April Co-op Comments

C o-op Co-op C omments Comments

Energy efficiency upgrades to help you save during the summer

Spring and summer are opportune times for home upgrades and DIY projects. If you are planning to make improvements to your home, consider upgrades promoting better efficiency.

Here are a few projects that can help you save energy and money – and increase the comfort of your home.

Installing a smart thermostat is one of the simplest ways to manage home energy use and keep summer bills in check. Smart thermostats are easy to install and allow you to control your heating and cooling system from your phone. You can purchase an ENERGY STAR®-certified smart thermostat for as low as $100, which can save you eight percent on annual heating and cooling costs, about $50 per year. This upgrade will quickly pay for itself, and you will gain insight into better ways to heat and cool your home.

Speaking of smart, additional devices like smart LED bulbs also offer convenient control and help boost energy savings at home. With smart lighting, you can set a schedule for when and how your lights should be turned on or off. And the next time you head out to run errands and realize you left the lights on, all you have to do is turn them off through your phone. Smart lights come in a variety of shapes, colors and brightness levels – and you can purchase bulbs for indoor or outdoor use. Schedule outdoor smart lights to illuminate your home at night and when you are out of town for better security.

While it is not as trendy as incorporating smart technologies, sealing air leaks around your home is a simple, effective way to save energy and lower your bills. Applying new (or replacing old) weather stripping around doors and windows can instantly make your home more comfortable and reduce energy waste. Applying caulk to fill gaps can also improve the seal of your home. Caulk can be applied to a variety of areas, including windows, doors, bathtubs and sinks.

If your home feels too warm during summer (and too chilly during winter) even after you have sealed with weather stripping and caulk, your home may need additional insulation. Insula-

tion is considered a more expensive efficiency upgrade; however, if your home is under-insulated, additional insulation can make a big impact on reducing energy use and costs. The cost of new insulation depends on a variety of factors like materials, size of the home and whether you use a contractor. Typically, the project costs can be recouped in a few years and your home will immediately feel more comfortable.

Of course, there are additional efficiency upgrades which can make a big impact on energy use, like replacing old appliances with ENERGY-STAR® models or replacing old, leaky windows with new, energy efficient windows. But these upgrades can be pricey.

If you are wanting to make your home more energy efficient but you are not sure where to start, your best bet is to enlist the help of an expert to conduct an energy audit of your home. An energy audit can easily identify areas to boost efficiency, and then you can determine the projects you want to tackle first based on your budget and needs.

CEO’s MESSAGE

Sustaining a reliable electrical system

Nationally, there is increasing reliance on renewable energy sources at the same time we are seeing fossil fuel plants taken off-line, often ahead of schedule. Additionally, we are seeing more pressure on the electric grid due to the increasing frequency and intensity of severe weather events and rising electricity demand.

So how do we reconcile these challenges of grid pressure and a changing fuel mix? Solar and wind energy are certainly beneficial for the environment, but they are limited resources because the sun does not always shine, and the wind does not always blow. Our primary responsibility is to provide electricity 24 hours a day, seven days a week to you and our community. To do this, we need reliable sources of power meeting all the peaks and valleys of ondemand energy in our connected world.

April 2023

Co-op Comments

Official publication of Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. CO-OP COMMENTS is owned, controlled and directed by Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. It is printed monthly and mailed to members in Garvin, McClain, Comanche, Stephens, Grady and Carter counties in Oklahoma.

Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. 13942 Highway 76 • P.O. Box 609 Lindsay, OK 73052 405-756-3104 • 800-259-3504

Outage Number: 855-399-2683

www.recok.coop

We have all heard the phrase, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” This popular adage is often used in conversation or a story when someone is about to do something foolish or risky. If they heed this advice, it means they did not commit to “one basket”, but instead hedged their bets with multiple options.

This strategy is how I describe Rural Electric’s common sense approach to the current energy transition. We know consumer interest in renewable energy continues to grow. We have seen this trend here in Oklahoma. 1805300

Recent innovations and advances in renewable energy technologies have led to sharp decreases in costs, making renewables more feasible, accessible and scalable. Over the last few years, Western Farmers Electric Cooperative has adjusted our fuel mix by utilizing more renewables, and today, 35% of our fuel mix is comprised of renewable energy, the majority of which is wind. WFEC is planning to grow to 47% renewable within the next five years.

While utilization of renewables is increasing, we still need to incorporate other forms of energy in the mix to ensure reliable service. Remember, solar and wind are intermittent power sources. This is why we spread our eggs into multiple baskets. There is great value in maintaining a diverse mix of fuel sources – fossil fuels and renewables to ensure reliability, resiliency and meet the growing demand for electricity.

Reliability also means repairing and replacing utility equipment to prevent wear-and-tear, ensuring our equipment can withstand severe weather. We are focused on providing our members with reliable, affordable energy. Which is why fuel diversity is essential to reliability.

As our nation increasingly depends on electricity to power the economy, REC is working to anticipate, plan and respond to market trends and policy shifts. Which is how we can power your home and our economy, while continuing to serve as your local energy provider.

