Inspiring our future community leaders Trace McCuan, CEO
At Nueces Electric Cooperative, we take great pride in highlighting the value of cooperative membership to not just you, but your children too—after all, they’re our members-in-training. We provide a wide variety of programs that benefit youth, from elementary school field trips to safety demonstrations at our Annual Meeting. However, we’re especially proud of our annual scholarships. Last year, our Ramiro De La Paz Scholarship Program grew to encompass three different type of scholarships for high school seniors in our service area. We now offer scholarship funds for students attending a fouryear college or university, students attending a two-year college or vocational school and students attending an accredited Lineman’s College. We will be giving out $38,000 to our communities’ future leaders through this scholarship program for current graduating high school seniors, Class of 2018. Be on the lookout for another special round of scholarship applications this summer in celebration of our 80th Anniversary this December for the graduating Class of 2019. We also sponsor four high school juniors from our service area on an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. each June. During this annual Youth Leadership Tour, more than 1,500 high school students from across the country descend on the nation’s capital to learn about government, history, and role of electric cooperatives. We will be announcing this year’s Youth Leadership Tour delegates in the March issue of Texas Co-op Power, so stay tuned. 18
Texas Co-op Power NEC CO-OP ENERGY
NECCoopEnergy_Feb2018.indd 18
In 2016, we launched our annual Christmas Card Contest for our members’ children up to the age of 18 to submit original artwork with the potential of winning great prizes and even to be featured on our company Christmas card for the following year. We will be announcing the winners in each age category for the 2018 Christmas Card Contest in the April issue of Texas Co-op Power and the 2019 Christmas Card Contest will launch in November of this year, so get your thinking caps on early! NEC emphasizes the cooperative difference by providing real value for even our youngest members. At NEC, we want to make sure that we are working for our members. To learn more about we are helping our future generations thrive in our local community, visit www.nueceselectric. org to view all of our youth programs. Do you have youth programs that you would like to see the co-op get involved in? Let us know by emailing communications@nueceselectric.org.
www.neccoopenergy.com
1/11/18 8:15 AM
www.neccoopenergy.com 1.855.632.7348
Ramiro De la Paz Memorial
SCHOLARSHIP Nueces Electric Cooperative awards high school seniors of cooperative members scholarships each year. This year, there are three different types of scholarships that will be awarded. Students planning to attend a 4-year college or university in Texas are eligible to apply. Two Grand Prize scholarships of $4,000 and ten $1,000 scholarships will be awarded. Students planning to attend a 2-year college or vocational school in Texas for a career related to the electrical industry (GIS mapping, communications, engineering, etc.) are eligible to apply. Ten $1,000 scholarships will be awarded. Applicants must be a member or reside in the home with a parent or legal guardian who has been a Nueces Electric Cooperative member for a minimum of six months as of the application deadline date.
Two $5,000 scholarships and
co Ca l l i lle ng g stu e -b all de oun nt s d
ts ou I f y p a re n s ur mber , o y or e me o - op a ar he C win o f t co u l d h i p ! rs yo u h o l a sc
Application deadline: February 12
Two $4,000 scholarships and
Twenty $1,000 scholarships
NEW: Any member/dependent of a member planning to attend a Texas lineman’s college are eligible to apply for a new scholarship. Two $5,000 scholarships will be awarded. For All Applications & Details: www.nueceselectric.org www.neccoopenergy.com
NECCoopEnergy_Feb2018.indd 19
NEC CO-OP ENERGY
Texas Co-op Power
19
1/11/18 8:15 AM
Insulate To Feel Great
Do you ever feel a chill, crank up the heat, hear the furnace kick on … then feel no warmer? Your home might need better insulation. Heat flows from a warmer spot to a cooler one until there is no longer a temperature difference. This means that in winter, heat flows directly from heated living spaces in your homes to adjacent garages, unheated attics and outdoors. Properly insulating your home decreases this flow by providing resistance. Unless your home was specially constructed for energy efficiency, you probably can reduce your energy bills by adding more insulation.
