2015 03 bre mm

A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FROM BLUE RIDGE ELECTRIC MEMBERSHIP CORPORATION

MEMBERSHIP

matters March 2015

Members love self-service options!

Did you know we offer many services any time of the day or night? Simply call us at 1-800-451-5474 to automatically pay your bill, get account information or extend your due date. To report an outage, call our PowerLine: 1-800-448-2383.

Other 24/7 self-help service options include BlueRidgeEMC.com where you can pay online, learn how to lower your bill, get the latest news and much more! Additionally, payment kiosks in every district office are always available to accept cash and credit or debit card payments.

Thousands of members use our convenient self-service options! Why not try one for fast, member-friendly service today?

Temporary RATE

REDUCTION extended Your Board of Directors approved extending the temporary rate reduction for all members on their March bills. 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 period.

BlueRidge-0315.indd 25

2/11/15 2:28 PM

the

D

perspective

As in co m re

Th on wh of

From Blue Ridge CEO Doug Johnson

Th th all pa wi vo co ac

What does good value mean to you?

As the cost of living continues to rise, we know it’s more important than ever to help keep your electric bill as low as possible. Providing good value by keeping your costs low is a very important goal at Blue Ridge Electric and I want to share the key ways we’re working to achieve this on your behalf.

Furthermore, members' bills were reduced in 2014 and 2015 through threemonth temporary rate reductions implemented in both years. Since the rate reductions applied to January, February and March bills, they provided the most savings for members since these are typically higher due to heating needs.

Member savings totaled more than $6 million.

The biggest impact we can have on your bill is the management of the technical A key effort in and legal aspects of which all employour wholesale power ees have been able agreements, including to share in is our contracts, pricing, re- Every day, Blue Ridge Electric WorkSmart initialiability and continu- powers your entire home for tive.

Employees ous coordination with have identified and less than the cost of a single our power supplier, implemented ideas cup of speciality coffee.

Duke Energy Carolito reduce or avoid *Based on average member usage. costs of more than nas. Wholesale power makes up almost 60 $10 million that percent of your monthly electric bill. members would have otherwise had to cover. Examples are not replacing retirIn managing our wholesale power pro- ing employees when possible, changes to cesses, I’m excited to say that we not employee insurance, and increased use of only avoided the large rate increases technology to improve our efficiency. seen at other utilities in recent years, we were also able to avoid any rate increase We hope you agree there’s value in our efwhatsoever last year. And I’m extremely forts. It’s one of our most important goals happy to share the great news that no rate in serving you: providing good value by increase is planned for 2015! helping keep your bills as low as possible!

Page 26

BlueRidge-0315.indd 26

You can save even more on your monthly bill by taking simple energy efficiency steps. Start by taking our free online energy audit or calling us today! Click the GreenSmart tab at BlueRidgeEMC.com for more free tips and tools to save!

Di m ele

MEMBERSHIP matters

M

2/11/15 5:49 AM

en thly ple y ing

Director Proxy Committee to be appointed As part of the director election governance process giving members an option to vote for the directors of their cooperative by mail or Internet, a Director Proxy Committee will be appointed by the Board of Directors at their regular March board meeting.

This committee will be made up of three directors and one alternate director whose terms are not expiring and who are not running for re-election this year to the Board of Directors.

The Director Proxy Committee serves multiple roles for the membership. First, the committee will cast votes for all members designating their preferences selected on the paper or electronic proxy forms. Secondly, the committee will serve as a proxy for any member wishing to assign his vote for director elections to the committee. Lastly, the committee will cast votes for members who do not make a choice on any of the voting options.

Director election kits will be mailed, or sent by email to members who have elected to receive this information electronically, to all members May 13, 2015. The notice of

Annual Meeting along with

information about this year’s Board candidates will be part of the elec-

The names of the Director Proxy Committee will appear on the proxy forms contained in the director election and Annual Meeting notice kits sent to members and on our website at BlueRidgeEMC.com.

