2010-10_MembershipMatters

October 2010

Smart meters are enabling members to save energy and money with a new electricity monitoring tool

Blue Ridge Electric Offers Google PowerMeter™ to Members In an ongoing effort to help members save money by better managing their energy usage, Blue Ridge Electric is the first utility in North Carolina to offer Google PowerMeter™.

Google PowerMeter is a software tool that allows users to see a near-real-time display of their energy usage through their computer or mobile phone with a Google account, all enabled by Blue Ridge Electric’s innovative smart meter technology. Google PowerMeter service is free but users must first set up a Google account.

Offering the tool is an exciting new way in which members can better understand their individual electricity usage in order to get more control over their energy consumption with the goal of lowering their costs.

“If our members can measure and view their electricity use on a daily basis, it will be easier to determine where and how to control energy use and ultimately realize savings on their electric bill,” said Renee Whitener, director of public relations for Blue Ridge Electric. “We’re excited about offering Google PowerMeter so that our members can have information right on their computer desktop or cell phone,” she added. Google PowerMeter is available to any Blue Ridge Electric member with a smart meter. Smart meters have been installed and activated across the Blue Ridge system, although Watauga County will not be completely activated until the end of this year.

Participation is voluntary but users must sign in to participate (members may unenroll or delete their electricity usage data at any time as well). Furthermore, no personally identifiable information is shared between Google and Blue Ridge Electric. Users should be aware that the tool provides rough estimates of monthly costs.

To sign up and begin using Google PowerMeter, go to www.BlueRidgeEMC.com and look for the information and link to www.google.com/powermeter.

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Electricity Still a Good Value

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ators, and a number of televisions, gaming systems, and other electronics.

While there’s no denying the cost of electricity has risen over time, it’s important to understand that electricity remains as one of the best bargains around, especially when compared to other goods and services.

Blue Ridge Electric has been able to keep electricity reliable and balance the cost through good planning for infrastructure needs and securing the best wholesale power prices available in the marketplace.Our employees have also worked to reduce costs, saving nearly $1 million for members in just the past year through a special WorkSmart effort.

For example, think of the cost of a gallon of gasoline 30 years ago — or even 10 years ago — compared to today’s prices. How about groceries, prescription medication, the clothing we wear, or the cars we drive? Or, consider the cost to communicate with each other in today’s world. Who would have thought we would depend so heavily on cell phones, computers, and the Internet just a few years ago?

While no one likes the fact that costs are rising, it does help to understand that electricity has remained a good value over time. This is true even with demand for electricity at historically high levels and expensive investments being made to keep electricity reliably flowing.

In fact, the U.S. Dept. of Energy Information forecasts that electricity consumption will increase 45 percent by 2030. This makes sense when you think about how many electronics you had in your home as a child compared to now. Most modern homes are larger so more heating, cooling and lighting is needed. Many of us now have several computers, larger refriger-

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Electricity is an invaluable part of our daily lives and it is a critical component of the economic vitality of our nation. It is affordable, reliable and readily available. In fact, most of us rarely give electricity a second thought — we simply trust that it will be there when we need it whether we’re taking a hot shower, turning on our computers, or flipping on a light. As a result, we often take the value of electricity for granted.

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To keep up with demand, utilities must spend millions of dollars to keep electricity reliable and plentiful by building substations, transmission and distribution power lines and the communications network linking systems together.

When you think about all the necessities, comforts and conveniences made possible with your electricity from Blue Ridge Electric, we hope you agree it’s a good value in today’s world. For our average member using about 900 kilowatt hours monthly, the daily cost is less than $4. For most of us, each day that will cook at least two family meals, light up our home, perk our coffee in the morning, heat the water for baths and showers, and wash and dry our clothes. It even provides television, stereo and computer entertainment!

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Did You Know?

You’re taking advantage of one of the best deals around every time you plug in an electrical device. Sure, you pay your power bill each month, but do you know what you’re really getting?

