NEWS FROM YOUR COOPERATI www.myremc.coop CONTACT US OFFICE
812-865-2229 TOLL FREE 888-337-5900 BILL PAYMENTS 855-865-2229 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 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 Discoveraccepted •Exede Internet - 855-797-7855
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Looking forward with great e A lot has happened since I began my employment at Orange County REMC on Jan. 2. If you remember last month’s column, this is similar to how Danny Arnold began, as he reflected upon his MATTHEW C. 24 years as general manDEATON ager/CEO. I would like to briefly discuss some of the things that have happened since my coming aboard. I will touch on a couple of areas that I think will have positive impacts on you in the near future, mention some areas in which Orange County REMC has been performing well, and share our plans to continue excelling in the future. Since coming to Orange County REMC, I have begun leadership training at both Hoosier Energy and Indiana Electric Cooperatives. I have also spent considerable time becoming familiar with our distribution territory by studying our service maps and driving the highways and county roads that pass the homes and businesses we serve. I also had the privilege of attending the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) annual meeting, which provided me with valuable insight and education about the national organization of which we are a member. No matter what I have been doing, I have been focusing on strengthening the already established support network essential to bringing reliable and affordable electricity to the members. I’d like to highlight some things that I feel will soon make positive impacts on our members. The migration of our distribution system mapping and controls to a GIS/ electronic format-based program will allow system load tracking, improve the way we are able to respond to outages and simplify troubleshooting, which will result in a more reliable, more resilient and safer distribution system. Another initiative is the expansion and update to some of our current member services. We will soon be sharing
ELECTRIC CONSUMER • APRIL 2015 • ElectricConsumer.org
with you additional offerings in our medical monitoring and security system programs. Going forward, we will continue to develop and execute long-term construction work plans. Our practice of projecting requirements as far in advance as possible allows Orange County REMC to adjust as unforeseen circumstances evolve, while limiting the impact such adjustments may have on our members. We will continue to provide member-focused programs such as time-of-use rates, pre-pay billing accounts, and our many other energy efficiency programs. A continued focus on our employee development and education will also remain a priority. Our employees will continue to receive training that emphasizes finding new ways to improve our members’ experience as they do business with us. In 2014, America’s electric cooperatives rallied together to designate the Second Monday of April of each year as National Lineman Appreciation Day. On April 13, Orange County REMC will honor the hardworking men and women who often work in challenging conditions to keep the lights on. We proudly recognize all electric linemen for the services they perform around the clock in dangerous conditions to keep power flowing and protect the public’s safety. Electric linemen do not often receive the recognition they deserve. They work all hours of the day, often in hazardous conditions far from their families, going above and beyond to restore power to their communities. Our linemen, as well as linemen across the nation, truly deserve this special day of recognition. To honor our linemen, Orange County REMC plans to formally recognize them for making 2014 a year in which there were zero OSHA recordable injuries and illnesses! Orange County REMC also finished 2014 with nearly 64,000 hours with no lost-time accidents. It should not be taken lightly that the linemen operate in harsh and dangerous environments which offers literally millions of opportunities