Why Politics Matter to Cooperatives and How You Can Help! TABLE OF CONTENTS
02 WHY POLITICS MATTER
03 YOUTH OPPORTUNITIES
04-05 NEW WEBSITE LAUNCHED
06 COMMUNITY DAY
07 QUICK LINKS
08 HAPPY HOLIDAYS
Contact Us: 765-544-2600 Outage Reporting: 800-284-3452 (USPS 171-360 Published Monthly)
Contributors: Jason Clemmons, Cathy Rhoades, Brad Rogers and Jared Seiffert Publication Office: 2777 S. 840 W. Manilla, IN 46150 Periodical Postage paid in Indianapolis, Indiana 46206 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: ELECTRAWATT P.O. Box 55, Manilla, IN 46150
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www.rse.coop
For most people, their electricity provider is just the company that keeps the lights on, but an electric cooperative's relationship with its memberowners is different. Since the 1930s when Indiana's electric cooperatives were formed, they've thrived because of the political engagement between their member-owners and local, state and federal governments. Indiana's electric cooperatives advocate for rural Hoosiers like you on the state and federal levels so they can continue providing safe, reliable and affordable energy - and maintain the quality of life in rural communities. But electric cooperatives need your help in the process, too. Indiana's electric cooperatives thrive when their member-owners stay politically engaged and advocate for policies that help cooperatives best serve their members. How can you do this? It all starts with grassroots activism. In the context of the electric cooperative program, "grassroots" is a powerful word. In fact, the historical success of the electric cooperatives can be credited to the grassroots activism. The electric cooperative definition of "grassroots" is "electric cooperative activists - directors, managers, employees and member-owners - who take an active role in the political process to protect their cooperative from harmful legislation and regulation, as well as to promote the value of cooperative ownership to their legislators." Grassroots involvement means communicating with your local, state and federal legislators on issues affecting electric cooperatives. Grassroots - the unified efforts and voices of the nation's electric co-op supporters - has proven to be the foundation of the industry's 85 years of success in serving electric co-ops, their owners and their communities. To become a grassroots advocate for Indiana's electric cooperatives, visit action.indianaec.org/.
YOUTH OPPORTUNITIES RushShelby Energy will again sponsor some outstanding educational opportunities for students in our servivce territory.
CAMP KILOWATT Formerly Touchstone Energy Camp
June 8-11, 2022 Ten students currently enrolled in sixth grade will be selected to attend Camp Kilowatt at Camp Tecumseh in Brookston, Indiana. Students will enjoy a three-day, three-night experience as they learn about electricity, electrical safety, the environment and electric cooperatives. Campers will enjoy bucket truck rides, rock wall climbing, horseback riding, swimming, archery and much more. Deadline to enter is March 1, 2022.
YOUTH TOUR
June 18-25, 2022
More than 1,500 high school students from across America take part in the Youth Tour experience each year. Four students will be selected to represent RushShelby Energy in a once in a lifetime trip to Washington D.C., where they will meet U.S. Representatives and Senators. This unique trip will give students the opportunity to watch history come alive while exploring the museums, memorials and monuments with other students from Indiana. They will also meet student leaders from nearly every state and hear dynamic leaders on Youth Day. Bottom line, attendees will make friendships that will last a lifetime and be part of a group that has more than 50,000 alumni in every walk of life, including U.S. Senators and CEOs. Deadline to enter online is March 1, 2022.
CALENDAR CONTEST Since 1998, Indiana Connection and participating Indiana electric cooperatives have held an annual art contest for Indiana students in kindergarten through grade 12. The winning works of art from each grade are then used to illustrate the Cooperative Calendar of Student Art. The deadline to enter is March 18, 2022.
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New Design, Same Great Service RushShelby Energy is excited to present our website's new look to you! Here at RushShelby Energy we are always looking for ways to better serve our members. As technology has improved, more and more members are looking to mobile devices, i.e., smart phones and iPads, for their internet surfing needs. With our new website, we have significantly improved the 'mobile device view'. You can now see content designed to fit your smart phone or tablet, making content much easier to read and more user friendly. What if you don't use a mobile device and still access our webpage through your home computer? No worries, you will certainly appreciate the bold, easy to read text and enhanced visual layout, with individual tiles and icons to make navigating the webpage easier than ever before! Why change the website now? As aforementioned, RushShelby Energy is always looking for new ways to better serve our members. With more than 12,000 members, needs can differ greatly. As such, providing the information needed to address these needs can be a challenge. What better way to give our members tools and information they need than to update our website, improve accessibility and add new and enhanced features.
