M-boro turns off street lights

[fatlazyless]

Todays' November 17 LaDaSun has an article on page 9 on Moultonborough's plan to turn off some of its' street lights in an effort to save money. Recently, the Town of Conway had announced that it was considering doing the same.

The article reports that in a November 4 meeting, Moultonborough decided to turn off 20 different street lights which should yield an overall 15% electricity saving in its' street light monthly expense.

In my estimation, the street lights being considered for turn-offs have probably been in place for many years, going back to the 1960's or 70's or 80's or sometime or other, back there. As anyone who pays a monthly electric bill probably knows, the cost for electricity in New Hampshire has most definately become very expensive, in my opinion, so it is not too surprising for different NH towns to consider street light turn-offs as a way to save some cash.

Next time you drive past a McDonald's, Hannaford's, Wal-Mart, Shaw's, Lowe's, Home Depot, Rite Aid, CVS, Walgreen, and Dunkin Donut's; here's something to think about. These large chain stores are able to price shop their electricity from different electric utility suppliers from all over the country and secure an electric contract price for a number of years or so. For example, all those refrigerated food displays at the local Hannaford can be powered up by much cheaper electricity coming from a coal-fired utility in Wyoming or somewhere. Compared to what an individual New Hampshire resident pays, the Hannaford gets the same power for maybe a 66% lower price than what you pay to the NH Electric Coop. The big local electricity users are not helping the little local residential user because they are not buying from the same pool, so that helps to raise the local's price rates. This is called 'energy deregulation' which got started about ten to twelve years ago, or so.

It definately makes doing business more expensive for a small owner-operator business like a restaurant, food convenience or grocery store, small gasoline station; any small business with lots of lighting or refrigeration, when it comes to competing with the chains.

If your individual monthly electric bill seems all too high here in New Hampshire, this is one of the reasons why.

[chipj29]

They turned off the streetlights in my town recently too. They kept the lights on at intersections though. My street, which is a wooded dead-end street, is now very dark. Which I don't mind one bit, except when I am taking out the trash. I think it saved the town over $20k/year.

[Formula]

Todays' November 17 LaDaSun has an article on page 9 on Moultonborough's plan to turn off some of its' street lights in an effort to save money. Recently, the Town of Conway had announced that it was considering doing the same.

The article reports that in a November 4 meeting, Moultonborough decided to turn off 20 different street lights which should yield an overall 15% electricity saving in its' street light monthly expense.

In my estimation, the street lights being considered for turn-offs have probably been in place for many years, going back to the 1960's or 70's or 80's or sometime or other, back there. As anyone who pays a monthly electric bill probably knows, the cost for electricity in New Hampshire has most definately become very expensive, in my opinion, so it is not too surprising for different NH towns to consider street light turn-offs as a way to save some cash.

Next time you drive past a McDonald's, Hannaford's, Wal-Mart, Shaw's, Lowe's, Home Depot, Rite Aid, CVS, Walgreen, and Dunkin Donut's; here's something to think about. These large chain stores are able to price shop their electricity from different electric utility suppliers from all over the country and secure an electric contract price for a number of years or so. For example, all those refrigerated food displays at the local Hannaford can be powered up by much cheaper electricity coming from a coal-fired utility in Wyoming or somewhere. Compared to what an individual New Hampshire resident pays, the Hannaford gets the same power for maybe a 66% lower price than what you pay to the NH Electric Coop. The big local electricity users are not helping the little local residential user because they are not buying from the same pool, so that helps to raise the local's price rates. This is called 'energy deregulation' which got started about ten to twelve years ago, or so.

It definately makes doing business more expensive for a small owner-operator business like a restaurant, food convenience or grocery store, small gasoline station; any small business with lots of lighting or refrigeration, when it comes to competing with the chains.

If your individual monthly electric bill seems all too high here in New Hampshire, this is one of the reasons why.

If NH is deregulated, not all states are, then the town of Moultonborough is a large enough consumer to also purchase power at the cheapest price point as well as big businesses.
With all of the town buildings, schools street light and traffic lights then then would see a hugh savings!

[nj2nh]

The street lights in the town in Massachusetts where my parents live were turned off a few years ago. They didn't do it to save money, though. They literally couldn't afford it. Some people actually "Sponsored" street lights. They are on again now, but one wonders for how long.

