Harrison CountyRural Electric Cooperative

4 News Flashes

Published monthly by

Phone:

Fax: harrisoninfo@hcrec.coopwww.hcrec.coop

OFFICE HOURS7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday

Harrison County RuralElectric Cooperative61 Fourth StreetPO Box 2Woodbine, Iowa 51579

Joe Farley, Manager/EVP Jackie Androy, Editor

DirectorsTim Sproul, presidentMarvin Klein, vice presidentDave Dickinson, secretary Russ Kurth, treasurerRodney PlathJake HeimJohn BurbridgeJim SharpLarry Ramsey

News Flashes

712-647-2727800-822-5591712-647-2906

JULY 2013

Look at your cooperative website, www.hcrec.coop, for new items and see updates to keep our information current and of interest to draw reader attention. Some items new to the site include:

• Outage Preparation located as a drop down to the Safety tab• Peak Conditions button on home page; Click the button to find an explanation of this informative load control peak gauge• Mobile site live as of May 21st for those smart phone users to View & Pay your bill on line thru e-bill; Peak condition button; and view

the Iowa Outage map as updated during those major outages

‘Thank You’ for Voicing Your OpinionWe want to say thanks to those members of Harrison County Rural Electric

Cooperative who participated in a survey in February and March to help us fine-tune how your cooperative communicates with its members.

The survey revealed that 91 percent of those answering remembered receiving information from the cooperative in the past year, and that 92 percent believe they receive the proper amount of cooperative communication.

Those responding said they most prefer co-op communications to come via bill stuffers (69 percent) and co-op newsletters (48 percent.) Some of the issues members want to learn about through cooperative communications include energy efficiency (68 percent) and outage reports (66 percent.) Another 47 percent want to know about renewable energy and environmental issues, while 37 percent prefer information about co-op community activities. 206701910

Nearly all respondents say they watch local TV news (94 percent) while 83 percent regularly listen to the radio. Among traditional media, newspapers show the lowest usage at 73 percent.

Nearly eight of 10 respondents say they have Internet service and about 43 percent of the Internet users say they have used their cooperative website. About half of those with Internet say they use social media, primarily Facebook.

Harrison County Rural Electric Cooperative plans to use the results of this survey to help us better inform you about your cooperative and how it works for you. Thanks again to those who participated.

I first came to be a rural electric employee in 1999. I left a 17-year career in community banking to join an indus t ry tha t was

rarely spoken about, and if so, in very good terms. I left a purely capitalistic environment to start new in a culture where the customer was not only right, they were your owners. I’ve not looked back.

Over my years working in rural electrification and the cooperative environment, I’ve learned one thing, quality and integrity are absolutely the core to our success.

Do you as members realize that you own this cooperative? The employees of Harrison County REC actually work for you. Direction for our management team is provided by a board of directors elected from among you, by you. This is key to the cooperative business model.

Over the past several years you have endured some tough times with a stagnant economy, high fuel prices, and rising electric rates. You have also endured the natural disasters that have plagued most of the country. Throughout this uncertainty, your cooperative has maintained a steadfast commitment to integrity, reliability, and dependability.

With the formation of a communications committee we have been successful in bringing to you some new services such as “E-bill” and an improved website. Our new process of surveying members after a service call is also providing you an opportunity to communicate to the board and management team.

Building Trust By Joe Farley, Manager/EVP

The board, management , and e m p l o y e e s b e l i e v e t h a t g o o d communications will yield positive results. Our goal is to give you every opportunity to provide feedback on the job we are doing. Believe in Better

I recently attended a conference and heard a gentleman speak about the language of trust. A slogan he offered was, “Believe in Better”. By this he means always believe there is a better way. Whether it be communications, service, process, or technology. Believe in Better! It is a simple but powerful statement. We try not to rest on our laurels and remain status quo. We want to improve our service, enhance our technology, and become better and more efficient at providing you the service you expect and deserve. Our communications effort has been a great start.

Good communications and improved service will yield trust. As I said earlier, I have grown to really believe that the cooperative business model is an excellent example of trust and working together. Wherever you go, most people say the local rural electric cooperative is a great organization with great people. But, reputation is one thing, trust is another. Trust will trump reputation. Are we your trusted partner for energy services? Are we earning that trust?

Here are some key things to consider about your cooperative.

• Do you feel well served by what we do?

• Are we helping you solve your energy problems?

• Do we exceed your expectations in what we do?

• Are we delivering what you expect?

We hope to provide the simple truth for your questions. We hope to exceed your expectations. We hope to “Believe in Better”. We hope to continue practicing an uncompromised commitment to what we do best, delivering safe, reliable, affordable, and environmentally friendly electric power. We provide two things; electricity and service. We hope we excel in the delivery of both.

Thank you for your membership.

Seven Cooperative Principles –

separate your cooperative fromother forms of utilities.

1 – Voluntary and Open Membership2 – Democratic Member Control3 – Member Economic Participation4 – Autonomy and Independence5 – Education, Training and

Information6 – Cooperation among Cooperatives7 – Concern for Community

Harrison County Rural Electric Cooperative operates on four core values as a part of the Touchstone Energy Cooperative group:

Integrity Accountability Innovation Commitment to Community

Harrison County Rural Electric Cooperative News Flashes A Touchstone Energy Cooperative2 July 2013 3

Swap ColumnFOR SALE: Beginner Electric Guitar; plays great; 712-592-1516

EnergyEfficiency

Tip of the MonthLighting accounts for about 13 percent of the average household’s electric bill – cut costs by choosing new light bulbs that have increased output and longevity. Some cost more up front, but prices are dropping as technology advances. Options include color, brightness, and even dimming and multi-way functions. Combining lights with automatic sensors can cut costs further.

