Newsletter May 2016 NEC Retail by Nueces Electric

AT-Cost ELECTRICITY MEMBER CONNECTIONS

AT-Cost ELECTRICITY

855-NEC-RD4U | necretail.com

for your home AND BUSINESS Good Service Priority No. 4:

Trace McCuan, CEO

I believe that the best quality we have at NEC is that we are owned by the members we serve. This means our staff and employees work for you, our members, on the other end of the line every day. As an electric cooperative, our goal isn’t to make profits but to provide the most reliable electric service at the lowest possible cost. We firmly believe that taking care of our members and providing them with the best possible electric service and customer service stands us apart from others. Our status as a Co-op enables NEC to effectively serve our members and provide affordable service.

We are proud that we are not an investor-owned utility, where the primary purpose is to generate profit for their stockholders.

Our members get benefits like Capital Credits, Military Credits, Referral Credits, the Merry Christmas Credit, and status as a member-owner of the cooperative. This means that you are an owner of NEC and entitled to share in the equity of the Co-op. Further proving that the benefits of electric co-op membership go far beyond the not-forprofit, at-cost power we supply to you.

The Co-op business model is unique and rooted in our local communities. Co-ops help us build a more participatory, sustainable and resilient economy. It is NEC’s continuous aim to provide excellent and innovative customer service as reflected in top quality electric service reliability, affordable rates, employee teamwork, and a high degree of integrity in all Cooperative endeavors.

The Corpus Christi Caller-Times, Better Business Bureau and Public Utility Commission of Texas have all recognized NEC for low customer complaints. We take pride in the fact that our customers overwhelmingly feel satisfied, yet we are continuously looking for ways to improve our approach to delivering top quality service.

While the Co-op must, of course, generate enough revenue to cover costs, profit is never our motive. We are in a position to provide exceptional service to our members because serving you and your neighbors is why we exist.

As a member, your investment and trust in the Co-op are at the heart of everything we do. NEC is proud to be part of America’s cooperative network, which includes more than 47,000 cooperative businesses. 20

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Because we live among the people we serve, we have a significant stake in the economic well-being of our community. Life is better with an electric co-op, and we plan to keep it that way.

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Staying safe on

On Sunday, May 8 we take the time to show an extra special appreciation to the wonderful woman that brought us into the world. Frequently, on Mother’s Day, our kids may sneak into the kitchen to whip up a surprise breakfast to celebrate. It’s always a treat to wake up to the smell of breakfast cooking— eggs, bacon, and, of course, toast. And their smiles more than make up for the disaster zone normally left in the wake. It’s great to see how excited they are about cooking something special, but it is important to be able to rest easy knowing that you have made the kitchen as safe as possible for the experiments (and mountain of dishes) to come. It is important to check all of your appliance cords on a monthly basis to make sure that anything plugged into the wall is functioning safely. This includes large appliances like the refrigerator down to the smallest ones like your toaster. And since an average of

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3,600 home fires each year start with toasters and toaster ovens, it’s best not to take chances. To take extra precautions, there are also special outlets that you can install in your kitchen, bathrooms or anywhere near water that are called ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs). If a problem occurs—an appliance overheating or a wayward coffee maker tipping into the sink—power is shut off. A red test button reminds you to check these outlets monthly. They’re an excellent first line of defense. Even cold appliances pose a safety risk—refrigerators are responsible for about a thousand fires annually. Every three months, it can be a small project that gets the whole family involved and aware of safety by removing the small panel at the base of the fridge and vacuum away dust and debris. Not only does this prevent a fire, but it makes the refrigerator run more efficiently. By getting the kids to help, you begin

teaching them how to take care of their own kitchen some day. A third of all home fires start in the kitchen, but every room could hold potential danger. May isn’t only a time to honor mothers—it’s also National Electrical Safety Month. Please take the time this month to check your home for electrical hazards. Spending a few minutes to check for problems can make all the difference when you’re faced with a potentially unsafe situation. To learn more, take a home safety tour at virtualhome.esfi.org. There’s also a wealth of safety knowledge available at www.SafetyatHome.com, and www.SafeElectricity.org. On Mother’s Day and every day, we want to help you keep your family safe. Sharing electrical safety tips is just another way we’re looking out for you. To learn more about our commitment to safety, visit nueceselectric.org. Happy Mother’s Day!