For every $1 you spend on electricity, here’s how long you’re able to operate common household electronics*: • • • • •

Refrigerator: Ceiling fan: Lamp: Cell phone: 32-inch LCD TV:

1 week 30 days 6 months 1½ years 88 hours

*Sources: ENERGY STAR, U.S. Department of Energy, Natural Resource Defense Council, manufacturers’ information.

The employee team at Blue Ridge is proud to provide you with very reliable electric service, delivered with outstanding customer care and at the lowest possible cost. We consider our members to be our friends and neighbors — that’s the cooperative spirit behind Blue Ridge Electric. And it’s the real power behind providing good value with your electricity.

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More News One of the first bucket trucks...

We Need Your Photos, Stories!

Blue Ridge Electric will celebrate its 75th anniversary next year! We’re inviting our members to join us in the celebration by sharing your photographs and stories. Much has changed over this period of time and we’d like to commemorate the integral part Blue Ridge Electric, its leaders, employees and members have played in the development of northwest North Carolina over the past decades.

We’re interested in all your Blue Ridge Electric memories and experiences! Tell us or show us a photo about when the lights came on, a special Blue Ridge lineman or other employee, or about when a storm affected your electricity. Maybe you have a funny experience to share. Let us know how Blue Ridge Electric has helped you or improved the quality of life for this area. We want you to help us honor the Blue Ridge legacy!

Submissions will be handled with care and returned to their owner. Photos and stories can be mailed to: Renee Whitener, Director of Public Relations PO Box 112 Lenoir, NC 28645 Or emailed to: rwhitener@blueridgeemc.com or Blue Ridge Electric’s Facebook site.

New Technology Being Installed in Watauga County Specialized Technical Services (Team STS), a contractor for Blue Ridge Electric, is currently installing automated smart meters in the cooperative’s Watauga County service area.

The automated metering infrastructure (AMI) being installed across the Blue Ridge Electric system holds many benefits for both members and the cooperative. In addition to providing a powerful tool that helps the cooperative further improve and monitor the reliable flow of electricity to members, AMI brings the latest technology to the metering and electric system as a whole. With AMI, energy usage and load information is communicated over the power lines to the cooperative with precise accuracy. This will offer members detailed information about their home or business energy usage, which could be used to help better control energy costs and improve efficiency.

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Members Only NEWS

~For Members of Blue Ridge Electric

Think Safety CORPORATE OFFICE PO Box 112 • Lenoir, NC 28645

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Doug Johnson EDITOR Renée R. Whitener PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR Susan Simmons

If you see an electric utility substation with warning signs that read “DANGER — KEEP OUT,” your first inclination should be to think “safety first” and walk in the opposite direction.

However, some people are gambling with their safety and their very lives by trespassing in substations or other electric plant facilities in the pursuit of copper.

There have been cases where thieves have been hurt or killed when attempting to take copper from electric substations.

Blue Ridge Electric reminds members of the following tips to ensure safety: •

DISTRICT OFFICES Caldwell (828) 754-9071 Watauga (828) 264-8894 Ashe (336) 246-7138 Alleghany (336) 372-4646 Wilkes (800) 451-5474 (800) 448-2383 PowerLine® (PowerLine® is an automated account information and outage reporting system.)

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Being Smart With Energy

Toll Free 1 (800) 451-5474 (for members outside the service area)

Fall marks the return of those chilly days when we love to curl up by the fire and read our favorite book. Stay warm, comfortable and safe by following these simple energy tips.

To report an outage at any time, call one of the numbers listed above.

OFFICE HOURS 8:30 am - 5:00 pm, Monday - Friday Night deposit available.

Visit us on the Web: www.BlueRidgeEMC.com

If you see any unusual activity in or around substations, towers, utility poles, storage sites and other electric utility property, report it to your local electric cooperative or call 911 or your law enforcement agency immediately.

No one should ever climb substation fences, utility poles or towers. You should also stay far away from substations and transformers. Activity near electric utility facilities could be hazardous and can result in severe injury and even death.

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Inspect the chimney before lighting the first fire. Early fall is the best time to inspect the chimney.

Never leave a fire burning after you retire for the evening.

Use extra blankets when you sleep. It saves energy, money, the environment and any accidents that can occur from unattended fires or space heaters.

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