N O R T H A R K A N S A S E L E C T R I C C O O P E R AT I V E
Power Under Pressure
Working together to lower demand
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NORTH ARK ANSAS ELEC TRIC COOPERATIVE
STEVE BUISSINNE
WATER HEATER REPAIR PORTLAND
When outdoor temperatures These proactive steps are designed to ensure our drop, electricity use typically rises. portion of the grid remains resilient even under extreme Colder weather drives members conditions. Yet, maintaining a reliable electric system requires indoors, where they rely more a collective effort, and every member plays an important role heavily on home heating systems, in lowering demand when the grid is under stress. MEL COLEMAN more lighting and household Members can help by taking simple actions during appliances. Heating systems often periods of high electricity use, especially on the coldest CEO run longer and more frequently days of winter: to maintain comfortable indoor 1. Lower thermostats slightly. Even reducing temperatures. Also, most people use electricity at the the temperature by a few degrees can help. same times — typically in the mornings and early 2. Delay using large appliances during peak evenings — and the result is significant pressure on the hours. Run dishwashers, washing machines and dryers electric grid. during off-peak hours — typically midday or late evening. North Arkansas Electric works closely with Arkansas 3. Adjust water heaters. Setting it to 120 degrees Electric Cooperative Corporation (AECC), a generation and spacing out showers help conserve both energy and and transmission cooperative, to plan for seasonal hot water. weather patterns and changes and ensure reliable power 4. Unplug unnecessary devices. Power used is always available. This partnership involves detailed for lighting and electronics adds up and accounts for resource and long-term infrastructure planning to make a significant portion of home energy use. Disconnect certain electricity is available. However, it’s important to unused items to reduce energy waste. remember that our local system is part of a much larger 5. Dress in layers. Bundle up and dress in layers regional and national electric grid. rather than using space heaters, which use a lot of During the winter months, when homes and electricity. businesses across the country are using more electricity simultaneously, overall demand can approach or could exceed available supply. This is especially true during severe weather events, such as ice storms, sudden temperature drops or equipment malfunctions that reduce generation capacity. In rare cases when demand threatens to outpace supply, the regional grid operator Keeping the water heater temperature Try time-shifting energy-intensive chores like washing and drying may call for temporary, at 120 degrees can save money on your clothes to off-peak hours, when energy demand is lower. controlled outages — often utility bill. referred to as curtailments — to prevent broader system failures. If such a situation Understanding how winter weather impacts arises, we will provide timely updates and information to electricity demand is key to maintaining system members. reliability. By practicing simple energy conservation To prepare for these scenarios and minimize risks, habits at home, members save money on monthly bills we take proactive measures to strengthen reliability and help strengthen the resilience of the grid. Small year-round. These include routine system maintenance, actions and shared awareness can ensure that homes investments in grid modernization and comprehensive remain warm, lights stay on and the local grid continues disaster response planning. to operate reliably throughout the season.
Board selects Cunningham fordue open seat1 Scholarship applications April North Arkansas Electric Cooperative (NAEC) member-funded Operation The The North Arkansas Electric Cooperative Board of Directors selected Jerry Don Round Up® program awards thousands of dollars scholarships to local graduating high school Cunningham to fill the remaining term ofinBeth Carter, who resigned from the board in seniors each year. 2024, 15 students awarded $1,000 scholarships, andmid-2030. three students were November afterInserving since 2005. were Cunningham’s term will run through awarded $4,000 scholarships to be disbursed in $1,000 installments for up to four years. To fill the position, the board accepted résumés from interested Baxter County members. NAEC is the accepting applications the for board the 2025-2026 scholarship program. The application is After reviewing three submissions, voted Dec. 8. available at naeci.com or through high school counselors’ offices. “The NAEC family thanks Beth for her years of service,” CEO Mel Coleman said. “She mail orwoman deliver on thethe typed application NAEC by April 1. They must became Applicants a trailblazermust as the first NAEC Board ofto Directors and spent the past two include a transcript and two letters of recommendation — with at least one from a nonschool decades leading with a members-first perspective.” employee who is not a relative. To be eligible for the scholarship, high school seniors must graduate at the end of the 2025 school year, and their parents or legal guardians must be NAEC members. Applicants also must have a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale through the first semester of senior year. The scholarship must be used to attend an accredited institute of higher learning on a full-time basis. For more information, please contact Tori Moss, NAEC marketing and communications director, at (870) 895-6210 or tmoss@naeci.com. The federal government’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provides help forMembers qualifying members with theirscholarships energy costsby during the summer and winter months. can help fund future enrolling their accounts in Operation Round Up. Volunteers allow their electric bills to be "rounded up" to the next dollar each LIHEAP is administered by community action agencies, not month. Call (870) 895-3221 to join today! North Arkansas Electric Cooperative. In NAEC’s service area, those are Northcentral Arkansas Development Council and Ozark Opportunities. Northcentral Arkansas Development Council serves residents in Fulton, Izard, Sharp and Stone counties. Ozark Opportunities serves residents in Baxter and Marion counties. NAEC encourages members needing assistance to reach out to the agency serving Automatic bank draft is the most theirconvenient county forpayment more information. (See sidebar below.) method NAEC
LIHEAP helps qualified with electric bills
Auto bank draft: Members' easiest payment option
offers. Enrolling in this free service Winter assistance should be available in January. Applications are accepted by community ensures the bill is paid on time each action agencies on a first-come, first-served basis as long as funds are available. month. It also eliminates the cost of The amount of LIHEAP help a stamp or time spent in theavailable drive- varies based on a person’s income, number of people living in the home, type of energy source and other factors. Businesses are excluded from through lane. receiving LIHEAP. Automatic bank draft is an electronic transfer from your Sending an automated call when your checking or savings account to Northcentral Arkansas home going to be part of a planned outage Ozark isOpportunities NAEC’s each month. On or about or mailing a capital credits check are only Development Council the 14th of every month, the ozarkopp.org two of the many reasons why NAEC might amount of the bill is deducted from nadcinc.org need County to contact you. It's important to keep a Baxter — (870) 425-5118 your account. current mailing address and at least one phone Marion County — (870) 425-5118 Fulton County — (870) 895-3628 enroll your account(s) in auto number and email on file. To update or check IzardToCounty — (870) 368-4329 bank draft, call your contact information, call (870) 895-3221, Sharp County —(870) (870)895-3221 994-7353or Stone County (870) 269-5427 visit an NAEC— office during regular visit an NAEC office or submit a form available business hours. at naeci.com/contact-naec.
