by Madison Gas and Electric

Want to save money on your electric bill? Madison Gas and Electric Company (MGE) wants to help get you started. Here are five simple ways to save this summer.
 

1. Turn up the air conditioner. Air conditioners are often the biggest users of electricity in the summertime. The higher you set the temperature, the less your electric bill will be. MGE recommends 78 degrees or higher. Turn it off when no one is home.
   
2. Keep the heat out. Close shades or drapes to keep the sun out. Cook outside or use a microwave. Turn off lights when not needed. (They produce heat.)
   
3. Keep cool. Use exhaust fans to remove heat and moisture from cooking or showering. Use ceiling fans to cool your skin and get wet (take a cool shower, play with the kids in a wading pool, or run through a lawn sprinkler).
   
4. Buy energy-saving appliances. Appliances which use less energy save you money. Look for the ENERGY STAR® label. It means you are buying an appliance which will save you energy.
   
5. Develop energy-saving habits. Turn off televisions, computers, and other electronics when you are not using them. Wear lightweight clothing. Use cold water to wash clothes.
   

 
For more information, call MGE's Home Energy Line at 252-7117 or visit mge.com.

I'm pleased to share with you MGE's comprehensive Report from our Community Energy Workshop held earlier this year. This report is an analysis of the more than 2,000 comments shared with us that evening. I share this report with you because it reflects the questions, ideas, comments, values and priorities of the community for our energy future, and it will provide ongoing guidance for us.

As you will see, a careful review of all the input revealed some broad themes, which we used to organize the data. Those themes include Energy 2030, Role of MGE, Economics of Energy, New Products and Services, Energy Resources, Energy Efficiency and Conservation, Communication, Community Engagement and Partnerships, and Equity and Diversity. This analysis and organization are important because, as we have said since the beginning of this unprecedented engagement process, our objective is to turn this input into actionable ideas for our community's energy future and to inspire new
opportunities for partnerships of all kinds.

I'm pleased to share that we've already acted upon some of the input from the Workshop. In response to that input, we developed a new communication tool, www.energy2030together.com. Here, we will have regular features about how we are moving forward and working with customers to achieve our Energy 2030 goals and objectives. For example, with our Shared Solar pilot project fully subscribed—thanks to customer support—construction of this solar project is under way in Middleton. We also continue to collaborate with the City of Madison as it works to implement its City Energy Work Plan. We have identified areas of mutual interest and continue to discuss potential projects to advance together.

The Workshop Report is available online at https://www.mge.com/community-conversations/cew-report.htm. You also will find online all of the participants' comments.

You can find an article, "Many Voices, Shared Goals," about the Workshop Report on our new www.energy2030together.com website. We hope you'll continue to engage with us and visit https://www.energy2030together.com/.

I, and the rest of us at MGE, appreciate your time and ongoing attention to our energy future. Thank you, and please feel free to share your feedback with me.

Best regards,

Dave
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David J. Benforado, Community Services Manager
Madison Gas and Electric Company
P.O. Box 1231
Madison WI  53701-1231
608-252-7906
dbenforado@mge.com