The newsyou need to

know in5 minutes!

waltonemc.com

QUICK GUIDE

IF YOUR POWER IS OUT770.267.2505waltonemc.com > Report an Outage

FIND USPhone 770.267.2505In person Monroe – 842 US Hwy. 78

WHEN WE’RE AVAILABLEPower Outages and Emergencies > 24/7Call Center > M–F, 7A–7PBusiness Offices > M–F, 8A–5P

EMC LEADERSCEO Ronnie LeeSr. VP Corporate ServicesRussell DeLong

Sr. VP Engineering & Operations Ron MarshallSr. VP Power Supply Robert RentfrowSr. VP Finance Marsha ShumateBoard Chair Warren FewBoard Vice Chair Jim WhitleyBoard Sec./Treas. Tommy AdcockBoard Members Johnny Allgood, Dan Chelko, Mary Ann Hartman, Michael Lowder, Sam Simonton, Bobby Williams

Comm. Coordinator Greg Brooks, MCC, CCCComm. Representative Savannah Chandler, MCCDesign by mPrint Design Studio

NEED NATURAL GAS SERVICE?770.GAS.HEAT > waltonemcgas.com

NEED SECURITY SERVICE?770.963.0305 > emcsecurity.com

©2014. Walton EMC is a customer-owned power company. That means our cooperative focuses on service, not profit. We serve more than 120,000 accounts in Athens-Clarke, Barrow, DeKalb, Greene, Gwinnett, Morgan, Newton, Oconee, Rockdale and Walton Counties.

Our subsidiaries supply natural gas and security services.

Snellville – 3645 Lenora Church Rd.Watkinsville – 2061-D Hog Mountain Rd.Web waltonemc.comFacebook facebook.com/waltonemcTwitter twitter.com/waltonemcYouTube youtube.com/user/emctv

• Receive company updates sooner.

• Be the first to hear about new Walton EMC products and services.

• Learn important information about your electric service.

• Get special offers from Walton EMC.

MAY 2014 Volume 65, No. 5

THE Rundown} inside: safety quiz inside flap: new recipeon the back: plan for medically fragile patients

we’re an

reasons to join our email list:

sign up – it ’s easy!

and you can be too by joining our email list!

ALL STAR

WALTON EMC’S RATES AMONG THE

State’s Lowest

Walton EMC has received the 2013 All Star Award from Constant Contact, an email newsletter service used by more than half a million organizations worldwide.

Each year, Constant Contact presents the All Star Award to a select group of businesses that demonstrate excellence in email communication. Walton EMC ranked among the top 10 percent of Constant Contact’s international customer base.

“We’re honored to recognize Walton EMC as an All Star and to be able to shine the spotlight on its achievements in 2013,” said Gail Goodman, CEO of Constant Contact.

If you’re not on our email list, you should be! Don’t worry—we won’t share any personal information or bombard you with emails.

1. Go to mywaltonemc.com.

2. Log in.

3. Choose the account.

4. Make sure we have your current email address and submit.

If you need help with your login information or would rather talk to someone, dial 770.267.2505 and sign up today!

If you care for someone who is medically dependent on electricity,a contingency plan for prolonged power outages is a must.

During a natural disaster—like an ice or tropical storm—it’s possible you could experience an extended outage. Although we plan and prepare as much as possible, there are simply some circumstances Walton EMC can’t control.

A typical patient plan may include:

• Having extra medical supplies

• Having extra prescription drugs

• Properly installing and maintaining a backup generator

• Transportation arrangements and an alternate location, both nearby and a little farther away

Download the FDA’s free guide to preparing and handling power outages for electrical medical devices: http://bit.ly/wemc_med

Plan for

Patients

Medically Fragile

In the Winter 2014 Electric Residential Rate Survey conducted by the Georgia Public Service Commission, Walton EMC was the fifth lowest utility in the state at the 2,000 kilowatt-hour level. This is the closest survey level to the amount of power the average WEMC customer-owner used in January (1,910 kWh) and February (2,104 kWh).

Kilowatt-hour is the unit we use to measure the electric power you buy. One kilowatt-hour will run a 25-watt compact fluorescent light bulb for 40 hours.

The semi-annual survey covers all 94 investor-owned, government-owned and customer-owned utilities and includes all charges to give a true picture of what consumers actually paid. Your co-op also performed well at the other survey levels.

WALTON EMC

Average Utility $44.79 more expensive

Highest Utility$126.90 moreexpensive Georgia Power

$31.57 more expensive

5 47

94

30th

th

th

The rates you pay for electric power

continue to be some of the most reasonable

in Georgia!

“We work hard every day to keep rates as low as possible,” said CEO Ronnie Lee. “Because we’re owned by our customers, serving them—instead of making a profit—is our focus and reason for being.”

Sending postal mail to Walton EMC?We have no mail receptacles at our offices, so please do not send postal mail to our street addresses. It may be returned to you by the Post Office.

Please use these addresses:

Want toMail Us?

Bill PaymentsP.O. Box 1347Monroe, GA 30655

All Other CorrespondenceP.O. Box 260Monroe, GA 30655

th

LOWESTUTILITY

HIGHESTUTILITY

RECIPESwap

Over 650 recipes! Get your own copy of Through the Years, our new cookbook featuring over 650 recipes! Visit our offices, mail a check for $12.95 ($10 plus $2.95 shipping) to Cookbook, Walton EMC, P.O. Box 260, Monroe,

GA 30655 or call 770.266.2332 to use your credit card.

