NEWS FROM YOUR COOPERATI www.myremc.coop CONTACT US OFFICE
812-865-2229 888-337-5900 BILL PAYMENTS 855-865-2229 TOLL FREE
CONTACT US BY EMAIL
orangecoremc@myremc.coop GENERAL MANAGER/CEO
Matthew C. Deaton OFFICE HOURS
7 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday-Friday STREET ADDRESS
7133 N. State Road 337 Orleans, IN 47452 MAILING ADDRESS
P.O. Box 208, Orleans, IN 47452 EMERGENCY POWER OUTAGES
To report service interruptions, call: 812-865-2229 or 888-337-5900, day or night. Please have the phone number associated with your account ready when reporting outages. Please limit after hours calls to emergencies and outage situations. BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Eugene Roberts, DISTRICT 1 Randy Roberts, DISTRICT 2 Danny Easterday, DISTRICT 3 Rodney Hager, DISTRICT 4 Ben Lindsey, DISTRICT 5 Brian Hawkins, DISTRICT 6 George Key, DISTRICT 7 REMC KEY STAFF
Marty Frank, OPERATIONS MANAGER Marcy Bennett, OFFICE MANAGER Larry Pinnick, MATERIALS MANAGER Michael Roberts, STAKING ENGINEER Misty Tincher, ACCOUNTANT Billy Chastain, STAKING ENGINEER AIDE Mark Belcher, MARKETING/MEMBER SERVICES MEMBER SERVICES
•Free energy analysis •Budget billing •Automatic payments •Security lights •Home security systems •Medical emergency monitoring •Air evac life team •Water heater and HVAC incentives (requires an EM switch) •Online bill payment options •Interactive Voice Response system for payments and account inquiries via phone: 1-855-865-2229 •VISA, MasterCard and Discover accepted •Exede Internet: 855-797-7855 4
This holiday season, remember your co-op cares The holidays bring many things to mind — happy memories of seasons past, good food (and expanded waistlines!), great family and long-awaited gifts. And, if you are like me, the holidays bring about thoughts of MATTHEW C. giving back, spreading love DEATON and sharing joy. Perhaps you commit random acts of kindness like sharing a cup of coffee with a friend in need, or cooking and serving food for the hungry. Maybe you give your time or money to local, national or international charities. Or perhaps you simply try to embrace the season by showing gratitude and kindness to those around you. However you share your own unique holiday spirit, know that we here at Orange County REMC strive to share our spirit with you. We hope you see it reflected in your utility bill. During the holiday season when many people light their homes with festive decorations, or stay up late entertaining and cooking for family and friends, we are still working hard to provide you with the most affordable, safe and reliable electric service. We help members keep energy use in check by providing energy efficiency tips each month in this publication and on our website, www.myremc.coop. We also provide rebates and incentives for members who upgrade their HVAC or water heating equipment to more energy efficient devices. We offer rebates for members who increase the insulation in their attic or properly seal their ductwork with mastic. Details can be found on our website. We have other energy saving programs like our time of use program and our energy management program that
ELECTRIC CONSUMER • DECEMBER 2015 • ElectricConsumer.org
help members save by using electricity at times when it is cheaper to produce. We help you save driving time by providing the option to pay your bill using our online payment portal at www. myremc.coop or by paying through our secure and automated phone system, which you can access by calling 1-855865-2229, any time, day or night. We also help keep your family safe by providing electrical safety tips in this publication — information that is especially important this time of year. I hope you see how much we care through the benefits, savings and services we provide, but I also hope you see it in the ways we give back to our community. Our Operation Round Up® fund has been growing since it began in October 2002. With the help of members who allow us to round their electric bill to the next dollar, we have now given more than $380,000 to local groups and organizations in our community. We were also happy to host our annual member appreciation day event in October to give back to our members in a more tangible way — with free food, door prizes and giveaways. We enjoyed visiting with the members who stopped by the office and hearing about what is important to you. You can see photos and more details about the event on page 29. We are nothing without our members. We recognize that and understand that we cannot thrive unless you thrive, so we do all we can to make sure that our community is strong. From all of your friends at Orange County REMC, we hope you have a happy holiday season! MATTHEW C. DEATON is the general manager/ CEO of Orange County REMC.
IVE Tips for a safe and happy holiday season The holidays are upon us. For many, that means more celebrations with friends and family, travel, decorations, cooking and shopping. Orange County REMC wants you to stay safe during the holidays, so here are a few tips to consider as you gear up for the season.
