Currents February 2017

Suwannee Valley

www.svec-coop.com

We’re here to serve

(8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. • Monday - Friday, Lobby Hours)

Business Office: 800-447-4509 (8 a.m. - 5 p.m. • Monday - Friday)

currents

Power Outage Reporting

February 2017

800-752-0025

How SVEC protects your payment information

(Day, Night, Weekends & Holidays)

SERVING THE SUWANNEE VALLEY OWNED BY THOSE WE SERVE 11340 100th Street • Live Oak, FL 32060

facebook.com/sveccoop

@SVEC_COOP_FL

CEO’S COR NER

Looking out for our members Michael S. McWaters Executive V.P./CEO

When you think of everything electricity can do, you realize that it truly is an incredible, powerful tool. It fends off the dark, saves hours that used to be spent on chores, and charges the devices that keep us in touch with friends, family and the world. In many ways, electricity is the unnoticed cornerstone of almost everything we do each day.

At SVEC, we recognize the importance of the service we provide and work tirelessly to make sure you can depend on it. That means maintaining our dedication to preventing outages before they can happen, even when there isn’t a storm coming.

With our vegetation management program, we continually trim back tree limbs, rotted wood and underbrush that could get caught up in or fall on power lines and leave members without electricity. By controlling tree branches and undergrowth, we lessen the chance of an outage when storms and heavy winds do eventually hit.

It’s this planning and preparation at all times of the year that make a reliable electric system possible. And when outages do happen, SVEC crews methodically work their way through the system to restore power to the most people in the shortest amount of time.

You can learn more about how SVEC’s preparation helps prevent outages and the process of restoring power in this newsletter, as well as some of the ways we’re keeping your payment information secure. In today’s digital world, our members need to know they can trust their Continued on Page 4, see MANAGER

It has never been more important to know that your personal information is secure. Retailers, banks and even the U.S. government are constantly under attack by thieves and hackers looking to get access to credit card and personal information that can leave you vulnerable.

Data breaches can cost the hacked organization millions of dollars and are often the result of small mistakes that could have been easily avoided with a little more diligence. At Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative, we recognize that our members trust us with their payment information and are dedicated to keeping it secure.

“No one enjoys paying bills, but our members shouldn’t have to worry about whether their information is secure on top of that,” says John Robinson, SVEC director of member services. “Our system is built to ensure that whenever you make a payment, your information is kept safe from people who might want to steal it.”

Last year, SVEC adjusted the way we process payments to make sure our cooperative is up-to-date with the latest credit card regulations.

While members who prefer to pay their bill in person at the office might not have seen any changes, those who pay by phone may have noticed that our member service representatives no longer process pay-

ments over the phone.

This reduces the risk of important information being overheard and allows members to make a payment at any time by calling our secure automated system at 877-562-5504. The number is toll-free, so all you need is your account number or the phone number associated with your account.

Members can also securely pay bills and manage their account online using SmartHub. All you need to register as a new user is your account number and the last name of the account holder. Download the app for Apple and Android devices and you can access your account from any mobile device.

“These services help keep our members’ information secure, but they’re also about improving their experience of interacting with the cooperative,” says Robinson. “We want to use technology to make these processes easier, and SmartHub makes it possible for our members to pay anytime, anywhere using a smartphone or computer.”

By taking advantage of modern technology, SVEC is keeping your payment information safe from cybersecurity threats. If you have any questions about the cooperative’s credit card compliance policies, or any other payment methods, please call member services at 386-362-2226. 

When the lights go out, SVEC goes on In our modern lives, electricity has gone from being a convenience to an outright necessity. Many of us depend on it to do our jobs, stay in touch with friends and family, and even prepare food. And that reliance on electric power is never more apparent than when a storm or fallen tree leads to an outage.

At Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative, we work hard throughout the year to improve our system’s reliability and ensure that everyone is prepared to act quickly in the event of an outage. From having a plan in place to the restoration process itself, SVEC always stands ready to respond to our members’ needs.

“We know the service we provide is extremely important,” says SVEC Director of Operations Andy Lawrence. “So it’s important that our members know we are ready to get things back to normal quickly if a damaging storm hits.”

ALWAYS PREPARED

No one can predict the future, especially when it comes to the weather, which is why SVEC takes a proactive approach to preparing for different outage scenarios. Cooperative staff regularly review detailed plans outlining the

proper response and the steps employees will need to take to safely and efficiently restore power to homes and businesses.

More routine tasks, such as tree trimming and regular equipment inspections, are also key to making sure everything that can be done to prevent an outage from happening is taken care of.

“Before any major weather event happens, our employees consistently work to keep infrastructure and rights-of-way in shape to withstand winds,” Lawrence says. “That includes having scheduled pole inspections and replacements, conducting regular tree inspections and trimming branches near power lines through our vegetation management program.”

This program helps make sure that when storms strike, there is less chance of a branch falling and taking power lines with it. Keeping vegetation across our entire service area under control is a big undertaking. SVEC trims along nearly 4,300 miles of right-of-way every three to four years. That's like cutting limbs all the way to Alaska.

