2015 November Daviess-Martin County REMC Newsletter

NEWS FROM YOUR COOPERATI www.dmremc.com CONTACT US

Daviess-Martin County REMC TOLL FREE

800-762-7362

GENERAL MANAGER

Dave Sutter

OFFICE HOURS

7:30 a.m.– 4 p.m., Monday-Friday STREET ADDRESS

12628 E 75 N, Loogootee, IN 47553 MAILING ADDRESS

P.O. Box 430, Loogootee, IN 47553 SERVICE INTERRUPTIONS

To report an outage or emergency, call 812-295-4200 or 800-7627362 day or night.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Dean Harrawood, PRESIDENT John Edwards, VICE PRESIDENT August Bauer, SECRETARY Michael E. Arvin, TREASURER Terry Chapman Dale Marchino Steve Streepy MONTHLY MEETING

Tuesday, Nov. 24 7 p.m., Daviess-Martin REMC office BILL PAYMENT OPTIONS

Online bill payment Budget billing Auto bank draft Drive-through window Night depository Credit card payment (VISA, Discover and MasterCard accepted) Pay-by-phone MISSION STATEMENT

“Our mission is to provide dependable electricity and quality services for our members at reasonable cost.”

Like us on Facebook www.Facebook.com/Daviess MartinCountyREMC

TIP OF THE MONTH

Reduce energy for water heating Take simple steps like lowering your heater’s temperature and installing lowflow showerheads to reduce your water heating bills.

Capital credit distribution coming in December One of the neat things that makes your REMC different from other electric utilities is the process of returning capital credits to our member-owners.

Please recall that because we are owned by you, any profit, DAVE SUTTER called margin, that we have at the end of the year gets allocated back to you in the form of a capital credit.

While our year isn’t quite over yet, we have presented to our board of directors that we expect to be financially able to return up to $175,000 to our members at the end of this year. For some, $175,000 may seem like a lot of money, but, it represents only about 0.5 percent out of our total annual budget of about $36 million. Therefore, the directors have approved moving ahead with this distribution.

The distribution decision was based not only on the expectation of closing out 2015, but also that we shouldn’t have to make any overall rate adjustments in 2016. For 2016, it is projected that some of our costs will increase by 3 percent or more, and we will do our best to keep our rates as low as possible without any significant rate increases.

The detail of the distribution plan includes paying these capital credits to both our oldest and our newest members.

Therefore, members who still have credits on our books going back as far as years 1975 through 1980 will be receiving some of the allocation as well as our newer member group who received electricity from us in 2014. What percentage of the distribution you will receive depends on which group you were in and how much electricity you received from us that year.

In order to help us control our administrative costs on this distribution, we have decided that any amounts of less than $50 will get distributed in the form of a credit applied to your electric bill or any outstanding balance you may owe. (Please look at your electric bill that you will receive in

— ENERGY.GOV

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early December for any credits applied.)

Allocations of $50 or more will be distributed in the form of a check and mailed to the account holder at the address on file with us.

The distribution of capital credits is just one indication of how your electric cooperative is working for you. We thank you for your continued support.

Proposed credit card action results in changes to our payment process Effective Jan. 1, 2016, changes will be required in how bill payments can be accepted. Credit card payments will only be accepted through our website or our automated phone service. Customer service representatives will no longer be able to take credit card payments. This change is necessary to remain in compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Standards (also known as PCI) with our credit card vendors.

These standards are somewhat complicated and are designed to protect the confidentiality of our members’ information.

While your information is secure, a failure for us to pass any of the PCI standards testing in the future could result in large fines and penalties levied against us.

Therefore, the best practice is for us to direct our members who wish to pay with either a credit or debit card to use either our toll free number (1-888-222-0624) and follow the instructions or to make payments using the online Smart Hub application via our website — www.dmremc.com. If you prefer to write a check, we can still accept them in the mail, lobby, drive up window or drop box. Our staff will work to make this change as easy as possible, and we regret any inconvenience which this may cause you. We thank you for your patience and appreciate your understanding as we work through this process change. …

DAVE SUTTER is general manager of Daviess-Martin County REMC.

