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A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FROM BLUE RIDGE ELECTRIC MEMBERSHIP CORPORATION

matters MEMBERSHIP

February 2015

Temporary RATE

REDUCTION extended Your Board of Directors approved extending the temporary rate reduction for all members on February and March bills. The reduction is possible due to lower than expected wholesale power costs and higher than expected electricity sales due to colder than normal weather in recent months.

The reduction comes during a time that reflects higher usage — and therefore bill costs — due to winter heating, lighting and other factors.

The reduction will result in an average savings on monthly bills of $9 for the typical member using 1,000 kilowatt

hours of electricity monthly. Overall, this reduction will save members about $3 million during the three-month reduction time.

“As a cooperative, we’re not in business to make a profit — we’re here to provide service at the lowest possible cost to our members,” said Doug Johnson, Chief Executive Officer of Blue Ridge Electric. “In our service area, members use more electricity during these cold winter months, so we’re very pleased to provide this reduction at a time when it can most help our members.”

You have the opportunity this month to become a hero for someone in the area who needs help. It won't cost you anything out of pocket, but will mean everything to a neighbor who needs your help. Learn more on the next page, and become one of the heroes among us.

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From Blue Ridge CEO Doug Johnson

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Thank you!

There’s no better feeling than helping someone in need! Thousands of local people in need of a helping hand are staying warm this winter thanks to Blue Ridge Electric members participating in our Operation Round Up® programs.

Operation Round Up and the power of members joining together has made a big impact in our communities over the years. To date, more than $2 million has gone to help families stay warm as well as to help support other not-for-profit services that fill critical needs in local communities.

One of the best aspects of this program is 100 percent of donations go directly to those in need. Blue Ridge covers all administrative costs so that your donations go directly to lend a helping hand.

It’s always been easy to give through Operation Round Up. Members simply contact us to request we round up their bill to the next dollar amount. The difference — which amounts to an average of just $6 a year for the member — is donated automatically to Operation Round Up. Over the years, some members have told us they want to do more. In response, we created Operation Round Up® Plus so that any donation amount you choose can be added to your monthly bill.

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Your feedback and desire to help has inspired us to offer another easy way to participate. Starting this year, you can choose to donate all or a portion of your capital credits refund. I should note that capital credits refunds are decided upon each year by your Board of Directors.

If approved this year by the Board, the amount of each member's refund will be determined in April and sent to members in May. To give you an idea of the amount your capital credits refund may be this year, you’ll see last year’s (2014) capital credits refund amount listed on your February bill. If you choose to donate some or all of your capital credits annual refund, simply check your selection in the specially marked section on your bill. As always, you can end your participation at any time simply by contacting us.

Because we have a lot of needs to meet, please let us know now if you wish to participate.

A NEW Way to Help!

In response to member requests, we’re now offering the option to automatically donate all or a portion of your capital credits refund to Operation

• • •

pay • • • •

Round Up. Every little bit helps — 100 percent of all donations go directly to help members.

and

See your February bill to mark your selection and help fellow members in need.

Thank you!

Donating your capital credits refund is money you may never miss but it will make a huge difference in the lives of local people still hurting from job loss and other critical circumstances. On behalf of all those in our communities who will be touched by your graciousness and generosity, let me say a sincere and heartfelt “thank you”!

MEMBERSHIP matters

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We're here to serve you Press 1 to report an outage Press 2 to make a payment Press 3 to extend your payment or to get information about your account (amount owed, due date, etc.)

Press 4 for general information (office locations, phone number/addresses, hours, etc.)

Press 5 to dial an extension for a specific employee

online options: • •

pay your bill track your daily usage (and how temperature affects your bill) at MyUsage.com • manage your account information • view safety information "no cost/low cost" energy efficiency tips energy saving "how to" videos e-mails processed, Mon - Fri, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

payment locations: •

24/7 at our payment kiosks (located at each district office)

•

Blue Ridge district offices, Mon -Fri, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

(Lenoir, Boone, West Jefferson and Sparta)

• •

office night deposit boxes (normally applied the next business day.)

Walmart customer service or CheckFree locations (Member must provide Blue Ridge Electric account number. A processing fee + longer posting time will apply.)

tions

ers.

