REMC Wholesale power cost increase means higher rates in 2007 O

Orange County
REMC
Information from your electric cooperative
FROM THE MANAGER
P.O. Box 208, 7133 N. SR 337
Orleans, IN
www.myremc.coop
PHONE NUMBERS
Office ............................ (812)
Toll Free ........................ (888)
Long Distance Sign-up .... (866)
Internet Sign-up ............. (866)
Internet Tech Support .... (866)
865-2229
337-5900
329-7269
984-6666
984-6666
OFFICE HOURS
7 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday
MEMBER SERVICES
Free Energy Analysis
Budget Billing
Automatic Bank Draft
Security Lights
Water Heater and Heat Pump Rebates
Recurring Credit Card Payments
SERVICE INTERRUPTIONS
To report service interruptions, call:
(812) 865-2229 or (888) 337-5900, day or
night. Please have your location number
ready when reporting outages. Please limit
after hours calls to emergencies and outage
situations. Routine questions will be answered only during regular business hours.
REMC KEY STAFF
General Manager — Danny Arnold
Operations Manager — Ralph Draper
Office Supervisor — Marcy Butler
Staking Engineer — Marty Frank
Accountant — Misty Tincher
Materials Manager — Michael Roberts
Marketing/Member Services — Mark Belcher
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Your electric cooperative is governed by a
democratically-elected board of directors who
are consumers of the REMC and are elected
by consumers of the REMC.
Eugene Roberts, District 1
Randy Roberts, District 2
Bert Holsapple, District 3
Danny Easterday, District 4
Rodney Hager, District 5
Ben Lindsey, District 6
Brian Hawkins, District 7
James McDonald, District 8
Wholesale power cost increase
means higher rates in 2007
will remain very competitive and
electricity is still a great value when
range County REMC’s wholecompared to propane, natural gas,
sale cost of power from Hoosier
and other fuels. Orange County
Energy will increase slightly in 2007.
REMC will continue to offer memThis will, in turn, result in a modest
bers equipment rebates and other
increase in the retail rates we must
incentives to help them convert from
charge to our consumers. While the
higher cost fossil fuels to electricity
exact amount of the wholesale infor their water heating and space
crease has not yet been determined,
conditioning needs throughout
we expect the retail cost of 1,000
2007.
kwh of electricity to be $6 to $8
Hoosier Energy and Orange
higher in 2007.
County REMC are committed to deThere are a number of issues conDanny Arnold
livering electricity at the lowest postributing to the higher costs for 2007.
General Manager
sible cost. Together, we attempt to
Growth in the U.S. economy is inhold off increasing rates and do so
creasing the demand for electric enonly when it is the best business decision to
ergy nationwide. The cost of fuel used to generate
make. As a cooperative, Orange County REMC
electricity (natural gas, oil and coal) is going up,
hates increasing member bills but, compared to
which makes it more expensive to produce elecother forms of energy, our increases over the
tricity. Other costs have increased as well. Hoosier
past few years have been very reasonable.
Energy is spending more to maintain and upgrade
At present, the exact amount of increase for
generation stations, add environmental controls,
2007 has not been determined but members
and improve the reliability of the transmission
should expect the cost of 1,000 kwh of electricity
system. New government regulations on plant
to go up somewhere between $6 and $8 beginemissions and other environmental factors are
ning with bills mailed in February for energy
driving up the cost of producing electricity. The
consumed in January. The increase will first
worldwide demand for energy is also increasing
appear as a change in the wholesale power cost
which drives up the costs for all fuels and
tracker (WPCT) line item on bills but may
materials (steel, copper, etc.) needed in the
eventually become part of our base rates followproduction and delivery of electricity.
ing completion of a new cost of service study.
Even with the increase, wholesale energy
We hope to be able to keep the new retail rate
costs from Hoosier Energy are very competitive
stable throughout all of 2007. Please continue to
with surrounding power supply utilities includread this publication for the most current inforing Duke Energy (Cinergy), Indiana Municipal
mation concerning electricity rates for 2007.
Power Association (IMPA), and the Wabash
Valley Power Association. Also, our retail rates
O
Timeline for director candidacy
Each year members can nominate director candidates, or decide to run for director by submitting
a petition with signatures of 15 members, 30
days prior to the annual meeting.
Incumbents whose terms expire are: District 2
— Randy Roberts; District 5 — Rodney Hager;
District 8 — James McDonald.
Deadlines for the petition process are listed
below.
Notice of 2007 Director Election Timeline
Dec. 10
Letters of intent due.
Dec. 25
Incumbent list posted. Names published in
January issue of Electric Consumer.
Feb. 23, 2007
Petitions of nomination submitted.
March 2, 2007
Nominations by the board (absent incumbents seeking re-election or petitioners.)*
March 31, 2007
Full slate of candidates posted and mailed.
All candidate biographies published
in April issue of Electric Consumer.
April 10, 2007
Election at annual meeting.
