Jay Jones, line superintendent for North Arkansas Electric Cooperative’s Mountain Home district, helps Tucker Parker try on a belt line technicians use while climbing poles. Co-op personnel brought a bucket truck, tools and gear for students to check out during the Pinkston Middle School Career Connection event in May.
NAEC's dispatch center is staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In addition, personnel always are ready to respond in the event of an outage.
Reporting an outage to the dispatcher on duty is important because it's possible the outage only affects your home or business.
NAEC offers four ways for members to report an electric outage. They include:
• Mobile App — Once logged in to NAEC's app, select the account experiencing an outage. Then, select "Menu" ▶ "Services" ▶ "Report an Outage."
• Outage Viewer — Go to outageviewer.com, and then click "Report Outage" in the top right. Enter your name, account number and phone number, and click "Submit."
• (870) 895-3221 — Call NAEC's main phone line to speak with a member services representative or dispatcher.
• (844) 335-4461 — Call the automated phone system. It will try to identify you by matching the number you are calling from to one on file. You also can enter your information.
For NEXT internet or phone outages, please call (870) 895-3221 or use the NEXT app.
The North Arkansas Electric Cooperative Board of Directors selected Jerry Don Cunningham to fill the remaining term of Beth Carter, who resigned from the board in November after serving since 2005. Cunningham’s term will run through mid-2030.
The North Arkansas Electric Cooperative (NAEC) member-funded Operation Round Up® program awards thousands of dollars in scholarships to local graduating high school seniors each year. In 2024, 15 students were awarded $1,000 scholarships, and three students were 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. After reviewing the three submissions, the board voted Dec. 8.
NAEC is accepting applications for the 2025-2026 scholarship program. The application is 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 became a trailblazer as the first woman on the NAEC Board of Directors and spent the past two decades leading with a members-first perspective.”
Applicants must mail or deliver the typed application to NAEC by April 1. They must include a transcript and two letters of recommendation — with at least one from a nonschool 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.
824 Hwy 56, Ash Flat
1520 Hwy 62/412 E., Mountain Home
1520 Hwy 62/412 E., Mountain Home
CONTACT NAEC (870) 895-3221
CONTACT NAEC (870) 895-3221
info@naeci.com
The federal government’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provides help for qualifying members with their energy costs during the summer and winter months.
North Arkansas Electric Cooperative will change to a new billing software Aug. 3. Members will experience several changes, including:
LIHEAP is administered by community action agencies, not 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 their county for more information. (See sidebar below.)
Members can help fund future scholarships by enrolling their accounts in Operation Round Up. Volunteers allow their electric bills to be "rounded up" to the next dollar each month. Call (870) 895-3221 to join today!
A new bill design, which will feature a graph with the past year’s monthly usage;
A new account number or numbers;
A new portal and app known as SmartHub to access your account(s) online beginning Aug. 3; and
info@naeci.com PAY/VIEW BILL naeci.com ▶ Account Login
PAY/VIEW BILL naeci.com ▶ Account Login
REPORT OUTAGE (870) 895-3221 (844) 335-4461
REPORT OUTAGE (870) 895-3221 (844) 335-4461
895-3221 (844) 335-4461
NAEC App naeci.com ▶ Outage Viewer
NAEC App naeci.com ▶ Outage Viewer
NAEC App naeci.com ▶ Outage Viewer
Automatic bank draft is the most convenient payment method NAEC offers. Enrolling in this free service ensures the bill is paid on time each month. It also eliminates the cost of a stamp or time spent in the drivethrough lane.
A new due date because the bills will be mailed about a week later than in the past.
Winter assistance should be available in January. Applications are accepted by community action agencies on a first-come, first-served basis as long as funds are available.
NAEC will share the latest information on the software conversion at naeci.com/smarthub. You’re also welcome to call (870) 895-3221 to speak with a Member Services representative during business hours. We’ll also provide information in the following:
Northcentral Arkansas Development Council
nadcinc.org
Automatic bank draft is an electronic transfer from your checking or savings account to NAEC’s each month. On or about the 14th of every month, the amount of the bill is deducted from your account.