Up-to-date contact info important
HEADQUARTERS HEADQUARTERS 225 S.225 Main St., St., S. Main SalemSalem DISTRICT OFFICES DISTRICT OFFICES 824 Hwy 824 56, Hwy 56, Ash Flat Ash Flat 1520 1520 Hwy 62/412 E., E., Hwy 62/412 Mountain HomeHome Mountain CONTACT NAECNAEC CONTACT (870) (870) 895-3221 895-3221 info@naeci.com info@naeci.com PAY/VIEW BILL BILL PAY/VIEW naeci.com ▶ Account LoginLogin naeci.com ▶ Account REPORT OUTAGE REPORT OUTAGE (870) (870) 895-3221 895-3221 (844) (844) 335-4461 335-4461 NAECNAEC App App naeci.com ▶ Outage Viewer naeci.com ▶ Outage Viewer FOLLOW NAECNAEC FOLLOW Twitter.com/NorthARElectric Twitter.com/NorthARElectric Facebook.com/NorthARElectric Facebook.com/NorthARElectric
Enroll in automatic High school juniors bank havedraft untilby March 5 calling at an toNAEC submit (870)application 895-3221. for The free service Youth Tour, an ensures the electric all-expenses-paid bill trip is paid on time to Washington, each month D.C.,and and eliminates the cost Philadelphia June of a stamp time 14-20. or Download spent an at thevisiting application NAECnaeci.com. office.
CO-OP NEWSNEWS ON 26NORTH ARK ANSAS ELEC TRIC MORE ON PAGE 26 NORTH NORTH ARKTRIC ANSAS ELECCOOPERATIVE TRIC COOPERATIVE Arkansas Living ARK ANSAS ELEC COOPERATIVE More co-opMORE news onCO-OP page 26PAGE
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Outage Ready
Emergency essentials to stay safe and prepared When the lights go out, being prepared makes all the difference. Follow these simple tips to stay safe, warm and ready during any power outage.
Short-term power failures: • Check to see if your neighbors still have electricity. • If your neighbors have electricity, the problem could be inside your home. Check your main fuses or circuit breakers to see if they have blown or tripped. • If your neighbors also do not have power, call North Arkansas Electric at (870) 895-3221 to report the outage. • Unplug major electronics such as televisions and computers. This will help eliminate damage from voltage surges when the electricity is restored. • Wait a few minutes before turning on these items once power is restored. This will reduce demand on the electric cooperative’s power grid. • If you use a standby generator, be sure it has been installed and wired properly. If improperly installed, a generator could cause dangerous conditions for utility employees working to restore power. • Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. An unopened refrigerator can keep food cold for about four hours; a full freezer will maintain temperature for about 48 hours. • Use flashlights instead of candles. Candles can pose a fire hazard, especially during stressful situations. • Avoid opening exterior doors frequently. This helps maintain your home’s indoor temperature. • Stay updated with NAEC’s outage map at naeci.com or Facebook page at facebook.com/NorthARElectric. • Check on elderly or vulnerable neighbors. They may need assistance with medical devices, mobility or communication.
Winter power outages: • Dress warmly. Several layers of clothing provide better insulation than a single layer of heavier clothing. • Move to a single room, preferably one with few windows. Ideally, this room should be on the south side of the home for maximum heat gain in the daytime. The room should also be shut off from the rest of the house. • If you use an alternate heat source, be sure and follow operating instructions. • A small stream of water can be left on to prevent water pipes from freezing.
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• Use towels or blankets to block drafts around windows and doors to retain heat. • Eat and drink regularly. Food provides energy your body uses to stay warm; warm (nonalcoholic) drinks can also help. • Avoid overexertion. Activities like shoveling snow can put extra strain on your heart in cold conditions. • Never use outdoor heating devices indoors. Grills, camp stoves or propane heaters can produce deadly carbon monoxide. • If the home becomes too cold, consider relocating to a friend’s house, warming center or shelter, if travel conditions are safe.
Prepare an emergency kit with: • Flashlights with fresh batteries. • First aid kit, prescription medicines and baby supplies. • Nonperishable food and a manual can opener. • Pet food and supplies. • A fully charged cellphone and battery pack. • Bottled drinking water. • Battery-powered emergency lights and radio. • Backup power sources for necessary medical equipment. For more tips, visit safeelectricity.org.