July 2023

Since the early 19th Century, cooperatives have been shaping how many businesses are run. In the United States, this became apparent during the 1930s under the leadership of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the years following the Great Depression. Cooperatives provide a unique business model, allowing members to play an important decision-making role. As we continue to run our cooperatives in the 21st Century, it is essential for our youth to understand the value of this type of business. Cooperatives stand behind the 7 Cooperative Principles, two of which are "Concern for Community" and "Education, Training and Information." Through the youth programs we offer, we can hone in on each of these important principles and help them understand the value of being part of a cooperative.

Youth Tour

RushShelby Energy was proud to sponsor four students on a trip to Washington D.C. for the Rural Electric Youth Tour. This program has been in place since 1957. It allows youth from rural electric cooperatives across the nation to learn more about their national government and the rural electric program. These students had the opportunity to see our nation's capital, tour historical monuments, meet their U.S. Congressional Representatives and make great new friends. Those representing RushShelby Energy were Lily DeSpain, Ella Rice, Eliza Nobbe and Malori Pike.

Youth Opportunities Camp

Camp Kilowatt is a fun and unique experience for incoming seventh-grade students across Indiana. Throughout the week, students learned about alternative energy, electric safety and how electric cooperatives can help the communities where they live. They also enjoyed zip-lining, archery, swimming, rock-climbing and many other outdoor activities. Students representing RushShelby Energy were Ava Fields, Olive Shuppert, Madden Meek, Colton Selby, Elijah Wagner and Shade Crabtree. Journeyman Lineman Justin Walton chaperoned.

Cooperative Calendar of

Kilowatt Student Art Contest

The Cooperative Calendar of Student Art Contest is an art contest for students K-12 from across Indiana. Winners will have their artwork featured in the 2024 calendar and receive cash prizes.

On the cover is the entry from sixth grader, McKenzie Haehl who received an honorable mention and a cash prize for her artwork. Congratulations McKenzie!

Next grant cycle is in August with applications due August 3rd!

We are pleased to announce our propane price for the 2023-2024 heating season. Effective July 1, 2023, the price per gallon will be $2.25 for average home use. Call Janet Labrie at 765-544-2904 for more details.

Get Smart About Home Lighting

Gone are the days when a simple flip of the switch was the only choice for illuminating our homes. While we still have this tried-and-true option, we've entered a new era of innovative and intelligent technologies, which includes smart lighting.

Smart lighting connects to Wi-Fi and offers an array of cutting-edge functionality and convenience. Let's look at the main benefits of smart lighting options.

Smart lighting is energy efficient. Most smart bulbs utilize LED technology, which is much more efficient than traditional incandescent lighting. Additionally, smart lighting gives you more control over how and when you light your home, ultimately resulting in less energy used for lighting.

Smart lighting provides convenience and control. Most smart bulbs can be controlled from an app on your smartphone or can be paired with your voice assistant, like Amazon Alexa. You can conveniently control lighting settings from anywhere in your home or when you're away. Whether you want to set a schedule for lighting or adjust brightness levels, these smart options offer effortless control from the comfort of, well, anywhere!

Smart options empower you to personalize home lighting. Bright, warm, purple, green - whatever mood you want to create, smart lighting can help. For a more traditional look, try dimmable white bulbs.

If you want to create the perfect ambiance for movie night, look for bulbs that can be adjusted for a variety of vibrant colors.

While smart lighting offers convenience and control, keep in mind your wall light switch will need to stay "on" for you to control the smart bulb from your phone or via voice command. To use a smart bulb, the wall switch it's connected to must be "on" so the bulb receives power, which enables it to connect to a Wi-Fi network.

If you need additional options to operate the lights, consider a smart light switch. Today's smart switches tend to play nicely with smart bulbs. If you want to control your smart bulbs with a physical switch (in addition to using your phone and voice commands), look for smart switches that include a built-in feature that allows both. Many smart light switches include motion detectors as well.

If you're looking to take the plunge and integrate multiple smart bulbs to your home lighting system, your best bet may be a kit, like the Philips Hue Starter Kit. Most kits include several bulbs and any additional tools you'll need to get started.

