Inland Power is my cooperative!
Inland Power presents a $500 check to the Colfax FFA’s national qualifying members. Pictured from left to right are adviser Michael Heitstumen, Perry Imler, Gunnar Aune, Inland Power’s Jim Kroll, Cotton Booker, Cole Baerlocher and community supporter Butch Booker. Not pictured is Cassidi Shindler.
December 2019
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10110 W Hallett Rd. Spokane, WA 99224 MAIN OFFICE
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Recognizing excellence
Colfax FFA members represent Washington at nationals
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nland Power and Light has long been known as the largest rural electric provider in Washington. While demographics have changed in the last decade, our roots still run deep in rural Washington. Inland also recognizes excellence and believes in supporting our young members as they excel and prepare for bright futures. The Colfax FFA chapter is one example of how our young members are shining examples of hard work, dedication and performance. “Inland is happy to support our members and assist in their travels as they represent our state,” said Jim Kroll, Inland Power board of trustee member. “These students are great representatives of our cooperative and we are so proud of their accomplishments.” Colfax FFA sent a public speaker and an agriculture sales team to the 92nd National FFA Convention at the end of October to compete against the best in the nation. Inland Power was proud to contribute to their travel fund as they represented Washington state. “This is huge for the students,” said chapter adviser Michael Heitstumen. “They’ve worked so hard and to get to see them compete on the national level is such a proud moment, not only for me but for the community as a whole.”
Capital Credit checks arriving this month
Members of the agriculture sales team were Gunnar Aune, who placed third individually, Cotton Booker, Perry Imler and Cassidi Shindler. The team placed 7th in the nation.
FFA members have gone on to be chemists, veterinarians, government officials, entrepreneurs, bankers, international business leaders, teachers and premier professionals in many career fields. Inland Power and Light congratulates the Colfax FFA chapter and its competitors for representing Washington well!
Your Cooperative Capital Credit checks arriving this month!
Happy holidays from Inland Power!
Cole Baerlocher represented Washington and his chapter in the prepared public speaking competition and made it to the semifinals.
The National FFA Organization has more than 700,000 members and prides itself in being a dynamic youth organization that changes lives and prepares its student members for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.
Energy Cold temps = higher bills
Your Cooperative Inland is a winner
“FFA means so much to me,” Aune said. “It has helped me in my speaking skills and getting out of my comfort zone.”
“It means a lot to have the support of our energy partner,” Baerlocher said. “Knowing that as students, our hard work is recognized by cooperatives like Inland Power makes this accomplishment even more special.”
inside...
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e know you work hard for your money - so we work hard to keep your electric rates among the lowest in the country and to provide you with great service.
to replace aging infrastructure, increase capacity, maintain reliability and to operate your cooperative. This system helps keep your electric rates low and your service reliable.
One of the many benefits of belonging to a nonprofit electric cooperative like Inland Power is that you are an owner. Every time you purchase power, you build equity or ownership in your energy cooperative. The amount of equity you earn is determined by net margins – the amount of revenue collected in excess of expenses for each year. These net margins are returned to you in the form of capital credits.
The amount of capital credits you are allocated each year is based on how much electricity you used during the previous year. In time, you will receive all your allocated capital credits.
Inland Power is pleased to announce that for the 40th year we will be giving cash back to our members. The board of trustees of Inland Power approved refunding $1.9 million in capital credits to our membership this December.
The cooperative’s board of trustees retires capital credits when finances allow, often on an annual basis. Capital credits are returned in two forms.
For any questions regarding capital credits, please contact your member services department at (509) 789-4277 or capitalcredits@inlandpower.com
Allocations from 1996 to 2017 (vintage years) will continued to be paid in check form in December. Allocations for 2018 and beyond will be paid in the form of
We appreciate your business and look forward to serving you in the years to come. We wish you a safe, healthy and joyous holiday season.
Once allocated, your capital credits are held by the cooperative as a resource
a bill credit each November. Portions of all vintage years are retired each fall and may take up to 35 years to return all vintage year allocations to you.
OUR
mission
IS OUR
members.
– M I S S I O N S TAT E M E N T
Inland Power named top business
Don’t be a Clark Griswold! What causes high bills during the colder months?
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e all know those holiday enthusiasts. You know, the ones who put lights on every inch of their house and include lifesized lawn ornaments and characters. In the movie National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Clark Griswold put so many lights on his house, he made the entire town go dark. While holiday lights may impact your power bill, the most impact comes from braving the colder months. Inland Power has ten tips to help lower your bill during winter. Ten quick tips to avoid high bills
• Inland Power accepts the award for large business of the year during the 2019 West Plains Chamber of Commerce Best of the West gala. Pictured from left to right is West Plains Chamber’s president Brandon Haugen, Inland Power’s Valerie Mitchell, Andy Barth and West Plains Chamber’s Toby Broemmeling. Photo by Sudden Exposure Photography.
