November 2019 – Connections Member Newsletter

Georgia Georgia Georgia Celebrating the Georgia lifestyle

GEMC

®

MAGAZINE

Making an impact in our community page A Nominate a neighbor for an energy makeover See back page NOVEMBER 2019

Celebrating the Georgia lifestyle

GEMC

®

MAGAZINE

working hard for you PAGE C

Celebrating the Georgia lifestyle

GEMC

®

MAGAZINE

CONNECTIONS NOVEMBER 2019 | THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF COBB ELECTRIC MEMBERSHIP CORPORATION

Upcoming events HOA Meeting The next Cobb EMC Homeowners’ Association Meeting will be held Nov. 7 at 6:30 p.m. Each HOA represented by a board president or representative will receive a $50 account credit.

Register: cobbemc.com/hoa

Office Closing Cobb EMC will be closed Nov. 28 and 29 for Thanksgiving.

Employees are always on call for emergencies. To report an outage by phone, call 770-429-2100. You can also report an outage online at cobbemc.com/outage or with the free Cobb EMC app.

small change

BIG DIFFERENCE

The Cobb EMC Community Foundation has awarded more than $4,662,978 to local charities and nonprofits, as of August 2019. Thanks to the generous members who round up their bills.

Visit cobbemc.com/foundation for a full list of recipients or to learn how to request funding.

A | NOVEMBER 2019

We care about our community For Cobb EMC, bringing you power means more than just keeping the lights on. We’re focused on improving the quality of life in the communities we serve.

Serving our neighbors in need Recently, employee volunteers helped landscape a home for a veteran in need, in partnership with NW Metro Habitat for Humanity and the Cobb EMC Community Foundation.

And, in an effort to bring light to energy efficiency, Cobb EMC, in partnership with Gas South, Cobb Heating and Air Conditioning Association and Cobb County Water System, awarded local mother and Cobb EMC member Christie Sosebee with a Home Energy Efficiency Makeover.

Inspiring the next generation Maya Kahn, a recent graduate from The Walker School, earned the Positive Energy Award, a $1,000 scholarship, which will support her goals of becoming a doctor.

Cobb EMC has given 156 students scholarships worth $451,000.

Giving our time and resources Each year, Cobb EMC holds a dinner to honor local police officers and public safety personnel to thank them for dedicating their lives to assisting our community.

At Cobb EMC we’re your neighbor, cooperative and energy expert. And, we’re proud to power your lives.

Pictured: Kris Delaney, of Cobb EMC, and Hines Ward, of Positive Athlete, present Maya Kahn with a $1,000 scholarship.

THE PROOF IS IN THE POWER

TOP 3

in the nation for reliability

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours As we celebrate the holidays, we want to reflect on the many reasons we’re thankful to power your lives.

LOW BILLS We’re ranked the third most affordable EMC in Georgia, and the fifth most affordable electric utility in the state, according to the 2019 Georgia PSC Summer Residential Rate Survey.

TOP 5

in the state for LOW RATES

OUTAGES REDUCED BY

25%

LOW GAS RATES Cobb EMC members receive a permanent discount on natural gas service from Gas South. This is in addition to a waived deposit (instant savings of up to $150) and no connection fee (extra savings of $60). Gas South, Cobb EMC’s wholly-owned subsidiary, gives 5% of their profits to help children in need so you can feel good knowing your choice makes a difference!

GIVING BACK Together, we’ve given more than $4.5 million to local charities and nonprofits through the Cobb EMC Community Foundation.

LEADERSHIP Cobb EMC is led by board members who live right here in your community.

They’ve been elected to the position by neighbors like you to give strategic direction and ensure good governance. The company’s focus on reliability, low rates and communication now ranks Cobb EMC eighth among Cooperatives in the J.D. Power 2019 Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study.

Pictured above (from left): Eric Broadwell, Edward Crowell, Tripper Sharp, David Tennant, David McClellan, Bryan Boyd, Rudy Underwood, Malcolm Swanson and Kelly Bodner attend the 2019 Cobb EMC Annual Meeting.

LEADERSHIP Peter Heintzelman President and CEO cobbemc.com/aboutus

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Tripper Sharp, Chairman Eric Broadwell, Vice Chairman Rudy Underwood, Secretary-Treasurer Kelly Bodner Bryan Boyd Edward Crowell David McClellan Malcolm Swanson David Tennant

CONTACT US Phone: 770-429-2100 Pay by phone: 1-855-730-8714 Web: cobbemc.com

|B

7 ways Cobb EMC works for you 1

We regularly inspect, improve and monitor 9,000+ miles of line across five counties. This includes routine tree trimming to avoid outages and safety hazards during storms.

3

We have six rate options so you can choose which rate works best for your lifestyle.

$102.50 vs $126.67 Cobb EMC member bill

4

2

We’re looking to the future and planning for the stability of our electric grid. That’s why we support electric vehicle (EV) adoption. EVs help spread out our collective energy use across the hours during the day and at night. Best of all, they’re more affordable than ever and are a practical option for an everyday commute.

georgia average

Our goal is to keep bills low while providing reliable electric service.

