Great Lakes Energy 2015 Welcome Book

Looking Out for You

Welcome

 The Cooperative  Payment Information

 Locations  Services and Other Information

gtlakes.com

Welcome Members

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The Cooperative Difference

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Locations

5

Service and Payment Options

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More Information

7-8

People Fund

9

Services

9-14

Co-op Connections 9 Electric Heat & Water Heaters 10 Energy Optimization 11 Solar Education Display

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Co-op Owners for Political Action 12 Touchstone Energy 13 Electrical Safety Demonstrations 13

Commercial & Industrial 14

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You’re A

MEMBEROWNER

W

elcome to Great Lakes Energy, where you’re more than a customer.

You’re a member-owner!

As the largest member-owned electric cooperative in Michigan, we’re committed to providing energy solutions to more than 125,000 member-consumers in 26 counties in western and northern Michigan.

Since 1937, our success has been built around the mutual trust we share with our members.

This booklet describes our many services and provides information and answers to questions you may have. Please save it for future reference. Our goal remains unchanged: to provide you with value, convenience, comfort and flexibility to meet all your energy needs.

We’re looking out for you.

Mission Our mission is to deliver reliable electric service at the best possible value for rural Michigan members.

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The Cooperative Difference Electric cooperatives are unique in that they are owned and controlled by the consumers they serve.

Our sole purpose is to provide service and value to our members, which differs from investor-owned utilities that exist to make a profit for their investors.

As a member-owned cooperative, Great Lakes Energy allocates and eventually returns profits to our members in the form of capital credit refunds. We have refunded capital credits in the form of a billing credit for over 10 years. We will continue to do so as financial conditions allow.

That’s the Cooperative Difference.

We are member-regulated and decisions on rates and billing practices are directly approved by your cooperative’s board of directors. For more information on our rates, rules, regulations and bylaws visit gtlakes.com or contact us at 1-888-485-2537.

Great Lakes Energy has returned over $46 million in capital credits to members since 2003.

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YOU HAVE A

VOTE!

Great Lakes Energy is an electric cooperative, which is a democratic organization governed by a board of directors. The board is made up of members who actively participate in setting policies and making decisions for the cooperative as a whole.

Directors are elected from nine districts by the members to serve three-year terms. Each member of Great Lakes Energy has one vote every three years for a director in their district (one membership, one vote).

Elections are held by mail-in ballot sent with the July/ August issue of Michigan Country Lines magazine. The election results are announced at the annual business meeting held each August.

Your vote in the director elections is important. Directors represent you and are accountable to the entire membership, not just their district.

For information about serving on the board or to find the directors who serve you call us or visit our website.

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Locations Our offices are located throughout rural Michigan. Offices are open Monday-Friday, but hours may vary by location. Payment drop boxes available 24 hours a day at each location.

HEADQUARTERS

Boyne City- 1323 Boyne Ave. Boyne City, MI 49712

SERVICE CENTERS

Hart*- 2183 North Water Road Hart, MI 49420

Kalkaska- 630 Magnum Road Kalkaska, MI 49646

Newaygo*- One Cooperative Center Drive (M-37) Newaygo, MI 49337

Reed City- 4493 200th Ave. Reed City, MI 49677

Scottville*- 525 West U.S. 10 Scottville, MI 49454

Waters- 10380 Great Lakes Dr. Waters, MI 49797

Wayland- 1049 133rd Ave. Wayland, MI 49348 *Drive-up windows available

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HEADQUARTERS SERVICE CENTERS

SERVICE and PAYMENT OPTIONS STANDARD BILLING ›› Bills available in larger type size for easier reading ›› Pay by phone or online 24-7 with a credit card or by e-check, with no processing fees

AUTOMATIC BILL PAYMENT PLAN ›› Automatically deducts payments from your checking or savings account

ONLINE PAYMENT OPTIONS & PAPERLESS E-BILLING ›› Access your account online, enroll in paperless e-billing, pay or view your bill at my.gtlakes.com

CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS ›› We accept most major credit cards and can automatically charge your card each month.

PAY STATIONS ›› Pay your current electric bill at a business near you. Call us or view the list at gtlakes.com

BUDGET BILLING PLANS ›› Based on past energy use. Your account is balanced annually.

