Co-op Hotline April 2016 - Vol 11 Issue 2

Co-op Hotline

Volume: 11, Issue 2 Southeastern IN REMC Member Newsletter April 2016

Office Hours Annual Meeting Highlights

7:30 AM to 4:30 PM (EST) by: Bryan K. Mathews, General Manager
Monday through Friday
Commitment to Cooperative Purpose coincides with the summer load control
Contact Information was the theme for our Annual Meeting period. Phase 2 began December 1,
this year. We coordinated 53 Energy 2015, which coincides with the winter
Local calls: 812-689-4111 Audits to our residential members in load control period. The purpose of this
Toll free: 800-737-4111 2015, helping members identify and new rate is to give members additional
FAX only: 812-689-6987 understand the financial impact that price options. Members that signed
To make a payment: 1-888-999-0762 inadequate insulation can have on your up had to be willing to change their
Call Before You Dig: 800-382-5544 home’s energy cost. The energy audit usage patterns, to utilize technology for
E-mail: [email protected] identifies the areas in need of repair to scheduling, possibly use a monitoring
Website: www.seiremc.com prevent heat loss/heat gain in your home. thermostat, and be able to receive day-
Areas of concern may include a need ahead notifications via their smart
Board of Directors for more insulation in the attic, air leaks device, e-mail, or text. Members also
around doors, windows, receptacles, needed to be willing to communicate
Vince Moster - District 1 fire places, utility lines (water, gas, etc.) with your cooperative to give guidance
Brad Bentle - District 2 coming into the home, and separated or on what worked and did not work.
David Smith - District 3 un-insulated duct work, just to name a
Carolyn Armstrong - District 4 few. This is where your REMC can help Whether you are willing to try a new
Melissa Menchhofer - District 5 you by offering the many rebates our rate or not I highly encourage you to
Mike Thieman - District 6 marketing program offers to members consider allowing us to install a demand
Darrell Smith - District 7 who want to “fix” the problem areas and side switch on your water heater and/or
Bonnie Boggs - District 8 have a more energy efficient home. air conditioning unit. Many electric co-
Chris Schmaltz - District 9 ops offer programs locally that help shift
We began a new pilot program June the demand of electricity when necessary.
facebook.com/SEINREMC 1, 2015 for residential customers with a Programs such as Beat the Peak and
total electric home. The Pilot Program Power Moves are offered across the
twitter.com/SEIREMC was conducted in 2 phases. Phase 1 nation. A switch can be installed which
included a small sampling of employee/ may be activated when demand is up,
Publishing Information members and began June 1, 2015, which typically in the afternoons. The switch is

Co-op Hotline is published Co-op Hotline, April 2016 - Page 1
bimonthly for the members
of Southeastern Indiana Rural
Electric Membership Corporation,
a consumer owned utility, 712
South Buckeye Street, Osgood,
Indiana 47037. Periodicals postage

paid at Seymour, IN

A Note from your General Manager continued. many members can make a difference. Youth programs,
fire departments, emergency services and other non-
never activated on weekends or on holidays. If needed, profit organizations can request funding to further
a signal is transmitted that will cycle off the water heater improve life in Southeastern Indiana. The RoundUp©
and/or air conditioner. program should officially begin July of this year.

What’s in it for you? Well, besides helping your We rolled out an additional communication tool at
electric co-op keep costs as low as possible, you will our Annual Meeting, which many of you may be using.
receive a monthly credit off your electric bill in June, Nixle is used by police departments, schools, and other
July, August, December, January, and February that critical business. We are adding this as an additional way
amounts to $5 a month for water heater control and $15 to communicate critical events, such as tornados, high
a month for June, July, and August for water heater and winds, and critical peaks. This will also be used to report
air conditioning control. If, you qualify for both control major outages to members signed up. Simply send a text
incentives that amounts to a credit of $60 a year off your message to 888777 with REMC in the text message box,
electric bill. and you will be set-up to receive notifications.

