Black Hills Energy encourages efficiency, conservation to manage higher heating bills
Black Hills Energy has received approval from the Wyoming Public Service Commission to continue offering Wyoming customers Energy Efficiency/Demand Side Management programs. The programs are available for residential and commercial electric and gas service customers with the extension beginning Jan. 1, 2022, and continuing through 2024.
The company’s EE/DSM programs are designed to encourage residential and commercial customers to purchase and install energy efficient products and appliances by offering rebates for qualifying purchases. The company proposed some adjustments to the 2022-24 plan to reflect market shifts and integrate new cost-effective measures.
The timing of the WSPC’s approval of Black Hills Energy’s Energy Efficiency programs could not be better as Black Hills Energy is urging customers to plan now for the impacts of higher natural gas prices this winter.
The cost of natural gas is a pass-through cost – meaning Black Hills Energy does not make money on natural gas, even when prices increase. Black Hills Energy estimates that residential natural gas customers should plan for an increase of approximately 43% for the cost of natural gas compared to last winter, based on analysis of typical winter weather, market conditions and current natural gas price forecasts. Actual monthly costs will depend on customer usage.
Customers who live in communities that are eligible to participate in the Choice Gas program will need to contact their natural gas suppliers to determine any impacts from market price increases.
Customer bills (excluding Choice Gas program participants) also include a portion of costs related to February’s extreme cold weather event. In September, the WPSC approved a monthly charge of about $0.17 per therm based on usage. These costs are spread out over a multi-year period to reduce the impact on customers.
Applications now open for 2022 BBB Spark Awards for Entrepreneurship
The Better Business Bureau Serving Northern Colorado and Wyoming is now accepting applications for the 2022 BBB Spark Awards for Entrepreneurship. The Spark Awards honor businesses that start their journey on a solid foundation of trust and ethics.
To be eligible for the BBB Spark Awards, a business must be: headquartered in BBB’s Northern Colorado and Wyoming service territory; be in operation at least six months, but not longer than four years as of January 2022; and be in good standing with BBB.
Eligibility has been extended to include businesses in operation up to four years for the 2022 BBB Spark Awards due to the awards not being presented in 2021. In 2023, eligibility will revert to businesses in operation between six months and three years, as in past Spark Awards. Businesses do not need to be BBB Accredited, but must be in good standing with BBB (good standing includes a minimum B rating, no unanswered or unresolved complaints, and a business is free of government actions, advertising issues and other BBB investigations).
Eligible businesses can apply by submitting short, written answers to nine questions and uploading a short video testimonial about why the business embodies the Spark Award criteria. Those criteria are:
Character – Leaders must be teachable and open to growing with ideas. Leaders habitually seek the truth, are open to criticism, and know that their own personal development is never complete.
Culture – Purposeful entrepreneurs start businesses for more than just the opportunity to be their own boss or fill a gap in the market. Instead, they create organizations committed to serving the needs of all their stakeholders and make intentional decisions about who they align with to bring their mission to fruition.
Community – The most successful entrepreneurs understand they are part of a community and commit to supporting those that supported them. They give back to worthy causes and treat other entrepreneurs and competitors as peers rather than opponents.
Applications for the 2022 BBB Spark Awards are due Jan. 31. All completed applications will be reviewed by an independent judging panel of local business leaders, who will select the Spark Award winners. The Spark Awards will be awarded at the 2022 BBB Torch Awards for Ethics on Thursday, April 28 at the Embassy Hotel and Suites in Loveland, Colorado.