Data Loading...
September 2015 Flipbook PDF
September 2015
111 Views
95 Downloads
FLIP PDF 3.89MB
LOCAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE EDITION Historic Architecture Big Bend Baron
¡CHARREADA!
Centuries-old tradition honors charro way of life
SEPTEMBER 2015 5-Ingredient Recipes
UNITED COOPERA
In the Line of Fire
A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FOR MEMBER
for No Comprehensible R
Power Ta : go online
18
www.united-cs.com
Texas Co-op Power UNITED COOPERATIVE SERVICES SEPTEMBER 2015
ATIVE SERVICES
RS OF UNITED COOPERATIVE SERVICES
Reason
alk
EDITOR'S NOTE: Reliable electric service delivery expectations are part of a covenant that is generally shared enthusiastically between United members and cooperative employees, but recent events have prompted the cooperative to announce both its obligation and its intent to vigorously seek the prosecution of any person who physically threatens or assaults a United employee in the course of his or her official duty and service to the cooperative and its members.
S
afety is paramount at United. It has to be due to the nature of the industry and the many hazards that come with delivering electricity over high-voltage electric distribution lines and other infrastructure. While the United Operations and Engineering departments devote a significant amount of time to education and training in order to avoid safety hazards and potential accidents, there are other challenges existing today that can be problematic for any of United’s 152 employees who are tasked daily with performing their job responsibilities safely and then returning home to their families each night. Some of these challenges have little or nothing to do with their work around high-voltage electricity, yet they still require cooperative employees to be on high alert. Every United member has a meter at their usage location. Some have several meters. In many cases, poles supporting transformers and service lines are on member property. Some members have
underground electric distribution facilities on their properties, including pad transformers, junction boxes or simply underground distribution lines. In all cases, United possesses easements and the right, by Texas statute, to access all of these various pieces of equipment for one reason: they’re vital for the reliable delivery of electricity that all members expect to receive from this electric cooperative. “We are as sensitive to our members’ property rights as any organization could hope to be, and we strive to demonstrate that awareness responsibly whenever we enter a member’s property to access our infrastructure or conduct official co-op business,” said United CEO Ray Beavers. “However, there have been several recent occasions when our employees have been put in harm’s way without fault of their own, which is why we reach out to our members and Please see LINE OF FIRE, PAGE 22
INSIDE THIS MONTH’S ISSUE: CO-OP CONNECTIONS CARD OFFERS DISCOUNTS TOWARD HOME ENERGY EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS, TOO, PAGE ..... 20
COMMUNITY COMMITMENT: AREA GRADS AWARDED UNITED ENERGY SCHOLARSHIPS, PAGE ..... 22
RATE WATCH PROVIDES RATE COMPARISON OF NORTH TEXAS PROVIDERS, PAGE ..... 25
This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer. : go online
www.united-cs.com
SEPTEMBER 2015 UNITED COOPERATIVE SERVICES Texas Co-op Power
19
UNITED COOPERA
P.O. BOX 16 • CLEBURNE,
Play the Card That Offers BY Jeff Pannell United Cooperative Services’ commitment to its membership goes well beyond providing safe and reliable electricity at an affordable cost. The cooperative strives to excel in providing value-added resources to its members and within the communities in which it serves. In that effort, United has touted Energy Innovation as a key to both sustaining the Texas electrical grid, but also as a methodology that can help members learn how to waste less electric energy. As part of that process, United has launched many initiatives to bolster its commitment to providing more service value to members. One such initiative was launched in 2007 and re-launched in 2014—United’s Co-op Connections Card Program. While the Co-op Connections Program provides significant discounts on everything from gym memberships to BBQ sandwiches—the most meaningful savings for members have been
: go online 20
realized through the card’s prescription discount offers. In prescription discounts alone, United members have saved more than $735,000 since the program began eight years ago. Not to be overlooked however, are far-reaching retail discounts that help members save on every day goods and services, especially when making residential energy efficient improvements. United’s service territory—encompassing parts of 14 North Texas counties—includes a variety of businesses that have agreed to give United members considerable discounts on their products or services through the Co-op Connections Card. Many of those participating companies provide services relating to solar screens, insulation and heating and air-conditioning. The discounts offered range from 10 percent off repairs to $250 off a new system install.
HVAC
One of the keys to maintaining an efficient home starts with an energy efficient HVAC system. United’s Co-op Connections Card program currently has 18 different HVAC companies that offer discounts on anything from service calls and repairs to new system installation. Those discounts coupled with United’s own rebate program for HVAC tune-ups and new air-source heat pumps can add up to substantial savings for those United members
www.united-cs.com
Texas Co-op Power UNITED COOPERATIVE SERVICES SEPTEMBER 2015
ENERGY INNOVATION looking for the means to increase residential comfort levels while also increasing the overall energy efficiency of their homes. Just as a tune-up on a car can improve gas mileage, regular HVAC system tune-ups can improve the efficiency and comfort in a home. Tune-ups can also prevent costly repairs to heating and cooling systems in the future.