Personally, I love it where the light on my street goes off. So much more peaceful. Easier to sleep without that light streaming through my window. I vote to turn them off!

nj2nh

[fatlazyless]

About two years ago, the Town of Waterville Valley had a utility contractor remove about 65 of their standard NH wood pine pole and bright light out on a ten foot bracket street lights and replace them with a 'Dark Sky Initiative' street light. So, what am I talking about? Out with the old standard lights that are common all over the area, and in their place, came these tall, skinny, dark satin bronze colored, aluminum 'Olde London' gaslight style lamp post lights. The new street lights look like a new olde fashioned gas light style, tall skinny lamp light and replacing 65 street lights could not be cheap to do, but they did it.

The new lights give off maybe 25% as much light as the old, and the light shines downward, towards the ground, and the whole public construction project was promoted as a "Dark Sky Initiative." All things considered, for me, it's a nice improvement having less glaring street lights and switching to accent style lighting. But, on the other hand, if you want to take a winter walk on any of the five miles of public sidewalks, it's probably a good idea to carry a flashlight.

One of the local business owners who owns a pizza joint-burritto joint-& local bar-restaurant said in a Waterville Valley Wig Wag article "These low-light street lights make the town look like it is closed! Let's go back to the old lights!"


Cannot please everyone, but the new lights must definately use much less electricity because they give off much less light, plus they use some type of eerie & haunting looking, low-energy light bulb?

[neckdweller]

Nice to see the town being a little fiscally responsible - something that's been lacking there for quite some time.

They probably realized that with all the MV stops the police do, there are always plenty of blue flashing lights to keep the streets well lit.

[MarkinNH]

Todays' November 17 LaDaSun has an article on page 9 on Moultonborough's plan to turn off some of its' street lights in an effort to save money. Recently, the Town of Conway had announced that it was considering doing the same.

The article reports that in a November 4 meeting, Moultonborough decided to turn off 20 different street lights which should yield an overall 15% electricity saving in its' street light monthly expense.

In my estimation, the street lights being considered for turn-offs have probably been in place for many years, going back to the 1960's or 70's or 80's or sometime or other, back there. As anyone who pays a monthly electric bill probably knows, the cost for electricity in New Hampshire has most definately become very expensive, in my opinion, so it is not too surprising for different NH towns to consider street light turn-offs as a way to save some cash.

Next time you drive past a McDonald's, Hannaford's, Wal-Mart, Shaw's, Lowe's, Home Depot, Rite Aid, CVS, Walgreen, and Dunkin Donut's; here's something to think about. These large chain stores are able to price shop their electricity from different electric utility suppliers from all over the country and secure an electric contract price for a number of years or so. For example, all those refrigerated food displays at the local Hannaford can be powered up by much cheaper electricity coming from a coal-fired utility in Wyoming or somewhere. Compared to what an individual New Hampshire resident pays, the Hannaford gets the same power for maybe a 66% lower price than what you pay to the NH Electric Coop. The big local electricity users are not helping the little local residential user because they are not buying from the same pool, so that helps to raise the local's price rates. This is called 'energy deregulation' which got started about ten to twelve years ago, or so.

It definately makes doing business more expensive for a small owner-operator business like a restaurant, food convenience or grocery store, small gasoline station; any small business with lots of lighting or refrigeration, when it comes to competing with the chains.

If your individual monthly electric bill seems all too high here in New Hampshire, this is one of the reasons why.

To the best of my knowledge, Our local area of NH only has 2 choices for electric power. NH CO-OP or NH Public Service depending on where you are located. We have had the option for several years to individually obtain our power from any available source. Well there are No other sources.
Therefore, I find it quite diffcult to believe that Walmart, Lowes, Hannafords, DD etc. are getting their power from Any other source, other then the company in their given area. In order to feed the idividual stores like a Right Aid or a DD or any other stand alone chain store would take a grid of power lines and wiring that doesn't exhist in our area. Two differant power company's can't both send their power down the same line with one company's power getting off at DD and other Company's continiung on to a private home.
It is like the original Ford automobile. You can have Any color you want as long as it is black !

