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Bridger Valley Electric’s
LIGHT LINES
Your Electric Cooperative Newsletter
“The Power to Bring You the Best”
November 2014
Wyoming Low Income Energy Assistance (LIEAP) & Utah HEAT Program Manager’s Viewpoint by Jud Redden The Wyoming Department of Family Services is up and running with the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP). If you anticipate that you will have problems paying your heat bill this winter, now is the time to request assistance to pay those bills through the LIEAP Program. Applications will be taken from Oct. 1 through Feb. 28, 2015. You can start the process by calling 1‐
800‐246‐4221 to request an application. In Utah the program is called HEAT (Home Energy Assistance Target). Daggett County residents may call 435‐781‐2021 and Summit County call 855‐686‐5263 to get the process started. It is November and that brings one of my favorite holidays, Thanksgiving. It seems to be getting pushed around by Christmas sales more than it should but of all our celebrations it is the one that seems more relaxed. It is a time to contemplate and recognize the wonderful blessings we enjoy each day. We all have challenges we must deal with but I don’t think there has been a time in history when we have had so much to be thankful for. I encourage you to slow down a bit, look around, and soak in all that you have in abundance in your life. As the manager of your electric cooperative I hope you will put electricity on your list of blessings. Very few of us can remember what it was like before the power lines were built but it doesn’t take long to recognize how reliable, affordable power affects nearly every part of our lives. We take it for granted that we can throw a switch and energy surges through the lines to power up what ever we want to use. But whether it is the lights that chase away the darkness or the stove that cooks the turkey and pumpkin pie, a lot of work goes into making sure you have the power you want when you want it. Betty Applequist from Farson served on the BVEA board for many years. She told me a story about a Thanksgiving Day that she will never forget. She had family coming for the big celebration and had much to do before they all came. She got up early and got the turkey cooking. The rolls were rising and the the house was starting to smell like a feast was in the making. Then suddenly the power went out. No oven for the turkey, rolls, or pies. She called the BVEA outage number and soon crews were rolling, even on Thanksgiving Day. They had the power back on as quickly as possible and the dinner was saved. That story had a happy ending due to dedicated lineman willing to give up their own family time so others could enjoy theirs. Yes we should be grateful for the blessing of electricity. It makes our lives better. But because it is easy to turn on a pump or a heater we often forget what is needed behind the scenes to deliver that power to our homes and businesses. We have also become accustomed to low power rates for the energy we consume. The rates at BVEA are among the lowest in the nation. As members we pay about $0.07/kWh for an average household bill including the monthly customer charge. In California that same rate is $0.17. In New York it is $0.20. Imagine what your budget would look like if you had to pay three times more for your power bill. At BVEA we strive to make sure that having affordable rates doesn’t mean we sacrifice reliability. We have made substantial investments in our infrastructure over the past 10 years. We believe we must even accelerate the pace of replacing our old system in the upcoming years. Of course that all comes with a price and we recognize that even though our rates are low compared with the rest of the country, your power bill is still a significant part of your monthly expense. We will continue to make every effort to adhere to our goal of providing reliable, affordable power to you our member owners. Bridger Valley Electric Facebook Page Check out our Facebook page for the latest info on outages, planned outages, energy conservation tips, and other news. Much to be Thankful For
Happy Thanksgiving!
Page 2
Bridger Valley Electric Association, Inc.
From the Board Room:
The board of directors met on September 9, 2014 and took the following actions:  Approved the minutes of the August 14, 2014 board meeting.  Adopted a resolution authorizing the general manager to sign the amendatory contract with Intermountain Power Project.  Approved a request from the Uinta County Fire District to trade property for the expense of moving an overhead line across their property provided they handled the costs of conveying the property to BVEA.  Approved the July financial report.  Approved the August write offs, new memberships, safety report, and the estate refunds.  Heard reports from Utah Rural Electric Association and Deseret Power.  Heard department reports. Sill Earns Journeyman Certificate
Jud Redden, General Manager
Naomi Stone, Editor
Board of Directors
Publication of Bridger Valley Electric
Association, Inc.
P.O. Box 399, Mtn. View, WY 82939
Phone: (800) 276-3481
Or (307) 786-2800
Bridger Valley Electric
Association, Inc.
