By Pauline Tom
Are you participating in PEC’s “Beat the Heat” program? It encourages members to shift electric use away from the peak-use hours between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. every day from June through September.
RonTom and I found two energy-saving big bangs this summer.
Mika Scott affectionately calls her husband, David Medlock, a computer geek. David researched and discovered modules that bring back purpose and life to the PEC-installed electronic thermostats that lost their Internet connectivity when PEC discontinued the Consert pilot project.
For both thermostats, we ordered a “Wi-Fi U-Snap Module” from RadioThermostat.com.
As far as I know, PEC gave out CT 30 and CT 80 thermostats. RadioThermostat offers a module for both.
The module comes with install-it-yourself instructions, and telephone assistance is available.
A SmartPhone app pairs with RadioThermostat’s online service. Now, like magic, anytime it’s reasonable to raise the thermostat by a few degrees (whether moving to one end of the house or going out on errands or lying in bed thinking, “it doesn’t need to be this cool, but I don’t want to get out of bed”), with phone in hand, it’s a done deal.
As a huge bonus, the module “created” for our heat pumps a “circulate air” option that keeps the air conditioned and controls humidity.
An A/C expert told us a few years back that we should force the heat pump on each day (which was not energy efficient); and, he told us we were losing much air conditioning through our single flap doggy door.
Concurrently with adding the thermostat modules, we added a double flap pet door by Hale. Instantly, we stopped the constant flush of cold air from the kitchen into the hot garage. We purchased the door online from Hale Pet Doors.
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Speaking of hot and cold, Fire and Ice takes place on Sept. 21.
Amy Hilton explained the event in business sponsorship solicitation:
“It’s put on by the group Loving Mountain City, which is composed of volunteer residents and supported by city council; this group organizes all city-wide events and service projects. Our Fire and Ice Festival is the number one event of the year, with over 250 attendees each year. The funds raised allow us to sponsor our city- wide holiday festivals (Tour de’ Lights at Christmas, Easter Egg Hunt, and Fourth of July Parade), and we organize citywide service projects to support local organizations such as Hays County Food Bank, Hays County Brown Santa Toy Drive, and Kyle PAWs.
We will have dinner plate sales, and our entertainment includes Island Texas Live with great Texas beach music and bounce house fun for the kids! We also have residents and community leaders compete in a cook-off for Best Salsa and Best Home-Made Ice Cream. It’s a fun event that encourages our residents to come together for fall fun and community involvement.
Stay tuned to “Montage” for details as they become available.
Turn in your tidbits as they become available, please. [email protected] or 512-268-5678.
