CONTENTS 2 Text Your Outage 3 Factors That Impact Electricity Prices 4-5 2023 Indiana Electric Cooperative Lineman Rodeo 6 October is Cooperative Month 7 Quick Links 8 Mini Member (USPS 171-360 Published Monthly)
Contributors: Cathy Rhoades and David Toll 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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The newest and easiest way to report an outage is coming November 7, 2023. With a simple text, you can report your electric outage quickly and efficiently. All members with a cell phone on file will automatically be enrolled in the program. If you do not have a cell phone on file or are unsure if it is a correct number, please call our office at 765-544-2600 to update your account. Here's a step-by-step guide on how you can text your outage.
Outage
If you only have one meter, the process is easy. Just text "Outage" to 55050. The process is still easy if you have mltiple meters, but a few extra steps may be involved. When you added a new meter, you likely named it for what it will serve (e.g., home, pump, barn, etc.). If you forget what name you used or if you do not type in your outage correctly, you will receive a text message similar to the one to the right. You can either enter the number or the name as it appears on the list.
Choose1: Home 2: Pump 3: Rental 4: Work All: All Or call 800-284-3452 to report your outage.
Once the outage is texted correctly, you will receive a confirmation text. Outage Reported Successfully
If you have multiple meters that are out of power, you can report those one at a time by texting the number or names from the list or you may text 'all' or 'outageall' if all meters are without power.
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Outage Reported Successfully
Once the power is restored, you will receive a text.
If you would like to know the status of your outage, simply text 'OutageStatus.' Our system will reply with a message notifying you of the current status of the outage.
Power in your area has been restored. If you are still out, please call 800-284-3452.
Outage Status
Factors That Impact Electricity Prices We continue receiving calls regarding the service fee increase applied in April and wanted to help you better understand why. Just as inflation has impacted everything from the price of gasoline to the price of eggs, costs for the fuels required to produce electricity have also risen. This is a timely topic, so we wanted to help explain some of the factors that impact electricity prices (and energy bills) in this month's Electrawatt. While there is no short answer, a few key elements impact electricity prices and rates. Some of these factors are beyond our control. So, let us break it down. Your monthly electric bill has three primary parts: a service charge, an energy consumption (kWh) charge and a Power Cost Adjustment (PCA). To understand your total energy costs and what impacts your bill, lets unpack one piece at a time. The first is a fixed monthly service charge, which covers the costs associated with providing electricity to your home. This includes equipment, materials, labor and operating costs necessary to serve each meter in RushShelby Energy's service territory, regardless of the amount of energy used. In order to ensure the reliable service you expect and deserve, we must maintain the local system, including power lines, substations and other necessary equipment. Like many other businesses, we've experienced supply chain issues and steep cost increases for some of our basic equipment. For example, the cost of a 25 KVA overhead transformer went from $1,015 in 2021 to $2,309 this year and wait times to receive this essential equipment is up to 8 weeks. Because we are a not-for-profit cooperative, some of these expenses must be passed on to our members. Another component of your monthly bill is the kWh charge, which covers how much energy you consume. You've likely noticed the amount of energy you use can vary from month to month and is typically impacted by extreme temperatures. When temperatures soar or dip, your cooling and heating equipment run longer, which increases your home energy use. Regardless, energy consumption is an area that you have some control over, and you can lower your monthly bill by actively reducing energy use. The last component of your bills is the PCA, which is the same amount for all co-op members. The PCA recently increased because of higher fuel prices, which means the power RushShelby Energy purchases from our wholesale provider is more expensive. The PCA covers fuel cost fluctuations without having to continually restructure electricity rates. We hope this information sheds light on some of the factors that impact electricity prices. While we can't control the weather or the rising costs of fuels, please know RushShelby is doing everything possible to keep internal costs down. We're here to help you, too. Contact us if you have any questions about your energy bill or for advice on how to save energy at home.
