March 2015 - Midwest Electric, Inc.

Hot Lines
419-394-4110; 1-800-962-3830
www.midwestrec.com
News about your community and your cooperative.
Free tree seedlings
T
his is limited to the first 300 members. Limit $15
reimbursement. Your purchase must be from your
local Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD).
Purchases from other sources will not be reimbursed.
Send us your receipt/proof of purchase. The reimbursement will be in the form of an electric bill credit.
Instructions
Please contact your local SWCD. Typically, they
require an order form that can be mailed or downloaded from their web site. Plus they require payment
when your order is placed.
• Allen County SWCD, 419-223-0040
• Auglaize County SWCD, 419-738-4016
• Mercer County SWCD, 419-586-3289
• Van Wert County SWCD, 419-238-9591
• Darke County SWCD, 937-548-1752
• Shelby County SWCD, 937-492-6520
• Putnam County SWCD, 419-523-5159
Delivery is normally mid-April. They typically send
a post card to notify of the pick-up time and location.
Upcoming community events
in west central Ohio
Phone numbers are area code 419. Info is
provided by area Chambers of Commerce.
Please call numbers for times and to verify info.
March 2015
Midwest Electric
switches to MoneyGram
No longer using bank paystations
How to pay your Midwest Electric bill with MoneyGram:
1. Find MoneyGram - over 39,000 U.S. agent locations inside
retailers like CVS/pharmacy, Advance America, Albertsons,
Walmart and thousands more!
2. Bring these with
you:
• Cash or debit
card. There is no fee.
• Your Midwest Electric account number.
• Receive Code: 15105
3. Complete the MoneyGram ExpressPayment® blue form, use
the red MoneyGram phone or use the MoneyGram kiosk to
complete your transaction. (Payment processes may vary
depending on your location. Simply ask an associate for help.)
Find a MoneyGram location: www.MoneyGram.com/
BillPayLocations
• March 4, Storm Spotter Training, UNOH Event
Center (993-1404)
• March 7, Grand Lake St. Marys Polar Plunge
(614-239-7050, lburdett@sooh.org)
• March 8, Love Letters, Niswonger PAC, Van
Wert (238-6722, npacvw.org)
• March 14, Kidstuff with Lima Symphony
Orchestra, Lima Public Library (222-5701,
limasymphony.com)
• March 20-22, The Wizard of Oz, The Crescent Players, St. Henry H.S. (678-4643)
• March 27-29, The Wizard of Oz, The Crescent Players, New Bremen H.S. (678-4643)
• March 28, Bath Spring Craft Show (2309507)
To list your event in HotLines, call us
at 419-394-4110 or 1-800-962-3830.
Pay your bill through our website, www.midwestrec.com
Food safety during outages
Generator safety
• Keep refrigerator doors closed as much as possible. An unopened refrigerator keeps food cold for about four hours.
• If food (especially meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and leftovers) has
been exposed to temperatures above 40 degrees Fahrenheit for
two or more hours, or has an unusual odor, texture, or color, get
rid of it. Remember the
American Red Cross food
safety rule: “When in doubt,
throw it out.”
• Never taste food to determine its safety or rely on appearance or odor.
• Use perishable foods first,
then frozen food.
• To keep perishable food
cold, place them in a refrigerator or cooler and cover with ice.
• If you keep the door closed, a full freezer keeps the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full).
• If food in the freezer is colder than 40 degrees Fahrenheit, is
partially thawed, and has ice crystals on it, you can safely refreeze it.
• Always discard frozen or perishable food items that have come
into contact with raw meat juices.
Find more tips at www.FoodSafety.gov.
To keep your family safe when using a
generator, follow these basic rules.
1. Never operate a portable generator
inside a home, garage, or other closed
building.
A generator produces carbon monoxide
when it’s running. This is an odorless, invisible
and deadly gas that will overtake you in a
matter of minutes. To keep fumes away from
people and pets, operate the generator
outdoors and away from air intakes to the
home. And install carbon monoxide alarms
with battery backup inside the home,
especially in sleeping areas.
2. Never plug a generator into a regular
household outlet or breaker box.
Connecting your generator directly to your
home’s circuitry can send electricity back
through power lines, creating a lethal hazard
for crews working on lines that are thought to
be de-energized. Individual appliances should
be directly connected to the receptacle outlet
of the portable generator. Use heavy duty,
outdoor rated cords with a larger wire size
that is adequate for the appliance load.
Permanently-installed generators for
homes or businesses should only be
installed by a certified electrician and
have a properly wired transfer switch.
Once the decision is made to purchase a
permanently-installed generator, most of the
hazards tied to portable units disappear.
Rather than extension cords, the generator
will provide power to critical loads through a
transfer switch and wiring that is now part of
the home’s electrical system. The issue of
carbon monoxide is also gone, because the
certified installer will locate the generator at a
safe distance from the home.
The key is to select a qualified installer. An
experienced installer will conduct a complete
inventory of the loads to be powered, to
determine proper sizing of the generator,
transfer switch and conductors.
How to run for the Board
T
hree of the nine seats on the Midwest Electric Board of Trustees are up for election at this year’s Annual Meeting, June 6.
(Voting will be done by mail and on-line.)
Nomination of Trustees
Any member residing in a district up for election may become a
candidate by getting a petition form from the co-op’s office, and
obtaining at least 15 valid signatures of members who reside within
that district. This year, seats are up for election in the following
districts:
• District 2 (3 years) - Allen & Putnam counties
• District 3 (3 years) - Van Wert County
• District 4 (3 years) - Mercer & Darke counties
The Board meets monthly to review the financial and operating
performance of your cooperative. They review reports from the
manager/CEO and department managers and provide general direction for management decisions.
Other important issues - such as whether to change electric
rates - are also steered by the Board. Candidates will need a
commitment and a desire to always strive to do what is in the best
long-term interest of the cooperative and its members.
Candidates must complete the official petition form. The properly completed petition must be filed in the co-op’s office by 8
a.m., May 6. Contact our office for a copy.
Rebates for water heaters, heat pumps, geothermal, insulation and air sealing. Call first.