The Fayetteville Public Works Commission offers its customers numerous ways to work with the utility to reduce their electricity and water bills, according to PWC Marketing Manager Janelle Rockett.
These include sensors the PWC uses to warn people when they may have leaking plumbing, incentives to help people buy energy-efficient appliances, options for solar power, and experts who evaluate the conditions of people’s homes and advise the homeowners on improvements that will save money.
New conservation and incentive programs are planned, too, Rockett said, for electric vehicle owners, for renters, and to notify customers in the middle of a billing cycle if their electricity usage is tracking to lead to a high bill.
Rockett summarized the PWC’s energy and water conservation programs for the PWC’s board during the board’s semi-monthly meeting on Wednesday morning.
People who would like to take advantage of the programs can learn more about them at the PWC’s website, faypwc.com.
Ways to save electricity and water
Some of the programs the PWC has to help people reduce their bills:
- It offers free devices that shut off power to electric water heaters during the PWC’s three daily hours of peak electricity pricing (the hours when the PWC charges 53.4% more for power than it does the rest of the day).
- Bill credits up to $160 to help customers buy smart thermostats for their home heating and cooling systems. Smart thermostats have features to help customers lower their electrical usage.
- Incentives, such as billing credits, to help customers purchase new, more energy efficient heating and air-conditioning equipment and ductwork, new home insulation, energy efficient LED lightbulbs, energy efficient holiday lights and energy efficient appliances.
- Rain sensors that shut off irrigation systems during wet weather to reduce the customer’s water bills.
- Home energy audits, in which PWC’s staff help people figure out how to make their homes more energy efficient.
In the 2023 to 2025 fiscal years, the PWC has given customers more than $69,000 in billing credits for participating in the appliance, HVAC, ductwork, insulation, thermostat, water heater and LED light programs, Rockett said.
The PWC’s program for detecting water leaks in customers’ plumbing detected 23,086 leaks in the 2024 fiscal year, Rockett said. That saved almost 22 million gallons of water, and saved the customers about $232,000, she said.
Typically the PWC contacts 30 to 60 customers daily to tell them they might have a leak, Rockett said.
Solar power
Rockett listed two ways for PWC customers to use solar power.
Customers can subscribe to use solar panels at its community solar farm, which has 3,384 panels, and is 90% subscribed by 558 customers, she said.
Customers can also install solar panels at their homes and get billing credits from the PWC for power they generate in excess of their usage, she said. About 450 customers do this, she said.
Electric vehicles
The PWC offers incentives and rates for people and businesses with electric vehicles, Rockett said. For example, there is a low price for electricity used between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. for vehicle charging. Thirty-three customers use this low rate program, she said.
“And over the past year, we’ve helped facilitate 18 non residential EV installations across businesses, car dealerships and multifamily establishments within Cumberland County and Fayetteville,” she said.
Senior reporter Paul Woolverton can be reached at pwoolverton@cityviewnc.com.
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