Energy Sense

Managing Energy Use and Costs

Summer is here and, as expected, most households are using more electricity than they were a couple of months ago. comparisons it offers, you can make a fairly accurate determination on whether your bill is normal for the season.

As we have discussed in previous columns, there are a variety of problems that can occur with household appliances and equipment. So, how do you know if higher electric bills are normal or symptomatic of a problem? South River EMC has resources available to help you determine just that.

Your Monthly Bill The information on your monthly billing statement is tool called SmartView. This tool

one way to determine if your ment or behavior that could be

electricity use is normal. On the back of your bill, take a look at the graph marked “Energy Usage History.” Around 50 percent of the energy used in a home is by the heating and/or air conditioning system, which makes energy use predictable, based on the season. For this reason, it’s best to compare the current month’s energy use to the same month last year, since weather patterns are typically similar.

This section of the bill displays history in a bar graph and offers a comparison between the current month, previous month, and same billing period last year. Using this data and the SmartView Since temperatures vary wildly, detailed daily energy use data is valuable when determining if your energy use is normal or elevated due to a problem. Through our website, sremc.com, members can view their daily energy use and temperature information using a shows energy use for each day with an overlay of the daily high and low temperature.

Using the SmartView bar graph, look for days when the temperature was relatively low, followed by days when the temperature increased significantly (or vice versa). You should see a drastic difference in electricity use, showing much lower usage on cool days verses higher usage on warmer days. If the differences in usage between the cool days and hot days isn’t drastic, that could indicate an issue with equip

the past 13-month billing South River EMC increasing your bill.

Smart Energy Profile Members receive an email report designed to help better manage your monthly energy use. The report helps to answer typical Advise Guy Aaron Jackson

questions about how energy is used in your home, identify the major drivers of energy use, show how your use compares to the previous month and the previous year, and provides meaningful recommendations for energy savings.

The Advise Guys If you still have concerns with your electricity use after reviewing the information available through any of the sources mentioned, the Advise Guys are here to help. Just reach out to us by phone at 910.892.8071 or email at adviseguys@sremc.com and we’ll be glad to review

your account. Communicator

PO Box 931 Dunn, NC 28335 910.892.8071 800.338.5530 www.sremc.com

Power Restoration Quiz

When the power goes out, line crews work hard to restore service as quickly and safely as possible. Fill in the blanks below to learn about the steps of power restoration. Use the word bank if you need help, and check your work in the answer key.

1High-voltage lines are the large towers and cables that supply power to the greatest number of consumer-members. They rarely fail, but if they do, they have to be repaired first.

2Next, crews inspect distribution for damage. They determine if the problem stems from the lines feeding into the equipment itself, or if the problem is further down the line.

3If the problem still can’t be pinpointed, power lines are inspected. These are the lines you typically see on the side of the road that deliver power to communities.

4If the power outage persists, supply lines (also known as tap lines) are inspected. These lines deliver power to transformers that are either mounted on poles or placed on for underground electric service.

5If your home remains without power, the service line between the and your home may need repairs. Word Bank

Distribution Transformer Transmission Pads Substations

Summertime Salads Refreshing fare takes greens to the next level Summertime is a great time to enjoy fresh produce, and cool, satisfying salads are one of the easiest ways to combine your favorite fruits and veggies.

Salads aren’t limited to lunch or appetizers — this Breakfast Salad Bowl makes for an energizing start to your day by combining classic salad ingredients with bacon and avocado. Perfect for busy folks, hearty salads can also provide simple dinner options. As a more traditional mix to enjoy at the table, the Grains Salad Bowl brings together salmon and chickpeas on a bed of lettuce. You can find more ways to create salads at litehousefoods.com/iheartsalad.

—FamilyFeatures.com

Salmon and Grains Salad Bowl 4 ounces salmon 2 ounces sweet 2 tablespoons paprika, butter lettuce divided 1 cup red quinoa, cooked

Salt and pepper, to taste 6 ounces cherry tomatoes 15 ounces chickpeas 2 tablespoons 2 tablespoons olive oil ranch dressing

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle salmon with 1 teaspoon paprika; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bake on lined baking sheet 15 minutes, or until it reaches desired doneness.