Lemon Ice Cream4 lemons

2 cups sugar

4 cups half and half

Dissolve sugar in half and half. Use a citrus zester and make 2 tablespoons of lemon zest. Squeeze the juice from all 4 lemons and also use pulp, discarding seed.

Slowly add the lemon zest and juice into the sugar/half and half mixture. Pour into ice cream freezer and process immediately. Makes 1½ quarts.

Thanks! to Beth Vining of Covington for sharing this recipe. The recipes featured are not independently tested, so we depend on the accuracy of the cooks sending them. Always use safe food handling, preparation and cooking procedures from recognized experts.

Share! If you have a great recipe you’ve prepared and want to share with other Walton EMC customer-owners, we’d love to have it. If we use your recipe, you’ll win a prize!

Mail to Walton EMC, Attn: Recipes, P.O. Box 260, Monroe, GA, 30655 or email to recipes@waltonemc.com.

Never walk alone

Now $14.95 per monthfor Walton EMC customers.No contract. No activation fees.

HOW MYFORCE WORKS

1. Register online at emcmyforce.com.

2. Download the app.

3. Anytime you’re worried about your safety, activate the app.

4. The MyForce central station monitors sounds and voices that your phone hears and tracks your location via your phone’s GPS.

5. If you like, you can talk out loud to tell the monitoring center representative what you’re doing or what’s going on.

6. If the monitoring center determines there’s an emergency, authorities are notified and guided to your location.

7. When the situation has passed and you’re okay, enter your PIN to cancel the alert. There is no limit on the amount of times you activate the service or length of an alert.

LEARN MORE:

Call EMC Security, 770.963.0305 or go to emcmyforce.com.

When?Where?

Who?

Why?Get a bucket of gifts, including an LED lantern, for attending � Have a chance to win door prizes, including a recycled pickup truck � Free health screenings � Fun activities at Kids’ Fest for your little ones � Cool off – free ice cream and soft drinks � See the latest in energy efficiency products and services

78th Annual MeetingMake plans now to attend the Walton EMC

Saturday, June 21, 9AM

Walton County Agricultural Education Center, Monroe

All customer-owners!

To elect your representatives (directors) to our board andto hear reports on your co-op’s business activities

Watch your postal mail next month for the official notice, prize coupon and more information.

Warmer weather means it’s time to get out the churn for homemade ice cream!

Are you safety savvy when it comes to electricity? Take our challenge and see.

Which of these objects are acceptable to attach to Walton EMC’s power poles?

A. Political campaign signsB. Satellite dishesC. Basketball goalsD. None of the above

Answer: D. None of the above. Nails and staples can damage line technicians’ protective gear and put their lives at risk!

Which of these are acceptable uses for power line guy wires (the cables that run from the pole to an anchor in the ground):

A. Clothes lineB. To improve children’s climbing skillsC. Hanging bird housesD. None of these

Answer: D. None of these. Don’t hang anything or climb on guy wires.

If you see a Walton EMC crew building or repairing power lines, you should:

A. Stand directly under the line technician up in the bucket to get a better view.

B. Climb in one of the trucks and have a seat.C. Stay a safe distance from their work zone.D. Bring your ladder in case they need help.

Answer: C. Stay a safe distance from their work zone. Power line work is interesting, but it’s also dangerous! Our line technicians are trained to do it safely.

True or False? If you see a phone or cable TV wire on the ground, it’s okay to move it out of the way.

Answer: False. Never touch any downed wire. Stay away and call 911.

True or False? The wires hanging on Walton EMC’s power poles are insulated.

Answer: False. Most of the wires you see are not insulated! Treat every wire as not insulated and never let another object come close to any of our power lines.

Which of these guidelines should you keep in mind when flying kites?

A. Never fly kites near power lines.B. Never use wire or metallic string to fly kites.C. If your kite is headed toward a power line, let it go.D. All of the above.

Answer: D. All of the above.

What should you do if you see someone in contact with a power line?

A. Use a dry board to move the line.B. Stay away, keep others back and call 911.C. Throw a rope around the wire and pull the wire away.D. Wear rubber-soled shoes and drag the person

to safety.

Answer: B. Stay away, keep others back and call 911. Never touch anything, including a person, that is in contact with a power line.

You’re driving along and get into an accident. A pole is hit and a power line falls across your car. What do you do?

A. Stay put until a line technician from the utility tells you it’s safe to get out.

B. Stay put until a firefighter tells you it’s safe to get out.C. Immediately get out and flag oncoming traffic.D. Step out and render first aid as needed.

Answer: A. Stay put until a line technician from the utility tells you it’s safe to get out. As long as you stay in the car, you’re like a bird perched on an electric wire and you’ll be safe from electric shock.

It’s easy to have underground utility lines marked before you dig. What simple phone number gets the process started?

A. BR-549B. 867-5309C. 811D. PEnnsylvania6-5000

SAFETY QUIZTake the

Answer: C. 811. One call to the Georgia Utilities Protection Center and you’ll be well on your way to avoiding an underground utility cut.

A sign reads “Utility Work Ahead.” You should:

A. Ignore it. Those signs are never right.B. Slow down, watch for traffic flaggers

and utility workers and be prepared to stop.C. Continue no more than 10 miles per hour over the

posted speed limit and watch for a cop with a radar gun.

D. Tell the kids to hang their heads out the windows so they can see the big trucks.

Answer: B. Slow down, watch for traffic flaggers and utility workers and be prepared to stop. Our lines are frequently adjacent to roadways. That means our worksites are, too.