Journeyman Linemen and Apprentice Linemen from RushShelby Energy competed at the Indiana Electric Cooperative Lineman Rodeo, held August 24-25 in Danville. The two-day event highlighted the skills and safety training of electric cooperative linemen. RushShelby Energy sent nine linemen to the state competition. The linemen competed in events that test skills such as pole climbing, hurt man rescue and safely changing electric line hardware. A total of 28 teams and 102 individuals from 24 Indiana electric cooperatives competed in this year's event. The following linemen represented RushShelby Energy at the rodeo:
• Greg File, Working Foreman - 1st Place - Insulator Change Out - Senior Journeyman Event • Jaylin Brown, Journeyman Lineman - 2nd Place - Hurt Man - 3rd Place - Insulator Change Out • Kenny Geis, Apprentice Lineman - 3rd Overall Individual Apprentice • Chris Pile, Journeyman Lineman • Cameron Cox, Journeyman Lineman • Justin Walton, Journeyman Lineman • Nate Best - Journeyman Lineman • Jared Isaacs - Apprentice Lineman • Dylan Mann - Apprentice Lineman "We're proud of the RushShelby Energy linemen who competed in this year's rodeo," said Brad Means, Vice President of Operations. "RushShelby Energy linemen have a lot of pride in the work they do, and they demonstrated their skills and dedication to their craft." The Indiana Electric Cooperative Lineman Rodeo recognizes and rewards excellence in safety, skill and knowledge in the field. Official results can be found at https://goiec.org/INLinemanRodeo. Thank you to all participants for representing RushShelby Energy. Congratulations on a job well done!
October is National Co-op Month, and RushShelby Energy is joining cooperatives across the U.S. to celebrate. Co-ops come in all shapes and sizes, but they each have a common goal: to provide goods or services for the members of the co-op. Electric co-ops, including RushShelby Energy, exist to serve their members. Our priority is to provide affordable, reliable energy to our local communities. Because we are led by you, the members we serve, we can evolve to meet your needs.
Cooperatives Grow... Communities Co-ops help communities grow by promoting economic empowerment, fostering community engagement and supporting the unique needs of co-op members. "Concern for Community" is one of our core principles - and being community focused is essential to everything we do.
Tomorrow's Leaders
Electric co-ops serve as fertile ground for growing tomorrow's leaders through a variety of youth engagement programs. Whether through school demonstrations, community events or the Indiana Youth Tour program, we're committed to providing opportunities for local youth to learn and thrive in our community and beyond.
Together Co-ops are all about cooperation, not competition. That's why electric co-ops work together to share lessons learned, successful strategies and better ways to serve our members. We're better when we grow together!
For You At RushShelby Energy, your satisfaction is our number one goal. It's why we formed many years ago to fulfill a uniquely local purpose. We've come a long way since then, and your needs continue to evolve. That's why we'll never stop growing for you!
Quick Links August Employee of the Month An organizer of many community events to help those in need, dependable and always helping others describes Keith Combs, Journeyman Lineman. Keith was named Employee of the Month for August. Congratulations Keith! Well Deserved!
October Festivals October 5-8 Riley Festival -Greenfield October 6-8 Metamora Canal Days -Metamora October 7 Ethos Celebration of the Arts -Franklin October 7 Christmas in October -Fishers
Employee Milestone
October 13-28 Metamora Haunted Village -Metamora
Justin Walton, Journeyman Lineman, is celebrating 15 years of service. RushShelby Energy appreciates your hard work and dedication to our membership.
October 14-15 Harper Valley Pumpkin Patch -Westport October 26-28 Kiwanis Indiana Balloon Fest -Bloomington
Energy Efficiency Tip Did you know fall is the perfect time to schedule a tune-up for your heating system? Home heating accounts for a large portion of winter energy bills, and no matter what kind of system you have, you can save energy and money by regularly maintaining your equipment. Combining proper equipment maintenance and upgrades with recommended insulation, air sealing and thermostat settings can save about 30% on your energy bills. Source: energy.gov
HVAC Tune-Up Rebate HVAC Tune-Up Rebates are also available. Visit www.rse.coop for more details.
October 28 Halloween Town -Franklin October 28-29 Crossroads Air Show -Indianapolis
2023 Indiana Festival Guides are available in our lobby!
PERIODICAL POSTAGE PAID
Are energy vampires hiding in your home? These electronic devices consume electricity even when they're not in use and can drain home energy bills. Read the tips to learn how you can fight energy vampires, then find and circle the bolded words in the puzzle.
MINI-MEMBERS PUZZLE
•If your phone is juiced up, unplug your phone charger. •Tell your parents to unplug the coffee maker when their finished brewing. •When you're finished playing a game, unplug your game console. •Unplug laptop computers when not in use.