[fatlazyless]

The power that comes from, let's say, a Wyoming coal-burning utility power plant sends it to the local Hannaford via the local NH Electric Co-op's lines and transformers. There's no seperate supply wire going all the way from Wyoming to Meredith. The NH Electric Co-Op charges a transmission fee for this but the Wyoming Utility gets to bill out a power supply fee. The Wyoming utility powers up electromagnetic energy, electricity, into the grid, and bills the end user, as per contracted price, accordingly. This is legally possible via the federal energy deregulation law as mentioned and mechanically possible with the use of an energy monitoring system.

It's not that complicated; the electromagnetic energy goes into the grid in one location, and gets used in another location. It's all done in the monitoring system. So, who saves money, and who gets to pay more? The little guy, local residential user gets to pay more because the big local users are no longer supporting the local high-priced NH Electric Co-Op........sorry to say.

[Lakesrider]

Flashlights needed to walk on sidewalks?

Hmmmmm....Maybe there is a marketing niche here....Flashlights with the towns "Name" and "Street Light" printed on it.....Maybe have an "On/Off switch" printed on it too...

I'm always thinkin'......;):D

[MarkinNH]

The power that comes from, let's say, a Wyoming coal-burning utility power plant sends it to the local Hannaford via the local NH Electric Co-op's lines and transformers. There's no seperate supply wire going all the way from Wyoming to Meredith. The NH Electric Co-Op charges a transmission fee for this but the Wyoming Utility gets to bill out a power supply fee. The Wyoming utility powers up electromagnetic energy, electricity, into the grid, and bills the end user, as per contracted price, accordingly. This is legally possible via the federal energy deregulation law as mentioned and mechanically possible with the use of an energy monitoring system.

It's not that complicated; the electromagnetic energy goes into the grid in one location, and gets used in another location. It's all done in the monitoring system. So, who saves money, and who gets to pay more? The little guy, local residential user gets to pay more because the big local users are no longer supporting the local high-priced NH Electric Co-Op........sorry to say.

Ok, I can understand that explanation. :)

[Wolfeboro_Baja]

We have 4 electricity distributors in New Hampshire; PSNH, Unitil, Granite State Electric Co. and NH Electric Co-op. Here’s a link to the list of electricity suppliers registered to sell energy in the franchise areas of certain NH utilities. http://www.puc.nh.gov/Consumer/energysuppliers.htm

Somewhere, while searching for this information, I read that most residential customers in N.H. are still buying their energy from their distributor, i.e., buying PSNH energy from PSNH instead of buying from an alternate energy supplier.

Until I went searching for this information, I had no idea there were so many suppliers selling energy in N.H. Now the question is, how many are selling to residential customers and are there rates lower than PSNH, Unitil, Granite State Electric and/or NH Electric Co-op?

[VitaBene]

Flashlights needed to walk on sidewalks?

Hmmmmm....Maybe there is a marketing niche here....Flashlights with the towns "Name" and "Street Light" printed on it.....Maybe have an "On/Off switch" printed on it too...

I'm always thinkin'......;):D

We have several street lights on the road my house is on. They are ancient inefficient and dull. I would prefer they shut them off.

[fatlazyless]

Reading in the Wall street Journal back pages in their short news briefs, it's not too unusual to read some two paragraph item about some name brand business like Wal-Mart or CVS and how it has secured a four year electricity purchase contract with so & so utility for some of their stores. For example, there was a news brief about Wal-Mart and Southern Power, an Atlanta Georgia based utility that buys trainloads of coal from Wyoming, and how Wal-Mart made an electricity purchase deal for some 800 of its' 4200 stores, or something like that.

Most likely, all the big chains are all looking for the same ways to save spending on their electric bills.

For everyone else left with the local high priced NH Electric Co-Op prices it does not help any that the big local users are not buying local too.

[songkrai]

For everyone else left with the local high priced NH Electric Co-Op prices it does not help any that the big local users are not buying local too.

Got to go back to Mel Thomson and Seabrook.

All are paying for Gov. Thomson's debacle.

[tis]

Got to go back to Mel Thomson and Seabrook.

All are paying for Gov. Thomson's debacle.

I think it was Bush's fault. (Sorry, couldn't resist.)