January 2016
MEMBERSHIP
matters
A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FROM BLUE RIDGE ELECTRIC MEMBERSHIP CORPORATION
Exciting news for members! The rate reduction announced in December is getting even better in 2016! Members will now save $18 per 1,000 kWh of electricity used and the reduction has been extended through June. For the average member, this equates to a 15 percent rate reduction for six months! Overall, members will save more than $10 million. The rate reduction is possible primarily due to historically low natural gas prices that have reduced the cost of our wholesale power.
Members love 24/7 service options! Did you know we offer many services any time of the day or night? To pay your bill, get account information, or extend your due date simply call us at 800-451-5474 or go online to www.BlueRidgeEMC.com and click “My Account.” You can pay by check, credit or debit card using these options. Customers of Blue Ridge Energies, our heating fuels subsidiary, can also pay their fuel bill and check account information by clicking on the “Manage My Account” link at www.BlueRidgeEnergies.com or by calling 800-726-0405. Payment kiosks are another great 24/7 service option. These are located at each district office and accept cash or checks as well as debit and credit cards. We’ve also recently added an indoor kiosk in the Watauga district office foyer plus a new remote payment kiosk at Harris Teeter on Shadowline Drive in Boone. Two additional community locations are planned for the near future. Try one of these convenient options today!
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the
perspective From Blue Ridge CEO Doug Johnson
Member benefits in 2016 I’m very pleased to announce some really good news for members: a rate reduction of $18 per 1,000 kWh, January through June 2016. This is twice as much money and twice as long as the reduction we did first quarter of 2015! This good news can be primarily attributed to historically low natural gas prices that have reduced our wholesale power cost. The reduction began on December 2015 bills at $9 per 1,000 kWh and will double on January through June bills. For the average member, this reduction equates to a 15 percent rate cut for six months. Further financial benefit to members could come later this spring as the Board of Directors consider the opportunity to approve a capital credits retirement that could result in members receiving $4.8 million. This would be the largest refund of capital credits in the cooperative’s 80-year history! And, we will have more exciting benefits for members that will be announced during the first few months of 2016. With our Utility of the Future initiative, members will have the opportunity to participate in community solar in each of our four districts. New energy efficiency programs are also
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planned to help members reduce their electric bills. To make it easier to do business with us, we’re rolling out a Blue Ridge Electric app that will allow members to report outages, pay bills, and get account information from smart phones and mobile devices. Additionally, more payment kiosks will be added to outlying community locations, making it especially convenient to pay 24/7 by cash, check, debit or credit card for our 5,000 FlexPay “pay as you go” members — although any member may use our kiosks. Automated telephone and kiosk services are also being expanded for our Blue Ridge Energies propane and heating fuels customers. Finally, construction will begin this year on a new Caldwell District office to better meet the needs of members and customers of our growing companies. It will also provide significant operating efficiencies and safety improvements for our employees. Our primary purpose is to serve others and to make life better for the people in our area. This year is looking like another great year for your cooperative, and personally, I wish each of you a prosperous and joyful New Year!
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ng ers anng nt ur ny nd ue
ew of It nd
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s
Members Foundation 2015 grant recipients Alleghany County Alleghany Memorial Hospital
$16,000
To purchase a cardiac defibrillator with waveform capnography capabilities to ensure quality CPR.
Sparta-Alleghany Volunteer Fire Department
$2,500
Funding to add reflective fire hydrant markers to 400 hydrants in the county and town to aid in locating water sources faster during emergencies.
Friends of the Auditorium
$2,500
To assist in the funding of interior renovations.
Ashe County Sharing Center
$7,000
Funding to create a mobile, year-round children’s pantry.
Ashe Partnership for Children
$3,000
Funding to implement “Safe Dates,” a dating abuse primary prevention curriculum with all 9th grade health classes at Ashe County High School.
Riverview Community Center
$15,000
Funding to replace existing roof for the portion of the building currently being used by Ashe Outreach Ministries.
Caldwell Co. Lions Association
$1,000
To continue 10 free eyeglass clinics each year for low-income citizens of Caldwell County.
Lenoir Soup Kitchen
$12,000
Funding to replace a 37-year-old indoor freezer and build a new outdoor freezer to meet the kitchen’s growing needs.
Yadkin Valley Volunteer Fire Department
$10,000
To purchase an electronic hydraulic combination cutter/spreader tool to assist in auto accidents, forcible entry to structures, agricultural and industrial accidents.
South Caldwell Christian Ministries
$3,000
To be used for food purchases for the ministries’ food pantry.
Community Care Clinic
$10,000
To support expansion of off-site clinics in the Meat Camp and Cove Creek communities
Eagle Rock Ministries, Inc.
$3,000
Funds to support the “High Country Toy Run,” a project to purchase items for less fortunate children in the county for Christmas.
Hunger and Health Coalition
$5,000
Funding for the food pantry and pharmacy program to assist families in need.
Ashe County
Caldwell County
Watauga County
Total $90,000
Director candidate nominee options Members wishing to be considered as a director candidate nominee have two application options: the Nominating Committee process or the nomination by petition process. Interested members must complete and submit a director application packet by contacting Julie O’Dell-Michie, chief administrative officer. All application information is due by Tuesday, March 1, 2016, when going through the Nominating Committee process and by Friday, April 1, 2016, for those seeking
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nomination by petition. Nominations by petition must include signatures of 20 or more members with a minimum of five from each of the four directorate districts with a requirement that each signature is the name that appears on their electric service bill. For a complete list of qualifications to serve as a director of Blue Ridge Electric, please refer to the cooperative’s Bylaws available at any Blue Ridge Electric office or online at www.BlueRidgeEMC.com.
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This is the second of a series of articles discussing our vegetation management program.
Reliability depends on vegetation management Reliable electricity depends on a vegetation management program that helps protect power lines from trees and provides a safe working environment for linemen. In our scenic area, our goal is to balance these needs with the natural beauty of the environment. To achieve this balance, our program is managed
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Doug Johnson
EDITOR Renée R. Whitener
PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR Susan Simmons
DISTRICT OFFICES Caldwell Watauga Ashe Alleghany Wilkes PowerLine®
(828) 754-9071 (828) 264-8894 (336) 846-7138 (336) 372-4646 (800) 451-5474 (800) 448-2383
Toll Free
(800) 451-5474
(PowerLine® is an automated account information and outage reporting system.)
(for members outside of the service area.)
To report an outage at any time, call one of the numbers listed above. OFFICE HOURS: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm, Monday-Friday Kiosk available 24/7 + Night deposit Visit us on the web: BlueRidgeEMC.com +
This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
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for threats to reliable electricity: foliage growing underneath power lines and branches that could grow into power lines as well as dead or diseased trees that could fall into power lines. We evaluate each situation to hand trim, mow, side trim or use a tall mechanical trimmer to remove foliage that endangers power lines.
Blue Ridge Electric is a national top-performer in electric reliability ratings at 99.9%. by a certified arborist. The process begins at each substation and follows the path of our power lines. Crews look
We’re careful to leave landscaped areas such as yards and pastures as we found them. However, areas that are not
normally landscaped are left with vegetation debris that is naturally biodegradable. Every inch of our 8,000 miles of power lines is reviewed and trimmed at least once every six years to help avoid large growth more likely to cause outages. Another key to reliable electricity is environmentally safe herbicides used in select locations. In the next article of this series, we’ll discuss herbicides along with how members are contacted before vegetation management work begins on their property.
Resolutions deadline The deadline for members to submit resolutions to be considered for presentation at the 2016 Annual Meeting is February 26. 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 their 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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