Attic Insulation
Another important component of an energy efficient home is attic insulation. Since heating and cooling a home is typically responsible for 55-60 percent of a
ATIVE SERVICES
, TEXAS • 817-556-4000
home’s energy consumption, it’s important to make sure attic insulation levels are adequate enough to keep the conditioned air in the home and the unconditioned air out. When a member schedules a free home energy audit, a United energy expert can help identify shortcomings in attic insulation and will supply the member with a list of participating Co-op Connections Card vendors that have signed up to assist United members with valuable discounts.
Solar Screens A relatively inexpensive way to prevent heat gain via windows is found in
solar screens. Solar screens can be applied to most existing windows to eliminate up to 90 percent of the sun’s heat and reduce cooling bills by as much as 25 percent depending on the shade selected, according to most manufacturers. Solar screens have three important characteristics; shading, reflectivity, and absorption. Shading accounts for the amount of shade created between the solar screen and exterior pane of glass; reflectivity is a boon because it can reflect the sun’s rays of light off of the screen; and absorption is a factor that can cut down on the amount of heat absorbed and held within the screen material itself, as well as dispersing radiant heat back away from the glass. Not only can solar screens reduce cooling costs during the summer months, they can also result in improved comfort, according to both United members and employees who have invested in this energy-saving measure. “I utilized the Co-op Connections program and quickly located a local company to install solar screens on my home. Besides the fact that the merchant was professional and courteous, the discount I received through the program was valuable,” said United employee Kevin Keesee. “One of the things I like about the style installed on my home is the flexibility it offers to easily remove the screens in the winter so I don’t loss the advantage of the solar heat gain to lower my heating costs. Then, when spring rolls around, I just put them back on to keep the heat out,” he added. The Co-op Connections Card program has not only been an effective savings tool for United members who
are in search of discounts on a variety of goods and services, but it also promotes many local businesses that are vital to the communities served by United Cooperative Services. Any local business, whether a United member or not, can participate in program. United is always interested in including and promoting new businesses as participating merchants in the program. Businesses can learn more about the program by emailing [email protected]. To find more local and national deals, members can visit the card website at www.connections.coop. It’s simple. After entering the site, members should enter their zip code and select United as their co-op. Making a home energy efficient is a good investment, and United is here to help. Along with the Co-op Connections Card vendors, United’s knowledgeable team of Energy Experts is ready to assist any member that may have questions about managing their energy usage. To learn more, or to schedule a FREE Home Energy Audit, contact the nearest United office.
: go online
www.united-cs.com
SEPTEMBER 2015 UNITED COOPERATIVE SERVICES Texas Co-op Power
21
UNITED COOPERA
P.O. BOX 16 • CLEBURNE,
Area Grads Receive Cont United Cooperative Services Energy Scholarships power college educations for 15 bright member students
BRITTNY WALLER
CORY HOOD
ADAM HAMAD
D
emonstrating its commitment to the communities it serves, United Cooperative Services presented $43,000 in scholarship awards to 15 deserving students. The scholarship award program was created to encourage and assist in the educational pursuits of the co-op’s members and their families. “As a member-owned electric cooperative, United invests in the future of our communities by helping the young people we serve realize their higher education dreams,” said United CEO Ray Beavers. “Each year, we are completely blown away by the intelligent, goaldriven students within our co-op
Cooperative Seeks to Make External Wo LINE OF FIRE
continued from PAGE 19
explain why our employees sometimes need to be on member property, as well as to reinforce the notion that in an electric cooperative, we’re all in this together,” he added. One of the perennial challenges United employees face when carrying out their daily responsibilities is the potential for a dog attack. Several attacks on employees—resulting in hospital visits—have occurred over the last year, even while the dog owners/handlers have been present. “We make every effort to notify a member that we are, or will be, on their property prior to accessing our infrastructure or conducting official co-op business,” said Beavers. “And even though we know our members have busy lives, too, and are often not at home when we need to work on our equipment, when members are home we request that they be sensitive to our employees’ safety and put up their dogs or other animals for the brief time that we’re there,” he said. : go online 22
www.united-cs.com
Texas Co-op Power UNITED COOPERATIVE SERVICES SEPTEMBER 2015
While United asks members to be aware of the need to contain dogs and other animals if ever the need arises for co-op employees to access infrastructure on member property, it’s understood that many dogs are doing what they are naturally accustomed to doing—protecting their master’s property. Invariably though, the dog owner that champions the belief that their dog’s bark is worse than his bite is generally not the one left with the wound or the physical threat. Even more alarming than animal attacks have been several isolated incidents in recent months that involve actual members and firearms, where common sense has lost out, and armed threats have been made.
