SEASON'S GREETINGS
Deck the halls with energy-efficient holiday decorating ideas
Nothing says season’s greetings quite like holiday decorations, and it’s easy to get carried away while spreading holiday cheer around your home. Not to mention winter also happens to be when household energy bills start to increase.
The oven and stove get their fair share of use helping some of you partake in the seven-day rituals to welcome the first harvest of the New Year for Kwanzaa. And then there’s the additional energy costs for the tree lighting and yard decorating for those celebrating Christmas.
School breaks and vacation days mean more time at home cranking up the heat to keep it cozy as you gather with family and friends to continue traditions like dreidel games for Hanukkah.
The good news is there are lots of ways to keep your holiday spirits up and costs down, like those listed here:
Quick holiday tips to save energy during the holidays, and year-round!
Heating accounts for up to 50% of your home or business winter electricity costs, here are some suggestions for saving money and being safe:
Change your heaters’ filters once a month (three months for pleated filters)
Keep blinds and shades open to let warm sunshine in
Replace caulk and stripping around doors and windows
Use a smart thermostat and set it at 68 degrees or lower. You can save up to $100 a year in energy costs and get a $75 rebate!
Don’t overload circuits – it can cause insulation to burn, create sparks and leave exposed wires.
Learn more at georgiapower.com/energyefficiency and purchase energy efficient products at georgiapowermarketplace.com.
DRIVING ELECTRIC
Building range confidence with Freddie Falcon
As more and more Georgians adopt electric vehicles (EV) as their primary or secondary means of transportation, many question the accessibility of charging stations and whether there are enough locations available across the state.
We’re dedicated to providing you with the resources needed to understand the benefits and potential savings of driving electric. At the same time, we’re building and growing our network of Community Chargers across the state, and what better way to show our progress than through our partnership with the Atlanta Falcons?
Freddie Falcon embarked on a road trip from Atlanta to Augusta (approx. 145 miles), surprising season ticket holders with autographed merchandise and energy efficiency kits. With 61% of the Falcons’ fanbase living more than 10 miles away from the stadium, the stadium offers multiple EV charging stations with capacity to charge up to 48 electric cars simultaneously.
Host a charging site and grow your business!
You can become a part of our Community Charging program* by hosting a site that expands electric transportation and attracts new customers to your business. You can also find out more about purchasing a home charger and receiving a rebate.
To learn more about driving electric and our community charging locations grand openings, follow us on social media:
*Community Charging funding is scheduled to be available through December 31, 2022 but is subject to end earlier based on program participation.
VOGTLE VETERANS
From serving our country to serving the energy needs of Georgians
At Plant Vogtle, units 3 and 4, near Waynesboro, you’ll find many U.S. military veterans continuing important work to serve our customers. We asked some of our Vogtle Veterans how their service background has shaped their family life and helped build a career in the energy industry.
What does being a veteran mean to you?
“Service to this country. Being able to support the security and freedoms that we hold in this country.”
– Chris Snyder, 6 years active and 6 years in the reserves
“You can become friends with somebody that you didn’t know but you have a common bond that’s deeper than surface level. Everywhere we go we meet people that feel like family.”
– Scott Miller, 8 year veteran
How did your family support you throughout your time in service?
“My wife was the bedrock of everything. My youngest son was born while I was on deployment, so she was basically a single parent for 5 months, while I was out at Operation Iraqi Freedom.”
– Rich Davidson, 23 year veteran
“I recently got off deployment in June, I was gone for almost 11 months, my wife and 3 kids stayed behind. And my wife was there supporting the kids, shuffling around, keeping the homefront moving.”
– Travis Kessie, 18 years in the reserves
What did you learn from your military service that impacts your work with the company?
“The Navy gave us a strong fundamental in operating safely nuclear power plants. In commercial fleets, that’s what they look for from individuals. So you can carry that in and spread that strong foundation to the people that come into that industry who haven’t had that experience.”
– Scott Miller, 8 year veteran
“The military taught [me] leadership skills, problem solving, and focus on one goal and everyone rallying around that one common goal.”
– Adam Schommer, 9.5 year veteran
What are you most proud of about your work at Plant Vogtle?
“Every day there are issues that we have to overcome. I am most proud of our ability to find the issue and then put a plan together to address them and keep moving the needle and make progress to get closer to operation.”
– Scott Miller, 8 year veteran
“It’s not the same every day. It’s new challenges and new opportunities to work with various individuals from different departments and come up with solutions to issues.”
– Adam Schommer, 9.5 year veteran
We’re certainly proud to have these amazing veterans working towards bringing more affordable and reliable electricity to our customers.
For your service to our state and country – Thank You!
VITAL VOICES
Community strong
Meet Chris Gray, a Georgia Power project manager in our Transmission Control Center.
Learn how Chris works with Focused Community Strategies (FCS), a non-profit creating affordable workforce housing, sparking economic development, engaging neighborhoods and helping with job training for residents.
Chris Gray
“We have the words innovative and holistic in our mission statement. That's because we think entrepreneurially and are always willing to try something different. At Focused Community Strategies, our goal is to stay in the background and watch our neighborhood win.”
– Chris Gray
Hear Chris’ vital voice on our social channels:
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Our Energy Assistance team is here to help
Our Energy Assistance team is a trusted community resource to help those most in need.
“Our team recognizes the extraordinary burden our customers have faced and has worked incredibly hard to expand our energy assistance capabilities.”
- Danny Johnson, Georgia Power Energy Assistance Manager
POST YOUR PIES
Sweet potato vs. pumpkin pie: A holiday rivalry!
The two most famous holiday pies are squaring off and we want to know your preference! Post your pies on social media and tag us on Facebook and Instagram (@ga_power).
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