Kim Charles, President – District 1
Gary Nix, Vice President – District 1
Mountain View, Robertson, Uinta Lands,
Manorlands
Rick Maxfield – District 2
Jason Haycock –District 2
Lyman Area
Ruth Rees, Sec./Treas. – District 3
Ft. Bridger, Milburne, Carter, Piedmont, Bear
River Area (excluding Uinta
Lands & Manorlands)
Matt Henry – District 4
McKinnon, Manila, Dutch John Areas
Dallas Sill joined Bridger Valley Electric in November 2010. He has been working in our Tech Services department as an Apprentice Meterman and working on his certificate as a Journeyman Meterman. Dallas finished the coursework recently and was awarded his Journeyman Certificate. Above, Tech Services Department Manager, Dale Madsen, presents Dallas with his certificate. Metering in recent years has become a very technical occupation. “Smart Meters” are the current technology that Dallas works with. Bridger Valley Electric is in the process of converting all system metering to what we call the TWACs meters. These meters allow BVEA to glean all sorts of technical information from the headquarters, as well as do disconnects without actually visiting the site of a meter. We can track usage, outages and other problems remotely. Dallas’s training includes all the technical training to be able to install, set up and monitor all this metering information. Please join us in congratulating Dallas for his diligence in completing his certification. Trip Applequist – District 5
Farson, Eden, Granger Areas
Website: www.bvea.coop
To Report Outages Call
(307) 786-2802
(800) 276-3481
24 hours a day
Underground Cable Locates
Call 48 hours in advance
(800) 849-2476
OR JUST DIAL 811
Unwrap Winter Energy Savings By Amber Bentley The holidays are upon us! It’s that special time of year when we spend a great deal of time with friends and family, either in the kitchen or out and about shopping for the perfect gift. As you find yourself wrapped up in the holiday excitement, Bridger Valley Electric reminds you of a few ways to be energy efficient during this busy time of year. Bridger Valley Electric Association, Inc. Page 3
Efficient shopping Purchase LED holiday lights. A string of traditional lights uses 36 watts of power and a string of LED lights only uses 5 watts. They can even last up to 10 times longer! Ask for Energy Star‐rated TVs and appliances. This will save you a lot of power use because the standby‐mode is lower and the device will use less energy overall. Combine errands to reduce the number of small trips. To‐
do lists seem to pile up around this time of the year. Believe it or not, several short trips in the winter can use twice as much fuel as one longer trip covering the same distance as all of the shorter ones. Being energy efficient is usually not top priority when celebrating the holidays, and most of us don’t realize the lack of efficiency until the next bill comes in. Prevent your post‐holiday shock this year by thinking creatively and remembering all of these tips! (Amber Bentley writes on energy efficiency 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.) Stay Safe and Warm This Winter
Cooking Efficiently Be kind to your oven. Every time you open the oven door to check on that dish, the temperature inside is reduced by as much as 25 degrees. This forces the oven to use more energy in order to get back to the proper cooking temperature. Try keeping the door closed as much as possible. Also, remember to take advantage of residual heat for the last five to 10 minutes of baking time – this is another way to save energy use. If you’re using a ceramic or glass dish, you can typically set your oven 25 degrees lower than stated, since these items hold more heat than metal pans. Give your burners some relief. The metal reflectors under your stovetop burners should always be clean. If not, this will prevent your stove from working as effectively as it should. Utilize small appliances. During the holidays, the main appliances used are the oven and stovetop. Try using your slow cooker, microwave, toaster oven or warming plate more often. This will result in substantial energy savings. Home efficiency Take advantage of heat from the sun. Open your curtains during the day to allow sunlight to naturally heat your home, and close them at night to reduce the chill from cold windows. Find and seal all air leaks. Check areas near pipes, gaps around chimneys, cracks near doors and windows and any unfinished places. Maintain your heating system. Schedule services for your heating system before it gets too cold to find out what maintenance you may need to keep your system operating efficiently. Eliminate “vampire energy” waste. When you are not using an appliance or an electronic, unplug it to save energy. Power strips are definitely a good investment for your home. Do not let your