Source: U.S. Department of Energy

Load Management Season is here!

Please be reminded that the terms of your Switch Makes Cents agreement prohibit anyone from tampering, altering, or modifying the load control equipment and any electrical apparatus so as to circumvent its operation. Members may not install or add any electrical powered devices to consume electricity through the control system without first obtaining the expressed written consent of the Cooperative. Override devices will not be allowed. 283900910

Be advised that any bypass or alteration of the load control mechanism will result in cancellation of the Switch Makes Cents agreement and removal of the control mechanism without further notice for a period of not less than 12 months. Do not allow a contractor or electrician to tamper with or bypass your load control switch. The terms of the load control agreement will be strictly enforced. If you have questions or concerns about the operation of your system, please call our office.

Spot Your Main Account NumberRead News Flashes watching for your main account number in any of the articles or ads. If you find it, call Jackie Androy at HCREC by the 20th of the month to receive a $20.00 electric bill credit.

‘Pull the Plug’ on old, inefficient appliancesIowa RECs partnered with Environmental Services of Iowa (ESI) in 2010 to

create the Pull the Plug program. This program rewards cooperative members by providing instant rebates for pulling the plug on high energy use appliances.

To participate in the Pull the Plug program, co-op members should call Randy Coyle at Harrison County REC at 712-647-2727 or 800-822-5591 to advise him that you have an older refrigerator, freezer, or window air conditioner still in use that you’d like picked up by ESI.

Randy will verify the member information, get a daytime phone number and then electronically send collection information to ESI, as the cooperative recycling contractor. ESI will then contact you, the member, to confirm the request and provide an estimated collection time – within a three-week time frame.

Your old appliance must be placed curbside or be easily accessible outside for pick up. The appliance must be outside of the home and it must be functional. It is very important that you are aware in advance that Environmental Services of Iowa employees will not enter a member’s home to remove any old appliances. 122200910

During appliance pick up, ESI will check to be sure the appliance is operable, load it, and write a $25 rebate check. Three appliances per year may be recycled per residence. ESI may remove other appliances for cooperative members at the member’s expense. Appliances – Rebates for Energy Star appliances including:• Clothes washer @ $50• Refrigerator @ $25• Freezer @ $25• Dishwasher @ $25

Go to www.hcrec.coop to enjoy the many options members are being offered by clicking E-Bill button. You will need your name or business name and account number as they appear on your bill in order to start the process. E-Bill options listed:

• Pay your electric utility bill on-line(no check writing)

• View and/or print your current and past electric bills

• View charts and graphs of your electric usage

• View payment history• View your patronage capital

historyThere is no service charge for

the E-Bill service. Do away with the problems created by bank pay, directly through your bank account. They may still cause delinquency charges, late notices, etc. because they still take up to ten days to arrive at our office for payment processing due to bank processing and mail delivery.

Run ceiling fans to stay comfortableInstalling and running ceiling

fans during the summer will make you feel cooler and more comfortable while you are in that room. Running a fan in an unoccupied room is a waste of energy. Turn off your fans when you leave a room and flip them back on when you return.

Because the fans move the air, they create a subtle breeze that feels good when it blows across your skin. A ceiling fan doesn’t cool the house; it just makes someone who is sitting or standing nearby feel cooler.

Tip: Installing ceiling fans in rooms where your family spends the most time is a good investment in energy efficiency. When you run a ceiling fan, your comfort level will increase so much you can turn the a/c thermostat up by four degrees without feeling a difference.By Randy Coyle, Member Service Director

Why do we advertise?Your electric cooperative’s unique relationship with its members goes beyond the

mere flip of a light switch and can be traced back to decades of serving members with unmatched integrity and accountability. In today’s business climate, it’s vital for us to adhere to our longstanding cooperative principle of educating our members of the electric cooperative way of doing business.

As a Touchstone Energy Cooperative, we are part of a national network of 741 electric cooperatives serving 30 million members in 46 states that pool together to develop advertisements and communication tools at a fraction of the expense if each cooperative did this independently.

Advertising informs our members and the general public—including young people and opinion leaders—about the nature and benefits of belonging to an electric cooperative. In general, we focus on these main areas:

• Safety - Educating the public about electrical safety is our highest priority. Although we cannot see, smell, or hear electricity, it CAN be felt. One touch can be deadly. While electricity provides many benefits, it should not be taken for granted. Our public awareness campaigns provide information to help everyone live and work safely around electricity.

• Commitment to Community - Advertising is used to promote our programs and services that help our members and their communities. Campaigns promote scholarships, loan programs, economic development services, event sponsorships, and more.

• Energy Efficiency - Promoting the wise use of electricity has been ongoing since we began providing electricity to the homes, farms, and businesses we serve. Through advertising and educational messages, we provide information on the most cost-effective electric technologies and encourage members to choose the more energy-efficient options.

• Federal and state mandates - Federal and state mandates require electric utilities to advertise and promote programs for the public’s benefit. Grain bin clearance notifications, nondiscrimination statements, complaint notification, and energy-assistance programs are a few examples.