* May require special board meeting.
ELECTRIC CONSUMER • DECEMBER 2006 •7U
Notice to REMC members
Electric bill payments
Please allow 5 to 7 business days when mailing
your monthly electric payment to Orange County
REMC. To assure your electric payment is paid
on time; REMC offers automatic deductions
from your checking or savings account and
credit cards at no charge. For your convenience,
REMC has a depository located under the drive
through canopy at the office. If you pay your
monthly electric bill with a credit card, you must
include the security code from your card. This
three digit number on the back of your card
helps ensure the billed amount is being charged
to the lawful card holder.
Electric Consumer on-line
Electric Consumer is now available in electronic
format on the Orange County REMC Web site,
www.myremc.coop. The current issue as well as
archived issues from the past year are available.
You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view
some of the files. This free software can be
downloaded from www.adobe.com.
Chairs
Executive chairs
Striped (12 available) at $15 a piece or $150 for all
Blue (one available) at $15
Gray (one available) at $15
Rigid guest chairs
Blue (12 available) at $10 a piece or $100 for all
Green (eight available) at $5 a piece or $40 for all
Work station chairs
Red (nine available) at $15 a piece
Blue (four available) at $15 a piece
Black (one available) at $10
Cabinets
Filing cabinets
Four drawer legal conventional Fire cabinets (two available) at $50 a piece
Four drawer legal Nonconventional (one available) at $25
Two drawer legal Nonconventional (1 available) at $20
Four drawer standard (two available) at $25 a piece
Three drawer standard (one available) at $20
Two drawer Standard (one available) at $20
Two half drawers with single door cabinet and safe (one available) (safe missing dial) at $10
Storage cabinets
Two door cabinet (two available) at $15 a piece
Two door coat cabinet (one available) at $15
Glass front book shelf at $15
Desks
Modular work stations.
Work stations with overhead storage (eight available) at $100 a piece
Work stations without overhead storage (five available) at $50 a piece
Desks
L-shaped desk (one available) at $35
Gray and black computer desk (two available) at $35
Printer Tables (three available) at $20
A drop box is located in the REMC office
for Orange County Toys for Tots. Orange
County Toys for Tots works with the
Orange County Sheriff’s Department to
distribute the donated toys to children in
Orange County. All donations to Toys for
Tots are tax deductible.
8U • ELECTRIC CONSUMER • DECEMBER 2006
Several desks, chairs and other pieces of office furniture are being offered for sale by
Orange County REMC. These items are from the old REMC office and are being sold at the
prices listed above or at “best offer.”
Orange County REMC apprentices
complete pole climbing courses
Orange County REMC Apprentice Linemen
Mike Duke and Bob White recently completed
the basic and advanced pole climbing schools of
the Hoosier Energy Apprenticeship Training
and Safety (HEATS) program at Hendricks
Power Cooperative near Danville.
Duke and White were among 15 HEATS
apprentices who practiced safely moving up and
down utility poles while mastering the proper
way to install, remove and repair equipment on
a line structure.
Basic pole climbing school makes up 40 hours
of the apprentices’ extensive training process.
Besides learning to climb and complete tasks
like attaching cross-arms and lines, Duke and
White learned the importance of working with
and relying on fellow crew members.
Apprentices who mastered the basic course
moved on to another 40 hours of advanced pole
climbing instruction, which emphasizes working atop poles rather than climbing skills. The
apprentices became proficient at replacing transformers and cross-arms and connecting conductors to the structures.
By passing the advanced course, Duke — a
grade 2 HEATS apprentice — and White, a
grade 1 HEATS apprentice, obtained qualified
climber certification and can now climb on the
job. Training and safety specialists and Orange
County REMC representatives evaluated each
apprentices’ skills before they were awarded
certification.
“Pole climbing demands agility and natural
balance. Strength is also an asset, but no more
important than being physically fit. The physical
demands are the most common deterrent to
completing the pole climbing training, so successfully finishing the two-week regimen is a
strong statement about the apprentices’ skills,”
said Orange County REMC General Manager
Dan Arnold.
“It’s tough work but qualified REMC linemen
are vital to keeping our customers in service,”
Arnold said. “You could ask most people to try
the pole climbing exercises and, after a fairly
short time, they’ll be completely exhausted. So
it’s very impressive that relatively new apprentices like Mike and Bob can do it with so much
confidence. HEATS apprentices not only learn
to do the work but how to do it as safely as
possible by remembering things like getting in
the right position to do the work.”
Started in 1974, HEATS is a nationally recognized safety and training program that has produced more than 400 qualified line specialists
and other operations employees for central and
southern Indiana electric cooperatives.
The four-year HEATS program includes 576
hours of classroom instruction and 8,000 hours
of on-the-job training. Hoosier Energy, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
(IBEW) and the U.S. Department of Labor
certify all HEATS graduates.
Orange County REMC wants to get to
know you better. Information about the
types of heating and cooling systems,
electronic devices and appliances used
by our members is helpful as we develop
plans to provide reliable and efficient
electric service throughout our communities.