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kid r o f

There are many ways you can practice energy efficiency in your home. Use the word bank below to complete the crossword puzzle. Be sure to tell mom and dad about these energy efficiency tips so you can practice at home! DOWN 1. Use ceiling _________ to circulate cool air. 2. Taking _________ are more energy efficient than taking baths. 3. Always turn the _________ off when you leave a room. ACROSS 4. Plant shade _________ around your home. 5. Open _________ on cool evenings and turn off the air conditioner. 6. Close shades, drapes and blinds during the _________ to help keep warm air out of your home.

Word Bank: Trees Showers Daytime Windows Lights Fans

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Make your yard work for you! Consider summer landscaping ideas that unearth energy savings. Location, location, location is the mantra in real estate, but it also applies to your yard this time of year when the search is on to lower energy bills and create curb appeal. Positioning the right combination of plants and trees can yield shade, beautify, and unearth energy savings. Such smart or energyefficient landscaping, claims the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), can on average, provide enough energy savings to see a return on your initial investment in less than eight years. Strategic placement

Again, think location. Carefully positioned trees can reduce a household’s energy consumption for heating and cooling by up to 25 percent. Using computer models, the DOE determined that proper placement of only three trees on your property can save an average household between $100 and $250 in yearly energy costs. This spring, make your yard work for you. Just a few simple landscaping considerations can make a big difference in your home’s comfort and in the efficiency of your heating and cooling systems: • Use trees and plants to shade a window air conditioner. Having shade can increase its efficiency by as much as 10 percent. For good airflow and access, position plants more than three feet from the air conditioner. • Shrubs and trees can form windbreaks or protective walls that keep wind chill away from a home. That’s important because wind speed lowers outside air temperatures, and ultimately saves on higher heating costs. Common turf grass and other low-growing plants are ideal barriers. So are evergreens, especially when combined with a wall or fence to deflect or even lift wind over a home. For best www.necretail.com

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protection, plan on leaving between two to five times the mature height of the trees or shrubs between the windbreak and the protected home. made in the shade

Indoors, you may be protected from the sun’s rays, but your energy bill can rise as your air conditioner works harder to keep your house cool and comfortable. Planting shade trees can add to your comfort at home by dropping the surrounding air temperature by as much as nine degrees Fahrenheit. But choosing just the right tree may require a compass and patience while they grow to work for you: • When selecting shade trees, keep in mind the mature height of the tree and the shape of its shade canopy in relation to the height of your home. These factors are important because they should influence how far from the house you decide to plant a tree. Always avoid planting near underground utility lines. • Shading takes time—a 6-foot to 8-foot deciduous tree planted near a house will begin shading windows in a year. Depending on the species and the home, the tree will shade the roof in five to 10 years. • Make planting shade trees due west of west-facing windows your first priority. • Select a tree that can be planted within 20 feet of the window and that will grow at least 10 feet

taller than that window. If you have the space, use as many trees as needed to create a continuous row along all major west-and east-facing windows. • Contrary to intuition, the least energy efficient place for a tree is to the south of a house. Different trees can serve a variety of purposes. To block summer heat while letting sun filter through in the winter months, use deciduous trees or those that lose their leaves seasonally. Evergreens and shrubs, on the other hand, are ideal for providing continuous shade and blocking heavy winds. Also, keep in mind that not all shade plants are tall. Shrubs and sturdy groundcover plants also provide good shade by reducing heat radiation and cooling air before it reaches your home’s walls and windows. Start planting savings and let your yard do all the work—a well-placed tree, shrub, or vine can deliver effective shade, act as a windbreak, and reduce your energy bills.

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Practical pointers for National Electrical Safety Month May is National Electrical Safety Month, and NEC is joining with the Electrical Safety Foundation International to raise awareness about potential home electrical hazards and the importance of electrical safety. This year, we are challenging all of our members to make home electrical safety assessments a priority. According to the Consumer Electronics Association, the average home today has a minimum of three televisions, two DVD players, at least one digital camera, one desktop computer, and two cell phones. Modern homes run on electricity, but if you don’t properly maintain your electrical products they can create hazards. The good news is that eliminating electrical hazards from your home doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. Many homes and their electrical systems were built before most modern-day home electronics and appliances were even invented. Today’s increased demand for energy can overburden an older home’s electrical system. NEC offers the following tips to help identify and eliminate electrical hazards to protect yourself, your family, and your home: • Make sure entertainment centers and computer equipment have plenty of space around them for ventilation. • Use extension cords as a temporary solution, and never as a permanent power supply. • Do not place extension cords in high traffic areas, under carpets, or across walkways, where they pose a potential

tripping hazard. • Use a surge protector to protect your computer and other electronic equipment from damage caused by voltage changes. • Heavy reliance on power strips is an indication that you have too few outlets to address your needs. Have additional outlets installed by a qualified, licensed electrician. • Keep liquids, including drinks, away from electrical items such as televisions and computers. Electrical safety awareness and education among our members: consumers, families, employees, and communities will prevent electrical fires, injuries, and fatalities. Show us how you are celebrating National Electrical Safety Month and keeping you family safe by using the hashtags #staysafe and #electricalsafety.