IVE Daviess-Martin County REMC changes lives through Operation Round Up As a member-owner of Daviess-Martin County REMC, you have a unique opportunity to make a difference by participating in the Operation Round Up program. Operation Round Up is a voluntary charitable fundraising program for REMC members to have their electric bill rounded up to the next whole dollar in order to benefit and support charitable community organizations. Together, just by giving a few cents a month, members make a big impact on the lives in our communities.

Donations are tax deductible, and members are informed of contributions regularly through the Electric Consumer publication. A board made up of eight REMC members and one REMC employee reviews donation requests quarterly and decides where to distribute funds.

Here is a listing of the most recent donations.

k Martin County Toy Store/ACCTS: $1,250

Support Christmas Toy Store, a holiday assistance program for Martin County k Daviess County Partnership, Inc.: $1,250 Support Jubilee Christmas, a holiday assistance program for Daviess County k Washington Pregnancy Care Center: $1,000 Support the New Mom Initiative program k South Central Education Association (SCEA): $2,500 Support the production of videos to stop or decrease bullying in the schools k Southwest Indiana Power House: $1,500 Support the bike shop and woodworking programs Applications to apply for funding can be found on our website at www.dmremc.com.

The next application deadline is Nov. 30.

‘Win! Win! Win!’ Each month, Daviess-Martin County REMC asks our readers three questions to which the answers can be found in the articles of Electric Consumer.

Follow these simple rules: 1.) Clip the coupon along the dotted line. 2.) Fill it out. 3.) Return it to our office with your monthly payment before the 20th of the month. (Delinquent payments are not eligible.)

Each month, a winner will be drawn from the entries submitted. Make sure you bring or mail in your most recent coupon, as the coupons are dated monthly. Members with automatic payment accounts will be entered in the contest as well. Copies will not be accepted, and coupons are not available at the office! Winners will be notified and their names will be published in the following monthly issue of Electric Consumer.

SEPTEMBER WINNER: Christina and Nathan Wininger, Washington

$50 MONTHLY DRAWING

Theresa Showalter, DMREMC administrative assistant, right, presents a $1,500 grant to Power House director Nathaniel Rainey.

South Central Education Association (SCEA) received a $2,500 Operation Round Up grant.

Office closes for holidays The Daviess-Martin County REMC office will be closed Nov. 11 in honor of Veterans Day and Nov. 26 and 27 for Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving from the employees and directors of Daviess-Martin County REMC!

(FOR BILLS DATED NOV. 5; PAID BY NOV. 20)

1.

Capital credit amounts of less than ___________________ will get distributed in the form of a credit applied to your electric bill or any outstanding balance owed.

2.

Effective ___________________________ credit and debit card payments will only be accepted through our website or our automated phone service.

3.

The majority of residential fires occur in the _________________________ .

NAME: ADDRESS: ACCOUNT NO.: PHONE NO.:

Photo contest entries due Nov. 6 Daviess-Martin County REMC is seeking entries for the annual report cover photo contest. The winning photo will be featured as the cover of the 2015 annual report. In addition, the first place winner will receive a check for $50.

Second and third place winners each will receive a $25 check. Springtime pictures are preferred.

A brief description of where the photo was taken, your name, address, telephone and account numbers must be submitted with the photo. Photos that include people must have written consent for publication. All entries must be submitted by Nov. 6, to our office at 12628 E 75 N, Loogootee, or mailed to P.O. Box 430, Loogootee, IN 47553. Contact us at 800-762-7362 with any questions.

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Daviess-Martin County REMC News

Daviess-Martin County REMC employees completed a landscaping project at West Boggs Park on Friday, Oct. 9, for Indiana’s Electric Cooperative Community Day.

Daviess-Martin County REMC participates in statewide community day of service initiative

I

ndiana’s electric cooperatives hosted the second annual Indiana’s Electric Cooperative Community Day on Friday, Oct. 9. Thirty of Indiana’s electric cooperatives completed projects that met a specific need within their service area.

