20230502PR_128 Attachment A - No. 23.pdf

Connections
February 2022 | Washington | Idaho
Don’t let it
get away
Air fleeing your house allows heat
to escape and increases your energy
use. When it’s cold outside, drafty
windows or doors can work against
you. But you can fight back, keeping
that winter chill out where it belongs,
all while saving energy.
To check for drafts, run your wet
fingertips around a door or window
frame. Or, hold up a tissue to see if it
waves. Once you’ve identified the culprit,
seal those leaks. Caulking is the right
tool for the job between non-moving
parts, like a window frame and the wall.
Weather stripping goes next to moving
parts, such as a door and its frame.
Consider having drafty windows
replaced. This will reduce energy
consumption and increase the value and
beauty of your home. Avista also offers
rebates on new windows—$4 per sq ft
for standard windows and $3 per sq ft
for storm windows.
For more information, visit myavista.com/
energy-savings/rebateswashington/
windows.
And look for more energy-efficiency tips
at myavista.com/advice.
Lisa, an Avista customer,
bought her 1910 house
because she loved the
old-world character, some
of which doesn’t make her
house very energy efficient.
Lisa is sharing her experience
on taking some simple
do-it-yourself improvements
to inspire others to do the
same. You’ll find her stories
at myavista.com/connect
every Tuesday.
At Home with Lisa:
Dishwasher Filter
A few months ago, I started noticing that my dishwasher
wasn’t cleaning my dishes.
I was so excited when I moved into my house a few
years ago, not only for the house, but for having a
dishwasher for the first time.
When my dishes weren’t getting clean, I started to
wash them by hand again. But according to Avista’s
Energy Guide you can save 5,000 gallons of water a
year and $40 in energy costs by using a dishwasher
instead of washing by hand.
Someone mentioned that I should check the
filter in my dishwasher. I googled how to clean
my dishwasher filter and specified what kind of
dishwasher in my search to find out how to clean it.
It had been a while since I had used it, so I ran a rinse cycle before diving in. I took
out the bottom tray, pulled out the sprayer and the filter. It was disgusting. I don’t
think the folks who lived here before cleaned the filter either. I soaked all the pieces
in hot, soapy water and started scrubbing. For the tough-to-clean spots, I sprinkled
them with baking soda and drizzled a little white vinegar on them to make it foamy.
Then I scrubbed some more.
Now, my dishwasher is working great. I can start using it again instead of washing
dishes by hand. If you find that your dishwasher isn’t cleaning as well as you would
like it, you should check your filter, too.
Connect with us
Mailing Address: 1411 E. Mission, PO Box 3727, Spokane, WA 99220-3727
Toll-Free: [phone] | Web Site: myavista.com | Email: [e-mail]
502i AVA © Copyright 2022 Avista Corporation
An easy, low cost way to support clean energy
Did you know that Avista’s electricity mix is already more than fifty percent
clean? While this is great news, many customers want to take it further and now they
can. Whether you rent or own, you can choose renewable energy by adding as little as
$1 to your monthly Avista payment. Signing up is simple and you can cancel anytime.
To learn more about the benefits associated with My
Clean Energy and get started today, visit us online at
myavista.com/MyCleanEnergy. And as always, your
participation helps to accelerate the transition to clean,
renewable energy for all.
Do you need help paying your bill?
Out of sight, out of mind
It’s a phrase that could refer to the
jar of half-used pasta sauce buried
in the back of the fridge. Not that
we don’t care about refrigerator
hygiene, but it won’t surprise you to
know we are referring to gas meter
safety.
Avista will need access to your gas
meter for periodic readings and
maintenance. And in case of an
emergency, we’ll need immediate
access to the shutoff valve. With these
things in mind, take a look at your
meter with fresh eyes. Is there anything
in the way? Are there plants or flowers
hiding the dials? Is debris gathered
around it? In the winter, is it buried
under six inches of snow? If the answer
is yes to any of these, help us out by
carefully removing these obstacles and
making the pathway to the meter safe.
While we’re talking about the meter,
we’ll also ask that you never lean
objects against it, place objects on top
of it, or build anything (like a deck)
above it. Finally, be careful when
operating a vehicle near your meter. It
can be relatively easy to forget about
and accidentally back into it, which
could result in a dangerous situation.
Beyond these simple steps, Avista
will take care of everything else, like
periodic maintenance.
Out of sight, out of mind is a cliché. But
when it comes to the natural gas meter
on your property, it’s best to keep it in
mind, even when it’s out of sight.
Visit myavista.com/resngsafety for more
information.
We have
options.
Project Share, helping
a neighbor in need
In the middle of a crisis, it is hard to know
where to turn for help. One of our customers
recently found their family in such a situation. While
the household was welcoming a new baby, they
were faced with many difficult situations: a vehicle
accident, job loss and cold winter weather.
After going without power for three weeks, they
reached out to Avista for help. We referred them
to their local community action agency, SNAP
(Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners) for
assistance. With that help, the family was able to get
their services restored before the snow began to fall. This family had never accessed
assistance benefits before; they weren’t even aware that help was available.
Avista customers, employees and corporate donations are what make that help
possible through Project Share — a community fund that seeks to stabilize a
household through hardship. Collectively, each of our giving helped approximately
2,000 households in Washington, Idaho, and Oregon last year.
Giving is easy. One hundred percent of the funds collected by Avista are passed to
the Project Share fund. For those who would like to make direct donations to the
program, please visit: givetoprojectshare.org. Check out myavista.com/assistance if
you would like to learn about energy assistance in your area.
We understand that there may be instances when customers
find themselves facing financial difficulties. Avista partners with
community agencies to provide financial assistance, plus we offer
other services to help you manage and pay your bill such as Comfort Level Billing,
Preferred Due Date, and Payment Arrangements.
We’re here to help. Please call us at [phone] to discuss your options with a
Customer Service Representative or for more information visit myavista.com/assistance.