TIP OF THE MONTH Summer is right around the corner! Have you changed your home’s air filter? Filters get loaded with more and more particles as they do their job. This actually has the effect of making them more efficient, but it also increases resistance and reduces airflow. Remember to check filters once a month!

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5 Garage Door Safety Tips Garage door safety: an open and shut case Try this riddle: What weighs 600 pounds, deters intruders, and goes up or down at the push of a button? It’s your automatic garage door, the largest moving piece of equipment in many homes. Automatic garage doors may be a routine part of leaving and arriving home, but you should be aware of the potential for injury. Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., recommends these tips to make safety an open and shut case when it comes to your home’s garage: Number one

Always keep automatic garage doors fully open or fully closed. Some folks may leave a small opening at the bottom for pets to get in and out for food or shade. But a small opening could also be an invitation for a child to try to crawl through and get stuck. Another push of the button could send the heavy door down—causing injury—instead of bringing the door up when trying to free anyone stuck underneath. If you encounter someone www.necretail.com

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stuck in an automatic door, call your local fire department. Number two

Read instructions on how to operate and maintain your garage door properly. Check your automatic door monthly to be sure safety precautions are working. Many garage doors boast a safety feature that triggers an automatic reversal if anything is encountered while closing. To check, place a 1.5-inch object (like a flat 2x4) in the path of the door to make sure the door correctly reverses when contact is made. Instructions should also advise on maintaining a properly balanced door. Call a qualified repair company for service or maintenance.

Number four

Avoid walking under a door that is opening or closing. You never know when a malfunction may take place. Steer clear of a moving door. Number five

Know when and how to use the emergency release. You’ll find a cord with a handle hanging along the track of your garage door. Always use caution when using this release, and only use it when the door is fully closed. An automatic garage door opener is a common convenience powered by electricity. Just as electricity demands safety and respect, so does the equipment it operates.

Number tHREE

Do not allow children to operate a garage door. It may seem like a harmless, simple task to allow children to push the garage opener. But activating heavy equipment should be taken seriously. NEC Retail May 2016 Texas Co-op Power

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Payment Options Tree pruning zone

Pay Online 40 ft or less

www.necretail.com. Access your account 24 hours a day from any computer. Just click on “Pay Your Bill”, on the homepage and it will take you to the SmartHub account portal.

25 ft or less

Auto Draft: Sign up to have your bank account or credit card drafted for your monthly bill. You can sign-up via your SmartHub online account.

A special thank you from NEC retail to all active and former military. In observance of Memorial Day, we will be closed on Monday, May 30.

Level Billing Payment Plan Through this plan, a member’s usage is averaged for the year and the member makes equal payments each month. See more information and sign up online under the Why NEC menu tab, or call the office.

Pay by Phone: 855.NEC.RD4U (855.632.7348)

Calendar Dates: June 15, 2016 ............ Director Election Packet Pick-up for Districts: 6 (Agua Dulce Area), 7 (Orange Grove Area), 8 (San Diego Area), 10 (NEC Retail). August 1, 2016 ...........Nueces Electric Charities Grants Deadline

SO MA

Pay by Mail:

• No hidd • NEC Re • NEC Re • NEC Re • NEC Re

PO Box 659832, San Antonio, Texas 78265

Payment Services Pay using any Fidelity Express Pay Stations or for an additional $1.50 service charge. Search online to find a payment station near you.

account

October 13, 2016 ...... Annual Meeting RMB Fairgrounds 26

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referrin

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*Enroll

As a member of an electric co-op, we give you the opportunity to lower your bill. It’s easy! Just fill out the cards below, tear them apart and hand them out to your closest friends and co-workers. If they sign up for NEC Retail you get a $60 credit on your next electric bill. There’s no limit to how many referrals you can get.

SO MANY REASONS TO CHOOSE NEC:

• No hidden fees or rate surcharges • NEC Retail is a not-for-profit retail electric provider • NEC Retail is member-owned, much like a credit union • NEC Retail gives back to its members • NEC Retail has the fewest customer complaints

referring member name:

account number

*Enroll online. Submit referrer’s name & account number. www.necretail.com

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*Enroll online. Submit referrer’s name & account number.

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