2016 January Orange County Electric REMC Newsletter

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 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

The power of Operation Ro It started as a simple idea 27 years ago at one co-op in South Carolina. Just round up the co-op member’s electric bill to the next dollar, and then use it to do good work in your community.

Today, hundreds of electric MATTHEW C. co-ops throughout the counDEATON try, including Orange County REMC, use this idea to help members and organizations close to home.

All co-ops adhere to the seven cooperative principles, including “concern for community.” The Operation Round Up® program is the perfect embodiment of this core principle. The average co-op member donates $6 with a maximum possible contribution of $11.88 per year. This may not seem like a large amount, but when combined with the 5,207 active Orange County REMC participants, it adds up to make a significant impact.

Each co-op decides how they want to operate the program, and the vast majority are governed by a board of volunteers, which is different from the board of directors for the electric co-op. This ensures that the decisions are made in the best interest of the community.

Automated phone system provides convenience and security for payments Orange County REMC members who want to access information about their electric e account or make a payment over the phon nse) respo voice e can call the IVR (interactiv system by calling 1-855-865-2229. For secuity reasons, this system is the only way the REMC can accept payments over the phone.

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Current Operation Round Up board members for Orange County REMC are Kelly Wade, Kim Wallace, Sandra Blanton, Joann Morgan, Nancy Radcliff, Kristen Tarr and Mark Martin. Orange County REMC’s Stacy Slaten is the Operation Round Up coordinator.

Participation in the program is always voluntary, and at any time, members can change their minds about participating.

Once folks see the good work the program does in their community, they almost always keep contributing. Orange County REMC simply asks members if they are interested in participating at the time of service installation or during other business interactions to acquire Operation Round Up participants.

Over the years, millions of dollars have been collected and distributed for a wide range of activities. This can include helping a family in need after a house fire, assisting the local food pantry, providing funds so that the local fire department can get a needed piece of equipment, or dozens of other humanitarian efforts that bring electric co-ops even closer to the communities we serve. Since 2003, Orange County REMC has supported more than 250 different requests totaling $380,000.

Orange County REMC would like to thank Gilbert Hudson (right) who served on the Operation Round Up board of trustees for six years. He is pictured here with Kelly Wade, president.

IVE Rate Schedule (for January, February and March 2016)

ound Up

Rate Schedule for Standard Service Standard Service Consumer Charge Standard Service Energy Charge Wholesale Power Cost Tracker Total bill x Indiana sales tax 7%

$26.00 $0.1124 $0.0028465

Example for 1,200 kWh Standard Service Standard Service Consumer Charge $26.00 1,200 kWh @ $0.1124 $134.88 Wholesale Power Cost Tracker @ $0.0028465 $3.42 Total $164.30 Indiana sales tax $11.50 Total bill $175.80

Rate Schedule for Time-of-use Service Time of Use Consumer Charge $30.90 Energy Charge On-Peak $0.1671 (On-Peak: 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Friday, EST)

Orange County REMC’s Stacy Slaten, left, awards a $250 Operation Round Up grant to Brenda McKain with Lawrence County Center Patient Services. The grant was used to purchase of 50 turbans for patients who’ve lost their hair while battling cancer.

Approved requests have met a wide range of needs, including support of local little leagues, festivals, schools, scholarships, food banks, Special Olympics, churches, ministries, police and fire departments, libraries and individual members.

To say the least, we are very proud of the positive impact that Operation Round Up has on our communities.

While each co-op must respond to the unique needs of its members, one of the great attributes of co-ops across the country — and the world — is their willingness to share information about the programs that have been successful. Operation Round Up is a perfect example of that cooperative spirit. We appreciate other co-ops paving the way to make the Operation Round Up program easy to implement and highly beneficial to our community. We will continue to “borrow” ideas from other co-ops and welcome your participation. Please share with us additional activities we might explore to serve you and your neighbors.

For more information concerning Operation Round Up, please contact Stacy Slaten at sslaten@ myremc.coop, or visit our website, www.myremc. coop.

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

Energy Charge Off-Peak $0.0691 Wholesale Power Cost Tracker $0.0028465 Total bill x Indiana sales tax 7% Example for Time of Use, 300 kWh On-Peak and 900 kwh Off-Peak Time of Use Consumer Charge $30.90 Energy Charge On-Peak 300 kWh @ $0.1671 $50.13 Energy Charge Off-Peak 900 kWh @ $0.0691 $62.19 Wholesale Power Cost Tracker @ $0.0028465 $3.42 Total $146.64 Indiana sales tax $10.26 Total bill $156.90

Rate Schedule for Security Lighting Security Lighting: 100 W HPS $9.82 Security Lighting: 40 W LED $9.82

Visa, MasterCard and Discover cards accepted

K The “service disconnection” scam

DON’T BE A VICTIM Your co-op will not call you and ask for personal information or payment over the phone. If you want to make a payment over the phone, you must call our secure, automated system at 855-865-2229.