Members wishing to be considered for nomination to serve on the Board of Directors have two options: the Nominating Committee or Nomination by Petition. Interested members must first submit a director application packet available by contacting Julie O'Dell-Michie, Chief Administrative Officer for Blue Ridge Electric, at JMichie@BlueRidgeEMC.com or at 1-800-451-5474, extension 3202. The packet is due by 5 p.m. on March 2 when using the Nominating Committee process, or by 5 p.m. on April 1 when using the Nomination by Petition process.

For a complete list of qualifications and requirements to serve as a director of the cooperative, please refer to the cooperative's Bylaws available at BlueRidgeEMC.com or by contacting any Blue Ridge Electric office.

An easier way to pay: FlexPay

lick b at om and

rs

tion kit. Members are no longer required to attend the Annual Meeting in order to vote for directors as they now have additional options of voting by mail or Internet. Additionally, members who have not voted, or who voted by mail or Internet but wish to change their vote, may attend the Annual Meeting in order to do so.

Would it be easier for you to make smaller daily or weekly payments rather than a single monthly payment? If so, our FlexPay program may be right for you!

Growing in popularity, FlexPay was developed in response to members requesting an easier way to manage their bill. Others simply want the convenience to “pay as you go”— in any amount you choose, on whatever schedule you like.

FlexPay members can save money because no deposit is required and there’s never late fees. Simply keep a balance of any amount in your account to keep power flowing. Tracking your balance is also easy: set your balance alert notifications at whatever level you wish and choose to receive a text, phone call, email — or all three.

Payment methods include the following 24/7 options: by check, debit or credit card by calling 1-800-448-2383 or online at BlueRidgeEMC.com and by cash, debit or credit card at payment kiosks at each Blue Ridge Electric district office.

MEMBERSHIP matters

BlueRidge-0315.indd 27

Page 27

2/11/15 5:49 AM

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

Vegetation management balances reliability with scenic beauty Keeping the path of power lines free of large trees and brush helps our members enjoy reliable electricity for their homes and businesses. It also provides a safe working environment for our line technicians.

Vegetation must be continually managed in rights-of-ways in order to deliver safe, reliable electricity to our members. That’s why our right-of-way program includes selective herbicide.

Your cooperative uses a combination approach to right-of-way maintenance. In the first part of the process, trees and large growth that threaten reliability are either removed with mechanical trimmers or trimmed by hand. The following summer, crews use a backpack applicator to apply an environmentally-safe herbicide treatment targeted to vegetation that 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.

Visit us on the web: BlueRidgeEMC.com

could grow into power lines. This herbicide allows low-growing vegetation to thrive.

This low-volume manual method of vegetation management also helps ensure the beauty and natural habitat of the many plants and wildlife in our area. These practices are endorsed by several key animal and plant organizations such as the North Carolina Department of Natural Resources, The National Wild Turkey Federation, Ruffed Grouse Society, Buckmasters and the National Butterfly Association.

Additionally, we have a certified arborist on staff who manages our vegetation management program so that we balance care for the environment with electric reliability and member satisfaction.

Because we respect your p r o p e r t y, member notification is an important part of our vegetation management plan. Planned maintenance that requires us to be on a member’s property is preceded by a phone call so that our members are given advance notice. If we cannot reach a member by phone after several attempts, a post card is mailed to the member. This process ensures members have the opportunity to learn more about the maintenance project and the need to be on their property.

Co-op Connections Card Program business spotlight Blue Ridge Electric wants to express our appreciation to the following businesses for their continued support of the Co-op Connections Card® Program and encourage you to shop at these and other fine retailers across our service area.

• •

Village Emporium: 10% discount (Sparta, NC) Buffalo Tavern Bed and Breakfast: 15% off standard rates with two-night minimum, present card at reservation (Jefferson, NC)

•

Chix with Stix: 10% off knitting supplies - excludes needles and sale items (Lenoir, NC)

•

South's Specialty Clothiers, Boone Mall: 10% off - excludes jeans, bridal, formal wear, and Brighton (Boone, NC)

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.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Page 28

BlueRidge-0315.indd 28

MEMBERSHIP matters

2/11/15 5:49 AM