MAY 2016 | BILL INSERT
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
YOUR DESIGN HERE
• Show us your design skills to enter to win a big cash prize. • Meet our Home Energy Efficiency Makeover program winners. • An innovative rate program will soon be available. • May is National Electrical Safety Month. Learn a few tips to be safe.
MEMBERS ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE! Design our next Annual Meeting T-shirt for a chance to win $1,000 cash. Do you have a cool idea for a Cobb EMC T-shirt? Enter our Annual Meeting T-shirt design contest for the chance to win cash and have your design printed on thousands of T-shirts. The design must relate to Cobb EMC or energy efficiency. Submissions are due June 30, 2016. If you are selected as a finalist, your design will be posted on Cobb EMC’s Facebook page and the community will vote for the winner. Contest rules: • Participants* must live in a primary residence served by Cobb EMC. • Designs must be limited to two colors. • The theme of the design should relate to Cobb EMC or energy efficiency and must be your own original, unpublished work. SO# PO#
Orders@STGMarketing.com
ASI# 316175
Color: Charcoal White front and back
www.cobbemc.com/tshirt
Rep ID: 3988
PO# WS1885812
2015
Annual Meeting: Key dates and deadlines
Kelly Green White with Yellow Bulb
*Please review artwork carefully. Final approval is your responsibilty for any omissions, errors, or misspelling. Concept, Artwork & Design is the property of Vineyard Imaging, powered by Halo Branded Solutions. Any reproduction without the express written permission of the sales rep or designer is prohibited.
*Participants under 18 years of age must have their parent or guardian’s permission before entering the contest.
TIMELINE & PRIZES May 1: Contest opens for submissions June 30: Submission deadline July 15: If your design is selected as a finalist, it will be posted on our Facebook page for the community to vote July 29: Deadline for voting on Facebook September 17: The winner will be announced at our 2016 Annual Meeting
2nd
$500 cash
Cobb EMC remains committed to doing what we can to help the environment while continuing to provide our members reliable, affordable electric energy options. That’s why we’ve made the benefits of clean, renewable power more widely available to our members through our Cooperative Solar program. www.cobbemc.com/coopsolar
Joe Durham
404.217.6374 Joe.Durham@Halo.com
2014
Capture your share of the sun
1st
$1,000 cash
Your design on thousands of T-shirts.
3rd $250 cash
May 27: Nomination petitions for Director elections must be submitted (Sec. 3.07). Terms for directors of districts 4, 5 and 8 will be expiring at the Annual Meeting. June 9: Member sponsored bylaw amendments must be submitted (Sec. 10.01). August 12: Notice must be received from any member desiring to exceed the 5 minute speaking limitation for the Annual Meeting (Sec. 2.12). www.cobbemc.com/annualmeeting
BRINGING YOU THE POWER OF MEMBERSHIP Meet the Home Energy Efficiency Makeover winners For the first time, Cobb EMC partnered with the Cobb Heating and Air Association and Gas South to give one deserving member a Home Energy Efficiency Makeover. The makeover selection committee considered more than 40 nominations and chose Wes and Shannon Pilgrim, of Marietta, as the winners. Wes Pilgrim, a U.S. Marine veteran, and his wife will receive energy-efficient appliances, a bill credit from Cobb EMC, two years of free natural gas service from Gas South, and a new HVAC unit, water heater, insulation and duct work courtesy of participating Cobb Heating and Air Association members. Visit www.cobbemc.com/makeover to see their story.
Sponsors:
*For a full list of sponsors, please visit our website.
BRINGING YOU THE POWER OF COMMUNITY Powering a bright future for our community Through Operation Round Up®, our members have contributed more than $1.7 million to charities in our community. Find a full list of Operation Round Up recipients at www.cobbemc.com/roundup. April 2016 donations • 10 Women of Hope Inc. • American Cancer Society • Atlanta Community Food Bank • Booth Western Art Museum • Camp Kudzu Inc. • Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta • Cobb Library Foundation • CobbWorks Inc. • Dream Makers Youth Foundation • Enable of Georgia Inc. • Extension Inc.
• Fragile Kids Foundation • Friends of the Strand Inc. • Life Foundation Inc. • Life Learning Community Center • Loving Arms Cancer Outreach • Make-A-Wish Georgia • Muscular Dystrophy Association • MUST Ministries • NAMI Georgia • Smith Gilbert Gardens Foundation
BRINGING YOU THE POWER OF SAFETY Putting safety first this month—and throughout the year It’s May, and Cobb EMC is celebrating National Electrical Safety Month. There are many measures you can take to ensure the safety of your loved ones. Use these helpful tips to safeguard your home. IN THE KITCHEN All appliance cords should be placed away from hot surfaces. Pay particular attention to cords around toasters, ovens and ranges. Cords can be damaged by excess heat.