efforts to stay warm put your safety at risk this winter. Space heaters and electric blankets can be efficient ways to stay warm, but they can also be dangerous. Safe Electricity has tips to help your family safe: ‐ Read and follow all space heater and electric blanket instructions. ‐ Check space heaters and electric blankets before use. Cords should not be frayed, brittle, or cracked. The blanket should not have any charred or dark areas. ‐ Turn space heaters and electric blankets off when not in use. Choose a space heater with a safety certification. You should look for the UL, ETL, or CSA mark on space heaters and electric blankets. These verify that the product has been tested for safety. ‐ Look for a space heater that has guards from heating elements and automatically shuts off if it is tipped over. ‐ One of the biggest causes of fires is one of the most easily avoidable. Many fires start when flammable products are placed too close to heating devices, such as space heaters. Space heaters should be kept at least 3 feet from blankets, clothing, paper, and other flammables. ‐ Place space heaters out of high‐traffic areas and on a level, hard, non‐flammable floor surface—NOT on carpets, furniture, or countertops. ‐ Pets should never be allowed to sleep on top of electric blankets. ‐ Electric blanket wires should never be bent or tucked under a mattress. ‐ Do not attempt to warm your entire home using space heaters. If you need to keep large areas warm your home heating system will do the job more efficiently. To learn more on how to avoid electrical hazards, visit SafeElectricity.org. Page 4
Bridger Valley Electric Association, Inc. Bridger Valley Electric’s
Customer Services
Just to make sure that you are aware of the services we offer to our members, we are providing the list below:  Water Heater Rebates – we offer rebates on energy efficient tank style electric water heaters that meet minimum specifications. Please give us a call for the details before you purchase your next water heater.  GreenWay Program – we offer a way to take advantage of “green” power. You can sign up to purchase either 25, 50 or 100 percent of your power bill at a little bit higher rate. The extra dollars are sent to Deseret Power where Green Tags are purchased to support renewable energy resources. The rate for this power is $0.0185 per kWh higher than the normal rate. Call us if you would like to help support renewable green energy.  Notary Services – We usually have at least one Notary Public in the office during office hours. We do not charge for this service.  Co‐op Connections Card – The Connections Card can be used for discounts on prescription drugs as well as discounts on various goods and services. Go to www.connections.coop to see what services you can get discounts on. They include car rentals, flowers, fabric, hotels, etc., etc. Check it out. Also there are health services from dentists, chiropractics, vision care, etc. that offer discounts with the card as well. Check it out today.  Facebook – Check out our Facebook page for updates on local power outages, or tips on conservation and safety.  Bridger Valley Electric website – For information on our rates, the weather, the latest copy of this newsletter, and other valuable information and links go to www.bvea.coop.  Budget Billing – Although you can only sign up for budget billing in June, be aware of the fact that we do offer a levelized billing to help you manage your budget, especially when your heat bill gets large in the colder months. Be watching for the notice of the sign up period during the month of June.  EFT Bill Pay – We do offer automatic payment of your electric bill. Please call our billing department if you are interested in setting up Electronic Funds Transfer to pay your bill. Bridger Valley Electric is your “member‐owned” cooperative. DID YOU KNOW…
Thanksgiving is the leading day of the year for home fires involving cooking equipment? Be aware of that fact and follow some simple safety tips such as, staying in the kitchen when you are cooking on the stove top and keep an eye on things. Stay home when you are cooking the turkey. Keep children at least 3 feet away from the stove. Keep your floor area clear so there are no tripping hazards. Don’t let electric cords dangle over countertops. Don’t use lit candles in rooms where children might be left alone. And make sure your smoke alarms are working. If you didn’t change out the batteries and test them last month, do it now before the holidays begin. Bridger Valley Electric’s “EXTREME ACCESS”
WIRELESS INTERNET
SERVICE
Let us help you with your internet needs. We now sell routers. Prices & Packages: 2 Mb ‐ $44.95/month 4 Mb ‐ $54.95/month 6 Mb ‐ $74.95/month 8 Mb ‐ $119.95/month Static IP’s Available NO CONTRACTS* NO EQUIPMENT COSTS* *OAC