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of everything we do,” Andy Barth said during the acceptance speech. “Aside from providing reliable and affordable energy services, we are thrilled to be part of this community and helping our community grow. At Inland Power, our mission is our members and we are honored to receive this award.”
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Other companies nominated for large business of the year were Piersol Construction, STCU and Zak Designs.
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veryone was dressed in their best for the 2019 West Plains Chamber of Commerce Best of the West gala as Inland Power and Light took home the honors for large business of the year. The Best of the West gala was held Nov. 8 at the Northern Quest Resort and Casino, and recognized outstanding leaders, businesses, organizations, educators, military personnel and first responders that made a positive impact
on the West Plains and the West Plains business community. Your cooperative was recognized for its commitment to serving and advancing the West Plains. Additionally, Inland was recognized for its community involvement including participating in programs like Bite2Go and SNAP’s Project Share. “Community involvement is at the heart
Your Co-op Connection | Getting to know who works for you
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Randy Suess
andy Suess is Inland Power’s newest board member, joining in 2018. He lives in Cheney, Wash., and serves as Inland’s At-Large Position B trustee. Randy worked as a junior high teacher for nine years and was a wheat farmer for 40 years, until his retirement. Aside from his service on Inland’s board, Randy has served on local, state and national boards representing the wheat industry. He has lobbied in Olympia and Washington, D.C. for more than 35 years. Randy has also traveled across the globe, promoting the sale of wheat. “I have been impressed with the commitment of the other trustees and the efforts taken by the employees to make Inland a success,” Randy said. “I have really enjoyed representing the cooperative.” Randy is enjoying his retirement, is learning the game of golf and loves woodworking. He enjoys volunteering in his community and spending time with his family and friends.
Inland Power Board of Trustees - At Large Position B
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Reduce waste heat by installing an advanced smart thermostat. Lower your thermostat setting to 68 degrees. Seal air leaks and insulate well to prevent heat from escaping and cold air from entering. Seal air leaks and insulate well to prevent heat from escaping and cold air from entering.
SmartHub puts your energy usage into visual form with real-time information. Your digital meter reads itself every hour and sends the read into SmartHub for you to view. Each day, 24 reads populate a graph and the total is tracked by our software. This powerful information allows you to experiment with thermostat settings, switches, plugs and breakers to identify where your power is going and find innovative ways to conserve.
Decorate safely with these tips
SmartHub graphs also allow members to see how their usage varies by the outside temperature. When the temperature line dips, most homes correspondingly rise in usage. When it’s cold outside, your HVAC system will kick into high gear to keep you comfortable.
While the holidays are merry and bright, they can also come with some safety concerns. From cooking accidents and gift assembly, to driving on icy roads to grandmother’s house, it is important to keep you and your family safe this holiday season.
Some sneaky users of energy usage are inaccurate thermostats on old heaters, gutter tape, livestock heaters, engine heaters or individual room heaters. These are places energy usage reductions can
Inland Power has several safety tips for you to keep in mind as you decorate your home this holiday season.
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Open blinds and curtains during the day to allow sunlight in to warm your home. Close blinds and curtains at night to keep cold, drafty air out. Use power strips for multiple appliances and turn off the main switch when you’re away from home.
• Wash clothes in cold water and Lower your water heater temperature. use cold water detergent whenever The Dept. of Energy recommends setting possible. it to 120 degrees during the fall and • Replace incandescent light bulbs winter months. with LEDs, which use at least 75 Unplug electronics like kitchen percent less energy. appliances and TVs when you’re away.
Track your usage with SmartHub You can also access key information about your energy usage through your SmartHub app.
Holiday Decor Safety
be made. SmartHub allows members to see how turning on/off these heat sources impact your energy usage and power bill. To access your SmartHub account, simply go to inlandpower.com and click on “Register” in the top right-hand corner or download the SmartHub app on your smart device.
VISIT INLANDPOWER.COM FOR MORE ENERGY EFFICIENCY TIPS
Most of these tips apply equally to inside and outside decorating activities. 1. Have a ground crew (one or two people) to steady your ladder and pass up the decorations–an invaluable part of safety and for keeping you supplied with untangled light strings, fasteners and encouragement. 2. Remember to keep a safe distance from your overhead electric service. 3. Don’t overreach. If you cannot get to a point with your body completely centered between the sides of the ladder, get down and relocate it. 4. Don’t overextend the ladder. If your ladder is too short, rent or borrow a longer one. A ladder extended beyond its working limits is dangerous as is standing on rungs too close to the top. 5. Do not overload circuits by stringing more light sets together than the manufacturer recommends. Check your lights’ packaging for details. 6. Check your wires for breaks and cracks in the insulation that can lead to shorts.