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Higher-Than-Average Bills John L. Sims, NEC CEO

As we look forward to the promise of warmer weather and a new growing season, we don’t always remember the challenges and concerns brought on by the cold weather of the winter just past. One reminder for some of you has been your electric bill: Quite simply, you think it’s too high. Around co-op country, there have been recent discussions about higher-than-normal utility bills. Of course, we recognize that this can be a situation that causes you to worry. Every one of us pays a utility bill, so we personally understand that you need to keep your household budget balanced. We operate NEC based on the guidance of Seven Cooperative Principles, which include Concern for Community. We work hard to fulfill that commitment by providing safe and reliable energy for your homes and businesses. We’ve been hearing from folks around the co-op’s service area about their dissatisfaction with their electricity bills, and we want to share reasonable answers to each of those questions. There’s almost always more than one response to help a situation, so take a few minutes to consider the options. We’ll work with you every way we can. If you have questions about your bill, don’t hesitate to call our customer service office. We can review your account to make sure the bill is correct and accurate. We should be able to settle most concerns with a straightforward conversation. One important thing to remember: Please call us as soon as possible, before your bill is due to be paid. That way, we can

Texas Co-op Power NEC Retail April 2015

work through your questions in a timely manner to avoid further inconvenience. It will always be true that the most important way to lower a higher-than-expected energy bill is to look for ways to decrease the amount of energy we use. One thing we can’t change, no matter how hard we try, is that colder weather means that most folks use more electricity to keep the house warm. At NEC we manage the rates very carefully to make sure that piece of the puzzle is as easy to navigate as possible. So always be prepared, and manage your energy use. Keep an eye on the thermostat and adjust it to conserve energy. If you keep shades or curtains and blinds closed at night, you will reduce significant temperature changes inside the house. Always turn off lights you don’t need, and avoid using expensive electric space heaters or any unnecessary appliances. They often use more energy than you can imagine. Again, feel free to call us and ask questions about your bill. As members of your community, we know the importance of working together for the welfare of the community. The cooperative legacy of reliability and safety are values that continue through all seasons. Nueces Electric Cooperative Mission: The mission of Nueces Electric Cooperative, Inc, a memberowned cooperative, is to help our members continually improve their quality of life by providing reliable and cost effective electric service.

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Be Part of the PAC With Rural Friends Rural Friends of Electric Cooperatives is a state-wide nonpartisan political action committee (PAC) that helps supporters of electric cooperatives who are seeking a seat on the Texas Legislature. ACRE (Action Committee for Rural Electrification) is the national nonpartisan political action committee (PAC) that helps supporters of electric cooperatives who are seeking a seat in the U.S. Congress. Contributions from these PACs go to candidates for state and federal office who have demonstrated support for electric cooperatives and their historical stance on those issues. Rural Friends of Electric Cooperatives contributes to state office candidates and ACRE (Action Committee for Rural Electrification) contributes to candidates for the U.S. Congress. Aside from raising money, Rural Friends is also a grass roots effort that encourages political participation at the local level. The power of constituency means voters can voice their opinions to local leaders. Individuals who come together as a group gain greater access to the process. YES! You can join! Membership in Rural Friends of Electric Cooperatives is open to all people with an interest in promoting the progress and growth of co-ops and the communities they serve. Plus, if you are a member of a Co-op, Rural Friends will automatically send one-half of your membership dues to ACRE (Action Committee for Rural Electrification) so you will be a member of both groups! The PACs belongs to its members just like electric cooperatives belong to their members. Rural Friends /ACRE dues are $25 per year for regular membership, $100 per year for century club membership and $500 per year for presidential membership. Members of NEC Retail may become members of Rural Friends/ACRE by contacting Julianne Coleman at jcoleman@ nueceselectric.org or (800) 632-9288 X 248 or (361) 387-2581 X 248.

1.855.NEC.RD4U

Arbor Day

3rd Annual

FREE Tree Give Away Friday, April 24, 2015 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Pick up a tree at: 709 E. Main, Robstown or 14353 Cooperative Ave (Calallen)

500

trees will be given away to NEC Retail members!* *Must bring your most recent bill to prove membership

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Co-op Power NEC Retail April 2015 Texas 足足

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JA I MI E D. T RAVI S

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Always read labels carefully to avoid buying counterfeit products.