In the event that damage to the system is too widespread for SVEC to quickly fix on its own, SVEC reaches out to electric cooperatives from neighboring

STEP BY STEP When you’re stuck without power, even a short outage can be a big inconvenience.

Most of the time, problems can be fixed within a few minutes or hours, but if big storms cause large-scale damage, longer outages can occur.

In those cases, SVEC crews work long hours to restore service to the greatest number of members in the shortest time.

That means addressing issues that impact large areas before making repairs that will restore power to a few individual homes.

1.

High-voltage transmission lines — While transmission tow-

ers and cables that deliver electricity to substations rarely fail, they can leave thousands of members without power when they do. In some cases, SVEC’s transmission provider may have to make repairs before the rest of the system can operate.

2.

Distribution substations —

Each substation provides service to hundreds or even thousands of members around it. It's unusual for a problem with substation equipment to cause an outage, but when it does, fixing the problem is a top priority.

areas for help.

During widespread outages, SVEC line crews work night and day to restore power quickly. It’s important that members be aware of the restoration process and understand that there are occasions when large-scale problems must be fixed before local outages can be addressed.

STAY IN TOUCH

Because some problems may be local to a single neighborhood or even just your home, it’s important for members to report outages to help SVEC better isolate those issues. All known outages are tracked by the cooperative’s automated outage management system, which helps prioritize the problems that need immediate attention.

There are several ways SVEC members can report outages and track their status. »» SmartHub — Download the SmartHub app to your tablet or other mobile device to report and track outages on the go. Just tap the “Service Status” icon within the app and select “My Power Is Out” to report

3.

Main distribution feeders

— If no repairs are needed within the substation itself, linemen go to work on the distribution lines that feed from it. These lines carry electricity to large groups of people, such as entire communities or housing developments.

4.

a new outage.

Online — Not only can you report an outage instantly by clicking the SmartHub link on the SVEC homepage, but you can also view the status of outages in real time on the website. Visit outages.svec-coop.com to see a map of all current outages. »» By phone — If you prefer to call in an outage, just dial 800-752-0025.

SVEC’s system automatically links your phone number to your service address, so for the fastest response times, be sure to call from the primary phone associated with your account.

At SVEC, we do everything we can to make sure our members can rely on their electric service around the clock. There will always be outages that can’t be avoided, but when they come, you can be certain our linemen are working as hard as they can to get the lights back on.

“What is most important for our members to know is that their cooperative is prepared for any outage scenario that may come our way,” Lawrence says.

“If the power goes out, we have a plan in place that guarantees we will be able to get to work restoring it quickly and efficiently while also being safe.”  »»

Tap lines — If there are still local

outages after the main distribution feeders have been repaired, crews will turn their focus to tap lines, also known as supply lines. These lines carry power to the transformers you may have seen mounted on pads or poles outsides businesses, schools and homes.

5.

Individual homes — Once all

tap lines have been repaired, any remaining outages are addressed individually. Line crews will make any needed repairs between a tranformer and your home.

SMORE

Safety Safety Member Experience MemberExperience Outreach OutreachtotoCommunity Community Reliability Reliability Economic EconomicViability Viability

Reliability

MYCHOICE Prepaid Billing Your Power,

Since the very beginning of the cooperative, SVEC has continually invested in additional infrastructure and newer technologies to improve service reliability. In 2016, SVEC energized its 13th substation Stagecoach - to serve the growing load northwest of Live Oak. Also in 2016, SVEC installed the first six of 11 planned communications towers. Faster high-capacity radio-frequency-signalling equipment installed on the towers improves connectivity between SVEC’s dispatch center and control devices located in substations, yielding better system control. Better system control should result in faster outage restoration and improved voltage regulation.

Your Plan, Your Choice Say goodbye to monthly bills Pay for the amount of electricity you want, when you want it Avoid late charges and disconnect fees

Contractor climbs communications tower to join sections lifted into place by crane.

Track your energy use through the SmartHub app Gain information that will help you conserve energy and save money The Blackmon Substation (left) was SVEC's first; energized in 1938. SVEC's newest substation, Stagecoach (right), was energized in 2016.

Update Your Phone Number SVEC’s automated Outage Management System associates a member’s phone number with their account and service location. An inaccurate phone number may result in delayed handling of an outage. Therefore, it is important for the phone number associated with your account to remain up-to-date. »» Update your phone number now using SmartHub or by calling 800-447-4509 or 386-362-2226.

MANAGER, continued from front

personal information to us, and we recently updated the way we process payments to earn that trust.

As a cooperative, we look out for our members, and our members look out for us.

Thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter and for being a member of SVEC. 

Learn more and sign up for MyChoice prepaid billing today at svec-coop.com/mychoice or call 800-447-4509 or 386-3622226.

Sign up for SmartHub today!

Our SmartHub app gives you an easy 24/7 way to update information associated with your SVEC account, such as phone number, billing address and bank information.

To access the SmartHub app on an iPhone or iPad, simply scan this QR code with your device.

To access the SmartHub app on an Android device, simply scan this QR code with your device.