maryland	$5.4
New Jersey	$8.3
New York	$18.7
Ohio	$11.0
Texas	$23.3
Virginia	$7.4
DC	$.6

http://www.energy.gov/recovery/

State updates

Maryland: http://www.energy.state.md.us/
New Jersey: http://www.njcleanenergy.com/
New York: http://www.nyserda.org/
Ohio: http://development.ohio.gov/recovery/EnergyStarProgram.htm
Texas: http://www.seco.cpa.state.tx.us/arra/rebate/index.php
Virginia: http://www.dmme.virginia.gov/DE/arra1.shtml
DC: http://recovery.dc.gov/recovery/site/default.asp

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