Posted on: 03-06-2013 at 5:02pm
At Stream Energy, we’re always looking for ways to help customers take advantage of the benefits of energy deregulation.
To further assist customers in joining the Stream Energy family, we have cut our deposits in half in Texas and Georgia for all new customers, regardless of what rate plan the customer selects.
Customers required to pay a deposit will only need to pay $125 in Texas (formerly $250) through the end of April, and $75 in Georgia (formerly $150) through the end of August. That’s a 50% reduction in both Texas and Georgia.
Posted on: 01-14-2013 at 6:54pm
By Senior Director of Communications Paul Thies
Stream Energy is kicking off 2013 with a variety of good news for people who are looking to join the family of satisfied Stream Energy customers. Check it out:
- On January 14, 2013, Stream Energy introduced a rate plan exclusively for new Texas electricity customers. The “New Friends Plan” is geared towards helping electric customers in Texas lock in a very competitive rate which will serve them well throughout 2013. Please visit this page to see Stream Energy’s 12-month “New Friends” Plan rates for all service areas of Texas. To take advantage of this terrific new plan, click here.
- Stream Energy also just lowered the deposits required of new customers in Texas (was $250; now $125) and Georgia (was $150; now $75). We cut those deposits in half to help our new friends get on board so they can enjoy the Stream Difference as quickly as possible.
- Stream Energy announced lowered electricity rates in Pennsylvania on January 3 and lowered natural gas rates in Georgia on January 5. Coupled with our already attractive rates in the Northeast and our New Friends Plan in Texas, we have a very cost-attractive suite of products to meet your family’s energy needs.
- Stream Energy ushered in the New Year in grand style, thanks to our third year as the Big D NYE Fireworks Spectacular sponsor. The event drew more than 35,000 attendees and was broadcast to over six and a half million people in five states. Stream Energy again used its sponsorship platform to highlight the work of Captain Hope’s Kids, a non-profit organization dedicated to serving homeless children. In 2012, Captain Hope’s Kids touched the lives of roughly 40,000 children in North Texas.
- Next month, Stream Energy is again expecting thousands of highly motivated Ignite entrepreneurs to descend upon Dallas for a three-day extravaganza we call Ignition. Each year, Ignition presses on the accelerator of our business and pushes us forward.
It’s an exciting time for Stream Energy, and we’re only getting started. Give us a shout - we’d love to show you why we’re “Your Best Friend’s Energy Company.”
Posted on: 11-05-2012 at 5:32pm
We are pleased to announce that Stream Energy has launched a brand new process for Quality Confirmation: Customer Quick Check. This new process became available to new Northeast customers on Friday, November 2. This new feature will be available to Texas and Georgia customers at a later date.
Gone are the days of having customers undergo a QC phone call. Instead, they may confirm their identities during the Stream Energy online enrollment process, thereby saving themselves valuable time.
The purpose of the Customer Quick Check is to confirm the customer’s identity in order to help avoid identity theft, fraudulent energy accounts, or slamming attempts. This identity verification process is not a credit check and does not affect your customer’s credit score.
Customer Quick Check At a Glance:
- Customer Quick Check is in place for Northeast customers only. (Coming soon to Texas and Georgia.)
- The last four (4) digits of your customer’s Social Security Number are required during the enrollment.
- For ID Verification, the customer may be presented with four multiple choice questions during the enrollment.
- When finished with the enrollment, customers should record their 10-Digit Reference Number.
- REMEMBER there is no Automated Quality Control Call!
- If Stream Energy needs anything to finalize the enrollment, The OnBoarding Group at Stream Energy’s corporate office will contact your customer within one business day.
- Customer Points and MEI will be rolling in quicker than ever!
Please note that the multiple choice questions are formulated and confirmed by Experian and are selected from their Public Record database. Some questions may not apply to your customer and, if so, “None of the Above” is an option for all questions.
Posted on: 08-03-2012 at 3:47pm
By Stream Energy Marketing Communications Editor Brian Hale
The wave of excitement around Clean Nation by Stream Energy has spread to your favorite social media. Stay on top of all important Clean Nation announcements and remain up-to-date with the latest and greatest information about Clean Nation. Share it with your friends and help spread the word of Clean Nation by Stream Energy.
“Like” Clean Nation on Facebook
Follow Clean Nation on Twitter
Posted on: 08-31-2011 at 10:41am
Understanding the correct ways to save on energy in Georgia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Texas
Myth #1: Turning ON and OFF a light, computer or TV uses more energy than just leaving it ON.
Fact: According to the Department of Energy, incandescent lights should be turned OFF whenever they’re not needed to save on energy. Did you know that 90% of the energy used to power a light bulb is converted to heat, while a dismal 10% is used to generate light? Turning standard incandescent lights OFF will always help you save on energy costs, even if it’s for just a few seconds. The same rule applies to other electronics such as TVs and computers. If not in use, turn them OFF.
A related myth is leaving a ceiling fan ON will cool the room. Not true. Fans cool people (feels up to 5 degrees cooler) by moving the envelope of hot air around them, but they don’t cool rooms, so turn them OFF as well when a room is unoccupied.
For the new Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs), it’s a little more complicated. With relatively high prices of electricity, a fairly conservative guideline is that it is cost effective to turn them OFF after about 5 minutes of use. With CFLs (especially the least expensive and older ones), turning them ON and OFF rapidly will shorten their lifespan and may limit your overall savings. Some manufacturers offer models with higher switching cycles; these are ones designated as heavy duty or can typically be found as a standard feature in the newer models. One investigation indicates that a CFL will always provide a savings after 50 hours or so of use.