Deadly Deals: Counterfeits The saying, “If it’s too good to be true, it usually is,” should come to mind when you find any products that are far below competitive prices. But an electrical product is uniquely hazardous when impersonated. A counterfeit electrical product has not undergone testing by an independent laboratory and likely does not comply with industry safety requirements. Because its origin is often unknown, the manufacturer isn’t held accountable for deadly results. Learn what to look for to protect your loved ones from fires or injuries associated with counterfeit electrical products. -Use established vendors who purchase their goods from legitimate distributors and genuinely licensed manufacturers. -Read the packaging carefully. Text should be free of grammatical errors and shouldn’t contain conflicting information. - Inspect the packaging. It should bear the name and contact information of the manufacturer. -Avoid unknown brands and products that do not display any brand affiliation. -Do your research. Organizations such as the Consumer Product Safety Commission, CSA Group and Underwriters Laboratories provide information on their websites about product recalls—including those related to counterfeiting. —Electrical Safety Foundation International

Texas Co-op Power NEC Retail April 2015

Make a Family Plan IT’S NOT PLEASANT TO THINK ABOUT THE

worst-case scenario. But a little planning can make a difference if the worst does happen. Follow these tips to avoid feeling helpless during a disaster.

Before Communicate. Talk with your family

about whom to call, where to go and what to do if disaster strikes. Educate. Plan strategies for what to do in various situations. Map out a fire escape route from all areas of your home and establish a safe place to go during threatening weather. Make sure all family members know their full names, address and phone numbers. Agree on an outof-town relative or friend to call if the family gets separated during a disaster, and have an ICE (In Case of Emergency) contact in your cellphone who first responders can call if needed. Prepare. Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms give advance notice that can save lives. Use a batteryoperated weather radio for advance storm warnings, and subscribe to your local Office of Emergency Management alerts by text or email, if available. Keep an emergency kit handy that contains five days’ worth of water and

nonperishable food for each family member, plus first-aid supplies, a list of phone numbers (including your electric co-op and other utilities’ outage numbers), medicines, and hygiene and cleaning supplies. Also, plan for pets or any family member’s special needs. Practice your emergency plans.

During Keep calm. Think clearly and follow your

plan using the resources you prepared. Emergency phone. Keep a corded landline phone handy in case of emergency. If cellphone batteries die, there’s no way to charge them during a power outage. A landline phone works without electricity.

After Be patient. Wait for all danger to pass.

Never re-enter an evacuated area without permission to do so, and remember to use caution when you do go back into your home. You can’t always see dangers. Avoid delayed dangers. Do not approach downed wires or power lines, and watch for rising waters even after rain has stopped. Keep standby generators in well-ventilated areas, and never run a generator indoors—even in a garage.

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1.855.NEC.RD4U

GEOTHERMAL VS. AIR-TO-AIR

Choose the Right Heat Pump HEAT PUMPS ARE CONSIDERED one of the most energy-efficient products for heating

and cooling today, but homeowners and building operators have a choice: an air-toair heat pump or a geothermal heat pump. Unfortunately, there is no easy answer. Economic values vary for each building, and preferences vary for each individual making the decision. With numerous choices about energy efficiency and potential tax credits, even a knowledgeable consumer can find the decision difficult. An overview of the two types of heat pumps can help:

Geothermal Geothermal heat pumps obtain their heat from the ground. Because the earth absorbs solar energy, keeping a constant 55 degrees even hundreds of feet underground, using that energy is efficient for heating or cooling your home. To access that constant temperature, pipes and conduit are buried underground or submerged in a lake, pond or well. An antifreeze/ water solution circulates inside these pipes, and a heat exchanger concentrates the gathered heat to release warm air inside the home. In summer, the process is reversed, and heat inside a structure is transferred underground, where it is released. Geothermal systems not only provide comfortable temperatures, but they are also efficient water heaters. Homeowners can take advantage of tax incentives However, the initial price of when installing a heat pump. installing a geothermal pump is substantially more expensive than an air-to-air heat pump. To offset installation expenses, the IRS offers a tax credit for 30 percent of the cost.

Technology Lowers Energy Bills CAN’T REMEMBER TO TURN the thermostat down at bedtime? Always forgetting to unplug your home’s electronics before leaving on vacation? Technology can come to your rescue. Automatic thermostats and smartphone apps can “remember” these tasks for you—and lower your energy bills in the process.

An air-to-air heat pump absorbs heat from the atmosphere. Warmth is collected from outside air, concentrated and circulated inside in the winter, and the process is reversed in the summer to provide cool air to a building’s interior. An air-to-air heat pump has an optimal temperature range of about 35–65 degrees. If the outside air temperature varies far beyond optimal operating conditions, a backup furnace may be necessary to create enough heat to maintain a comfortable winter temperature inside the home. An air-to-air heat pump can be extremely efficient when the outside temperature does not vary much from optimal operating conditions and can save about 30–50 percent on heating and cooling bills. As with geothermal heat pumps, there are incentives for homeowners to install air-to-air heat pumps. The higher the SEER rating a heat pump has, the more efficient the heat pump will be. And always remember that with any type of HVAC system, air leaks must be sealed and the home must be properly insulated for the unit to achieve energy efficiency.

