Connections

OUC Board President Katie Porta recently joined City of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Orange County Mayor Richard Crotty and Coulomb Technologies to announce a new program that will bring more than 300 electric vehicle charging stations to Central Florida. The announcement marked the U.S. launch of the ChargePoint America program and the unveiling of the first ChargePoint charging station in front of Orlando City Hall.

OUC’s been providing reliable electric service to customers for more than 87 years and wants to ensure that we deliver that same level of reliable service to power their electric vehicles. The ChargePoint America program, which is funded in part through a U.S. Department of Energy grant, will enable OUC to evaluate the impact the charging stations will have on our electric system.

Earlier this year, OUC installed Orlando’s first two charging stations at Reliable Plaza. The public charging station in our visitor parking area lets electric-vehicle operators pull up, plug-in and charge up. Meanwhile, the solar-powered station in our parking garage keeps OUC’s plug-in powered up and ready to go.

The steps you take today can add up to major savings tomorrow. With the extreme heat and humidity of summer, your air conditioning unit may be working overtime and driving up your electric bill. So what can you do? Keep your thermostat at 78 degrees or higher, and when you leave your house, go ahead and turn it up a couple of degrees. But don’t turn it off, as the system will have to work too hard when you get home. Remember to close blinds and drapes and use ceiling fans.

Want to learn more ways to save? Go to www.ouc.com and take our free Online Home Energy Audit. Our online audit provides homeowners and renters alike with immediate, detailed tips on saving energy. When you’re finished, you’ll receive a customized energy usage report and suggestions on ways to lower your monthly utility bills. So why wait? Log on and take the survey today.

Save a stamp and a tree and keep your home a little neater! OUConvenient Billing offers an easy way to manage your OUC account online while saving paper and reducing clutter. View your detailed account history and current bill whenever you want, over our secure system. Visit www.ouc.com to learn more about OUConvenient Billing.

Customer Service Adjusts Schedule to Better Meet Demand
In order to provide improved service to our customers during peak business hours, our call center and lobby hours are changing. Effective Friday, October 1, the new hours will be Monday through Friday, 7 a.m.

For the ninth year in a row, OUC—The Reliable One has lived up to its name by providing the most reliable electric service in Florida. Comparison of the Florida Public Service Commission’s 2009 utility data shows OUC’s performance well ahead of Florida’s four largest utilities in key measurements of electric reliability, including average restoration time and average number of outage minutes per year. OUC customers were the least likely to lose power. The outages that did occur averaged 38 minutes in length, much better than the next closest utility’s 77 minutes average, which means OUC restored power twice as fast as any other service provider.

For customers who use heart monitors, oxygen concentrators or other life-sustaining equipment, uninterrupted electrical service is critically important. By enrolling in OUC’s Medical Alert Program, customers can receive special consideration for their accounts.

It’s important to remember that unforeseen circumstances, such as severe weather, can result in the temporary loss of power. Customers using medically necessary devices are reminded to have an alternative plan such as relocation, backup battery power or a generator available for unexpected outages.

Call Customer Service at 407.423.9018 or click here for more information.

Take the guesswork out of how much you spend on utilities each month and sign up for OUC Budget Billing, a program designed to help customers avoid unpredictable bills by equalizing payments over the year. This free service helps you plan your monthly payments and keep your budgets balanced. As a Budget Billing customer, you will receive a monthly bill that details:

• Your actual meter readings and consumption

• Your actual bill amount based on consumption

• Your fixed Budget Billing amount

• The budget deferred balance, which is the difference between your actual bill and your Budget Billing amounts

• A bill message advising of any additional charges that may be due along with your budgeted amount

To learn more about Budget Billing or to enroll in the program, please call Customer Service at 407.423.9018 or visit us online at www.ouc.com.