Let's take a look at some of the new features...
CHANGING YOUR FONT SIZE
One feature we are particularly excited to introduce is the ability to change the font size of the webpage. Simply click the + or - next to the word font near the middle of the page to adjust the font to your preferred size.
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THREE WAYS TO PAY YOUR BILL Paying your bill is now easier than ever before! On the home page, you will find three ways to pay your bill.
• If you are ready to pay your bill right now, select the PAY YOUR BILL icon in the upper right-hand corner. This will take you directly to verify your account information and then proceed to immediately pay your bill.
• You can now log directly into your account from the home page by entering your information here or by selecting the SmartHub link.
NEW LEFT NAVIGATION Ever wish you could see the options in the drop-down list you just clicked on? Well now you can. We have introduced a left navigation feature that allows you to see all of the pages from the category you've selected. You can select from the drop-down or use the left navigation for ease of access.
SELECT YOUR LANGUAGE
As our member-base has become increasingly more diverse, we occasionally encounter language barriers. RushShelby Energy has numerous resources in place to help overcome these barriers and we are pleased to introduce our latest effort to meet the needs of our members. The language options drop-down is located in the lower right corner of the window. Changing the language of our entire site is now as easy as clicking the drop-down menu and selecting the language of your choice!
SAME GREAT INFO, NEW IMPROVED DESIGN Change can often lead to confusion and concern. We understand this can be trying. In light of this, our new website is providing you with the same great content you are familiar with, and we have made it more accessible than ever before.
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Community Day at Mary Gray Bird Sanctuary Helping the Cooperative Way The cooperative model is a unique one. While other businesses and industries focus on the 'bottom line' and strive to maximize profits, cooperatives have a distinctly different approach. At the core of all cooperatives stand seven principles that serve as a guidepost for all that we do. RushShelby Energy takes great pride in fulfilling each of these principles; however, Concern for Community is certainly one of our favorites. In an effort to fulfill this principle, RushShelby Energy holds an annual Community Day. While the projects vary from year to year, we view this as an opportunity to give back to our community. On November 3, twenty-three RushShelby Energy employees gathered at Mary Gray Bird Sanctuary to offer much needed assistance in prepping the grounds so that others can enjoy. Projects ranged from building bridges on walking trails, painting, remodeling facilities, cutting trees, splitting firewood and much more. There is a satisfaction that comes with a hard day's work, but the greatest joy in this season of giving comes from knowing that our efforts made a difference.
Quick Links Congratulations, John Herbert After six weeks of job-shadowing and participating in a working interview, Jim Draper, Engineering Manager, is pleased to announce John Herbert has accepted the position of Staking Technician. John and his wife, Caitlin, live in Rushville and are expecting their first child in early 2022.
RushShelby Energy will be closed Thursday, December 30 & Friday, December 31 for New Year's.
Yearly planners, pocket calendars and Farmers' Almanacs are available in our lobby.
Maximize your heating system's performance by inspecting, cleaning or replacing air filters once a month or as needed to reduce energy costs and prevent potential damage to your system. Make sure radiators, baseboard heaters and warm-air registers aren't blocked so air can flow freely. Source: Department of Energy
Ring in the New Year With Home Safety Nearly half of all home fires occur during winter months. Take a few minutes to identify and correct any potential electrical hazards to ensure the safety of your home. • Are any switches or outlets warm to the touch? Warm switches or outlets indicate an unsafe wiring condition. • Are any outlets or switches discolored? Discoloration indicates dangerous heat buildup at these connections. • Do plugs fit snugly into outlets? Loose-fitting plugs can cause overheating and fires. • Are any cords cracked, frayed or damaged? Damaged cords can expose wires, causing shock or fire hazard. • Are any cords pinched by furniture or windows, attached to anything with staples and nails? Pinching and/or stapling cords can damage the insulation, causing shock or fire hazard. • Do you have recurring tripped circuit breakers or blown fuses? If yes, this could indicate you're exceeding a safe level of electrical current. • Do you have arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs)? AFCIs provide greater fire protection. Check your circuit breaker for the AFCI label.
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