As part of our support of local communities, Blue Ridge Electric annually awards scholarships and youth leadership opportunities to high school seniors and adults returning to college who live in the cooperative’s service territory.

self-help telephone options:

• • •

Scholarships available

This year, scholarships worth $14,800 will be awarded based on financial need, community activity, school performance and activities, and personal interviews.

Available are: five $2,000 scholarships for high school seniors seeking a bachelor’s degree; five $800 scholarships for residents seeking a two-year degree, and one $800 Charles and Lucille Suddreth scholarship available to a Caldwell County resident seeking a two-year degree.

Scholarship applications are due by March 31.

Up to four sponsorships will also be awarded for The Washington Youth Tour, an educational week-long trip to Washington, D.C. Winners will meet and talk with Congressional leaders, visit historic sites, and learn about the cooperative form of business. Winners are eligible for additional college scholarships. Applications are due March 15.

Guidance counselors are also encouraged to nominate high school sophomores, juniors and seniors for up to seven sponsorships to the Broyhill Leadership Conference at Queens College, Charlotte.

The five-day conference focuses on goal setting, motivational techniques, group dynamics, communication, and cooperation.

Applications are available at BlueRidgeEMC.com under the “In the Community” tab.

and via social media:

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Call 1-800-451-5474

Immediately

NEVER give out

personal, financial or electric account information if someone contacts you demanding payment.

MEMBERSHIP matters

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Always report

suspicious calls to law enforcement authorities in addition to us.

call Blue Ridge Electric. Someone is always available to check your account status.

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This is the second of a series of articles discussing vegetation management.

Reliability depends on vegetation management Powering the daily needs of our members is a job we take seriously at Blue Ridge Electric. Reliable electricity depends on a vegetation management program that helps protect power lines from trees and provides a safe working environment for linemen. In our

the path of our power lines. Crews look for the following threats to reliable electricity: foliage growing underneath power lines, overhanging branches and dead or diseased trees that could fall into power lines. We evaluate each situation to hand trim, mow, side trim or use a tall mechaniBlue Ridge Electric is a national topcal trimmer to remove foliage that endangers performer in electric reliability ratings power lines. at 99.98 percent. scenic area, our goal is also to balance these needs with the natural beauty of the environment.

To achieve this balance, our program is managed by a certified arborist using an innovative approach. The process begins at each substation and follows

We’re careful to leave landscaped areas such as yards and pastures as we found them. However, to control costs that have to be passed on to members, areas that are not normally landscaped are left with vegetation debris that is naturally biodegradable.

A key to reliability is our vegetation management cycle. Every inch of our 8,000 miles of power lines is reviewed and trimmed if needed at least once every six years.

This helps avoid large growth that’s more likely to cause outages and is also more costly to contain.

Another key to reliable electricity is environmentally-safe herbicide used in certain locations. In this series next article, we’ll discuss this phase as well as how members are contacted before vegetation management work begins on their property.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Doug Johnson

EDITOR Renée R. Whitener

PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR Susan Simmons

DISTRICT OFFICES Caldwell Watauga Ashe Alleghany Wilkes PowerLine®

(828) 754-9071 (828) 264-8894 (336) 846-7138 (336) 372-4646 (800) 451-5474 (800) 448-2383

Toll Free

(800) 451-5474

(PowerLine® is an automated account information and outage reporting system.)

(for members outside of the service area.)

To report an outage at any time, call one of the numbers listed above.

OFFICE HOURS: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm, Monday-Friday Night deposit available.

Co-op Connections Card Program welcomes new business Blue Ridge Electric welcomes the Jefferson Post, an Ashe County newspaper, to the Co-op Connections® Card family. New subscribers will receive a 10 percent discount on their first year's subscription.

Blue Ridge Electric members are encouraged to shop locally and receive discounts from all participating businesses in the Co-op Connections Card family.

For a complete list of local and national businesses and the discounts they offer, go to BlueRidgeEMC.com/coop-connections-card. See how this card can save you money while you support our local economy. *Misplaced your card? Contact your local Blue Ridge Electric office for a replacement.

Visit us on the web: BlueRidgeEMC.com

This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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MEMBERSHIP matters

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