We have educational programs available for any group or school who would like to take advantage of free material for students or citizens within the community.
All educational programs are free and can be tailored for almost any audience.
K-12 Energy Education Program (KEEP) for teachers
KEEP is a 16-hour in-service that helps teachers integrate hands-on energy education activities into their classrooms. The program also demonstrates how teachers can use energy education to ensure that their students meet Wisconsin academic standards.
KEEP makes the sometimes-intimidating topic of energy understandable to students of all ages. Second graders can learn about the coal mining process as they "find resources" in chocolate chip cookies. Middle school students can experiment with properties of motors by modeling an electric motor. High school students can discuss "energy futures" by studying energy trends and new technologies.
This program is offered to teachers at all grade levels. We offer a limited number of scholarships to teachers from the New Holstein schools each year. The in-service program is typically offered during the summer. Please contact NHU if you (or if you know of a local teacher) are interested in participating in the in-service program and offering this energy education program to the students.
National Theatre for Children
Every year, we sponsor a live theatre shows presented by the Minneapolis-based National Theatre for Children! (NTC). NTC tours the United States presenting lively, interactive educational half-hour shows. NTC dedicates itself to educating young people on important and timely energy-related topics, including energy education and conservation, renewable energy and electric safety. Coined with printed curriculum materials and teacher guides, these imaginative and customized presentations effectively reach the students, teachers, and parents. NTC is offered to all schools each year at no cost.
Pedal Power
Pedal Power is a bicycle-powered generator that teaches basic scientific concepts related to the conversion of energy from one form to another and demonstrates the energy needed to power incandescent, CFL, and LED light bulbs, in addition to a hair dryer or radio. These concepts become tangible as the cyclist literally feels the effort required to power these items and the importance of conserving energy.
PowerTOWN
This tabletop demonstration is designed to alert the audience to the dangers of high voltage electricity that are located outside and how to stay safe around these potential dangers. The eight-foot PowerTOWN model makes a lasting impression at safety presentations. The crackle of a high voltage electrical arc reinforces electrical safety messages that school-age audiences will not soon forget.
Watts Up! Meter
A Watts Up! meter is available for loan to New Holstein Utilities customers from the NHU office or from the New Holstein Public Library. The meter measures voltage, amperage and the cost of appliances or other equipment operating at 110 VAC (e.g. refrigerators, televisions, etc.) that can be plugged into a standard electric wall outlet. You can find out how much energy your appliances are costing you to operate. With the information on what it costs to operate your electric equipment, you can compare your current equipment to new energy efficient models that may be available to purchase. Whenever possible, review the Energy Guide label before purchasing a new electric product.
Portable Generator Safety
Click here for a quick card on portable generator safety.
Buying an Energy Efficient Product
Some electric products last a long time while others seem to need to be replaced with a higher degree of frequency. When an electric product needs to be replaced or if you are considering the purchase of a new electric product you have never owned before (i.e. central air conditioner, freezer), you have the perfect opportunity to investigate not only how much that product costs to purchase, but how efficient the product is and what the cost might be to operate the product.
There are two things you can look at as you consider purchasing a new appliance. The first thing to review is the appliance's EnergyGuide label. All appliances (except stove ranges and ovens) are required to have this label available for review by the consumer. This label (yellow in color) will provide information as to the estimated annual energy consumption of the applicance as well as the estimated annual operating cost.
The second thing to look for is to see if the product is Energy Star rated. The Energy Star rating will provide information as to the energy efficiency of the product. The products that are Energy Star rated are much more energy efficient than the minimum standards required by law. The increase in energy efficiency leads to increased savings that typically, over the life of the product, is greater than the additional cost you may have to pay for the Energy Star rated product.
New Holstein Utilities offers rebates for some Energy Star rated products, so check the web site for rebates offered or contact us before you go shopping for that new appliance! Remember, despite what some people may say, you do have some control over your energy consumption through the products you purchase and the amount of time those products are being used. So whenever possible, purchase the most energy efficient product possible!
Digger's Hotline
If you plan on doing any digging on a piece of property this year, contact Diggers Hotline 1-800-242-8511 or 811, to have underground utilities located before you start your project.
Diggers Hotline is a not-for-profit company that assists utilities and utility customers find the location of buried utility equipment that may interfere with an excavation project. Diggers Hotline contacts the owners of the underground facilities to have the buried equipment located. The utilities will then have the buried equipment marked with paint and/or flags to identify the location. There is no fee to use the Diggers Hotline service.
Wisconsin law requires that you contact Diggers Hotline, either by phone or through their on-line service, three working days before the soil is to be disturbed. If you opt not to contact Diggers Hotline and buried utility equipment is damaged you will be held financially responsible for the damages. You can also be fined up to $2,000 for failure to use the service.
The Diggers Hotline call center is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. The busiest times to call is typically on Monday or Tuesday mornings. The call center operator will ask you several questions about the nature of the work to be completed. Some questions may not apply to you, but all questions need to be asked of all callers.
To ensure that your call is handled quickly and efficiently, have the following information ready when you contact Diggers Hotline:
•Specify if you are a homeowner or business owner and give your name, telephone number and address.
•Specify if you are doing the work yourself or for another party.
•Provide information as to the city, township, village, or unincorporated area where the digging will take place.
•Provide the street address of the work site.
•Provide the nearest intersecting road and the distance to that road.
•What type of work will be done (i.e. planting a tree, installing a fence, building a deck, or building an addition).
•Inform the operator if explosives, boring equipment, or equipment that reaches 14' into the air or higher will be used.
•The date you plan to start your work.
•Provide a description of the area you would like to have marked for underground facilities on the property. As an example, "a 20' radius of the tree in the back yard".
After you have provided the operator with all of the pertinent information, you will be given a ticket number. Keep the ticket number as it is your legal proof that you have called Diggers Hotline and complied with the state law. You have 10 calendar days from your project's start date and time to begin your work. Contacting Diggers Hotline does not get any private facilities marked. These facilities include the electric line from your house to a detached garage or shed, underground sprinkler systems, or security systems.
The following colors are used to identify the respective utilities:
•Red represents electric lines.
•Yellow represents natural gas lines.
•Orange represents communications cable.
•Blue represents water lines.
•Green represents sewer lines.
•White represents proposed excavation lines.
After the utilities have been marked, you may begin your project. You cannot excavate with power tools within 18 inches of the markings. If you need to dig closer to the marks, only hand tools can be used, and then proceed with caution! If you expose an underground facility, it is your responsibility to inspect it before backfilling. If any damage is discovered or suspected, you are required to notify the affected utility immediately.
If you have any questions, contact your local utility or Diggers Hotline. We hope your project is safe and successful!