We know from our Member’s historical usage patterns, Please call today and allow us to help you take
that the majority of our Members electric usage peaks advantage of the cost saving programs your co-op has to
between 4 to 8 p.m. during June, July, and August for the offer.
summer peaking months and between 7 to 10 a.m. and
6 to 9 p.m. during December, January, February peaking A great big THANKS goes out to all our members
months. Our power supplier has been able to reduce the
peak by controlling Demand Response Units for those who made our 77th Annual Meeting a success. We also
members who have chosen to allow us to install a switch want to congratulate all our members who won a door
on their water heater and or air conditioning unit. This prize. Don H. Ross from Commiskey, enjoy mowing
allows us to pass along a savings credit to Members. grass with your new John Deere mower!
Electric energy truly does cost more when everyone
demands it at the same time.

Neither weather nor governmental control should play
havoc with electricity bills. There are a variety of tools,
appliances, and resources available to solve all sorts of
energy challenges. Some, such as new windows or a
roof, require significant financing. But there a lot of
options that are inexpensive and simple to do and that
you can benefit from.

One the 7 principals of your co-op is concern
for community. We are rolling out the Operation
RoundUp© program. This program has been used by
coops for more than 20 years and allows you to support
much needed projects within our service territory. The
purpose of Operation RoundUp© is to collect and
distribute funds for charitable purposes within the
Southeastern Indiana REMC area. The money comes
from our members who have allowed us to round up
their electric bills to the nearest dollar every month. For
most, this donation is around $6 per year. We truly can
make a difference in 2016 by participating in this great
program that reaches out to our 7 county communities.
Our Board has decided to select 9 individuals that
volunteer to serve, from each of the 7 counties and 2
employees from your co-op. By being committed to
community needs and working together, a few dollars by

Page 2 - Co-op Hotline, April 2016

REMC’s New
“Key Account”

In June of 2015, one of the world’s best made
portable sawmill manufacturers broke ground on a 13
acre plot in the Batesville, Indiana industrial park just a
stone’s throw from Interstate 74. With over 12 million
lbs. of concrete in the 79,000 square foot facility, home
to approximately 120 ESOP employees, the company
held its building dedication on March 15, 2016.

The Wood-Mizer story: The thin-kerf, portable,
bandsaw mill industry that is known today began with
the passion and ingenuity of two men; Don Laskowski
and Dan Tekulve. With great vision, these two
innovators launched the Wood-Mizer portable sawmill
which was the first patented alternative to traditional
circular sawmills. The year was 1982 and Wood-Mizer
sawmills set the new standard for getting more boards
from every log. Today these legendary sawmills are
used throughout the world by hobbyist, craftsmen,
farmers, and professional foresters and sawyers for
safely sawing logs into lumber for both projects and
profits. Wood-mizer is known worldwide for their
extensive line of quality-built portable and industrial
sawmill equipment with legendary customer service,
blades, and blade maintenance equipment.

Co-op Hotline, April 2016 - Page 3

How to start saving

energy and money

Three quick tips toward energy efficiency

By Paul Wesslund

If you want to celebrate Earth Day on April 22, start by making your home more
energy efficient. Below are three efficiency tips from energy expert Brian Sloboda of the
National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

1. Look around your home for no-cost ways to be efficient. Close the curtains in the
summer and open them in the winter. Turn off your computers overnight. Also turn off
video game consoles when they’re not being used. Better yet, keep them off and send
the kids outside to play baseball.

2. Look for small steps you can take and DIY. Caulk around drafty windows. Check the
attic for the correct amount of insulation. Switch to LED light bulbs. Plant a deciduous
tree on the sunny side of your house; in a few years the leaves will cool your home
against the sun in summer, then fall off to warm it in the winter. Old cable TV boxes
use a lot of energy. If yours is not ENERGY STAR-rated, call your cable provider and
ask for a new one. If you have a major appliance – like a refrigerator, washing machine
or dryer – that’s more than 10 years old, don’t repair it. The energy efficiency of a
newer model will likely pay for itself with energy savings in a few years. Before buying
any appliance, look for the ENERGY STAR label, and learn to read it and compare
products.