LIGHT THE WAY TO SAFETY The wattage of the bulbs you use in your home should match the wattage indicated on the light fixture. Overheated fixtures can lead to a fire.
BE PREPARED Test smoke alarms every month. Batteries should be replaced at least once a year or sooner if indicated in the manufacturers’ instructions. All smoke alarms should be replaced at least every 10 years.
Sources: Safe Electricity, Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI)
BRINGING YOU THE POWER OF ENERGY
Smart Choice Rate
Start taking control of your bill. As a Cobb EMC member, you’ll soon have the option to take advantage of a new rate that puts you in control of your electric bill. Available in June, the Smart Choice Rate is an innovative rate that gives members a simple way to reduce their electric bill by conserving energy during a limited number of hours each summer. The Smart Choice Rate also makes budgeting easy by minimizing fluctuation in power bills, allowing members to more easily budget expenses.
Learn more at www.cobbemc.com/takecontrol
Get a $25 discount on a smart thermostat! Beat the peak with a smart thermostat. Save money and energy this summer by installing a smart thermostat in your home. When you buy and install a smart thermostat from one of the contractors below, you will receive a $25 discount directly from the contractor. Visit www.cobbemc.com/smartthermostat to learn more.
casteelair.com 770-565-5884
dmckeon.com 770-425-8779
esmithair.com 770-422-1900
shumateheatingandair.com 678-347-4035
APPROVED CONTRACTOR NETWORK: As a Cobb EMC member you are connected to trustworthy contractors through our Approved Contractor Network, including in the areas of duct cleaning, insulation, solar, roofing and HVAC. Find our approved contractors list at www.cobbemc.com/ contractors.
Duct cleaning contractors Accutemp Heating & Cooling Inc. www.accutempair.com Ductz of Greater Atlanta www.ductzatlanta.com Neese-Jones Heating & Cooling www.neesejones.com Electric contractors Casteel Heating & Cooling Inc. www.casteelair.com Sanders Electric www.sanderselectric.com Craft Electric Inc. www.craftelectricinc.com Geothermal contractors Geosaves Inc. www.geosaves.com
Windows, doors and roofing contractors Ben Hill Roofing & Siding Co. www.bhroof.com
Net Zero USA www.netzero-usa.com
BluView Windows Phone: 678-549-7888
Pinnacle Window & Siding Co. www.pinnaclewindows.net
Champion of Atlanta www.championfactorydirect.com
Rainey Brothers Ceiling & Insulation www.raineybros.com
DuraCraft of Georgia Inc. www.duracraftofga.com
Southern Window & Siding www.southernwindowsiding.com
Dynamic Installations LLC www.dynamicinstallsatl.com
SWAT Service www.swatservices.com
Factory Direct Remodeling of Atlanta www.fdratlanta.com Green Day Energy Foundation Inc. www.greendayenergyco.com LCS Residential www.lewallencs.com
Premier Indoor Comfort Systems LLC www.premierindoor.com
Cobb EMC receives industry-leading Safety Accreditation Cobb EMC recently earned accreditation, with a score of 99 out of 100, for its safety practices from the Electric Cooperative Safety Accreditation Program of Georgia. This program promotes the highest standards of safety among electric co-ops in Georgia and must be renewed every three years. As part of the program, unannounced on-site visits occur between accreditation years. Cobb EMC received perfect scores during inspections, resulting in a total score of 109 percent, affirming our commitment to a culture of safety.
cobbemc.com
Nehemiah ReConstruction LLC www.nehemiahexteriors.com
The accreditation process is comprised of two primary components: record keeping and a multi-day on-site visit. The inspection process also includes criteria to determine whether the cooperative is keeping the public safe. Observers inspect public rights of way, utility poles, and over-head and underground wiring to ensure that proper utility practices are being followed. Cobb EMC employees, especially line crews, undergo extensive and ongoing safety training. As part of our ongoing commitment to safety, Cobb EMC is proud to promote consumer education about how electricity works and how to prevent electrical accidents. Obtaining safety accreditation proves that our cooperative is operating as safely as possible, which prevents accidents. Being accredited saves the cooperative, and its members, annually on escalating costs associated with preventable injuries and/or death. Cobb EMC considers safety one of our primary responsibilities to the communities we serve.
Taylor Construction www.taylorconstruction.com Welden Enterprises LLC Phone: (770) 633-7745 Window World of North Atlanta www.windowworldatlanta.com
New payment center office hours Effective July 5, new walk-in and drive-through hours will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Effective July 9, the member care center will be closed on Saturdays and will remain closed on Sundays. Members may still call our member care center Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Did you know? You have 24/7 access to your account when you visit www.cobbemc.com/smarthub.
Mark your calendar Open board meeting Where: 1000 EMC Parkway MAY Marietta, GA 30060 26 When: May 26 at 4 p.m.