PRE-PAID BILLING ›› Pre-pay for your electric usage. You’re billed current rates and fees. There are no late fees, no reconnect fees and no deposits.

Restrictions may apply.

IF YOUR POWER GOES OUT If you lose power, call our automatic outage-reporting system 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at (800) 678-0411.

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KEEPING YOU

Informed GREAT LAKES ENERGY KEEPS YOU INFORMED IN MANY WAYS.

MICHIGAN COUNTRY LINES

Great Lakes Energy Cooperative

MICHIGAN COUNTRY LINES N A G I H S MICUNTRY LINE October 2014

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Members receive Michigan Country Lines magazine ten times a year. This magazine provides information about the cooperative, energy efficiency, products and services and even recipes.

It provides in-depth information and keeps members up-to-date on changes with the cooperative. Michigan Country Lines is also available online at countrylines.com. If you have a winter address, please contact us to request that we forward your magazine.

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Take Our Co-op Member Survey

13 Receive An

Energy-saving Gift!

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POWERTALK PowerTalk is a monthly newsletter that is sent with your electric bill as an insert. PowerTalk provides information that is similar to Michigan Country Lines, but in a shorter format. It’s a fast and easy way to find out what’s going on at Great Lakes Energy. Visit gtlakes.com to view previous issues of PowerTalk or other various bill inserts.

A sup Michigan plement to Country Lines

A supplement to Michigan Country Lines October 2014 • Volume 6, Issue 10 • Published for Members of Great Lakes Energy

Good Service Begins With Good People

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e know you value reliable and affordable service, which Steve Boeckman Great Lakes Energy is why we invest your money President/CEO wisely to keep outage time to a minimum. Power line equipment that helps direct lineworkers to where lines are down is one example. Extending our tree re-clearing efforts to dead or dying trees outside the right-of-way that pose a risk to our lines is another. And there are many other examples.

But these investments would be worthless without the trained, dedicated people who serve you every day. They are the lineworkers

We’re thanking our members, too.

Visit a GLE office in October to receive a free energy efficiency item, while supplies last. Plus enter to win an energy efficiency prize.

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and other field workers who work long hours in lousy weather to get your lights back on. And the his fall dispatchers who work around the clock taking half of make emergency outage calls and notifying crews of the the 40 up the panels solar Lak trouble. They are the reps who handle hundreds that re-adjus es Energy offi display at ach October, cooperatives all across the Gre of billing inquiries, take your payments and refer ted to ce in Boy at lower America celebrate the role, accomalign ne City pos you to assistance agencies if you’re having trouble them were will rem ition in the with plishments and contributions of our the sun paying your bill. ain at sky. The ’s we will the sam nation’s cooperatives. Observing National other The list goes on to include those in our engie amount see what diff angle. 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E-NEWSLETTER Members receive a free monthly e-newsletter just by providing your email address. Update your email address by contacting our office by phone or email. We will never sell or rent your email address to outside companies.

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to get the latest updates and discuss topics with other members.

SOCIAL MEDIA Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to get the latest updates and discuss topics with other members. Watch videos about GLE and our services on YouTube. Simply visit gtlakes.com and click on the Facebook, YouTube or Twitter icon.

IN OUR OFFICES We have literature and brochures available for free in each of our offices. You can also contact us by phone or email to request more information. View the list of our office locations on page five. Office hours may vary by location. Visit our website or call us for office hours.

ONLINE

Visit our website at gtlakes.com to learn more about Great Lakes Energy, enroll in one of our programs or submit an e-mail request for more information.

STAY CONNECTED We need your current phone number and e-mail address on record to inform you of outages and other important matters.

Contact us to update yours today.

Call 888-GT-LAKES

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PEOPLE

Fund

C

haritable organizations in our communities have received more than $2.7 million in grants from the People Fund since 1999.

You can help by allowing us to “Round Up� your bill by an average of 50-cents each month. Join thousands of Great Lakes Energy members who support the People Fund.

Visit gtlakes.com to enroll today!

Co-op Connections Discount Card Save money at local and national businesses, on prescriptions and on other medical services with your free Co-op Connections card.

Once you receive your cards they are ready for use at participating businesses. There is no participation fee to members or to participating businesses.

All new members will receive a set of cards in the mail.

Visit our website and click on the Co-op Connections section for the most up to date program and discount information or call us and ask for extension 8957 for more information.