Inspect your seasonal items Many of us have treasured holiday mementos that we bring out of storage and proudly display every year. The holidays are also a time when we dust off specialized cooking gadgets that allow us to prepare our favorite seasonal treats. These items are often handed down through generations and might lack modern safety features. Take a few moments to carefully inspect all your holiday items to ensure everything is in safe, working order. A few things to look out for include: k Brittle insulation on wires k Rodent damage to wires k Chafed or frayed wires, especially at stress points k Worn switches with the potential to short circuit k Corroded metal parts k Broken legs, unstable bases and other hazards
Look up and live When working outside with a ladder, be mindful of the location of overhead power lines. Always carry your ladder so that it is parallel to the ground. Before placing your ladder in an upright position, look around to ensure you are a safe distance from any power lines. If you notice tree limbs that are too close to electric lines, contact Orange County REMC.
Rate schedule (for October, November and December 2015) Rate schedule for Standard service Standard service consumer charge $26.00 Standard service energy charge $0.1124 Wholesale power cost tracker $0.0028465 Total bill x Indiana sales tax 7% Example for 1,200 kWh standard service Standard service consumer charge $26.00 1,200 kWh @ $0.1124 $134.88 Wholesale power cost tracker @ $0.0028465 $3.42 Total $164.30 Indiana sales tax $11.50 Total bill $175.80 Rate schedule for Time of Use service Time of use consumer charge $30.90 Energy charge on-peak $0.1671 (On-peak: 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Friday, EST)
Energy charge off-peak $0.0691 Wholesale power cost tracker $0.0028465 Total bill x Indiana sales tax 7% Example for time of use, 300 kWh on-peak and 900 kwh off-peak Time of use consumer charge $30.90 Energy charge on-peak 300 kWh @ $0.1671 $50.13 Energy charge off-peak 900 kWh @ $0.0691 $62.19 Wholesale power cost tracker @ $0.0028465 $3.42 Total $146.64 Indiana sales tax $10.26 Total bill $156.90 Rate schedule for security lighting Security lighting: 100 W HPS $9.82 Security lighting: 40 W LED $9.82 Visa, MasterCard and Discover cards accepted
ElectricConsumer.org • DECEMBER 2015 • ELECTRIC CONSUMER 5
Orange County REMC News
2016 Director Election Timeline Incumbents whose terms expire: District 2 – Randy Roberts District 4 – Rodney Hager District 7 – George Key
k Letters of intent due by Feb. 5 k Posting of incumbent list by Feb. 19 (Names published in the March issue of Electric Consumer) k Petitions of nominations due by April 20 k Nominations by the board (absent incumbents seeking re-elections or petitioners) by April 20 k Full slate of candidates posted and mailed by May 13. All candidate biographies published in the May or June issue of Electric Consumer. k Election at annual meetings on June 3
28
ELECTRIC CONSUMER • DECEMBER 2015 • ElectricConsumer.org
Member appreciation day
News briefs: Student art calendars are here! Stop by the Orange County REMC office and pick up your Cooperative Calendar of Student Art. This free calendar is illustrated by students all over the state. Supplies are limited, so get yours today!
Rebate deadline is Dec. 31 As a member-owned cooperative, Orange County REMC places a high priority on helping members use energy efficiently. If you need to upgrade your home’s HVAC system, heat pump or water heater, or add insulation to your attic and seal your duct work, the current rebate program to help cover the costs of these upgrades is available until Dec. 31. Get more info at www.myremc.coop.
It was a full house at Orange County REMC’s member appreciation day on Oct. 28.
Employee service anniversary
Above: John and Janyce Drumm enjoy the food and a chance to visit with friends.
Orange County REMC lineman Chris Wesner celebrates 24 years of service to the cooperative and its members this month.
Left: Ginger Devine is very focused on eating chili and a Krispy Kreme doughnut.
CHRIS WESNER
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON YOU CAN GET FASTER, BETTER INTERNET AND GIVE BACK TO YOUR COMMUNITY.
SANTA’S HELPER. SIGN UP NOW
AND WE WILL MAKE A $25 DONATION TO YOUR CHARITY OF CHOICE. • CHRISTMAS WISH PROGRAM FOR THOSE IN NEED • LOCAL FOOD PANTRY • LOCAL SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP FUND
• $5 off for 24 months • No activation fee or installation charge* • Speeds up to 25 times faster than other technologies
Call 855-797-7855 to get better, faster Internet and better your community! Promotional price of $5 off for 24 months applies to the 10 GB service package through the first 24 months of service. After that, it reverts back to the regular monthly price of $49.99/month. If you choose a higherlevel package, the price of that package will be discounted $5/month through the first 24 months of service. Service not available in all areas. Minimum 24-month commitment term. Actual speeds will vary. Use of Exede service is subject to data transmission limits measured on a monthly basis. For complete details and the Data Allowance Policy, visit www.localexede.com. Exede is a service mark of ViaSat, Inc.
ElectricConsumer.org • DECEMBER 2015 • ELECTRIC CONSUMER 29