ATIVE SERVICES
, TEXAS • 817-556-4000
ntinuing Education Boost SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS HONORED: United CEO Ray Beavers, far left, and cooperative board of directors join United Energy Scholarship winners during a banquet honoring the students’ academic achievements.
membership and 2015 was no different,” he added. More than 20 years ago, United awarded its first scholarships to local high school students and returning college students. In 1997, new funds were made available by House Bill 3203, which allows nonprofit electric cooperatives like United to put unclaimed member dividend funds to use for student scholarships. This change in the law allowed United to take advantage of money previously lost to the state’s general revenue fund and reinvest it locally with a greater and broader impact. Please see SCHOLARSHIPS, PAGE 24
Working Environments Less Threatening During two instances over the last year, United employees were exercising their legal right and need to access co-op infrastructure in an easement or conduct official co-op business and they were actually met with an implied armed threat, or a firearm was actually pointed at them while they were on the property performing their responsibilities. “I’m a licensed gun owner. My wife is a licensed gun owner. I’d bet with as many hunters as we have in our employee group that most of our employees are proud, safe, licensed gun owners,” said Beavers. “However, brandishing a firearm in hopes of intimidating or, God forbid, injuring one of our employees is unacceptable. These men and women are the greatest people God’s blessed me with working around. We are a family here at United. We know each other’s loved ones, keep up with each other’s kids’ activities and go to many of the same churches on Sunday with each other and with many of our members. I shudder to think of the day when our employees can’t do what state law allows them to do, which is to access cooperative equipment and to conduct co-op business on member property,” he added.
Because United employees are statutorily allowed to access co-op infrastructure and were doing so in accordance with the law during the two gun incidents, the cooperative had no other recourse than to press charges and seek criminal prosecution to the fullest extent of the law in both instances. “I’m often asked what keeps me up at night,” said Beavers. “Having been a CEO in the electric cooperative program for nearly 40 years, the thing that’s always been my biggest concern is the safety of our employees, especially on those occasions when storms roll in and our guys are out working on energized infrastructure—all to ensure our members have electricity. Unfortunately, this recent activity involving firearms has caused many sleepless nights and, at least in my humble opinion, is an issue that doesn’t need to exist. I hope and pray that these were two isolated incidents and that United employees will continue to feel reassured that when they enter a member’s property to access our infrastructure or conduct official co-op business, that the last thing they’ll need to worry about is a gun being pointed at them. God bless all of our members for being sensitive to this,” added Beavers. : go online
www.united-cs.com
SEPTEMBER 2015 UNITED COOPERATIVE SERVICES Texas Co-op Power
23
UNITED COOPERA
P.O. BOX 16 • CLEBURNE,
HELPING PAVE THE WAY: Area grads rec
BIG WINNERS—United CEO Ray Beavers, far left, and United Board President Patsy Dumas, far right, are pictured with this year’s top scholarship winners, from left, Adam Hamad, Cory Hood and Brittny Waller. SCHOLARSHIPS
continued from PAGE 25
“You can mark my words,” said Beavers. “These young people are going to be successful both in work, but more importantly, that they will be positive contributors in the communities in which they wind up. Throughout this process, they demonstrated that they understand that in life our purpose is to serve others and they truly show they possess that quality. I look forward to hearing about and seeing their accomplishments in the future,” said Beavers. : go online 24 Texas Co-op Power
Of the 15 scholarship awards, 12 were in the amount of $2,000, one was $4,000, one was $5,000 and the grand champion won a scholarship totaling $10,000.
$10,000 Winner Brittny Waller Kopperl High School $5,000 Winner Cory Hood Centennial High School $4,000 Winner Adam Hamad Centennial High School
www.united-cs.com UNITED COOPERATIVE SERVICES SEPTEMBER 2015
$2,000 Winners Dylan Price Santo High School Lauren Pundt-Miller Centennial High School Alexandria Yzaguirre University of Texas (from Burleson) Jeanette Balderas Venus High School Christopher Hooper Dublin High School
ATIVE SERVICES
, TEXAS • 817-556-4000
ceive college scholarships totaling $43,000 Kayla Derouineau Lingleville High School
Dawn Dorko Centennial High School
Rodie Brister Tolar High School
Madison Trammell Home School (from Graford)
Chelsea Halcomb Alvarado High School
Sandra Nava Lingleville High School
Cassidy Phillips Tolar High School
To date, more than 900 students have received United scholarships
totaling more than $1 million in award money. Winners are chosen from numerous applicants area-wide based on financial need, leadership, community involvement and school activities. “We are extremely proud of this year’s slate of winners and are confident that they will utilize their scholarship award to the utmost,” said Beavers.
RATE WATCH
The data obtained to develop RATE WATCH is the most recent data available at the time of publication and is sourced from several entities, including the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Texas Electric Cooperatives and powertochoose.org. The above comparison is based on 2,000 kWh of use. : go online
www.united-cs.com
SEPTEMBER 2015 UNITED COOPERATIVE SERVICES Texas Co-op Power
25