Myth #2: It takes more energy to cool a house if the air conditioner has been OFF all day rather than keeping it running at a higher temperature (85 degrees, for example).
Fact: Cooling a hot house down at the end of the day always takes less energy than leaving the air conditioner running all day, even if it’s running on a high setting. Your air conditioner runs more efficiently when it operates for longer periods compared to short cycles of ON and OFF. One long cycle at the end of the day will save more on your energy than a number of short cycles during the whole time away. Using a programmable thermostat will allow you to turn the unit OFF and still cool the house down before you arrive home from work or your extended time away and help save on energy.
Myth #3: Turning my thermostat way down will make my home cooler a lot faster.
Fact: It doesn’t help speed up the process at all, and if you forget to reset the thermostat to the desired temperature, then you’ll just be wasting energy and money. Setting the temperature lower than the desired end temperature won’t get it there any faster (just like pressing an elevator button a lot of times won’t get you there any faster). Your thermostat is more like a light switch (ON or OFF) than a water hose (opening up the spigot to allow more water to come out). A programmable thermostat will let you plan in advance if you’d like to cool things down by the time you get home.
Myth #4: Buying a highly efficient air conditioner will automatically save me a lot of money on my energy bill.
Fact: Although not completely a myth, if things aren’t done right by the right people, then you could spend more up front than you need to and not save as much as you could over the life of the new unit. A big mistake is automatically replacing your current unit with one of the same size or larger without having an energy audit or other professional analysis done first. Bigger is not always better, especially in this case. The rule of thumb is to have one ton of refrigeration per 500 square feet, and both the inside air handler and the outside condenser unit must have the same tonnage.
If your duct system is leaking, then it needs to be fixed first. More than 60% of all homes experience leaks in their duct system; leaks can often times account for roughly 20 – 30% air loss (either heated or cooled air). Improper installation of a unit also can produce large amounts of energy being wasted due to leakage. Once the leaks are fixed and with the proper design by a quality company, it wouldn’t be surprising if they’re able to recommend a smaller unit than what is currently installed. The same design and installation concerns are apparent in the replacement of windows, adding insulation and/or a radiant barrier, and the purchase of other energy efficient items.
Myth #5: Using duct tape for sealing ducts is the right solution.
Fact: Through experience and laboratory testing, it has been clearly shown that duct tape is not the right solution. Unless it is just for a temporary, very short-term fix that you intend to replace, do not use duct tape. Contrary to its name, duct tape is great for hundreds of uses, but definitely not for repairing leaky ducts! In laboratory testing with 31 other sealants, duct tape was the only one that failed and failed consistently. In the typical hot attic, duct tape has very low durability and will dry out and separate from the ductwork the tape is being applied to. The best choice is mastic, a gooey glue-like substance that is painted on and hardens. A second choice would be a tape that is certified as UL 181A compliant for rigid ducts, or 181B for flexible duct work.
Myth #6: The largest source of air leakage in the home is around windows and doors. Therefore, replacing older windows will save on energy and money.
Fact: Although air leakage is one of the largest sources of energy loss in your home, the amount around windows and doors accounts for about 15% of the total loss. The largest amount is usually found in air duct leaks and holes in your ceiling and attic. Installing weather-stripping and caulking around doors and windows is always a good idea to save you money on your home energy. This will save you money, but replacing old windows with energy efficient ones is an expensive proposition and is very hard to justify on energy savings alone. If you have other reasons to replace your windows, besides to save on energy, then definitely replace them with Energy Star rated ones. You’ll see some savings in addition to having a new look and feel around your house.
Myth #7: Closing air ventilation registers and doors in unused rooms will save on energy usage and cost.
Fact: With today’s air-forced central cooling systems, closing too many air registers completely and closing the doors to those rooms increases the air pressure in your ducts. It can also cause or increase leaks or otherwise damage the system (freeze the coils, for example). According to a 2003 study by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, “The reduction in building thermal loads due to conditioning only a part of the house was offset by increased duct system losses, mostly due to increased duct leakage.”
Another potential problem from air pressure imbalance is the buildup of mold. For example, if the attic entrance isn’t well sealed, the increased air pressure can draw hot, humid air from the attic which can then condense on a cool surface where mold can grow. Partially closing some registers, especially those closest to the unit is fine, but depending on the size and design of the house and ducting system, completely closing more than one or two will not be helpful to save you money on your home energy and could be harmful.
Myth #8: Using an electric dishwasher always uses more energy than washing dishes by hand.
Fact: Unless there are only a few dishes, then this is one case where the appliance wins out: washing by hand usually uses more hot water than using a dishwasher. According to a recent study at a university in Bonn, Germany, it was found that the dishwasher will use only one-half the energy and one-sixth of the water (and less soap, too)! Just follow some good practices with your dishwasher, and you’ll save those hands as well as some money on your energy bills. Most modern dishwashers do not require pre-rinsing; this saves water and energy, and you also need not bother with the Rinse & Hold cycle. Wait to wash a full load, and don’t use the heat cycle to dry the dishes. If your dishwasher has a pre-heater, then you can also set your water heater temperature lower.
Citations:
Information researched and gathered for this publication came from a number of web sites:
- Iowa Energy Policy Council at http://www.coloradoenergy.org/tips/homeowner/hec/
- Department of Energy’s Energy Star site at http://www.energystar.gov/
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory at http://www.lbl.gov/
- U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy site at http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/