In bowl, toss chickpeas in olive oil and remaining paprika; add salt and pepper, to taste. Add chickpeas to lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees 30–40 minutes.

Add lettuce to bowl. Top with quinoa, chickpeas, salmon and tomatoes. Drizzle with ranch dressing. Breakfast Salad Bowl 10 ounces cherry tomatoes 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 2 ounces bab y spinach 1 egg 2 bacon strips, halved 1 cup quinoa, cooked* ½ avocado, sliced 2 tablespoons jalape ño ranch dressing**

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss tomatoes in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bake tomatoes on lined baking sheet 40 minutes.

In skillet, add remaining olive oil and cook baby spinach until wilted, stirring as necessary.

Fry egg as desired. Remove it from skillet and set aside. Add bacon to skillet and cook until crispy.

In bowl, layer quinoa, bacon, avocado, egg, spinach and tomatoes. Drizzle with jalapeño ranch dressing.

Yield: 2 servings * Look near the rice for quinoa (pronounced “keen-wa”) ** Your store doesn’t carry jalapeño ranch dressing? Add tiny bits of fresh jalapeño, to taste, to regular ranch.

OWN THE MOST IMPORTANT COIN OF CHRISTIAN HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN HISTORY

1,600-Year-Old Coin From the First Christian Emperor

Constantine the Great was the world’s first Christian Emperor. But he didn’t start out that way...

Ruling from A.D. 307 to 337, Constantine began as many of his reign as a worshiper of Sol Invictus, “The Unconquerable Sun.” But after a vision of the Cross led to his victory at the legendary Battle of the Milvian Bridge, and later to him being crowned sole Emperor of the Roman Empire, Constantine shifted his beliefs.

Believing that Sol Invictus and Christ were one and the same, Constantine legalized Christianity, allowing it to flourish. He merged the worship of Sol Invictus and Christ, creating religious practices still observed by modern-day Christians. And he authorized the striking of this Nummus coin—the first true coin of a Christian Empire, and thus the most important coin of Christian history.

Two Religions Become One

To help convert the Romans, Constantine associated Sol Invictus with Christ: 4 On December 25th, the Romans honored Sol with a winter solstice feast. Under Constantine, this became a celebration of Christ (Christmas). 4 In A.D. 321, Constantine declared

“Sun Day” as a day to rest and worship Sol Invictus. Upon converting, Constantine kept Sunday as the new Christian day of rest (instead of Saturday). 4 Constantine merged the celebration of Christ’s resurrection with that of the vernal equinox, moving Easter to the Sunday after the first full moon of the equinox.

From “Sun God” to “Son of God”

We recently located a cache of these 1,600-year-old coins, each featuring Sol Invictus on its obverse. This was a savvy move by Constantine, who was converting the Roman Empire to Christianity with a merging of religions.

It wasn’t until A.D. 692 that an image of Christ appeared on circulating coinage— a full 355 years after this coin was struck. As Constantine used the image of Sol Invictus to spread the Christian gospel, this is truly the first coin of Jesus Christ!

A Legend More Than 1,680 Years in the Making

For nearly seventeen centuries, these stunning coins have survived earthquakes, floods, and the rise and fall of empires.

Deluxe Coin Holder

Approximately 20 mm 20 mm

Most coins that survive that long appear Most coins that survive that long appear flat and worn out—but not these coins!

Each piece has been individually authenticated and certified by Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) as incredible Extremely Fine (XF) condition—meaning they actually changed hands in commerce!

Reserve Your Coin Today!

Order now and you can claim the first coin of Christianity—struck under the rule of the world’s first Christian Emperor—for less than $100!

But you’ll have to move quickly—only 65 of these 1,600-year-old coins of Constantine the Great are available certified in XF condition.

Hold 1,600-year-old Christian history in your hands. Call now!

Coin of Constantine, the First Christian

Emperor $99.95 + s/h

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