2015 October Orange County REMC News

NEWS FROM YOUR COOPERATI www.myremc.coop CONTACT US OFFICE

812-865-2229 888-337-5900 BILL PAYMENTS 855-865-2229 TOLL FREE

CONTACT US BY EMAIL

orangecoremc@myremc.coop GENERAL MANAGER/CEO

Matthew C. Deaton OFFICE HOURS

7 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday-Friday STREET ADDRESS

7133 N. State Road 337 Orleans, IN 47452 MAILING ADDRESS

P.O. Box 208, Orleans, IN 47452 EMERGENCY POWER OUTAGES

To report service interruptions, call: 812-865-2229 or 888-337-5900, day or night. Please have the phone number associated with your account ready when reporting outages. Please limit after hours calls to emergencies and outage situations.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Eugene Roberts, DISTRICT 1 Randy Roberts, DISTRICT 2 Danny Easterday, DISTRICT 3 Rodney Hager, DISTRICT 4 Ben Lindsey, DISTRICT 5 Brian Hawkins, DISTRICT 6 George Key, DISTRICT 7

Orange County REMC celebrates National Cooperative Month October is National Cooperative Month, and Orange County REMC and co-ops across the United States are celebrating the benefits and values that cooperatives bring to their members and communities.

MATTHEW C. While co-ops operate in DEATON many industries and sectors of the economy, seven cooperative principles set us apart from other businesses: voluntary and open membership; democratic member control; member’s economic participation; autonomy and independence; education, training and information; cooperation among cooperatives; and concern for community.

Today, people appreciate options and alternatives to “big box” businesses.

The co-op business model is unique and rooted in our local communities, focused on the member owners. Co-ops allow a more participatory, sustainable and resilient economy and combines relationships we establish with members with the business we conduct together.

Orange County REMC is proud to be part of America’s cooperative network, which includes more than 47,000 cooperative businesses. Orange County REMC is one of more than 900 electric cooperatives, public utility districts and public power districts serving 42 million people in 47 states. Closer to home, here in the state of Indiana, Orange County REMC is a member of Indiana Electric Cooperatives, which includes 38 electric co-ops that distribute electricity to approximately 900,000 Hoosiers.

Please join us in celebrating the cooperative and the members that make it up by stopping by the office on Oct. 28 for Member Appreciation Day 2015. There will be food and prizes as well as an opportunity to meet those that make safe and reliable electricity possible to all of you.

To learn more about Orange County REMC, please visit our website at www. myremc.coop and follow us Facebook.

MATTHEW C. DEATON is the general manager/ CEO of Orange County REMC.

REMC KEY STAFF

Marty Frank, OPERATIONS MANAGER Marcy Bennett, OFFICE MANAGER Larry Pinnick, MATERIALS MANAGER Michael Roberts, STAKING ENGINEER Misty Tincher, ACCOUNTANT Billy Chastain, STAKING ENGINEER AIDE Mark Belcher, MARKETING/MEMBER SERVICES MEMBER SERVICES

•Free energy analysis •Budget billing •Automatic payments •Security lights •Home security systems •Medical emergency monitoring •Air evac life team •Water heater and HVAC incentives (requires an EM switch) •Online bill payment options •Interactive Voice Response system for payments and account inquiries via phone: 1-855-865-2229 •VISA, MasterCard and Discover accepted •Exede Internet - 855-797-7855 4

Orange County REMC offers incentives for properly sealing duct work Electric heated homes are eligible for 100 percent of the cost to seal duct work with mastic, up to a maximum of $500 rebate. Fossil fuel heated homes with central air or a heat pump are eligible for a maximum of $250 rebate.

Go to www.myremc.coop/rebates for more details and rebate application.

(New homes, built in the last two years, are not eligible. Limit one rebate per home.)

ELECTRIC CONSUMER • OCTOBER 2015 • ElectricConsumer.org

IVE Rate Schedule (for October, November and December 2015) Figures needed to calculate your monthly bill Rate Schedule for Standard Service Standard Service Consumer Charge Standard Service Energy Charge Wholesale Power Cost Tracker Total bill plus Indiana sales tax 7% Rate Schedule for ETS Service ETS Consumer Charge ETS Off-Peak Energy

26.00 0.1124 0.0028465

5.40 0.0691

Rate Schedule for Security Lighting Security Lighting- 100 W HPS Security Lighting- 40 W LED

9.82 9.82

Example for 1,200 kWh Standard Service Consumer Charge $26.00 1,200 kWh @ .1124 $134.88 Wholesale Power Cost Tracker @ $0.0028465 $3.42 Total $164.30 Indiana sales tax $11.50 Total Bill $175.80 Example for 1,200 kWh (regular) and 750 kWh (ETS) Standard Service Consumer Charge $26.00 ETS Consumer Charge $5.40 1,200 kWh @ .1124 $134.88 750 kWh @ .0691 $51.83 Wholesale Power Cost Tracker @ $0.0028465 $5.55 Total $223.66 Indiana sales tax $15.66 Total Bill $239.31 Visa, MasterCard and Discover cards accepted

Fall ETS Service Special Don’t wait for cold weather to find out your ETS units are not functioning properly. Call 812-865-2229 locally or 888-337-5900 (tollfree) to schedule your ETS check-up.