Fulton County — (870) 895-3628
Izard County — (870) 368-4329
Sharp County — (870) 994-7353
Stone County — (870) 269-5427
To enroll your account(s) in auto bank draft, call (870) 895-3221 or visit an NAEC office during regular business hours.
The amount of LIHEAP help available 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 receiving LIHEAP.
ozarkopp.org
Baxter County — (870) 425-5118 Marion County — (870) 425-5118
The Messenger bill inserts; NAEC’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/NorthARElectric; Email blasts; Direct mail pieces; and Lobby and drive-through signage.
Sending an automated call when your home is going to be part of a planned outage or mailing a capital credits check are only two of the many reasons why NAEC might need to contact you. It's important to keep a current mailing address and at least one phone number and email on file. To update or check your contact information, call (870) 895-3221, visit an NAEC office or submit a form available at naeci.com/contact-naec.
FOLLOW NAEC Twitter.com/NorthARElectric Facebook.com/NorthARElectric Enroll in automatic bank draft by calling NAEC at (870) 895-3221. The free service ensures the electric bill is paid on time each month and eliminates the cost of a stamp or time spent visiting an NAEC office.
FOLLOW NAEC Twitter.com/NorthARElectric Facebook.com/NorthARElectric Happy Independence Day! NAEC offices will be closed July 3. A dispatcher will be on duty, and personnel will be on call. Report an outage via the app or (870) 895-3221.
FOLLOW NAEC Twitter.com/NorthARElectric Facebook.com/NorthARElectric High school juniors have until March 5 to submit an application for Youth Tour, an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia June 14-20. Download the application at naeci.com.
BY MITCH ROSS
You’ve probably heard the term “beneficial electrification” buzzing around the electric utility world lately. But what does it mean for you?
Simply put, beneficial electrification is the smart switch from fossil-fuel-powered equipment (gasoline, diesel, propane, etc.) to efficient electric alternatives. For the switch to count as truly “beneficial,” it must meet at least one of these four goals without hurting the others:
• Save you money
• Reduce environmental impact
• Improve your quality of life or productivity
• Strengthen the reliability of the electric grid.
Plenty of upgrades qualify as beneficial electrification and can deliver real benefits right now:
• High-efficiency heat pumps are all-electric systems both heat and cool your home by moving heat rather than generating it, making them far more efficient than traditional systems. The result is consistent, comfortable indoor temperatures year-round and lower monthly energy bills — especially during Arkansas’ hot summers and chilly winter snaps.
ABOVE Quiet, efficient and emission‑free, electric lawn mowers are a simple example of beneficial electrification — cutting mowing costs while delivering better performance and cleaner air.
LEFT Irrigation equipment can be upgraded to electric power, which can reduce energy costs and lower bills.
• Heat-pump water heaters offer another smart upgrade. Instead of creating heat from scratch, they pull warmth from the surrounding air to heat your water. That means they can use significantly less electricity than conventional models, saving energy while still providing plenty of hot water for showers, laundry and dishes.
• Electric lawn and garden tools — including mowers, string trimmers and chainsaws — are quieter, easier to start and produce zero exhaust fumes. For homeowners, that means less noise, fewer odors and no trips to the gas can. For neighborhoods, it means a cleaner, more pleasant environment.
• Electric irrigation pumps, forklifts and industrial equipment are helping operators cut fuel costs, reduce maintenance and improve efficiency on farms and in commercial settings. Electric motors are dependable, require fewer moving parts and often perform better in demanding conditions, making them a smart long-term investment for businesses of all sizes.
The next time you’re replacing a major appliance, vehicle or piece of equipment, pause and ask: “Is there an efficient electric option that would work even better for me?” Chances are the answer is yes.
Beneficial electrification isn’t about forcing change. It’s about giving our members practical, money-saving, responsible choices that make everyday life a little better. If you have questions or want help evaluating an upgrade, just reach out to your cooperative!
Mitch Ross is the energy efficiency manager for the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas.