Votes are in for the best Holiday Windows - The winners are...

Thank you for voting for your favorite storefront window decoration. The winners of 3 $50 gift certificates are:

• Nancy Noonan, Middleboro
• Francine Perry, Middleboro
• Sherri Tate, Middleboro

The winner and runner-up downtown businesses each received a $50 gift certificate. They are:

• Added Attractions Salon
• Gifts of the Magpie

Thanks to so many strollers who voted and made the holidays so bright!

Business Energy Tax Exemptions Forms Available

Business customers click on the link below to download Tax Exemption forms.

Good Night Irene!

Our crews have completed their work to restore power to all customers. Final work on individual service lines was completed yesterday, working with homeowners on a case by case basis. In the last two days, we had help from our peer municipal utilites in Holden, Wellesley, Hingham and Braintree to get this last and hardest part of storm recovery done. Our thanks to their crews and managers for lending us a hand! And we are grateful to Barnes Tree Service for the speedy work they did clearing the way for us.

If you still suspect their may be damage to the service line to your home, please let us know in order to prevent a future outage.

Be Ready for Irene! Lists and guides to help you prepare just in case.

The best documents we've found for hurricane preparedness are the Red Cross Hurricane Checklist and the Kissimmee Utilities Authority (Florida) Hurricane Handbook.

To download a copy of the one-page Red Cross checklist, click on the link below. For more information about things like preparing your pets for safety, extended power outages and safe use of generators, go to our Frequently Asked Question section [www.mgandeonline.com/ForYourHome/SavingEnergy/FAQs.asp] Question 1 and click on the handbook.

Let's hope Irene stays away but be ready.

(view Red Cross Hurricane Checklist)

Act Fast for State Appliance Rebate Offer - 2nd Round starts July 28th!

If you missed the first opportunity last year, you can try again this month. The state's Division of Energy Resources is offering another chance to get a rebate of $150 for Energy Star-rated refrigerators and $50 for Energy Star-rated air conditioners. This is not being as broadly advertised so that the $2 million available for applicants might last more than a few hours. This offer is open to all Massachusetts residents.

Visit the DOER website now to learn how to participate and be ready for the July 28th launch - which may be the only day to apply, depending on how many try. Click on the link below to enter the site and ... good luck!

Energy Sense helps customers make sense of energy savings.

• Energy conservation tips and recommendations delivered right to your inbox.
• Non-promotional information and resources that can save you and your household energy and money.
• Access to an easy-to-search "Energy eLibrary" — filled with valuable resources, tips, and more.

Access to HVAC, home energy use, and carbon-footprint calculators — providing information to help you benchmark your home’s energy use and identify energy-saving opportunities

Net Metering Policy Adopted by Commission allows customers full value for solar & wind power

The Middleborough Gas & Electric Department Commission have accepted a Net Metering Policy which allows customers installing solar and wind generators to connect to their homes' electric meter and receive full retail value for their generated electricity.

When a solar or wind generator produces electricity, it will feed into the home's electrical system. This will help the home avoid taking electricity from MG&E (avoiding the full retail value of our costs). If any excess power comes back into the MG&E distribution system - not used by the house - the home-owner will be credited for full retail value of the excess power. At the end of a billing month, if more is produced than used, the customer will see a credit leftover on the bill, carried to the next month.

For more information, read the policy below.

(view Net Metering Policy)

Find Out How Much Greenhouse Gas You Are Creating At Home

MG&E customers can now use the Home Appliance Calculator to learn how much carbon dioxide  they are sending into the ozone when they run their appliances. CO2 makes up more than 80% of greenhouse gases produced today and, whenever we use electricity, CO2 is produced as a by-product at power plants. Customers clicking on the website's Home Appliance Calculator will now see, not only the dollars and cents they pay monthly for each appliance, but the CO2 load as well.

Customers can learn how to offset this load through recycling efforts by visiting the U.S. Government's [Climate Change] website.