Your Electric Co-op

General Manager

Denise Barrera

Address

610 Highway 195 • P.O. Box 290 Elephant Butte, NM 87935

Telephone

575-744-5231

Outages

888-336-3380

Fax

575-744-5819

Email

sierra@secpower.com

Website

www.sierraelectric.org

Office Hours

8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (M-F)

Board of Trustees President

John Bokich, Elephant Butte, District 2

Vice President

Thomas Stroup, Elephant Butte, District 2

Secretary

Tami Garrett, Las Palomas, District 3

Treasurer

George Biel, Monticello, District 3

Dennis Franklin

Williamsburg, District 1

Judy Smith

Caballo, District 1

Vacant

District 2

Darryl Sullivan

Monticello, District 3

Board Meeting

The Board of Trustees meets the third Friday of the month at 8:30 a.m. in the Cooperative boardroom.

Reminder About Time-of-Use Rates

Daylight Savings Time ends November 1st; and at 2:00 a.m., November 1st, we “fall back” into Standard Mountain Time. As a reminder to members who are taking advantage of our time-of-use rates, this will move the On-Peak rate to the hours between 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. every day of the week. The On-Peak rate is a higher rate you pay for the energy used during those hours.

Not sure if you are on Rate Number and Description Bill Type a time-of-use rate? Check 31, 41 TOU your bill! The rate number Residential On- and Off- Peak and description will be 32, 42 TOU listed on your bill stateSmall Commercial On- and Off- Peak ment. The graph shows the rate number and descriptions which are time-of35, 45 Irrigation On- and Off- Peak TOU use. If you are not sure you are benefiting on the time-of-use rate, be sure to contact us and we will analyze your usage for you.

Important Notice: Billing Changes

As we have communicated over the past several months, we are working towards combining four billing cycles into one. This process is very confusing for some members. We apologize for the confusion and inconveniences but, again, want to thank our members for their patience and understanding during the transition.

Starting November 2020, customers will be billed at the beginning of the month, and payments are due on or after the 21st of the month.

Again, if you are having difficulty paying your bill, contact us to discuss payment options.

Please contact us if you need further explanation of your billed charges, and, a BIG THANK YOU to you—our members!

LIHEAP Winter Moratorium Reminder

Protection from winter shut-off begins November 15, 2020. To avoid potential disconnection of services please contact the Human Services Department at 800-283-4465, or the appropriate tribal or pueblo entity for eligibility information for low income heating energy assistance program (LIHEAP). Your service will not be disconnected from November 15, 2020, through March 15, 2021, if you meet the qualifications of LIHEAP and have no past due amounts or you remain current on any settlement or installment agreement for amounts due as of November 15, 2020. Members of New Mexico tribes or pueblos who need help with translation or with other matters may contact the public regulation commission’s consumer relations division at 888-427-5772, who will contact the appropriate tribal or pueblo official for assistance. Para informacion en español llame 575-744-5231.

WHY IS MY BILL SO HIGH?

As the summer cooling season ends and the winter heating season is just around the corner, we want to take this opportunity to answer a question we hear throughout the year from our members. Why is my bill so high?

Well, actually—we can’t answer that for you. Why? Because you are the consumer—the person who purchases the electric services for your use. You are the only one with the knowledge needed to answer that question.

Below are tips to help you explore possible reasons for a high bill. Don’t forget, you can track your energy usage patterns online using the SmartHub application. Visit us at www.sierraelectric.org to register your account.

If, after looking over all the information, you are still unable to determine why your energy usage is higher than expected, feel free to give us a call and we will ask you more in-depth questions to help you identify possible causes.

Possible reasons for a high bill:

• First, check the Account Summary box on your bill statement. Is the total balance due comprised of only the current balance or was there a balance forward from a previous bill? It might be that you sent a payment in, but we billed the current bill before the last bill’s payment was received in our office. • Second, check the Services From/To dates and Days in the Account/Service Address section. This will

tell you the dates of the service you are being billed for. Remember, electric is one of those services you actually get to use before you pay for it. It can be easy to forget what may have happened 30 days ago that caused your bill to be high when you got it today. • Third, review the kWh Usage History graph and comparisons table below it. Is the Average (AVG) kWh similar or drastically different? If it is similar, then chances are there may have been a change in the number of days billed or a change in the adjustments charged. Sierra Electric Cooperative’s rate schedule has been in place since 2017. If there is a change in rates, we are required to communicate that to the members in the enchantment magazine. However, the fuel adjustment and DC (debt cost) adjustments fluctuate monthly and quarterly, respectively. The fuel adjustment covers increases or decreases in our power bill from Tri-State G & T for energy usage and the debt cost adjustment covers increases or decreases in interest on loans. • Finally, take time to educate yourself. Research energy saving tips for the appliances you use most.

Understand that energy efficiency does not equal lower costs. For example, an Energy Star® 5,000 BTU window air conditioner equals 1,465 watts. If you use the air conditioner for 8 hours a day, you would use 11.72 kWh. If you use the air conditioner for 8 hours a day for 30 days, you would use 351.6 kWh. At our residential rate of $0.14385/kWh, that equals $50.58 in electric charges. And, that’s a small air conditioner!

Holiday Safety Tip

Smoke alarms should be installed in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level of the home. For the best protection, smoke alarms should be interconnected so they all sound if one sounds. Test the batteries in each smoke alarm every month, replace once a year, and replace the unit every 10 years.

Daylight Saving Time

November 1 is Daylight Saving Time. Remember to set your clocks back one hour. We are thankful and grateful for our members, friends, and families.

Our Office is Closed for: Veterans Day Thanksgiving

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, November 11 November 26 and 27