Austin Energy and Austin Water try advertising to encourage energy savings

If you feel like you’ve been seeing ads for Austin Energy and Austin Water everywhere, it’s because you have been. At the June 18 meeting of the Electric Utility Commission, Debbie Kimberly, the vice president of customer energy solutions and corporate communications at Austin Energy, explained that Austin Energy and Austin Water are expanding their public information campaign this season. In the face of the hotter-and-drier-than-normal weather that has been predicted by the National Weather Service, Kimberly said that the goal of the utility is to “help our customers deal with the seasonal increase.” According to her, in the months of June through September, Austin Energy customers “consume 45 percent of the power they use all year long.” With that in mind, the energy utility is working to get the message out to customers about how they can save energy and thereby lower their summertime bills. On June 4, Austin Energy launched its summertime savings website where it offers tips to manage energy and water bills. Simultaneously, in an effort to raise awareness about energy conservation and get people to take advantage of its programs, the utility is running a summer campaign that includes media buys in print, television and radio. There will also be four community events for members of the press in areas of town that experience higher bills. With all the dollars and effort that the utility is putting into educating the public, Kimberly dared the commissioners not to run across one of its ads. “Our intent here is (that) we get through this campaign … and we will have reached all of our customers,” she said.