During January and February, a
limited number of Orange County REMC
members will be contacted for a telephone survey. The information obtained
will help your electric cooperative in
planning future power delivery facilities
and developing marketing programs that
are of value to our members.
You may be contacted by our survey
representative and asked to tell us ways
you use electricity and other information
that helps us better know, understand
and serve you, our members.
Less than 400 Orange County REMC
members will be contacted. Service to
members is our number one priority and
we’d ask members to report any problems related to the survey to us locally at
(812) 865-2229 or toll free (888) 337-5900.
Statement of nondiscrimination
Orange County REMC Apprentice Linemen Bob White and Mike Duke recently completed the
basic and advanced pole climbing schools of the Hoosier Energy Apprenticeship Training and
Safety (HEATS) program.
Orange County Rural Electric Membership Corporation is the recipient of federal financial
assistance from the Rural Utilities Service, an
agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture
and is subject to the provisions of Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Section
504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as
amended; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975,
as amended; and the rules and regulations of
the U.S. Department of Agriculture which provide that no person in the United States on the
basis of race, color, national origin, age or
handicap shall be excluded from participation
in, admission or access to, denied the benefits
of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination
under any of this organization’s programs or
activities.
Any individual, or specific class of individuals, who feels that this organization has subjected them to discrimination, may obtain further information about regulations listed above
and/or file a written complaint with the Secretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250; or the Administrator, Rural
Utilities Service, Washington, D.C. 20250. Complaints must be filed within 180 days after the
alleged discrimination. Confidentiality will be
maintained to the extent possible.
ELECTRIC CONSUMER • DECEMBER 2006 •9U
RATE SCHEDULE
Figures needed to calculate your electric bill
Facility charge ............... $9.95 per month
First 500 kwh ................ .0.0870 per kwh
501 to 1,000 kwh .......... .0.0685 per kwh
Over 1,000 kwh .............. 0.0600 per kwh
Power cost adjustment .. .011611 per kwh
ETS off-peak rate ............ 0.0450 per kwh
Security lighting (100w HPS) .......... $7.60
Security lighting (175w MV) ........... $8.07
Total bill x Indiana sales tax 6%
Example 1:
1,200 kwh
Facility charge ............................... $9.95
500 kwh @$0.087 ...................... $43.50
500 kwh @$0.0685 .................... $34.25
200 kwh @$0.06 ........................ $12.00
1,200 kwh @ $0.01161 .............. $13.95
Total ........................................ $113.63
Indiana sales tax ............................ 6.82
Total bill .................................. $120.45
Example 2:
1,200 kwh (regular) and 750 kwh (ETS)
Facility charge ............................... $9.95
500 kwh @$0.087 ...................... $43.50
500 kwh @$0.0685 .................... $34.25
200 kwh @$0.06 ........................ $12.00
750 kwh @$0.045 ...................... $33.75
1,950 kwh @ $0.011611 ............ $22.64
Total ........................................ $156.09
Indiana sales tax (6%) ..................... 9.37
Total bill .................................. $165.40
Visa and MasterCard
and Discover accepted
LONG DISTANCE PROGRAM
Are you paying too much for long distance?
Orange County REMC offers long distance
service for only 4.9 cents per minute. There
are no time restrictions and the monthly fee is
only $2.95. Call our office for more information, 865-2229.
REMC members say ‘thanks’ to linemen
REBATE PROGRAMS
Water heater rebates
If you are an REMC customer who is installing
an electric water heater in a new home construction, adding an additional electric water
heater to a new addition or are replacing a gas
water heater with an electric one, you may be
eligible to receive a free water heater or a
rebate up to $150 if you have already completed the installation.
Heat pump rebates
Rebates of $250 are available to REMC customers who install an air-to-air or groundsource geothermal heat pump in a new home
construction or install one as a replacement
for an oil or gas furnace.
Contact the REMC at 865-2229 or (888)
337-5900 for more information on the rebate
programs.
10U • ELECTRIC CONSUMER • DECEMBER 2006
Photo by James Walton
REMC employees Bob White, Jeff Bennett, Gary
Cheatham and Ed Thurman were recognized by a
member for a job well done. Not pictured, staking
engineer Marty Frank.
REMC linemen recently visited the
home of James and Martha Walton in
Mitchell to relocate electric lines. After
the work was completed, the Waltons
had this to say about the linemen and
their work:
“We would like to thank Orange
County REMC employees Marty Frank,
Bob White, Jeff Bennett, Gary Cheatham
and Ed Thurman.
These gentlemen were so friendly,
helpful and pleasing to speak with.
When the linemen came to our home,
everyone knew what needed to be done.
They all are hard workers and we appreciate all they did for us.”
Have you experienced great customer service from an REMC employee? E-mail your comments
to mbutler@myremc.coop. Your comments may be printed in the Electric Consumer.