Board of Trustees

Gary Jones, President, District 1

Scott Christian, Vice President, District 1

Brent Bacon, Sec./Treasurer, District 1

Larry Anderson, District 2

Johnny Harrel, District 2

Terri Hays, District 2

Mark Finch, District 3

Randy Griswold, District 3

Lisa Whitman, Attorney

Management and Staff

Dusty Ricks, Manager/CEO

Linda Ray, CFO

Kelli Lindsey, Administrative Assistant and Staff Coordinator

Elaine Gilreath, Manager of Customer Service and Data Processing

Jon Jones, Manager of Engineering

Mitch Gilreath, Manager of Information Technology Services

Megan Lawrence, Manager of Member Services and Marketing

Clint Yeary, Manager of Safety and Loss Control/Facilities

David Crull, System Superintendent

Jason Mays, Operations Superintendent

Get your house ready for spring

It will not be too long until you can open the windows and start enjoying fresh air and warm weather. Is your house ready?

Here are five items to add to your springtime to-do list to help your home feel more comfortable and cared for before it gets hot:

1. Call a qualified service technician to inspect and maintain your air conditioning system. Paying $100 or so now could prevent a huge expense this summer, if your system would break down on a hot day and having it repaired or replaced in a hurry. Maintenance goes a long way toward preventing emergencies and can prolong the life of your equipment.

2. While you are outdoors planting and

pruning, trim all of the bushes and pull all of the weeds near your air conditioner’s outside condenser unit. Remove any fallen tree limbs which landed on it, brush off collected leaves on or around it and pick up any trash found around the unit which has sat unused all winter. Anything touching the unit and preventing air from circulating around it will make the unit perform inefficiently.

3. While you have your shovel and spade out, consider planting some shade trees on the sunny side of your house. As they grow, they will filter the sunrays beating fiercely on your windows making your air conditioner work harder in the summer.

4. Speaking of windows, if your house

still has single-pane versions, this is a good time to replace them with double-pane models. Single-pane windows are inefficient energy users and can drive your air conditioning bills through the roof. You could save several hundred dollars on cooling and heating bills every year if you replace your drafty, old windows.

5. Clean your windows, inside and out. Newer models are simple to clean because you can tilt them toward the inside of the house so you can reach both sides. Cleaning windows will let more sunlight into your house, which means you will not have to turn on as many lights.

MISCELLANEOUS

FOR SALE: 10 cages all different sizes and prices, will take $200 for all or ask about separate pricing call or text.

PH: 405-756-5442 (text) or 405-756-4594 (call).

Account number worth $10 bill credit

Locate your account number in an article of this issue; it will be good for a $10 credit on your electric bill. To claim the prize, you must locate the account number - if the number is yours, contact REC by the 10th of the month and we will credit your account. Only the member assigned that number is eligible for the prize. If you don’t know your account number, it can be located on your electric bill.

Co-op Connections

Use your Co-op Connections Card to save you money on lodging, photographs, oil changes and other items. You can also save on prescriptions, dental, vision, hearing, lab work and imaging and chiropractor services at participating locations. Your card is a discount card. If you have misplaced your card, contact REC for a replacement card and use it to save yourself some money.

Energy Efficiency Tip of the Month

This planting season, include energy efficiency in your landscaping plans. Adding shade trees around your home can reduce surrounding air temperatures as much as 6 degrees. To block heat from the sun, plant deciduous trees around the south side of your home. Deciduous trees provide excellent shade during the summer and lose their leaves in the fall and winter months, allowing sunlight to warm your home.

Learn more at www.energy.gov.

PETS & LIVESTOCK

FOR SALE: 2 mini Nubian/Nigerian mix wethers, 1 black and 1 black and white, born on December 1, 2022, $200 each. PH: 405-756-5442 (text) or 405-756-4594 (call).

Classified Ads

are FREE to REC members to post non-commercial items. Deadline for ads is the 8th of every month. Call the Member Services Dept. at 405-756-3104 ext. 238.

Dig Smart. Dig Safe.

Before you dig, call 811 or visit call811.com to mark underground utility lines. 811 is a free service that helps keep our community safe.

April is National Safe Digging Month.

Local Co-op Connection Card Deals

A-U-Store It, Purcell$5 off first month rent

Backroads Boutique, Lindsay5% off everything excluding special order and sale items

Best Western, Chickasha -

15% Off Regular Room Rate

Blue Moose Outdoor

Portable Rentals, Elmore City -

5% Off Septic Tank Pumping, Tent Rental and Special Event Toilet Rentals

Chickasha Diesel Services, Chickasha$50 off any big diesel oil change

Edwards Canvas, Pauls Valley - 5% Off

Jenny’s Pics Photography, Lindsay10% Off $50 or More Purchase of Pictures

Lindsay Tire and Lube, Lindsay$5 Off Any Full Service Oil Change

M & M Furniture, Chickasha10% Off Any Purchase

Mazzio’s Italian Eatery, Purcell10% Off Purchase

Photos by Ginger, Pauls Valley1 Free 8x10 Print With First Order of $25

Pharmacy Discounts -

Check out the discounts available using your Co-op Connections Card at participating pharmacies throughout our area. For a complete list of pharmacies, visit REC’s website to see if your pharmacy is offering discounts to Co-op Connections Card holders.