2013-01-MM

January 2013

This is the first of a series of articles discussing vegetation management

Vegetation management aids reliable electricity

Severe weather that involves ice, wind and lightning, and the damage they do to trees are the major causes of outages. With more than 8,000 miles of power lines to protect, your electric cooperative works all year long on our vegetation management program to ensure our members enjoy the most reliable electricity possible. This effort allows Blue Ridge Electric to rank among the top of all utilities in reliability.

We control vegetation in our rights-of way. What is a right-of-way? It’s a corridor — or strip of land — along either side of the power lines. The vast majority of our system is made up of distribution lines, which carry power from local substations to homes and businesses. The right-of-way for this type of line is a total of 30 feet, or 15 feet on each side.

Blue Ridge Electric is somewhat unique as a distribution utility in that we must also build and maintain part of our own transmission system in order to get high voltage electricity from our power supplier to our mountain districts. The right-of-way for these higher voltage lines ranges from a total of 100 to 250 feet, depending on the voltage of the line.

Rights-of-way give us access to build and maintain the lines and facilities that provide reliable electricity to our members. They also enable our linemen to work safely during outages or routine work, especially when large trucks, poles or equipment are needed.

Many people don’t know that power lines carrying electricity can energize anything or anyone that gets too close to the line, including a tree or tree limb, ladder, or even a wet kite string. Maintained rights-of-way help ensure that trees don’t get close enough to power lines to energize them, and while this helps keep electricity reliable, it also helps keep people and even animals from being electrocuted or severely injured.

This distribution line has 15 feet of rightof-way on either side for a total of 30 feet.

Our right-of-way and vegetation management program combines several methods to control growth — all with the goal of balancing the beauty of our area while ensuring safe, reliable electricity. In the next article, we’ll discuss these methods and why this innovative approach benefits members.

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As a cooperative, we don’t exist to make a profit, but rather to provide the most affordable electricity possible. Keeping your electric bills affordable is a goal we’re working harder than ever to achieve. One way we plan to achieve more member value is our strategy to double our capital credits refund to you in 2013. For the average member, this will increase your refund to more than double what you received in 2012.

As I’ve written in earlier columns, our nation’s utilities are in a rising costs environment for the foreseeable future due to several key factors: the growing number of environmental regulations, the need to upgrade power delivery systems, and the need to build new power generation plants.

Our largest expense is the purchase of wholesale electricity to distribute to our members, so the biggest impact we can have is by working with our power supplier, Duke Energy Carolinas. We’ve secured the best price available in the marketplace and while rising costs will continue to impact all utilities, we’re working with Duke to moderate these rising costs.

We’re also containing costs through our employee-led WorkSmart program. In three years, employees have implemented ideas that have helped your cooperative avoid spending nearly $3 million per year without sacrificing service or reliability. Several significant cost savings have been identified through this initiative and we will continue to search for every opportunity to save money for you.

ec as well. Our u ti ve wholly owned, Offi cer Doug Johnson for-profit subsidiaries, Blue Ridge Energies and RidgeLink, are projected to provide more than $1.7 million in net member benefit in 2013. This helps offset rising costs and reduces the amount of future rate adjustments that are inevitable due to the rising cost drivers listed above. These subsidiaries are also providing necessary services, jobs and the potential for future economic development opportunities for our area.

Ex

Improving our members’ lives, businesses, homes and communities is at the heart of all we do at Blue Ridge Electric and every employee shares this passion. As we look toward a new year, I want to share a few highlights of our plans for 2013 and how, as a cooperative, we’re working to make a difference for those we serve.

f hie yC An Editorial b

Outlook for 2013

While we’re focused on containing costs, providing reliable electricity and outstanding member service is at the core of all we do. We take pride in being one of the top-rated electric utilities in the country for both reliable electricity and member service because our members deserve the best.

As part of this commitment to service we will upgrade the Sherwood transmission line in Watauga County this year as well as other reliability projects throughout our service area.

We’ve made great strides in improving the member service experience over the years, whether you do business with us by phone, in person or online. The vast majority of members choose to do business with us by phone so next year we’ll be upgrading our telephone system. This will allow us to provide you with even more convenient, fast telephone service options because we want the service you receive from Blue Ridge to be the best experience you have with any company.

