Newsletter May NEC 2016

Priority No. 4:

Good Service 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.

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 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.

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 20

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more than 47,000 cooperative businesses.

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

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.

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.

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. www.nueceselectric.org

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www.nueceselectric.org 1.800.NEC.WATT

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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s!

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.nueceselectric.org

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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.nueceselectric.org

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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.

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We are prepared for summer storms

Summer is here, school is almost out and families are gearing up for a few months of fun and relaxation. While summer brings fun in the sun, it can also bring the occasional severe storm.

In the event of a power outage, you can trust that NEC is ready to respond.

The major cause of most power outages comes from damage to power lines due to falling trees and branches. We work year round – through right-ofway clearing – to ensure power lines in our service territory stand little risk of being damaged by trees, branches or other types of vegetation.

Despite our best efforts, during major storms, damage can occur to transmission stations, substations and power lines. When this happens, our first priority is to safely restore power to as many members as possible in the shortest amount of time.

We start by mobilizing our line crews and other critical staff. Every phone line available is utilized to take your outage report calls. The big problems are handled first – like damage to

transmission lines. These problems must be corrected before we can focus on other areas where more localized damage may have occurred.

NEC’s line crews inspect substations to determine if the problem starts there, or if there could be an issue down the line. If the root of the problem is at the substation, power can be restored to thousands of members.

Next, line crews check the service lines that deliver power into neighborhoods and communities. Line crews repair the damaged lines, restoring power to hundreds of people. If you continue to experience an outage, there may be damage to a tap line outside of your home or business. Make sure you notify NEC so crews can inspect these lines.

We will do our best to avoid power outages, but sometimes Mother Nature has other plans. Be sure to check out our Facebook page and online at nueceselectric.org on your smartphone for the latest updates during a power outage.

Calendar Dates: June 15.......... Director Election Packet Pick up for Districts 6 (Agua Dulce Area),

7 (Orange Grove Area), 8 (San Diego Area), 10 (NEC Retail).

August 1................................................ Nueces Electric Charities Grants Deadline October 13....................................................... Annual Meeting RMB Fairgrounds 26

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What’s in it for “we?”

The cooperative difference One of the most attractive features of cooperatives is that we answer the popular question, “What’s in it for me?” with “What’s in it for we!” Cooperatives are formed when the market fails to offer a good or service, with decent quality, at an affordable price. Nueces Electric Cooperative was formed in 1938 because, when investor-owned utilities realized there was not enough profit to be made in our community, they refused to offer electricity.

The founding members of NEC went door to door to collect $5 in order to raise a portion of the original investment the co-op needed. Those “go-getters” realized the only way to get electricity for me was to get it for we, the whole community.

Cooperative ownership is in the hands of the people who use the co-op’s goods and the services (not investors), so not only do co-ops start out answering the question of “What’s in it for we?” – they continue to answer that question for as long as they exist.

These days, we often hear about companies that abandon their local communities and move overseas in search of cheaper labor. This negatively impacts the community through job loss, decline in housing values and school closures. Because local residents own a majority of cooperatives, they are far less likely to ever leave their community. The co-op is a critical part of what makes the community a community.

The way co-ops continue to answer the question, “What’s in it for we?” is critical to their survival. It is imperative that we keep you – our members – as the primary focus. Keeping rates as low as possible is one major part of that focus, but ensuring that we provide real value as your trusted energy advisor is also extremely important.

By maintaining that focus with your help and support, we will continue to be able to serve the “me” and the “we” in our community long into the future. www.nueceselectric.org

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Payment Options: Pay Online www.nueceselectric.org Access your account 24 hours a day from any computer to view usage, make payments or manage your account. Just click on “Pay Your Bill”, on the left side of our Homepage and it will take you to the SmartHub account portal.

Pay With Your Smart Device Download the SmartHub app to your iPhone or Andriod device. View usage, weather impacts, make payments and manage your account any time of the day.

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

Equal Payment Plan Through this payment program, 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 Member Services ->Payment Options menu tab, or call the office.

Pay by Phone: 800-NEC-WATT (800-632-9288)

Pay in Person: Pay your bill at any one of our Customer Service centers located in Calallen, Ben Bolt, Ricardo or Orange Grove.

Pay by Mail: P.O. Box 659821, San Antonio, TX 78265

Pay at the Payment Kiosk Quick, easy, and accessible 24 hours a day, the Kiosk is located at the Calallen office. Payments post immediately to your account.

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.

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Find us on the web at: www.nueceselectric.org Call us at: 361-387-2581 or 1-800-632-9288

Main Office / Mailing Address: 14353 Cooperative Ave Robstown, TX 78380 (Calallen) M-F 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Ben Bolt Service Center: 5646 S. Hwy 281 Alice, TX M-F 8 - 12/ 12:30 - 4

Your Elected Board of Directors: Brian Menking: District 8, President Bill Hartman, District 7, Vice-President David Rosse, District 3, Secretary Treasurer Tommy Ermis, District 6, Asst Secretary-Treasure Johnny Alvarado, District 9 Gladys Lippincott, District 10 (Retail) Donald Herrmann, District 4 Maxine Stewart, District 5 Gregg Truesdale, District 2 Rumaldo Z. Juarez, District 1

Ricardo Service Center: 123 CR 1026, Ricardo, TX M-W-F 8 - 12 / 12:30 - 4 Orange Grove Service Center: 5302 W. FM 624 T-Th 9 - 12 / 1 - 4 (FM 624 & Hwy 281)

Use the NEC Outage Viewer to view outages 24-hours a day with any device. The Outage Viewer is located on the homepage our website.

NEC Power Providers

PLEASE NOTE: The (CRs) listed below have completed the process to qualify to serve NEC area members. This provider list is subject to change. For the most up-to-date list of providers, please monitor our website nueceselectric.org or you can obtain a list from any NEC office.

AP GAS & ELECTRIC COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL APOLLO POWER & LIGHT COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL BLUESTAR ENERGY COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL ONLY CHAMPION ENERGY SERVICES COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL CONSTELLATION ENERGY COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL ONLY CORAL POWER SOLUTIONS LARGE COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL DYNEGY COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL ENERGY TRANSFER LARGE COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL ENERTRADE ELECTRIC LARGE COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL GDF SUEZ COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL HINO ELECTRIC COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL MPOWER /MP2 COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL ONLY NEC RETAIL RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL & INDUST TENASKA LARGE COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL ENCOA (TERM) COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL ONLY SMARTCOM ENERGY SERVICES COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL ONLY STARTEX POWER LARGE COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL SOURCE POWER & GAS COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL

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