Appreciating Electricity, One Penny at a Time You can still get value for just a penny’s worth of electricity Trace McCuan, CEO
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I recently ran across a column written by Curtis Condon, editor of Ruralite magazine in Hillsboro, Oregon. His points were so enlightening, I thought I’d share them with you this month. Some of us are old enough to remember when penny candy actually cost a penny. But what does a penny buy these days? Not much. The government can’t even make a penny for a penny anymore. According to the U.S. Mint, it now costs 1.5 cents to produce one. About the only thing of value that you can still get for a penny is electricity. I’m not kidding. Let’s pretend the average rate for a kilowatt-hour of electricity is 10 cents. That’s 60 minutes of 1,000 watts of electricity for a dime, so a penny of electricity equates to 100 watts. It’s enough to power a 9-watt LED lightbulb—the equivalent of a 60-watt incandescent bulb—for 11 hours, all for only a penny. The value is just as evident when powering things besides lighting. Take, for instance, your smartphone. Using the same 10 cents per kWh price, one penny’s worth of electricity allows you 18
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to fully charge your iPhone more than 18 times. You can charge it once every day of the year for about 20 cents total. We are fortunate electricity is such an excellent value because we have a huge appetite for it. We tend to forget that. Electricity is not expensive. The expense is due to our using it for so many different things: lighting, heating, cooking, cooling, refrigeration, cleaning, washing, pumping, entertainment, communications—even transportation these days. Unfortunately, we don’t always appreciate it. When our monthly electric bill comes, we open it and might complain about the cost. It’s a knee-jerk reaction ingrained in us as consumers. We don’t stop to think about the value we receive for the money. In 1940, when many co-ops were built, a penny had as much buying power as 17 cents today. This means the residential price of electricity—which now averages 12 cents a kWh nationally—is actually a better deal today than it was in 1940. And it won’t rot your teeth. www.neccoopenergy.com
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Accepting NEC Member Satisfaction Surveys As a member of a Nueces Electric Cooperative, you are a member of a Cooperative. Your feedback is greatly important to us and your voice truly has an opportunity to be heard. Your feedback will help us evaluate the value of our membership offerings to ensure we’re providing the best professional and technical support possible to all NEC members. Without the active involvement and commitment of our members, NEC would not be the successful cooperative it is today. So please take our survey at https://neccoopenergy.com/survey/ If you would prefer a paper copy, please visit our offices to obtain a hard copy of this survey to submit by mail or at an NEC location. For other questions about this survey, please contact communications@nueceselectric.org.
Keeping safe while off at college Do you have kids returning—or headed for the first time—to live in a college dorm? Among the many things they learn, make sure safety is at the top of the list. Today’s college student uses many electronics for school, work and play. When used improperly, these helpful gadgets can become electrical hazards. Nueces Electric Cooperative has the following tips for college students to prevent electrical accidents in the dorm: A A dorm room might not provide enough outlets for all your gadgets at once. If you must use extension cords, make sure to unplug them when not in use. Extension cords are only for temporary use, and overloaded extension cords can start fires. A Consider purchasing power strips with an over-current protector, which will shut off power automatically if too much current is drawn. A Use lightbulbs with the correct wattage for lamps. If no indication appears on the fixture, use a bulb that uses no more than 60 watts, or the 9-watt LED equivalent. A Never tack, nail or staple an electrical cord to any surface, or run cords across traffic paths, or under rugs or furniture. www.neccoopenergy.com
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A Keep all electrical appliances and cords safely away from bedding, curtains and other flammable materials. A Discard or repair damaged electronics. It might be tempting to save money by using an appliance with a frayed cord or damaged plug. However, damaged electronics should not be used because they can shock or electrocute users. A If your lights flicker, electronics shut off unexpectedly or circuits trip, notify campus staff immediately. A Use only laboratory-certified appliances and electronics. Check for tags or packaging for the UL symbol or similar ones. A Watch out for overheated outlets. If an electrical outlet becomes so hot that you cannot leave your hand on it, there is potential for a fire. Unplug everything from the outlet and notify your landlord or dorm officials immediately. A Know what to do if there is a fire, including having escape and meeting plans. There are more than 3,500 fires on college campuses every year. Help prevent some of them by understanding electrical safety and sharing what you know with loved ones. NEC CO-OP ENERGY
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ALWAYS OPEN FOR BUSINESS. GET BIG SAVINGS AT HUNDREDS OF LOCAL BUSINESSES WHEN YOU SHOW YOUR CO-OP CONNECTIONS CARD. IT’S ANOTHER MEMBER BENEFIT BROUGHT TO YOU BY YOUR LOCAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE.
