OCTOBER 2016 | BILL INSERT
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: • New savings passed along to members. • Did you miss our 78th Annual Meeting? Find a recap here. • Don’t overlook these Halloween safety tips. • Are you aware of energy vampires that lurk in your home?
CELEBRATING NATIONAL CO-OP MONTH Being part of a cooperative means being part of something special. Cobb EMC is celebrating National Cooperative Month in October, along with 40,000 other cooperative businesses serving more than 120 million people nationwide. With the seven cooperative principles binding these unique and diverse businesses, we see that co-ops truly build a better world. We held our 78th Annual Meeting in September, and to us, this event represents our appreciation to our members.
More than 2,700 members attended our 78th Annual Meeting Thank you to our more than 2,700 registered members who attended our Annual Meeting at Jim R. Miller Park. Here are some important takeaways you should know: 2016 director election voting results: District 4 District 5 District 8
David McClellan Tripper Sharp Bryan Boyd
More savings passed along to members Cobb EMC passed along a Wholesale Power Adjustment (WPA) credit of 4 mills per kWh for the month of October. For an average household using 1,000 kilowatt hours, Cobb EMC residential members could see a $4 credit on electric service for the month of October. We are proud that our rates are the lowest in the state and that we can provide additional opportunities to save. Cobb EMC members paid $31.66 less for electric service than the average utility customer this summer. www.cobbemc.com/psc
For a full list of voting results, visit www.cobbemc.com/annualmeeting. Cobb EMC updates mentioned during the meeting: • Cobb EMC rates are the lowest in the state of Georgia. • $24 million has been returned in the form of WPA credits (Wholesale Power Adjustment) on your electric bill. • The Cobb EMC Community Foundation reached a milestone of giving $2 million back to local nonprofit organizations.
Mark your calendar Open board meeting Where: 1000 EMC Parkway OCT Marietta, GA 30060 25 When: October 25 at 4 p.m. RSVP: (678) 355-3225 You can also RSVP at: www.cobbemc.com/boardmeeting New Board of Director Officers Tripper Sharp - Chairman Ed Crowell - Vice Chair Malcolm Swanson - Secretary/ Treasurer
Visit our Facebook page to view more photos from the Annual Meeting at www.facebook.com/cobbemc.
BRINGING YOU THE POWER OF MEMBERSHIP The winner for our Annual Meeting T-shirt design contest has been chosen Thank you to all our members who participated in our Annual Meeting T-shirt design contest. The community voted on our Facebook page and we have a winner. Congratulations to Jason Thomas for winning the contest with his “No, dad, it’s not just a phase” design. The contest invited members to create a design that related to Cobb EMC or energy efficiency. The winning design appeared on our 2016 Annual Meeting T-shirts. Have a great idea for next year? Stay informed about the next contest by signing up for our e-newsletter at www.cobbemc.com/enewsletter.
BRINGING YOU THE POWER OF COMMUNITY You have the power to empower our community Through Operation Round Up®, our members have contributed more than $2 million to our community, supporting local organizations. www.cobbemc.com/roundup September 2016 donations • Atlanta Area Council Boy Scouts of America • Cherokee County Educational Foundation • Cobb Christmas Inc. • The Cobb County Youth Museum • Cobb Library Foundation • Communities in Schools of Marietta/Cobb County • Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America • Foster Care Support Foundation • Georgia Symphony Orchestra • KidS3 • Marietta Museum of History • Paulding Education Foundation • Special Needs Development Group
BRINGING YOU THE POWER OF SAFETY Light up this Halloween Everyone loves a good scare on Halloween, but not when it comes to child safety. There are several easy and effective behaviors that parents can share with kids to help reduce their risk of injury.
Decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape or stickers and, if possible, choose light colors. Since masks can sometimes obstruct a child’s vision, try non-toxic face paint and makeup whenever possible.
Have kids use glow sticks or flashlights to help them see and be seen by drivers.
Remember to stick to familiar areas that are well lit and trick-or-treat in groups.
Source: Safekids.org
BRINGING YOU THE POWER OF ENERGY Energy vampires may be lurking in your home Did you know that you are sharing your home with energy vampires—electronic and electrical devices that continue to use electricity even when turned off? On average, these items are responsible for an estimated 10 percent of the electricity you use every month. Here’s a few tips that can help you drive a stake through the heart of these vampires, saving energy and money: • One way to identify energy vampires is to look for devices with remote controls—TVs, DVRs and audio equipment, for example. Then target gaming consoles, computers, monitors and printers, as well as chargers for cell phones, tablets, small DVD players and laptops. Chargers draw energy even when they’re not charging anything. • An easy way to seal the coffin on energy vampires is to plug components of your computer or home entertainment system into a power strip. With a single flip of a switch, you can fully cut power to them. Don’t forget to unplug any appliances—such as coffee makers and toaster ovens—with digital clocks when you aren’t using them. Find 101 more energy savings tips online at www.cobbemc.com/energysavings.
Save energy in your home by locating energy vampires! Circle the energy vampires below, and use the key to check your answers.
3. CABLE/SET TOP BOX 2. CELLPHONE CHARGER
4. DISHWASHER
7. LAMP
5. LAPTOP CHARGER 6. COFFEE MAKER
8. HAIR DRYER Answer key: Cellphone charger, laptop charger, cable box, hair dryer, coffee maker.
1. OVEN
BRINGING YOU THE POWER OF MEMBERSHIP Have you seen our outage map’s weather feature? Cobb EMC is here to power your every day life, connecting you to reliable electricity. Our 99.99 percent reliability rating helps assure our members that you can count on us, rain or shine. But, for those times where uncontrollable circumstances like weather, animals or car accidents cause an outage, we have a great tool to keep you informed about outages. Our outage map keeps you up-to-date on current outages and provides an estimated restoration time. You can now see the weather feature on the desktop view that allows you to: • Turn the weather layer on or off • Adjust the transparency of the weather layer • Play a weather loop of the past 4-5 hours Visit www.cobbemc.com/outagecenter to view our outage map and learn more. *The weather feature is not currently available on mobile view.
cobbemc.com
Co-op Connections can save you up to 60% on hotels worldwide Need a vacation? Co-op Connections® offers a new national deal that can help you take a vacation without breaking the bank. HotelStorm saves you money so you can explore the world around you. Search the inventory of more than 700,000 hotels worldwide, from modern boutiques to big brands. Most rates are 100% cancellable. Visit www.cobbemc.com/discounts to log in and unlock the deals. When prompted for a passcode, enter your member number found on the back of your Co-op Connections Card. Don’t have a card? No problem. Visit www.cobbemc.com/requestcard to request a card be mailed to you or print one. You can also download the app for Android or iPhone to keep the card handy at www.cobbemc.com/discounts.