4 minute read
Your Electric Co-op
Executive Vice President and General Manager
Bobby Ferris
Lovington
1300 W. Avenue D • P.O. Drawer 1447 Lovington, NM 88260 575-396-3631 Tatum • 575-398-2233 Plains • 806-456-3322 Toll-Free • 800-510-5232 Website • www.lcecnet.com
@LeaCountyCoop
“Owned By Those We Serve” This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Board of Trustees President
John Graham, Lovington, District 1
Vice President
Robert Caudle, Lovington, District 1
Secretary-Treasurer
Dan Hardin, Lovington, District 4
Charles Garner
Seminole, TX, District 7
Travis Glenn
Tatum, District 3
C.J. Kinsolving
Crossroads, District 6
Randall McCormick
Lovington, District 5
Kenny Wallace
Lovington, District 1
Jason Swann
Plains, TX, District 8
Help Save Christmas for Your Neighbors
Among those hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic are small businesses. In rural areas, including those served by Lea County Electric Cooperative, small businesses are often the lifeline of local commerce. You can do your part this holiday season to help our area small businesses stay open. Here are some ideas to get you going.
Stop ordering everything online. Check Main Street for businesses that sell similar items you buy online. Even if they’re still not open, some local shops are taking online and phone orders. Buy the bulk of your holiday gifts, decorations, and food from local merchants. If you must order online, consider offering a small holiday bonus to delivery drivers.
Go to farmer's markets. Many stayed open during the pandemic, and now is the time to repay the favor. Some are allowing customers to preorder over the phone or online, which decreases in-person contact. How great would a fresh lamb roast from a local farm taste during your Christmas feast? What could be better than new, locally grown vegetables as side dishes and pies baked by someone with a business right down the street from you?
Shop for the holidays and beyond. If you’re shopping for Christmas, think about birthday and anniversary gifts you’ll need over the next year and buy them now. That way, you will give some local businesses a boost when they need it the most. Plus, you will be prepared when it’s time to wrap up those gifts later.
Invest in gift cards. You would spend the money anyway; why not do it in advance if you can afford it now? Order carryout. Start buying coffee from a local café instead of from a national chain. Find a favorite restaurant with outdoor dining and go there with your family whenever you feel like a socially distanced evening on the town. Pick up carryout from a locallyowned diner a little more often than you ordinarily would if you’re able.
Write a review. Get on Yelp, Google Reviews, and your favorite businesses’ websites and talk them up when they do a good job. Online reviews go a long way toward attracting more customers.
Offer generous tips. Show service providers your gratitude by tucking a generous tip into a Christmas card. One alternative to a cash gratuity is to send a gift card to a local business.
Or you can drop off a ham before Christmas or leave a stocking stuffed with gift cards and other goodies on the front porch of someone such as your nail technician, housekeeper, or barber, even—and especially—if they no longer work for you.
Remember your employees. Even though you might work at home instead of in the office, the staff you rely on—and who typically get a big thank-you tip at the holidays—still work on your behalf. Don’t let “out of sight, out of mind” stop you from showing your appreciation for their virtual help.
Remember, we live in the same communities, and we support one another in normal times, during a pandemic, and especially through the holidays.
Merry Christmas We will be closed Thursday, December 24; Friday, December. 25; and Friday, January 1 to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s with our families.
What is SmartHub?
SmartHub is a web and mobile app that allows you to take control of all aspects of your LCEC account. Pay your bill, manage your use and contact us with service issues quickly and easily online at www.leacountyelectric.coop or on your mobile device.
Scan the QR code to add App to mobile device.
Benefits of SmartHub
Pay your bill
Set up Auto-Pay
Monitor electric usage Track billing and payment history Report an outage
Access billing statements
Update account information Free mobile App
Contact member services
SAFE DÉCOR FOR A HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON It’s almost time to deck those halls! Statistics show that home fires and electrical accidents typically increase during winter months, so keep these holiday lighting tips in mind for a safe holiday season.
Carefully inspect all electrical decorations before you use them. Cracked or damaged sockets and/or loose or exposed wires can cause serious shock or start a fire.
Consider purchasing LED lights, which use less energy and run cooler than traditional incandescent lights.
Never mount or support light strings in a way that might damage the cord’s insulation.
Make sure that cords are not pinched in doors, windows or under heavy furniture, which could damage the cord’s insulation.
Always unplug electrical decorations before replacing bulbs or fuses.
Turn o all indoor and outdoor electrical decorations before leaving home or going to sleep.
Source: Electrical Safety Foundation International
