5 minute read
Your Electric Co-op
Chief Executive Officer
Mario Romero
Cloudcroft Office
Carrizozo Office
507 Twelfth Street • P. O. Box 669 Carrizozo, NM 88301 575-648-2352
Alto Office
Emergency and Outages
800-548-4660 Fax • 575-682-3109 Website • www.ocec-inc.com
Office Hours
8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (M-F)
Board of Trustees President
Charles Mulcock, SE District
Vice President
Denny Burnett, SE District
Secretary
Marty Mills, Central District
Treasurer
Scott Shafer, NW District Vacant, SW District Bill Bird, NE District Cheri Hass, Central District David Powers, NE District Tim Rabon, SW District Preston Stone, NW District
Board Meeting
The Board of Trustees meets the third Friday of the month at 9:00 a.m. at the Cooperative. Prepare for winter storms When winter temperatures drop, and storms hit, it can be challenging to stay safe and warm. Winter storm severity varies depending on where you live, but in our area we can count on being affected by an extreme winter storm at some point. OCEC cares about your safety, and we want you to be prepared. Heavy snow and ice can lead to downed power lines, leaving co-op members without power. During extremely low temperatures, this can be dangerous. During a power outage, our crews will continue to work as quickly and safely as possible to restore power, but there are a few things you can do to prepare yourself.
• Stay warm: Plan to use a safe alternate heating source, such as a fireplace or woodstove during an outage. These are options to keep you and your loved ones warm, but exercise caution, and never leave the heating source unattended. If you are using gasoline-, propane-, or natural gas-burning devices to stay warm, never use them indoors. Remember that fuel- and wood-burning sources of heat should always be properly ventilated. Always read the manufacturer’s directions before using.
• Stay fed: The CDC recommends having available several days’ supply of food that does not need to be cooked. Crackers, cereal, canned goods, and bread are good options. Five gallons of water per person should be available in the event of an extended power outage.
• Stay safe: When an outage occurs, it could mean power lines are down. It is best not to travel during winter storms, but if you must, take a survival kit along, and do not travel alone. If you encounter downed lines, ALWAYS assume they are live. Stay as far away from the downed lines as possible, and report the situation to our dispatchers by calling 800-548-4660.
• Stay informed: Members can receive outage updates via email if they choose. If you would like to get these messages, please call our office and provide your email address. Also, outage updates are frequently posted on our Facebook (FB) page, be sure to check there for critical outage information, as well. Don’t use Facebook, a feed of our FB page shows on the homepage of the website, www.ocec-inc.com, so members are always able to see what has been posted to our page.
Otero County Electric Cooperative
4 Ways Santa Saves Energy in His Workshop
The holiday season is finally upon us, and Santa and his elves have been busy as they gear up for their biggest night of the year. It’s no secret Santa is known for running an efficient workshop—how else could he make all those toys in time for Christmas Eve? Rumor has it one way Santa ensures an efficient workspace is through energy-saving measures. Here are four ways Santa saves energy in his workshop:
1.Santa leaves his decorations up year-round, so by using LED holiday light strands, he’s able to save on his monthly energy bills. LED holiday strands can last up to 40 seasons, which makes them a great option for any festive home.
2. Santa requires power tools to make a year’s worth of new toys. That’s why he uses cordless power tools with the ENERGY STAR® rating.
According to energystar.gov, if all power tools in the U.S. used ENERGY
STAR®-rated battery chargers, 2 billion kWh hours of electricity could be saved—that’s equivalent to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 1.7 million tons!
3. Mrs. Claus loves to keep warm by the fire in the evenings, and Santa knows one of the best tricks to ensure fireplace efficiency. While a fireplace can keep a small area of your home cozy and warm, it can also pull heated air from the room through the chimney. That’s why Santa always closes the fireplace flue when a fire isn’t burning.
4. Santa also saves energy using power strips. Power strips are ideal for workshops, craft nooks, game rooms, and other spaces. With one simple switch, you can conveniently control several devices and electronics that are plugged into the power strip.
Tree Safety Tip Place fresh-cut trees away from heat sources— such as heat registers, fireplaces, and radiators. Be sure to water the tree frequently.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
OCEC will be closed Thursday, December 24; Friday, December 25; and Friday, January 1 to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s with our families. May this holiday season
be filled with health, happiness, and good cheer for all our co-op family members!
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