www.NuecesElectric.org/ConnectionsCard
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PIZZA • INTERNET • TOOLS • FLOWERS • CRAFTS • FITNESS CLUBS • PRESCRIPTIONS • PET FOOD • MUSEUMS • CONCERTS • GIFTS
MOVIE RENTALS • HOTELS • HOME IMPROVEMENTS • SPORTSWEAR • RENTAL CARS • APPLIANCES • OFFICE SUPPLIES • WATER PARKS •
TIRES • GROCERIES • OIL CHANGE • FROZEN YOGURT • DINING OUT • EYEWEAR • LAWN CARE •
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• CELLPHONE • LOCAL BUSINESSES • DAY CARE • INSURANCE • HOME REPAIRS • FUEL • BOOKS •
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E • PIZZA • INTERNET • TOOLS • FLOWERS • CRAFTS • FITNESS CLUBS • PRESCRIPTIONS • PET FOOD • MUSEUMS • CONCERTS • GIFTS
S •
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Ramiro De la Paz Memorial
SCHOLARSHIP
We set the entry requirement a little high this year, but it didn’t phase our pool of highly talented youth as we still received more than 60 scholarship applications. This year we expanded the program to include additional $1,000 awards for students attending a 2-year or vocational college and $5,000 awards for those attending a Texas Lineman’s College. And good news! We will also be updating our application criteria to make more students eligible for them.
Applicants must show proof of exemplary grades and test scores, as well as community and school involvement. It is a tough task to judge these applications. We would like to send a special thank you to Texas A&M UniversityKingsville, Coastal Bend College, and Del Mar College for providing representatives to judge these applications. If you have a child who will be a high school senior next year or know someone who would be interested in a career in linework, be on the look-out for the scholarship application process to begin in October.
Co g r n g ra ad ts s!
ish w We u theuck yo o f l e ! g t b e s co l l e in Upcoming seniors, look for applications in October!
Congratulations to all of our 2017 recipients!
Grand Prize $4,000 Winners McKenzie Hahn Orange Grove High School will be attending Texas A&M University
Morgan Mathis Santa Gertrudis Academy will be attending Texas A&M University
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$1,000 Scholarship Winners Blake Dupont Kaufer High School
Rush Hoelscher Tuloso-Midway High School
Bethany Vasquez Santa Gertrudis Academy
Matthew Vajdos Karnes City High School
Hannah Brock Orange Grove High School
Nathan Darst Flour Bluff High School
Trenten (T.J.) Wahlen Calallen High School
Nicole Leeton Tuloso-Midway High School
Joey Diamond Lee Kaufer High School
Gabriel Cavazos Weslaco High School
Skylar Meehan Calallen High School
Brandon Alford Ganado High School NEC CO-OP ENERGY
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Don’t Get Burned
Give friends and family the Best of Texas. The Best of Typically Texas Cookbook features more than 700 best-loved recipes (with more than 300 desserts) from two of our most popular cookbooks. Available at our Nueces EC offices.
Electricity usually makes life easier by powering the kitchen appliances, gadgets and electronics we use for convenience and entertainment. However, that same electricity contains the potential to destroy homes and take lives. Electrical fires are more destructive than any other type of fire, and they are twice as deadly. Nueces Electric Cooperative offers the following information to help you keep your electrical system safe. Consider getting an electrical inspection of your home, especially if it is an older home or you have never had an inspection. If an electrical fire starts in your home, do not use water to extinguish it. Water conducts electricity, and you could get an electric shock. Buy extinguishers that are approved for use on electrical fires. Make sure to keep them charged and ready, and store them in easyto-reach places in multiple rooms. Flickering lights and warm, cracked or sparking outlets indicate electrical problems. Additionally, if circuits trip, fuses blow or someone gets a shock, your home has an electrical problem. Get an electrical inspection.
Avoid deadly electrical fires by getting an inspection of your home.
Did You Know The amount of energy used by Americans doubles about every 20 years.
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Do not overload outlets, use an extension cord as a permanent wiring solution or use lightbulbs that are not rated for the socket. Contact an electrician about installing arc-fault circuit interrupters. AFCIs monitor the flow of electricity in your home. If the flow of electricity is irregular and creates a fault in the electrical system, it could cause a fire. To prevent this, an AFCI costs about $35, plus the cost of professional installation. The cost also depends on the size of your home and how many circuit breakers you have. Inspect electrical plugs and cords annually. If they are frayed or cracked, replace them. Do not place cords under rugs or across walkways or high-traffic areas, and do not staple or nail them to the wall. www.neccoopenergy.com
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LAST WEEKEND, I SEALED MY AIR DUCTS AND MY WALLET. And boy, is it paying off. By sealing all the air ducts in my home I started keeping a lot more air and money inside it. About $177 per year to be more exact. What can you do? Find out how the little changes add up at TogetherWeSave.com. www.neccoopenergy.com
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Texas Division of Emergency Management Hurricane Preparedness Guidelines Preparing for Hurricane Season: June 1- Nov. 30 Residents of Texas Gulf Coast EVACUATION ZONES should BEGIN NOW by making an evacuation plan, preparing an emergency kit and learning evacuation routes well in advance. If you have a disability or medical needs, register in the State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry (STEAR) online at https://STEAR.dps.texas.gov or by dialing 2-1-1.
Gulf coast residents with additional needs (including those who are disabled or medically fragile) who live in evacuation zones and do not have friends or family to help in an evacuation should register in advance online at https://STEAR.dps.texas.gov or by dialing 2-1-1. Registration should be completed in advance of an emergency event. DO NOT WAIT, REGISTER NOW! Information collected is confidential.
If you need transportation, register in the State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry (STEAR) online at https://STEAR.dps.texas.gov or by dialing 2-1-1. If you do not have a car or
other vehicle, and you cannot get a ride with friends, neighbors or family, register IN ADVANCE for assisted transportation by dialing 2-1-1.
Evacuation zone information: If you are interested in registering and you want to find out whether you are living in an evacuation zone, dial 2-1-1 for information. Hurricane Preparedness tips online: Texas Division of Emergency Management Website: www.dps.texas.gov/dem FEMA Website: www.Ready.gov American Red Cross Website: www.redcross.org
División de Administración de Emergencias de Texas Directrices para Huracanes Preparando para la temporada de huracanes durante el 1 de junio hasta el 30 de noviembre
Los residentes de Texas en las ZONAS DE EVACUACIÓN de la Costa del Golfo deberían COMENZAR AHORA haciendo un plan de evacuación, preparando un equipo de emergencia y aprendiendo las rutas de evacuación por adelantado.. Si usted tiene una discapacidad o necesidades médicas, regístrese con el Registro de Asistencia de Emergencia del Estado de Texas (RAEET) vía su website: https://STEAR.dps.texas.gov o llamando al 2-1-1. Los residentes de la costa del golfo con necesidades adicionales (incluso aquellos que son incapacitados o médicamente frágiles) quiénes viven en zonas de evacuación y quiénes no tienen amigos o familiares para ayudarle en una evacuación deberían registrarse por adelantado vía el sitio Web: https: // STEAR.dps.texas.gov o llamando 2-1-1. El registro debería ser completado antes de un more acontecimiento de emergencia. ¡No ESPERES, REGISTRESE AHORA! La informaciónWant coleccionada es confidencial.
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Si usted necesita transporte, usted puede registrarse con el Registro de Asistencia de Emergencia de or call 1-855-632-7348 Estado de Texas (RAEET) ‘State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry’ (STEAR) vía su sitio Web to learn more. https://STEAR.dps.texas.gov o llamando al 2-1-1. Si usted no tiene un coche o otro vehículo, y usted no puede obtener transporte con amigos, vecinos o familiares, registrese por adelantado para asistencia de transporte asistido llamando al 2-1-1. Información sobre la zona de evacuación: Si usted esta interesado en registrase y quiere determinar si usted vive en una zona de evacuación, llame a 2-1-1. Para mayor información sobre La Preparación para la Temporada de Huracánes en el Internet: www.listo.gov www.cruzrojaamericana.org www.dps.texas.gov/dem/publicinformation_spanish.htm
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