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ELECTRIC HEAT & WATER HEATING WATER HEATER REBATES* Receive a $100 Energy Optimization rebate when you purchase and install a qualified heat-pump water heater. GLE does not sell or install water heaters.

ELECTRIC HEAT REBATES* When you install a ground- or air-source heat pump in your home, you may qualify for $250-$500 in rebates.

The system you install must meet minimum efficiency qualifications. GLE does not sell or install heating systems. Energy Optimization rebates up to $450 are also available for qualified units.

ELECTRIC HEAT RATE* Save on the electricity you use for heating your home with a qualified heat pump. Your ground- or air-source heat pump must meet minimum efficiency requirements.

CONVECTAIR ELECTRIC HEATERS Choose from a wide variety of high quality convection room and bathroom heaters in either 120 or 240 volt. Convectair models are on display in our offices. Prices start at $254 for plug-in models.

Convectair units offer: ›› Safe operation ›› Efficient, even heat ›› Plug-in or hard wire units ›› Easy installation ›› Two-year full warranty

*Some restrictions may apply.

Program subject to change or cancellation at any time. Convectair is not regulated by the Michigan Public Service Commission.

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Great Lakes Energy offers a variety of programs to help members save energy. These programs also comply with Michigan’s “Clean, Renewable and Efficient Energy Act.” Programs are available for all rate classifications and are designed to help you save energy.

For more information about these programs, visit the Energy Optimization website at www.michigan-energy.org or call 877-296-4319.

SOLAR

EDUCATION DISPLAY

A 10kW solar panel array is on display outside GLE’s Boyne City office. Two 5kW arrays, one fixed and one tilting, provide enough energy to power an average home. The panels help power the office and provide education for members about solar panels.

Members interested in solar or other types of self-generation may qualify for the co-op’s net metering program. GLE does not sell or install solar panels.

Information about the solar project and net metering is available in the Boyne City office lobby during business hours or by visiting www.gtlakes.com/solar-

energy-project.

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CO-OP OWNERS FOR POLITICAL ACTION The ACRE Co-op Owners for Political Action速 program is an exciting opportunity for you to join other co-op members in raising your voice and participating in the political process.

Funds raised by this grassroots network are donated to the political campaigns of candidates whose positions on issues support those of electric cooperatives.

ACRE supports political candidates who will speak for and protect the interests of electric cooperatives. No rate dollars are used for this program. All contributions are 100% voluntary.

When you join this grassroots network you help with the long-term success of electric cooperatives like Great Lakes Energy.

To learn more, visit us online or call us and ask for extension 8957.

Call 888-GT-LAKES

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G

reat Lakes Energy is your local Touchstone Energy® cooperative.

Touchstone Energy® is a national alliance of local, cooperatively owned utilities providing high standards of service.

More than 700 Touchstone Energy® Cooperatives in 46 states deliver energy and energy solutions to millions of member-consumers every day.

As a Touchstone Energy® Cooperative, Great Lakes Energy is committed to serving our members with integrity, accountability, innovation and community involvement.

Electrical Safety Demonstrations GLE provides free electrical safety “hotline” demonstrations to schools and qualified groups in its service area. The 45-minute presentation demonstrates the power of electricity and teaches electrical safety.

To schedule a free demonstration, visit our website.

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COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL

We’re committed to providing a high level of service and value to all our commercial and industrial members. Your unique needs and overall importance to our business require special energy services.

WE ALSO PROVIDE: ›› Assistance in determining the most economical rate for your facility ›› Technical assistance with troubleshooting/ solving electrical problems or concerns related to member-owned primary equipment ›› Help with obtaining low interest capital to meet your growth needs ›› Thermal imaging services ›› Power quality monitoring ›› Transformer maintenance and testing ›› Energy Optimization Programs

Great Lakes Energy is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

MICHIGAN COUNTRY LINES MAGAZINE - Applicant for GLE service agrees that $3.63 of the amount paid for electricity each year is for a subscription to “Michigan Country Lines”.

Updated December 2015. All programs subject to change or cancellation.

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1323 Boyne Avenue Post Office Box 70 Boyne City, MI 49712 t: 888.GT.LAKES (888.485.2537) f: 231.582.6213 gtlakes.com glenergy@glenergy.com

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