La Plata Electric Association has released an application for smartphones and tablets to enable members to connect to their accounts, the electric co-op announced Wednesday.
LPEA has over the past year used SmartHub, an online program that enables members to review their electricity usage, pay bills and manage other tasks. The SmartHub “app” takes the service a step further, so members can manage all aspects of their LPEA account from their smartphones (both iPhones and Droids) as well as tablets.
“We want to give our members every option we have available to pay their bills and keep current with LPEA,” said Chief Financial Officer Dennis Svanes in a news release Wednesday.
LPEA members must first establish an online account through www.lpea.coop, and create a secure password. Then users can visit the App Store via phone or tablet and search for SmartHub to download the app.
One advantage of being able to track energy usage is that LPEA members can consciously take steps to reduce their energy consumption – or at least understand the actions that triggered an increase in usage, said Nancy Andrews, a member of LPEA’s energy management team.
“The app also has outage notifications, and our members can report outages as well,” said Svanes. “Sometimes during an outage, your only connectivity is through your cellphone or tablet.”
LPEA provides electric service to 30,000 members with nearly 41,000 meters.
cslothower@durangoherald.com