Cobb EMC members’ bills are $24 lower than the average electric utility in the state. Cobb EMC was recently ranked* as the fifth most affordable utility in Georgia (among 94 utilities). *According to the 2019 Georgia PSC Summer Residential Rate Survey

C | NOVEMBER 2019

5

Solar is readily available in Georgia, and we’re making it available to you at no additional cost.

We’ve increased our solar energy portfolio by 360%. When you flip a switch or plug in a device, a portion of your electricity is coming from clean, affordable renewable resources.

6

We’re proud to be your trusted energy expert. One of our goals is to bring you convenience when it comes to making the most of your electric account. Take advantage of the programs and services we’ve created just for you!

BILL

@

Cobb EMC

Free Cobb EMC app for iOS and Android cobbemc.com/app

Your one-stop shop for energy-efficient products cobbemc.com/shop

Paperless billing for easy account management cobbemc.com/paperless

7 Cobb EMC's wholly-owned subsidiary, Gas South, can save you money on your natural gas. Sign up today to enjoy these member benefits: • A permanent discount on Gas South’s low rates • Zero deposit (instantly saving you up to $150) • Waived connection fee (another savings of $60) • Additional savings in bill credits when you enroll online at GasSouth.com/cobb Plus, you'll know your choice is making a difference, because, along with Cobb EMC, Gas South is committed to strengthening our community. That’s why we give back 5% of our profits to help children in need.

Experience the Gas South difference.

Sign up and start saving today.

VISIT

GasSouth.com/cobb

CALL 855.802.2766 use promo code 450

|D

Discover how much you can save All Cobb EMC members are eligible to participate in the free Co-op ConnectionsÂŽ discount program.

The program gives you access to hundreds of local and national discounts. Save at the pharmacy, as well as at your favorite restaurants, attractions, stores and more.

Ready to start saving? Sign up today! cobbemc.com/discounts

E | NOVEMBER 2019

We’re proud to power your lives

Quick tips to save water and energy

Is your refrigerator ready for Thanksgiving?

Scrape leftover food from plates instead of washing them before loading into the dishwasher.

If the Thanksgiving celebration is at your house this year, your family members aren’t the only ones who will be stuffed. So will your refrigerator.

Is it up to the task?

If your fridge is more than a decade old, it might not be. Today’s models – those bearing the ENERGY STAR label – use at least 15% less energy than federal standards require and 40% less than models manufactured in the early 2000s use, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Yet more than 60 million households have refrigerators that are more than 10 years old, the DOE says. By replacing yours with a new, energy-efficient model, you could save up to $300 in electricity charges over its lifetime.

Place dishes, glasses and flatware in the dishwasher compartments designed for them.

When shopping for a new refrigerator or freezer, read the EnergyGuide label. It tells you how many kilowatt-hours of electricity the unit will consume in one year of operation. Look for a refrigerator with the freezer on the bottom or the top; side-by-side designs consume more energy. Chest freezers are typically better insulated than upright models.

Whether you’re buying a new fridge this year or not, follow these tips for more efficient use: • Brush or vacuum your refrigerator’s coils regularly to improve efficiency by as much as 30%.

Don’t jam dishes in the dishwasher. Leave space between plates and bowls to allow the water to circulate.

• Keeping your refrigerator full will help your unit retain cold better. If you have trouble keeping it stocked, fill the extra space with bottles or containers of water.

• If your milk is frosty, reduce the temperature. Refrigerators should be set between 36 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Freezers should stay between 0 and 5 degrees.

• Put a dollar bill in the door’s seal to see if it is airtight. If the dollar slips out easily, so will cold air. If the door does not seal properly, it may need to be realigned or the seal replaced. Also, the door seal should be periodically cleaned to help prevent odors and to maintain the seal’s flexibility.

Select the hot water setting to remove dried-on food. Water heated to at least 130 degrees thoroughly dissolves the dishwashing soap and sanitizes the dishes.

|F

Pictured: 2019 winner ... someone you know could be next!

Nominate a neighbor for a Home Energy Makeover Cobb EMC is partnering with the Cobb Heating and Air Conditioning Association, Gas South and Cobb County Water System to give one member a home energy efficiency makeover!

Nominate a family in need of energy-efficient home improvements for the chance to win. Homeowners must live in a primary residence served by Cobb EMC to be eligible.

Entries must be submitted by Jan. 17, 2020.

To learn more or nominate a neighbor, visit cobbemc.com/makeover.

We’re proud to power your lives

Possible makeover measures include, but are not limited to, the following: • Two years of free natural gas courtesy of Gas South • New energy efficient appliances • Energy-efficient lighting • New HVAC unit and smart thermostat • Caulking and weather stripping • Duct sealing • Water heater • Attic insulation • Low-flow faucet adapters, showerheads and toilets

cobbemc.com