Consider these strategies: -Installing a programmable thermostat that you can set just once so it will turn the heat down a few degrees (or the AC up) at bedtime and after everyone leaves the house in the morning. Those hours of slightly lower temps can save you a bundle on your heating and cooling bills. -Investing in a new “learning” thermostat. These nifty devices collect data about your preferences every time you raise or lower your home’s temperature. Then, it will start adjusting the thermostat accordingly—without being told to. -Switching to a wireless thermostat that allows you to change the temperature via your computer or smartphone. -Trying out an energy-management phone app. These free apps monitor your home’s electricity use and share the info with easy-to-read graphics. The more you know about the way your family uses energy, the easier it is to change habits.

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Co-op Power NEC Retail April 2015 Texas

Air-to-Air

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It’s All About YOU You might have noticed that from time to time, Nueces Electric Cooperative has run feature articles on members or member-owned businesses. We would like to make this a monthly feature. If you are an interesting person, or if you have a company you would like to tell the members of NEC about, let us know!

Play & Win! If Your Account Number is:

4111-001

For details and to pitch your story, visit the “Why NEC” tab at www.NECRetail.com.

Centerpoint TC3 Notice to Members

YOU WIN $25 off your electric bill! Call, NEC Retail before the 20th!

Billed amounts by NEC Retail to members includes CenterPoint Energy Transition Charges which were authorized by the Financing Order, Docket No. 34448, dated September 18, 2007 and have been transferred to, and are being collected on behalf of, CenterPoint Energy Transition Bond Company III, LLC and are not owned by NEC Retail or Nueces Electric Cooperative, Inc. Under certain circumstances described in Schedule TC3 Servicer may be permitted to collect the Transition Charge directly from the retail customer.

Note The New Payment Address s to: Mail Payment NEC Retail 32 PO Box 6598 TX San Antonio, 78265 Please make sure to update your bank bill payment accounts and other payment address books with this new address.

Texas Co-op Power NEC Retail April 2015

HAPPY EASTER! FROM NEC RETAIL SUNDAY, APRIL 5 OFFICE CLOSED FRIDAY, APRIL 3RD www.necretail.com

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Why Pay When It’s FREE? Currently there is about $3.4 billion in unclaimed funds with the State of Texas Comptroller. This includes forgotten bank accounts, uncashed checks, security deposits, and utility refunds. NEC estimates approximately 5,000 past NEC members are among this group of folks. You see, thanks to Capital Credits, your equity in the co-op, your membership pays you back long after you quit being a member. Recently a member sent us a copy of letter from a California claims company. The letter informed the member that he had unclaimed money with the State of Texas. The company offered to help him access the funds for a fee. While this solicitation is not illegal, the co-op wants to educate members of how easily you can do this...for FREE.

How Do Capital Credits Work? And why would they be with the state?

Owned by our members, the money to cover day to day operating costs of the cooperative comes directly from our members paying their monthly electric bill. At the end of the year, NEC subtracts operating expenses from the amount of money collected and the remaining balance is called the “margins”. The margins left over at the end of the year are allocated, or assigned, to your capital credit account. The amount allocated to you is based on the amount of electricity you paid for that year. This continues each year you are a member with NEC. Nueces Electric has a 20-year retirement cycle. So 20 years after you become a member, NEC will start giving you your credits as bill credits on your NEC electric bill, or if you are no longer a member, you will receive a check in

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Members can access these funds simply by going to ClaimItTexas.org. Select the blue “Search Unclaimed Property”, answer the questions, and see if and how much money you have waiting for you. Once you have completed filling in the required information, all you have to do is submit proof of your identity and the state will mail you a check. Easy... and 100% free!

the mail. One check a year for however long you were a member. For example: You joined the co-op and were a member for ten years. Ten years after you left the co-op, your Capital Credits mature and you start getting cash payments. One check a year for ten years (because you were a member for ten years). If we are not able to attach the funds to a current NEC electric bill, or if we are unable to mail you a check; your Capital Credits are turned into the State of Texas Comptrollers office. We do not keep the funds. This is why we always ask you to keep NEC informed with your new address. If the member passes away, their children or dependents are eligible to receive the credits. Capital Credits returns are based on the amount the Board of Directors releases each year, and depending on the financial health of the co-op, there may be years the Board chooses to not release any funds. For more information, visit the Capital Credits page located on our website at www.nueceselectric.org Co-op Power NEC Retail April 2015 Texas

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Nueces Electric Charities gave

$135,000

Halo Flight Visits the Co-op

in 2014

On February 24, 2015, NEC Board of Directors welcomed representatives from Halo Flight to a board meeting.