If you're new to smart home tech and looking to start small, try a smart bulb in a high-traffic area of your home. It's also worth noting that smart plugs are a great starter option and allow convenient control of lamps or other lighting fixtures that are plugged in to the wall outlet. Smart plugs are inexpensive and simply plug in to your existing outlet. Electrical items that are connected to the smart plug can be controlled from a smart phone app, just like smart bulbs.

Whether you're looking for more convenience, colorful options or better ways to manage energy use, smart lighting can provide multiple benefits. Determine which smart lighting features are most important for you needs, then start shopping.

The Check The Mail is in

Capital credit checks were mailed on June 28th.

If the amount of your check amount is under $75.00, your patronage refund will be applied directly to your account and appear on your next statement.

You received a check, what happens if:

A check is delivered to your address in the name of someone who does not live at your address -

Write "return to sender" on the outside of the envelope and it will be returned to RushShelby Energy. Writing on the envelope that this person does not live at this address will direct us to update that account.

The name on the check is the name of a relative who has passed away -

The check can be rewritten in the heir's name once the proper paperwork is on file with RushShelby Energy. Heir claim forms can be obtained by calling the number below or on our website at www.rse.coop.

The check is in my spouse's name, but they passed away -

Banks will not cash checks if they are in a deceased person's name.

An active account is still in my deceased spouse's name -

It is illegal to have an active account in a deceased person's name. Call our office, and we can transfer the electric account and rewrite the check.

In August, we will publish the unclaimed list. You will find the forms necessary to make a claim within this document.

For other questions, contact Janet Labrie at 765-544-2904.

Quick Links

June Employee of the Month

MariBeth Schmidt, Operations/Engineering Assistant, was named June Employee of the Month. Maribeth was recognized for her positive attitude and her willingness to go above and beyond for the membership. Maribeth genuinely cares about people and works hard to make RushShelby Energy a better place. Congratulations! Well deserved!

Energy Efficiency Tip

Summer is a prime opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors. To reduce home energy use, avoid using your oven and use a grill instead. Not only will cooking outdoors eliminate the electricity used to power the stove, but it will also avoid raising the temperature inside your home, reducing the need for air conditioning or cooling. You can also avoid using the oven with tasty no-bake recipes. Get creative in the kitchen (or the backyard) and find new ways to save energy!

Source: energy.gov

Rush County Preschool Program

If you, or someone you know, in Rush County are interested in a preschool program, for 3-and 4-year-olds, Head Start is the place for you! We are a federally funded preschool program that is free to low-income families. Classes are Monday-Friday, 6 hours a day. Breakfast, lunch and a snack are provided at no cost to the family and we also perform early childhood development screenings for speech, language, mental health, vision, dental and hearing. The well-educated staff will focus on school readiness goals, via Frog Street curriculum, to prepare your child for kindergarten. To learn more or to schedule an application appointment please call, Angela Workman (765)465-5737 or Kristy Velie (765)524-1530.

to apply online, scan the QR code.

August Festivals

August 3-6

Pioneer Engineers

75th Annual Reunion

-Rushville

August 11

Chocolate Walk -Greenfield

August 11

Hops and Vines -Franklin

August 16-20

Power of the Past -Greensburg

August 19

WAMMfest

-Greenwood

August 25-26

Indy Greek Fest -Carmel

August 25-27

ACD Mini Meet

-Connersville

2023 Indiana Festival Guides are available in our lobby!

Did you know energy from the sun can be used to create electricity? Read the following information about how solar panels work, then find and circle the bold words in the puzzle.

Word Search

Solar panels contain photovoltaic that convert sunlight into electricity.

Sunlight hits the solar panels and generates a direct current.

The direct current flows to an inverter, which converts it to an alternating current. (This is the kind of electricity we use in our homes.)

The alternating current flows from the inverter to the home's breaker box, where it's used to power appliances and electrical devices in your home.

If the solar panels generate more electricity than the home needs, the unused electricity is sent back to the power lines.