Music is considered the universal language, and CEC member, David Poffenberger and his wife Stacey, live that out every day. The couple teach piano and trumpet lessons to adults and students in their home. According to David, he has been teaching music since high school. In addition, he has a master’s degree in education from the University of Mary.

Working from home has many benefits, such as saving money on studio rent, travel costs and more. Another factor to consider about working from home is the increased use and cost of electricity. They use more kilowatt hours at home, but a lot of it is off-peak consumption, which is billed at a lower rate.

Capital Electric business manager, Luke Steen, utilizes David’s music expertise for his children. After a conversation about his water heater and electricity usage, Luke suggested he talk to Energy Services Manager, Josh Schaffner.

Upon review of their situation, Josh determined they would benefit from our coincident peak rate. In October 2023, they transitioned to the new rate structure. Since the change, the Poffenbergers have saved between $55 and $60 per month. During the last nine months they have saved a total of $527 dollars, which is obviously significant to them.

How did they do it? David explains, “During the peak time periods called by CEC, we don’t use our dryer, dishwasher or oven. We use our microwave during that time. We also move our thermostat from 76 to 78 degrees during that time. Otherwise, it’s business as usual, you sure can’t teach lessons in the dark.” David obviously is pleased with the results of these changes and hasn’t lost his sense of humor.

David and his wife live north of Bismarck and have two children, their daughter, Chloe age 17 and their son, Chanson age 12. As you would expect, both children are proficient in music.

If you would like to find out more about the possibility of decreasing your electricity costs, please call us at (701) 223-1513 and ask for our energy services department.