Azusa customers surprised by energy bill rebates

While much of California braced for possible spikes in energy rates, consumers in sunny Azusa found a pleasant surprise in their energy bills: refunds.

Long-term customers with a good payment history received a total of more than $250,000 in refunds of their deposits, according to the utility.

Azusa Light and Water planned ahead for potential shortfalls in electricity, helping customers reduce their energy use by 14 percent during the summer. It's this foresight that has kept Azusa's rates stable since 1994.

The utility credits long-term contracts and effective energy efficiency programs for its healthy condition. Azusa has long-term contracts for about 95 percent of its energy needs. That means less dependence on the spot energy market.

But the city still looks for ways to reduce peaking energy needs. When forecasters predicted significant shortages for the summer, Azusa responded by providing about $300,000 in incentives to commercial customers for load-shedding activities. Some businesses shifted work to off-peak evening hours, while others shut down on a specific day. These moves helped Azusa control its peaks.

The city also looked at its own consumption and reduced energy usage by 14 percent this last summer. Employees cut lighting use at city facilities, turned off computers that were not in use, ramped up thermostats, and turned off decorative office fountains and lights. Some departments even adopted a ticketing procedure for employees who violated load reduction plans adopted under an Executive Order issued by the City Manager Rick Cole. After an employee received two tickets, they had to buy donuts the next morning.

A school-based educational and marketing program complemented this load-shedding effort. But educating students about conservation isn't new. Azusa Light and Water has teamed for years with area teachers to help students learn how to use water and power efficiently. The program focuses on saving energy both at school and at home. These efforts were enhanced last spring with an energy-conservation video contest for middle school students.

With these and similar efforts demonstrating the utility's foresight and problem-solving capabilities, Azusa's energy future looks as bright as its present-and its past.