3. Call Southeastern Indiana REMC about energy-saving programs—They may be able
to offer advice, appliance rebates or a home energy checkup. You might be surprised to
find out what’s really driving up your energy costs.

Paul Wesslund writes on cooperative issues for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the Arlington, Va.-
based service arm of the nation’s 900-plus consumer-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperatives.

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Co-op Hotline, April 2016 - Page 5

Co-ops launch non-partisan voter engagement program

By Justin LaBerge

America’s electric cooperatives have launched a non-partisan, In keeping with its non-partisan goals, the initiative will not be
nationwide effort to promote civic engagement and voter participation endorsing specific candidates for office.
in the communities they serve.
Mel Coleman, president of NRECA and CEO of North Arkansas
Jeffrey Connor, interim CEO of the National Rural Electric Electric Cooperative said the program would help ensure the voices of
Cooperative Association, unveiled the Co-ops Vote program at the rural Americans are heard.
association’s 74th annual meeting in New Orleans.
“We want to make sure our government knows that rural America
“Through Co-ops Vote, we want to help our members know when matters,” Coleman said. “This campaign isn’t about divisive, partisan
elections are, what’s at stake and how to make their voices heard,” issues. It’s about real people in real places facing real challenges. It’s
Connor said. “Who folks vote for isn’t really as important as the fact about our co-ops living out the principles of our movement: Concern
that they do vote.” for community and democratic control.”

The Co-ops Vote initiative will focus on eight issues that are Connor cited partisan gridlock in Washington, the explosive growth
important to health and prosperity of communities served by electric of money in politics and the effects of gerrymandering as important
cooperatives: reasons for launching the program. In 2014, 318 of 435 House
races had a margin of victory of 20 points or more , and 30 House
• Rural Broadband Access candidates – 16 Democrats and 14 Republicans representing 11 states
– didn’t even face an opponent in the general election .
• Hiring and Honoring Veterans
“Elections aren’t won and lost in November anymore,” Connor said.
• Low-Income Energy Assistance “They’re really decided in primaries months sooner, when fewer voters
recognize the opportunity to vote, fewer participate and only a handful
• Cybersecurity of issues are up for debate.”

• Water Regulation This results in a Congress where more members represent
the extremes of each political party and are less inclined to seek
• Rural Health Care Access compromise and bipartisan solutions to problems.

• Affordable and Reliable Energy “The electric cooperative movement has always been non-partisan,
and our communities are facing too many challenges to have a
• Renewable Energy government crippled by bickering,” Coleman said. “When our parents
and grandparents set out to electrify rural America, they didn’t have
“Electric cooperatives are perfectly designed to help address these time to ask the person next to them about their views on economic
important issues,” Connor said. “We can make politics ‘local’ again or social policy. Their economic policy was ‘we need to save this
because civic engagement is part of our DNA.” community’ and their social policy was ‘let’s do it together.’ I hope the
Co-ops Vote program can help rekindle that spirit of cooperation.”
A new website, vote.coop, offers co-op members information on the
voter registration process in their state, dates of elections, information For more information about Co-ops Vote and the impact of these
on the candidates running in those elections, and explanations of the
eight key issues the campaign aims to address. eight key issues on the people of Southeast Indiana, visit vote.coop.

Justin LaBerge writes on consumer and cooperative affairs for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the Arlington, Va.-based service
arm of the nation’s 900-plus consumer-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperatives.

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Co-op Hotline, April 2016 - Page 7

P.O. Box 196 PRST STD
712 South Buckeye Street U.S. POSTAGE
Osgood, IN 47037
PAID
SEYMOUR, IN
PERMIT NO. 198

Statement of

Nondiscrimination

This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of
discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination
Complaint Form, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/

complaint_filing_cust.html, or at any USDA office, or call
(866) 632-9992 to request the form. You may also write a letter
containing all of the information requested in the form. Send

your completed complaint form or letter by mail to the U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400
Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, by fax

(202) 690-7442 or e-mail at [email protected].

Page 8 - Co-op Hotline, April 2016