5 minute read
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
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
Charles McMath, Elephant Butte, District 2
Treasurer
George Biel, Monticello, District 3
Dennis Franklin
Williamsburg, District 1
Tami Garrett
Las Palomas ,District 3
Judy Smith
Caballo, District 1
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.
Trustee Oscar Lee Wood Passes Away
Oscar Lee Wood, a member of Sierra Electric Cooperative’s board of trustees since 2004, passed away on Tuesday, May 26th. A lifetime resident of New Mexico, Mr. Wood, 90, represented members of the cooperative in District Two, which includes his home in Elephant Butte. He also held the office of secretary on the board from April 2014 to April 2018.
Mr. Wood will be remembered by the cooperative for his dedication to the members. Staff recalled that Mr. Wood always had a gentle, respectful, and humble way of speaking. His friendly presence will be missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.
View the online obituary: www.harris-hanlonmortuary.com/obituary/oscar-wood
Regular readers of our Member Newsletter and enchantment magazine may have noticed a lull in our community events reporting due to the COVID-19 situation, which has put a bit of a hold on many of our community programs and events. Fortunately, we were able to award scholarships to eligible high school seniors and college students.
Here is a list of the 2020-2021 recipients of scholarship awards totaling $34,000 from Sierra Electric Cooperative Education Foundation and our partners at Tri-State Generation & Transmission Association and Basin Electric Power Cooperative.
High School Seniors
Zachary Bolen Valarie Garay Dominque Hernandez Nicholas Mcllrath Buddy Neeley Destiny Ragsdale Scarlette Rodriguez Raquel Rojas Shandi Treadwell Haley Woolf
College Students Felix Apodaca Katelyn Apodaca Kaitlin Fancher William “Kade” Hopkins Veronica Melendez Lorraina Rojas
MAKE THE MOST OF CEILING FANS
BY TURNING ON THE FAN, YOU CAN TURN UP THE SAVINGS! If you are like most Americans, you have at least one ceiling fan in your home. Ceiling fans help our indoor life feel more comfortable. They are a decorative addition to our homes and, if used properly, can help lower energy costs. TIPS FOR MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR CEILING FANS.
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1. FLIP THE SWITCH – Most ceiling fans have a switch near the blades. In warm months, flip the switch so that the blades operate in a counterclockwise direction, effectively producing a “wind chill” effect. Fans make the air near them feel cooler than it actually is. In winter, move the switch so the fan blades rotate clockwise, creating a gentle updraft. This pushes warm air down 2 from the ceiling into occupied areas of the room. Regardless of the season, try operating the fan on its lowest setting.
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2. ADJUST YOUR THERMOSTAT – In the summer, when using a fan in conjunction with an air conditioner, or instead of it, you can turn your thermostat up three to five degrees without any reduction in comfort. This saves money since a fan is less costly to run than an air conditioner. In the winter, lower your thermostat’s set point by the same amount. Ceiling fans push the warm air from the ceiling back down toward the living space, which means the furnace won’t turn on as frequently.
3. CHOOSE THE RIGHT SIZE – Make sure your ceiling fan is the right size for the room. A fan that is 36-44 inches in diameter will cool rooms up to 225 square feet. A fan that is 52 inches or more should be used to cool a larger space.
4. TURN IT OFF – When the room is unoccupied, turn the fan off. Fans are intended to cool people, not rooms.
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY Our office is CLOSED Friday, July 3. Normal business hours will resume Monday, July 6.
Be Aware of Phone Scams
A member recently called us to report yet another phone call trying to scam him into believing he was past due on his electric bill and needed to pay immediately. Unfortunately, times like these bring out scammers who are trying to take advantage of innocent people.
Please be aware, our calls to our customers regarding delinquencies are made from our office in Elephant Butte.
We do not use third-party services for customer service. We will not be offended if you refuse to make a payment over the phone and you want to call our office to verify that we are originating the call; that it is not a scammer. In fact, we would suggest that any caller who asks you to provide personal financial account information should be verified.
Call us to speak with a Sierra Electric Cooperative representative who can verify your account and payment status.
feel the rush of 12mph.
Steal away a day on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. It’s a breathtaking journey that zig zags through steep mountain canyons, the high desert, and lush meadows. The train departs from Antonito, Colorado or Chama, New Mexico and returns to the origination point after a hearty lunch in Osier. Feel the rails underneath. Hear the bright steam whistle. And leave all those worries behind.
book now at cumbrestoltec.com 1-888-286-2737
America’s most historic scenic railroad
Enchantment_Rush_7.25x4.75.indd 1
ELECTRICITY REMAINS A GOOD VALUE
The cost of powering your home rises slowly when compared to other common expenses. Looking at price increases over the last five years, it’s easy to see electricity remains a good value! Average Annual Price Increase 2014-2019
Percent
4.0 3.7%
3.5 3.0 2.5
3.0%
2.6%
2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 0 Rent Medical Care Education
0.4%
Electricity
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index
5/25/20 9:57 AM
enchantment Gift Subscriptions 1 Year: $12 or 2 Years: $18 Mail payment (payable to NMRECA) and details to: enchantment 614 Don Gaspar Ave. • Santa Fe, NM 87505
How to contact enchantment Phone 505-982-4671 Email enchantment@nmelectric.coop Facebook facebook.com/enchantmentnmreca Mail 614 Don Gaspar Avenue Santa Fe, NM 87505 Community Events events@nmelectric.coop Display Ads enchantmentads@nmelectric.coop Book Chat Inquiries enchantment@nmelectric.coop