REMC will lower the normal $25 service call to only $10 for the first unit and $5 for each additional unit. The ETS service call for the first unit is FREE, if you allow REMC to install an energy management switch on your water heater and/or HVAC equipment.

We want to thank you!

Join us for our annual Member Appreciation Day on Oct. 28 at the Orange County REMC office. Enjoy free food, prizes and giveaways from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

ElectricConsumer.org • OCTOBER 2015 • ELECTRIC CONSUMER 5

Orange County REMC News

More insulation means more savings and comfort Walls. Floors. Ceilings. Attic. These are some of the prime areas of a home that need insulation in order to maximize energy efficiency. According to the Department of Energy (DOE), adding insulation to your home is a sound investment that is likely to quickly pay for itself in reduced utility bills. In fact, DOE estimates that you can reduce your heating MARK and cooling needs up to 30 percent by properly BELCHER insulating and weatherizing your home.

If your home is more than 20 years old and was not specifically constructed for energy efficiency, additional insulation can likely reduce your energy bills and increase the comfort level of your home. The actual amount of savings for each home depends upon several factors — the current level of insulation, your climate, efficiency of your heating/cooling system and your utility rates. On average, older homes have less insulation than homes built today, but even adding insulation to a newer home can pay for itself within a few years.

So, where do you start?

You first need to determine how much insulation you already have in your home and where it is located. For those with the DIY spirit, you can conduct an insulation audit yourself. Here is what you should be looking for: k Where your home is or isn’t and where it should be insulated k The type of insulation in your home k The R-value and the thickness or depth (inches) of the insulation A prime area that is chronically under-insulated is the attic. Whether you live in a cool or warm climate, attic insulation is essential to help keep warm air inside in the winter and prevent hot attic air from heating your living spaces in the summer. If you have R-19 or less insulation in your attic, consider bringing it up to R-42. For flooring, if you have R-11 or less insulation, consider bringing it up to R-25.

How does insulation work?

Heat flows naturally from a warmer space to a cooler space.

During winter months, this means heat moves directly from heated living spaces to adjacent unheated attics, garages, basements and even outdoors. It can also travel indirectly through interior ceilings, walls and floors—wherever there is a difference in temperature. During summer months, the opposite happens. Heat flows from the exterior to the interior of a home. Proper installation of insulation creates resistance to heat flow. Heat flow resistance is measured or rated in terms of its R-value — the higher the R-value, the greater the insulation’s effectiveness. The more heat flow resistance your insulation provides, the lower your heating and cooling costs will be.

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ELECTRIC CONSUMER • OCTOBER 2015 • ElectricConsumer.org

Save green by going green Today, you have choices when it comes to selecting insulation for the home, including an environmentally-friendly option made of recycled materials, such as scrap blue jeans. It looks similar to chopped up blue jeans and is treated for fire safety. With an insulating R-value similar to fiberglass insulation, this blue jean insulation is a great option.

Get started and get saving While an older home will never be as efficient as a new home, an insulation upgrade will make a noticeable difference in your energy use and wallet. A well-insulated home is one of the most cost-effective means of saving energy and decreasing heating and cooling bills. The REMC also offers rebates for adding insulation to your attic. For more information, contact the energy experts at Orange County REMC by calling 812-865-2229.

You can also get more information about rebates for sealing your ductwork at www.myremc.coop/rebates. html.

MARK BELCHER is the marketing/member services manager for Orange County REMC.

Sharron Dennis, Aaron Dennis and Lonny Briner of Dennis Manufacturing create custom metal work as well as traditional metal fabrication for trucks, trailers, hitches and other applications.

Using metal to create beauty and function The three employees of Dennis Manufacturing specialize in metal fabrication for trucks and trailers and hitches, as well as steel sales, welding and accessories.

“We cater to our customer’s needs,” said Sharron Dennis, employee.

Employee Lonny Briner also creates original designs that are on display at Fox Hollow Gallery in French Lick.

“If you show me an idea, I can make it for you,” Briner said.

His designs include metal fire pits, axes, shepherd’s hooks and picnic tables.

Dennis Manufacturing was founded in 1921 by Paul and Otto Dennis.

Eventually, Paul’s son, Donald “Duck” Dennis, became the second generation, and then, Donald’s son, Gary, became the third generation of the family to work for the business. Later, Gary’s wife, Sharron, took over as president for the company when Gary passed away. Now Gary and Sharron’s son Aaron is the fourth generation of the Dennis family in the business. He serves as vice president. The company continues to use the same equipment that was purchased when the company started, with a few exceptions, of course. The operation has been working out of the same building in Livonia since 1970.

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Pictured above is the top of a custom shepherd’s hook, designed and crafted by Dennis Manufacturing employee Lonny Briner.

Dennis Manufacturing, Inc. Location: Highway 56 in Livonia Telephone: 812-755-4891 Email: adennis43@yahoo.com Hours of operation: M-F, 7:30-4 Do you have an idea for an individual, group or business to be featured in our Community Corner? Send an email to Stacy Slaten at sslaten@myremc.coop.

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ElectricConsumer.org • OCTOBER 2015 • ELECTRIC CONSUMER 29