SL O B O | I S T O C K . C OM
Inspect and Evaluate
To determine whether you should add insulation, find out: * Where your home is, isn’t and should be insulated * What type, R-value and thickness of insulation you already have Check the walls, floors and ceilings in unheated spaces such as the attic and garage. Structural elements usually are exposed in these areas, which makes it easy to see the type and thickness of surrounding insulation. To inspect exterior wall insulation through an electrical outlet: 1. Turn off power to the outlet. 2. Remove the cover and shine a flashlight into the gap around the outlet box. You should be able to see if there is insulation in the wall and possibly how thick it is. 3. Pull out a small amount of insulation, if needed, to help determine its type. Use this method to check outlets on all floors in old and new parts of your house. Just because you find insulation in one wall doesn’t mean it’s everywhere in the house.
Don’t Hang That Sign!
Once you’ve figured out the types of existing insulation and their thicknesses, consult the U.S. Department of Energy’s online insulation fact sheet at energy.gov/ energysaver/insulation to determine the corresponding R-values. Once you find out the R-values of your existing insulation, you then can use the Home Energy Saver tool at hes.lbl.gov to determine how much insulation you need to add and where to add it for maximum energy efficiency. Select the proper type of insulation for your home once you know where you’ll be installing the new stuff and what R-value you want the new installation to achieve. 20
Texas Co-op Power NEC CO-OP ENERGY
NECCoopEnergy_Feb2018.indd 20
D O N N I C H O L S | I S TO C K . CO M
Choose the Right Insulation
There are more than 130 million wooden utility poles in the United States, estimates the North American Wood Pole Council. That ample vertical real estate may look appealing when you need somewhere to hang your sign, deer stand, basketball hoop, clothesline or satellite dish. Don’t make that mistake. Attaching items to utility poles is not only illegal, it’s dangerous, too. It may seem innocent, but one pinhole from a tack, nail or staple lodged in a pole can pierce a lineworker’s glove, stripping away critical protection from thousands of volts of electricity. Obstructions also can impede lineworkers’ ability to climb and inspect poles. Anyone placing items on poles also risks exposing themselves to thousands of volts of electricity. This is especially true of structures anchored to poles. It’s always wise to keep any structure at least 10 feet away from utility poles. Please help keep your community safe. Don’t attach unauthorized, dangerous items to our poles. www.neccoopenergy.com
1/11/18 8:15 AM
www.neccoopenergy.com 1.855.632.7348
10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Quick Tips To Avoid High Winter Bills Looking to lower your bills this winter? Use the 10 tips below to conserve energy.
Seal air leaks and insulate well to prevent heat from escaping and cold air from entering your home. Reduce waste heat by installing a programmable thermostat. Turn off lights when not in use. Lower your water heater temperature. The U.S. Department of Energy recommends using the warm setting (120 degrees) during fall and winter months. Unplug electronics like kitchen appliances and TVs when you’re away. 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.
8
Use power strips for multiple appliances, and turn off the main switch when you’re away from home.
9
Wash clothes in cold water, and use cold-water detergent whenever possible.
10
Replace incandescent lightbulbs with LEDs, which use at least 75 percent less energy.
www.neccoopenergy.com
NEC CO-OP ENERGY
Texas Co-op Power
21
Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy
NECCoopEnergy_Feb2018.indd 21
1/11/18 8:15 AM
Valentine’s Day Word Search Valentine’s Day is February 14! Can you find the associated words in the puzzle below? Use the word bank to check your work.
CANDY FLOWERS HUGS VALENTINE’S DAY CARD
FRIEND LOVE CHOCOLATE HEART
NEC Co-op Energy 22
Texas Co-op Power NEC CO-OP ENERGY
NECCoopEnergy_Feb2018.indd 22
www.neccoopenergy.com
1/11/18 8:15 AM
www.neccoopenergy.com 1.855.632.7348
Roses are red, violets are blue, savings are green NEC Co-op Energy’s commitment to you goes beyond providing safe, reliable and affordable electricity. We’re always looking for ways to provide value to our members and our community. The Co-op Connections card is a money-saving tool we’re proud to offer our to our members free of charge. The card connects you with WE LOVE OUR MEMBERS! discounts on everything from hotel stays to prescription drugs. A wide variety of merchants online and throughout our community accept the card, so be sure to present the card at the register to receive your discount! Online, you’ll find discounts at national retailers such as Hertz rental cars, barnesandnoble.com, Best Western hotels and proflowers. com. You can check out these combined savings of more than great national discounts at $100 million on prescriptions. https://nueceselectric.org/ NEC strives to serve our connectionscard members according to four core One of the most valuable values: integrity, accountability, features of the Co-op innovation and commitment Connections card is the to community. Our Co-op pharmacy discount. While it is Connections card is one of Connections the This Valentine’s Day, let Mountain View Electric Association’s Co-op Card help youdiscount cover the flowers, else you values. need for a romantic evening. not insurance, the can chocolates, waysdinner, we and liveeverything up to those mean savings of 10–60 percent We’re eager to answer any on prescription drugs at more questions you have about the than 60,000 pharmacies. card and how to take advantage The pharmacy discount has of the discounts it provides. been widely used by members Visit https://nueceselectric. of Touchstone Energy co-ops org/connectionscard for full across the country, resulting in details to start saving! A L E A I M A G E | I S TO C K . CO M
Happy Valentine’s Day February 14
R I V E R N O R T H P H OTO G R A P H Y | I S TO C K . CO M
Start saving today! www.neccoopenergy.com
NECCoopEnergy_Feb2018.indd 23
Happy Presidents Day! February 19 NEC CO-OP ENERGY
Texas Co-op Power
23
1/11/18 8:15 AM
To Repair or Replace? That is the appliance question
A B L E | I ST O C K . C OM
As homeowners with bills to pay, our tendency is to buy an appliance and keep it running as long as possible—but this may not be the greatest strategy for energy efficiency. Old, inefficient appliances bloat electric bills because they eat up more energy than they’re worth. To figure out how much energy your appliances use, check for an energyefficiency label. The amount of energy typically used per year is listed in kilowatt-hours. If a label is not available, a home inspector can estimate energy use by determining the age of the appliances in the house and assessing their operation by checking for signs of wear and damage. To translate this energy use into electric expense, check your utility bill to find out the kilowatt-hour rate, then multiply the rate by the number of kilowatt-hours your appliance uses per year to figure out the annual cost it takes to operate the appliance. By adding this figure to the initial purchase and repair costs of the appliance, you then have a comparison level to decide whether your appliance would cost you more or less to run than a new one. If your appliance is nearing the end of its life span, it’s time to calculate whether repairing it or replacing it will cost more. Here are some typical life spans of appliances: Dishwasher, 13 years Air conditioner, 15 years Microwave, 15 years Refrigerator, 15 years
Washer/dryer, 16 years Furnace, 17 years Range, 18 years
Consider improvements to some of the biggest energy-using appliances in the household. A new refrigerator uses about 50 percent less energy than older models and can feature a CFC-free sealed system, more storage and easier cleaning. A new washer or dryer unit uses 30 percent less energy than older models and features greater capacity, better cleaning, quieter operation, preprogrammed cycle selections, reduced water usage and dryness sensors. As a result of technological improvements made by appliance manufacturers, newer machines not only use less electricity they also have more operational features and are made to last longer than counterparts produced within even the last decade. 24
Texas Co-op Power NEC CO-OP ENERGY
NECCoopEnergy_Feb2018.indd 24
www.neccoopenergy.com
1/11/18 8:15 AM
www.neccoopenergy.com 1.855.632.7348
www.neccoopenergy.com
NECCoopEnergy_Feb2018.indd 25
NEC CO-OP ENERGY
Texas Co-op Power
25
1/11/18 8:15 AM