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Possible Discount on Electric Bill with CPAP

Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 12:49 am
by SleepingBeauty
Southern California Edison gives a medical discount to people on CPAP. Once you are a registered medical user, they will also contact you to let you know if the power in your area is to be turned off for some reason - if the shut off is planned and not a breakdown of some sort.

I've posted about this before, but I thought it might be beneficial for the newer members of the board to check with your power company to find out if they offer such a discount/notify service. The discount isn't huge, but every bit helps. I really like the notification factor to allow you to either get out your battery and make sure it is charged up (if you own one) or make arrangements to go to a friend's home or hotel for the night.


Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 4:49 am
by lilsheba
I'm going to look into that thanks!!!

Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 5:28 am
by samofny
Do you all keep your xPAP plugged in all day? I might start unplugging it, since the "stand-by" mode of most electronic devices still suck up a lot of electricity. I find it wasteful.

Sam

Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 6:17 am
by lilsheba
Oh no I unplug mine. I have cats that could step on it and turn it on and do all kinds of damange. Besides you're right it's wasteful, what's the point of having it on or plugged in if you aren't using it at the time?

Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 6:24 am
by RachelM
This is good info if your electric company supplies such service. A while back I checked with mine about it. They offer no discount. What they will do is: fill in the paperwork, have signed by doctor, and it goes in their files. In case of outage, there is some preference given to homes operating life-sustaining emergency equipment. CPAP does qualify as such with them.

They never sent me out the paperwork and I forgot about it. The post was a reminder to me to contact them again.


Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 6:47 am
by Pam
What a great idea. Thank you for reposting this for us newbies. I will telephone mine today.

Also wanted to know about unpluging like ya'll said, does the machine lose its setting is unplugged??

Thank you everyone your the greatest
Pam

Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 8:11 am
by echo
Pam - Nope, unplugging it will not make it lose its settings.

Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 9:14 am
by papdaddy
Thanks for the info . I never thought about that . I am going to call them today , as every little bit saved can go to my new mask fund

Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 9:19 am
by lilsheba
Another cost saving advantage I have is with our public transit system here. They have what's called an Honored Citizens program. It's a lower fare, monthly pass is onlly $23.00. You qualify in two ways: 1. being 65 or over or 2. being disabled, and that can be medically proven. OSA is a recognized disability, and it enabled me to be on their program. I applied for it, got the sleep center to fill out their portion of the form, and then the transit company sends you a card that proves you are entitled to the low far.

So for any that use public transit, if your system offers a program that's something else to go for.

Any other cost savings out there?

Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 9:55 am
by SisterShotgun
I looked at Souther Ca Edision's website and downloaded the forms to fill out and made an appointment with my doctor.

Now on their website it mentions intermittent positive pressure breathing machines is this the same as a CPAP?


Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 11:27 am
by Guest
SisterShotgun wrote:I looked at Souther Ca Edision's website and downloaded the forms to fill out and made an appointment with my doctor.

Now on their website it mentions intermittent positive pressure breathing machines is this the same as a CPAP?
PG&E also states that IPPB's qualify but "therapy" devices do not. Is an xPAP a therapy? IPPB's are usually used to deliver medication so I understand the need and qualification.

I guess you can just stay awake during a power outage but I think the spirit of the "reduced rate" is because you are using electricity for medical reasons and would not normally use an electrical device all night. Can't hurt to try, all they can do is deny it.


Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 12:00 pm
by Goofproof
I've had electric power for 50 years and have never had it turn off because of a planned outage. XPAPs add little to electric bills, O2 Compressers do.

Unplugging something that uses logic, it's harder on it, spiking the electronics, than leaving it on and water vapor is less likely to condense insid the unit as it will be warmer than the room.

Everything has a on-off swicth, they wouldn't have wasted that 25 cents, itf they had meant for the card to be removed, that 25 cents would have been profit. Jim


Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 4:31 pm
by billbolton
Goofproof wrote:Everything has a on-off swicth
There are many devices now a days, including various xPAP machines, that don't have on-off switches on the device.

Unless you have switches on the power outlet (common in some countries, rare in others) the only way to turn such devices definitively off is to unplug them from the power source.

Cheers,

Bill


Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 4:46 pm
by lilsheba
Yup the only way to really turn mine off is by unplugging it. I just feel safer and more secure knowing it's off during the day when I'm not home. And I don't leave the humidifier in there during the day so it doesn't condense either. It's not like a tv or computer I think it handles the on/off thing every day just fine.


Posted: Wed Sep 05, 2007 4:34 pm
by SisterShotgun
I took the application to my doctor today and she told me that she has filled this out before for other other people with apnea. She said a CPAP is a form of life support, because the airway closes when I breathe. My RT calls it CPAP therapy but he also said that it is a form of life support.

Application filled out and sent in todays mail to the electric company. Even if the discount is small, it will be better than nothing.