30 Organizations

Halo Flight Development Director, Patti Young, and Marketing Director, Stephanie Murphy dropped in to thank the board for supporting Halo Flights efforts. In total, members have donated over $321,000 in the past 18 years to this life-saving organization.

Boys & Girls Club of Harlingen Brush Country CASA Charlie’s Place Recovery Center Children’s Advocacy Center of the Coastal Bend CHRISTUS Spohn Foundation Coastal Bend Community Foundation Coastal Bend Wellness Foundation Communities In Schools Corpus Christi Education Foundation Corpus Christi Hope House Corpus Christi Metro Ministries Corpus Christi Pregnancy Resource Center Dress for Success Corpus Christi Education Service Center-Region 2 Emmanuel Christian Fellowship Community Center Fannie Bluntzer Nason Renewal Center Good Samaritan Rescue Mission Halo-Flight Harbor Playhouse Joe A. Gonzalez Education is Our Freedom GED Scholarship Program Montessori School of Corpus Christi Refuge of Hope Ronald McDonald House South Texas Lighthouse for the Blind South Texas Literacy Coalition The Ark The Rise School of Corpus Christi United Way of the Coastal Bend YMCA of the Coastal Bend YWCA If you know a worthy organization who would like to apply for Nueces Electric Charities funds, please have them visit www.nuecescharities.org to download the application and view the selection criteria. The next deadline is May 1, 2015. 26

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Texas Co-op Power NEC Retail April 2015

As board members are a direct reflection of the members they represent, the Co-op would like to in return THANK YOU, the members, who have generously allowed the Co-op to donate these funds through your participation in Operation Round-up.

Halo Flight Development Director, Patti Young (black shirt) and Marketing Director, Stephanie Murphy (red shirt) thanked the board and membership for 18 years of support.

Halo Flight Guardian Plan Don’t forget, all NEC Retail members are eligible to take advantage of the $12 a year Halo Flight Guardian Plan membership. Make it easy! Once you will out the form (can be found at www.necretail.com under “Why NEC”), NEC Retail will add the $1 a month membership to your monthly electric bill. NEC Retail does not financially benefit from your participation in this plan. We just want to make sure you are covered in case you ever need this life-saving care for you or your loved one. www.necretail.com

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Around Memorial Day, all current & former military enjoy a $25 THANK YOU Gift on their electric bill.

Saying Thank You is just the beginning. NEC Retail is proud to offer a recurring annual $25 May electric bill credit to our fellow American Men and Women who have served in the military with honorable discharge. Verification of Veteran status is required. Veteran status verification can be submitted to NEC Retail up until April 15th of any year for a credit that calendar year. Once you enroll, you will receive the credit each year. Visit www.necretail.com to view verification options, and how to submit the verification, to start receiving your credit.

1.855.NEC.RD4U FUTURE HOME OF

U.S. NAVY CPO JERAMY BUSH & FAMILY

Powering a New Start

Please join the Builders Association of Corpus Christi Area and H-E-B: th earlier magazine, NEC Retail at 12:00 Noonis Thursday, October 30

As mentioned in an 1907 Cottonwood Drive proud to partner with Operation Finally Home to build Bay Landing (by Fox Home Builders) their first home in the Coastal Bend. The slab has now Portland, TX A light lunch will be provided compliments been laid and work is going smoothly. of H-E-B

The Builders Association of Corpus Christi Area and H-E-B along

The main projectFINALLY partners are Builders with Operation HOME are the excited to provide aAssociacustom mortgage-free home to Jeramy Bush and his family. We look tion ofbuilt, Corpus Christi Area and HEB. NEC Retail will forward to seeing you at the official groundbreaking ceremony. proudly be covering the electricity cost to build the home and offering the new tenants two free months of electricity. “We have the Military Credit but we wanted to do something extra to show ourofh-coastalbend@stx.rr.com military we support their for more information e-mail: fellow servicemen 100%,” said NEC CEO John Sims. www.crowdrise.com/OFHCoastalBend

For more information, or to make a donation, visit: www.crowdrise.com/OFHCoastalBend

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Co-op Power NEC Retail April 2015 Texas