Working side-by-side, Indiana’s electric cooperatives demonstrated one of the core cooperative principles: concern for community. More than 50 unique service projects were completed in a single day. This initiative provided the cooperatives the opportunity to use their time, skills and expertise to make a positive impact throughout the state of Indiana.

“Investing in the communities we serve is at the forefront of everything we do,” said Dave Sutter, general

manager of Daviess-Martin County REMC. “Indiana’s Electric Cooperative Community Day provides us with the opportunity to work in tandem with other cooperatives throughout the state toward a single goal of making an impact on our state.”

Each individual cooperative focused on a need in its community. DaviessMartin County REMC completed a landscaping project at West Boggs Park.

“A cooperative’s very reason for existing is to serve its community,” Sutter said. “Daviess-Martin County REMC takes its responsibility as a trusted member of this community seriously and is committed to being a benefit to those we serve.”

In addition to Community Day, Indiana’s electric cooperatives are

Member Appreciation Day celebrates National Co-op Month Daviess-Martin County REMC members enjoyed lunch at Member Appreciation Day held on Thursday, Oct. 8. The event is held in October to celebrate National Cooperative Month.

Stasia Padgett, Zetta Lengacher, Roy Cottom, and Ted and Teresa Nicholson won the $25 bill credits.

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involved with philanthropic activities throughout the state of Indiana and beyond.

In late April, 14 electric cooperative linemen spent two weeks in one of the poorest parts of northeastern Guatemala to electrify a village. In just eight days, the “Project Indiana” crew strung 11 miles of line, connecting 76 poles across 2,500 feet of mountains — all without the assistance of modern equipment.

Indiana’s electric cooperatives have also been a proud supporter of the Ronald McDonald House since 1995.

The cooperatives’ commitment and long-standing tradition of giving back to the community is a cornerstone of their foundation. …

Tapping into the power of the sun Solar array provides power for electric cooperatives in Greene, Daviess and Martin counties

O

n Tuesday, Sept. 29, officials from Daviess-Martin County REMC and Utilities District of Western Indiana (UDWI) hosted an open house at a new solar farm near I-69 that will turn sunshine into electricity for some homes and businesses in Greene, Daviess and Martin counties.

The one-megawatt array is located in Greene County, just south of Bloomfield, along Interstate 69. The two electric cooperatives worked alongside Hoosier Energy, their power supplier, to identify a prime location where they could show their support for renewable energy and learn more about how solar power works.

The solar farm covers about 10 acres and consists of 4,320 solar panels. It is the second of 10 that Hoosier Energy is installing to benefit its 18 members in southern and central Indiana and southeastern Illinois as part of the electric cooperative power supplier’s “all-of-the-above” energy portfolio.

Daviess-Martin County REMC and UDWI REMC’s new solar farm near I-69 will convert sunshine into electricity for some homes and businesses.

Collectively, the sites represent an opportunity for UDWI and DaviessMartin to learn how this variable energy resource integrates with the

grid and how solar power might offset the need for other energy resources during periods of high demand. …

Easy ways to avoid kitchen disasters Your kitchen is probably THE activity center of your home. It’s where you prepare meals, where kids snack and do their homework, where you gather for post-meal cleanup and where the gang tends to congregate when you entertain. But danger can lurk within the kitchen, Janet Chestnut at Daviess-Martin County REMC warns.

After all, if water, hot surfaces, flexible cables and electricity come together you could have a shocking or burning recipe for disaster.

“Most of the electrical appliances you use each day are in the kitchen,” Chestnut said. “Everyone in your family should not only know how to use those appliances safely — they should know what to do when something goes wrong.”

Because the majority of residential fires occur in the kitchen, Chestnut also stressed that there should be a working smoke detector and fire extinguisher — stored safely away from your stove.

Make sure your kitchen is equipped with ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) for all your countertop appliances, Chestnut said. GFCIs, Chestnut explained, shut off the power when they detect an electric current traveling along an unintended path, for instance through water or a person. Simply put, they reduce electric shock risk and should be tested once per month.

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