Energy Audits—An audit of power use at a home or business is provided free of charge to any NBU customer upon request. The audit involves a comprehensive visual inspection of the building envelope and electrical equipment. The energy efficiency of the structure is then analyzed, and recommendations are made to possibly improve performance.

To request an energy audit, contact our conservation experts at: conservation@nbutexas.com

Water Audits—An audit of water use at a home or business is provided free of charge to any NBU customer upon request. The audit involves an inspection of the facility to look for signs of leakage or excessive use and a calculation of irrigation system usage if necessary.

To request a water audit, contact our conservation experts at: conservation@nbutexas.com

Arcing Demonstration—This program from the NBU Electric Division has been provided to every school age group all the way up to fire, police, and sheriff departments. It utilizes a transformer to produce over a 7,000 volt electrical arc to illustrate the danger of energized electrical conductors.

Electrical Usage and Safety—This a classroom talk that can be tailored to fit the curriculum of any grade level. We discuss the properties of insulators and conductors and how they work. It also addresses electro-magnetic fields, lighting lumen measurements, and electric safety.

Shadow Program—NBU participates in this Greater New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce program each year by sponsoring four area 8^th grade students. The students are allowed to "shadow" NBU employees for a day to get a feel of the public utility business in regards to electric distribution, water treatment and distribution, and wastewater treatment.

SAFEhaven Community Service Programs

NBU's SAFEhaven programs are volunteer employee projects of NBU designed to promote the health and vitality of the community and the safety and comfort of its residents. NBU employees have contributed over 2,400 hours of their time to SAFEhaven programs since 2001. During the past year, these programs have included:

• SAFEHaven In Schools—on any given day, dozens of NBU trucks and equipment are deployed throughout the New Braunfels area. All NBU trucks are equipped with SAFEhaven identification, enabling any citizen in need to ask an NBU employee to call for medical or public safety assistance. NBU provides a direct line of communication to emergency services such as police, fire and EMTs. SAFEhaven in Schools provides children and adults an alternative to asking for help from people they don't know.
• Westside Community Center Thanksgiving Dinner—SAFEhaven volunteers were among hundreds who helped man, prepare, and serve over 2,000 participants of the annual Westside Community Center Thanksgiving Dinner. The dinner is held each year for residents of New Braunfels and Comal County who are in need of food or fellowship.
• Adopt-A-Highway— DID YOU KNOW…that 90% of the litter on Texas highways is removed by paid contractors—not by convicts as many folks assume? Volunteers clean 8,000 miles or 10% of Texas' state-maintained roads and save taxpayers approximately $2.5 million a year! With that in mind, SAFEhaven volunteers adopted a two mile section of FM 306 where the NBU Service Center is located and have committed to cleaning it at least four times during the year. It's their way of helping to keep Texas—and New Braunfels—beautiful!
• SAFEhaven Home Team—The SAFEhaven Home Team project assisted qualified Comal County Senior Citizens Foundation clients who were physically unable or lacked the finances to make improvements in their homes that will help lower their utility costs and also make their homes a safer place to live. The simple household tasks such as changing out A/C filters, replacing burnt out light bulbs, changing batteries in smoke detectors and weatherizing doors and windows will go a long way to improving the safety and comfort of these residents.

Find out about upcoming SAFEhaven events here. You are also welcome to call 830-629-8486 if you have questions about SAFEhaven.

UBAP—The NBU Utility Bill Assistance Program is designed to aid customers in our service area who are experiencing extreme hardship and financial need. The Salvation Army of Comal County manages the program for NBU and is charged with accepting applications and determining the amount of assistance that can be provided to customers to help pay for electric, water and wastewater charges on the bill. Contact the Salvation Army of Comal County directly at (830) 608-9129 for more information.