This scheme begins with an urgent phone call from someone pretending to be an employee from the power company. The caller warns that electric service to the consumer’s home or business will be disconnected unless immediate payment is made. The caller then asks for the consumer’s credit or debit card number, or asks the consumer to purchase a pre-paid debit card to make a payment.

K The “government wants to help pay your electric bill” scam

In this ploy, a caller tells the consumer about a “new program” that will pay a portion of their monthly power bill. The caller requests a bank routing number or social security number in order to “sign up” the consumer.

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Orange County REMC News

We’re looking for STUDENT LEADERS What do 1,500 high school students, our nation’s capital and electric cooperatives have in common? The Electric Cooperative Youth Tour, of course!

Youth Tour was established with one thought in mind — to inspire our next generation of leaders. Since 1964, more than 50,000 young Americans have taken advantage of this MARK special opportunity offered by their electric BELCHER cooperative.

It all takes place in June, when hundreds of electric co-ops across the country send participants to Washington, D.C., for a chance to learn about the cooperative business model and enjoy a full week of sightseeing.

While in D.C., participants have a chance to meet with their elected officials and discuss the issues that are important back home. Without a doubt, Youth Tour has grown into an invaluable program that gives young Americans an experience that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

In February, Orange County REMC will begin the application review process to select local students to attend the 2016 Indiana Youth Tour to Washington, D.C. Perhaps you know of an exceptional student who would be a great candidate for the program. If you do, please share this article with them.

Youth Tour is so much more than a sightseeing trip.

Students have repeatedly shared that this experience has helped them grow into successful professionals. It has also benefited our local communities. Youth Tour participants return home with a deeper understanding and skill set of what it takes to be leader, and as a result, they put these skills to use right here in our community. If you are a high school junior interested in traveling to Washington, D.C., to experience the trip of a lifetime, please contact us for more information. Applications are available at www.myremc. coop.

OVERLOADING

SURGE PROTECTORS IS A MAJOR

FIRE HAZARD

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ELECTRIC CONSUMER • JANUARY 2016 • ElectricConsumer.org

Orange County REMC sponsored high school students Michaela Cox of Campbellsburg, Nikki Moon of Orleans and Brianna Dalton of Mitchell on the 2015 Indiana Youth Tour to Washington, D.C. Applications are now being accepted for students who would like to attend the 2016 event. The deadline to apply is Feb. 12.

Information can be found at www.myremc.coop.

We’re also looking for younger students who want to attend Touchstone Energy Camp. Over the past 14 years, this unique event has educated more than 1,000 seventh grade students-to-be about how to stay safe around electricity, while also providing campers a chance to enjoy a wide variety of outdoor camp activities. Orange County REMC will once again sponsor students to attend Touchstone Energy® Camp June 8-11, at Camp Tecumseh in Brookston.

Campers will enjoy traditional outdoor camp activities, such as horseback riding, zip lining and swimming, while also participating in interactive lessons about safe electricity, working together in teams in a hands-on equipment connecting simulation, and wiring a table top demo to light up a bulb. Plus, they’ll enjoy the bird’s eye view of their friends during bucket truck rides.

Students who are currently in the sixth grade and will begin seventh grade in fall 2016 are eligible to attend and should fill out an application and return it by Feb. 12.

Applications and eligibility requirements are available at www.myremc.coop.

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

2016 Director Election Timeline Incumbents whose terms expire: District 2: Randy Roberts District 4: Rodney Hager District 7: George Key k Letters of intent due Feb. 5 k Posting of incumbent list: Feb. 19 (Names published in the March issue of the Electric Consumer) k Petitions of nominations due April 20 k Nominations by the board (absent incumbents seeking re-elections or petitioners): April 20 k Full slate of candidates posted and mailed by May 13 k All candidate biographies published in the May or June issue of Electric Consumer k Election at annual meeting on June 3

Carl and Bridget Sneed Orange County REMC’s Carl Sneed has been a journeyman lineman for 26 years, and his wife, Bridget, has been a member services representative for 20 years at the co-op. The Sneeds have been married six years, and together, they have eight children and eight grandchildren. In their spare time, they enjoy traveling and spending time with family.

Statement of nondiscrimination Orange County Rural Electric Membership Corporation is the recipient of federal financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

Member Appreciation Day winners During the Member Appreciation Day event held in late October, visitors entered their names in drawings for door prizes. Sue Longest of Marengo won the drawing for the weather radio. Ron Winners of French Lick won the drawing for the electric grill. Members also enjoyed chili and Krispy Kreme doughuts. More than 100 members stopped by the office during the event.

The person responsible for coordinating this organization’s nondiscrimination compliance efforts is Matthew Deaton, CEO. To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call toll free 866-632-9992 (voice) or 800-877-8339 (TDD) or 866-377-8642 (relay voice users). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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