Ways to Save One such program is called AveragePay. If your electric bill varies widely from month to month, this budget plan spreads payments throughout the year. Average pay makes your electric bill predictable by using a rolling average of your present month's bill and eleven previous months' bills, plus your current balance. With AveragePay there is never any sign-up fee or monthly service charge, but you must have been a member of the co-op for at least a year to apply. Laurens Electric also offers the EnergySaver Conservation Rate to members whose homes are energy efficient. Our best residential rate available, conservation-conscious members are rewarded with a lower monthly bill if their homes meet certain requirements. For example, ceiling insulation material must be of R-30 value, heating and air conditioning units must use electricity as a primary energy source, and windows should be insulated glass or storm windows. For those interested in reducing their energy usage, Laurens Electric can supply a Do-It-Yourself Energy Audit pamphlet, which will walk you through the steps to a more energy efficient home and lower energy consumption. Laurens Electric's web site also offers many ideas for conserving energy. After clicking on the 'Safety & Savings' section of the web site, visitors will find not only general energy saving and safety tips, but seasonal tips, as well. In this section there is also a Home Energy Use Calculator, so participants can break down their energy usage, appliance by appliance. Periodically, Laurens Electric mails out informative material, warning of extreme temperatures, such as deep-winter cold or mid-summer heat. Residents are made aware that during extreme temperatures energy consumption is often increased, which may result in a high electricity bill for the consumer. Since Laurens Electric was the first co-op in the state to switch its meters to AMR (Automated Meter Reading), members should now find it easier to read the digital meter themselves, thereby allowing them to monitor their own energy use. In the operations department, predictive studies are done to help determine which areas of the service territory are subject to growth that might impede the proper distribution and reliability of power, and which areas typically use more power during extreme temperatures. An action plan is then devised to meet the needs of the members in those areas.