Providing value and the best service to our members is more important than ever. We hope you feel valued as a member and are receiving the best experience possible when you do business with us. That’s the cooperative difference we want to provide to you each and every day throughout this new year!

Adding value for members is a large part of our strategy

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More News Space heaters Electric space heaters can be an effective way to supplement a home’s primary heating system but keep in mind these units may actually increase your overall energy cost if not used wisely.

Always follow the instructions that come with a space heater and consider the following additional usage and safety tips: •

Purchase a safety-certified model.

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Keep units three feet away from combustible materials such as bedding, drapes, clothes, and rugs. Space heaters also have parts that can spark, so don’t use them in areas where you store flammable liquids like kerosene and gasoline.

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In general, plugging space heaters directly into a wall outlet (instead of an extension cord) is best.

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Check safety instructions before using a space heater around water — some models are not intended for use in bathrooms.

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Be sure children are supervised around space heaters. Curious exploration can lead to electrical shock and burns.

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Finally, unplug and store a space heater in a safe place when you’re not using it.

Sources: Electrical Safety Foundation International, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Resolutions deadline The deadline for members to submit resolutions to be considered for presentation at the 2013 Annual Membership Meeting is February 22. Resolutions should be addressed to Doug Johnson, PO Box 112, Lenoir, NC, 28645.

Proposed resolutions should clearly state their relevance to the cooperative’s mission, objectives and operations as well as how they relate to the cooperative’s membership.

A Resolutions Committee will review submissions for compliance

with the Resolutions Policy. At the board’s regular March meeting, the committee will make recommendations for any resolutions to the board. Resolutions approved by the Resolutions Committee and the board of directors will be provided to members for consideration and vote.

The Resolutions Committee is composed of chairpersons of the cooperative’s district Member Advisory Committees and members of the board of directors’ Policy and Member Relations Committee.

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Members Only NEWS

~For Members of Blue Ridge Electric

Thank you very much!

CORPORATE OFFICE PO Box 112 • Lenoir, NC 28645

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Doug Johnson EDITOR Renée R. Whitener PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR Susan Simmons DISTRICT OFFICES Caldwell (828) 754-9071 Watauga (828) 264-8894 Ashe (336) 846-7138 Alleghany (336) 372-4646 Wilkes (800) 451-5474 (800) 448-2383 PowerLine® (PowerLine® is an automated account information and outage reporting system.)

Toll Free 1 (800) 451-5474 (for members outside the service area) To report an outage at any time, call one of the numbers listed above.

We’d like to thank our members for helping us score an “88” in the recent American Customer Satisfaction Index* (ACSI). Your feedback puts Blue Ridge Electric a full eight points higher than the utility industry average. Even though ACSI recognizes “customer” satisfaction, Blue Ridge members are in fact “owners.” That’s an important distinction and it’s why we strive to provide a level of service that’s second to none. *The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) provides a uniform and independent measure of consumer experience with 190 of the leading corporations in America.

The ACSI tracks trends in customer satisfaction and has proven to be a powerful economic indicator for companies, industry trade associations and government agencies.

New Year’s resolution

Be energy efficient!

Now that the holidays are over and we begin to list our New Year’s resolutions, remember to include energy efficiency (preferably just above losing that Christmas weight gain). Not only will becoming energy efficient help conserve energy, it can also help you save on your monthly energy bill if you: • • •

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

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Visit us on the Web: www.BlueRidgeEMC.com

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Use timers or motion sensors on outdoor lights so they’re only on when you need them.

Always turn off the lights whenever you leave the room and replace conventional light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs.

Be sure to turn off other appliances like computers, TVs, and printers when they’re not being used.

Be conservative when you heat or cool your home and install a programmable thermostat to help use energy efficiently.

Insulate your home: seal around windows and doors, use curtains and rugs to keep out the cold, and install doubled-paned windows.

Keep water heaters and refrigerators at the recommended manufacturer setting.

Wash clothes and dishes on cold water cycles.

Investing wisely in your home can provide long-term savings and make 2013 one of your best yet!

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