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Co-op News
RUSK COUNTY ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE
Why Is My Electric Bill
More Than My Neighbor’s?
Team Transformers T-shirt’s were designed
by Charlene Ham, director of purchasing
MESSAGE FROM
GENERAL MANAGER RICHARD MCLEON
18
Texas Co-op Power RUSK COUNTY EC July 2016
Top Contributor to
Local Relay For Life
ALI NA V IN CENT PH OTOG RAP HY, L LC | I STOC K.COM
YOU HAVE A TV, VIDEO GAME SYSTEM, microwave oven, electric
range and cooktop, refrigerator/freezer, heat pump and personal
computer. So does your next-door neighbor. So why is your electric bill almost twice
as high every month?
Consider this: How well are your walls insulated compared to your neighbor’s?
Do you take longer, hotter showers? Are you cooking gourmet meals and baking from
scratch while your neighbor subsists on quick-heating TV dinners? Does the TV keep
you company even when you’re not watching it?
No two families live alike. So no two electric bills are the same. Comparing your
monthly statement to anyone else’s would be like comparing your weekly grocery
tabs. Two families of four will never spend exactly the same amount on food because
their tastes and habits are
different.
Think about the conveniences you might be willing
to pay for, even though your
neighbor isn’t. Are you more
comfortable sleeping in an
extra-cool house on hot
summer nights? Maybe your
neighbor’s set-back thermostat ekes the temperature up
a few degrees at bedtime.
Do members of your
family entertain themselves
in separate rooms after
dinner—watching TV or
playing video games—while
the folks next door all gather
in a family room to play a
Putting down the controllers and picking up the dice can
board game?
help lower your energy bill.
Another major factor in
today’s electric bills is vampire energy loss. Virtually anything that’s plugged in is
drawing some current—even when it’s off. Experts estimate that standby energy
drain accounts for 5–10 percent of an average home’s annual power usage. A plasma
TV, for instance, can use $165 annually for electric power—when it’s off.
Consider unplugging items when not in use or using a power strip to disconnect
several items at once. There are also “smart” power strips available that automatically cut power to devices in standby mode.
The way to lower your electric costs is to use energy more efficiently before the
bill comes. Contact Rusk County Electric Cooperative or visit our website at
rcelectric.org for tips on how to save money by conserving energy around the house.
TEAM TRANSFORMERS, the group of
Relay For Life supporters from Rusk
County Electric Cooperative, raised
$6,293.90 for the American Cancer Society and also received a contribution of
$5,000 from CoBank as part of the
financial organization’s Sharing Success
program. That raised the total donation
from RCEC to $11,293.90.
Concern for Community is one of the
Seven Cooperative Principles, and getting involved with Relay For Life is one of
the ways RCEC supports the community
each year.
The team captain, Lanita Bell, who
lost her dad to cancer several years ago,
promised him she would continue to be
part of the Relay For Life program
because he had been a participant.
Funds were raised by selling luminarias and burger lunches, collecting contributions, and by co-op employees’
engaging in the Red Bucket Challenge
and Silent Auction.
The relay theme was “carnival games.”
The Team Transformers T-shirts were
designed by RCEC’s Charlene Ham.
Thank you to the following RCEC
sponsors: Armstrong Fire & Safety,
Ashley Spencer-Hair.com, Hair Gypsies,
JMK Foodservice Consulting & Design,
Kroger, Meadowbrook Country Club,
Robert’s Coffee & Vending, Snowflake
Bakery, Southland Safety, Southwood
Academy Daycare, Terry Parker-Flowers/
Bakery, Top Line Rental, Tracy Arnold
LMT, and Wild Iris/Kaleidoscope.
rcelectric.org
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(903) 657-4571 | RCELECTRIC.ORG
Summer Conservation Tips
Outage
Reports
IN THE HEAT OF A TEXAS SUMMER, we all want to keep cool in the air conditioning and
grab a cold drink from the fridge. But remember that summer is the peak season of
demand for electricity, and the appliances that help make summer bearable can also
drive up your electric bill.
To report an outage to Rusk County EC,
please call (903) 657-4571 and have one
of the following numbers available:
a ACCOUNT NUMBER
a METER NUMBER
Keep Your Refrigerator Cool
Summer especially puts pressure on your refrigerator. In the season’s high temperatures, you’re more likely to open the door frequently for cool drinks. Here are some
tips to keep refrigerator energy use to a minimum:
a Locate the refrigerator away from heat sources—the oven, the dishwasher and
direct sunlight.
a Keep at least a 1-inch space all around the outside to allow air circulation.
a Clean the condenser coils at least once a year.
a Check the tightness of the door seals.
a Keep the fridge’s power on the energy-saving setting.
a Use a thermometer to set the inside temperatures: Set the fridge at 36–38 degrees
and the freezer at 0–5 degrees.
This information allows us to quickly and
accurately locate information about your
service and will expedite repairs.
TEC
Outages can also be
reported through your
SmartHub account on
your smartphone.
Make Friends With Your Freezer
a Keep the freezer as full as possible.
a Mark items for quicker identification
to reduce door-opening time.
Clean
the condenser coils and check
a
the seals.
Allow Your AC To Work Optimally
Your air conditioner works hard all summer long. Follow these tips to keep it
from heating up your electric bill:
a You save 3–5 percent for each degree
you raise the thermostat. Try setting
the thermostat at 78 degrees.
a Use ceiling fans in conjunction with
the AC to increase your comfort level.
Check the tightness of your
Don’t
cool unused rooms in summer.
a
refrigerator’s seals by closing
If the kids are off at summer camp,
a dollar bill in the door. If the
close off the vents to their rooms until
bill slides out easily, you may
they return.
need to replace the seals.
When
you set your system to bring in
a
fresh, outside air, you use much more
electricity. Unless you need to bring fresh air into your home, set your HVAC
system to recirculate (already cooled) air within your home.
Keep
humidity levels as low as possible by always using an exhaust fan, if you have
a
one, when taking a shower.
a Maintenance is important. Clean or change AC filters regularly, and have units
professionally cleaned, inspected and tuned every season to keep them running at
peak efficiency.
For more information and ideas on how to lower your summer electric bill, please
contact us at Rusk County Electric Cooperative. We will be happy to provide you
with more energy-saving tips that make the summer days even brighter.
rcelectric.org
Rusk County
Electric Cooperative
Like us on Facebook for
energy-saving and safety
tips, co-op updates and
much more.
July 2016 RUSK COUNTY EC Texas Co-op Power
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RUSK COUNTY ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE
Spring 2016 KCEPT Graduation and Rodeo
KILGORE COLLEGE ELECTRIC POWER TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM STUDENTS performed their
graduating exercises May 6 on the training field at Rusk County Electric Cooperative.
KCEPT students, striving to earn a certificate that allows them to work for electric utilities,
performed hurt-man rescue, insulator change and personal line grounding under the
watchful eye of judges and hundreds of spectators. The 2016 spring class was the largest
class to date, with a total of 33 graduates. For more information, check out the Kilgore College website at kilgore.edu/ept.
Longtime Employee
Berryhill Retires
CONGRATULATIONS TO MIKE BERRYHILL
on his recent retirement after 361⁄2 years
with Rusk County Electric Cooperative.
On November 26, 1979, he began his
career as a groundman, rising through
the lineman ranks. In 1985, he was promoted to first-class lineman, and in 1994
to maintenance crew foreman. In 2013,
he was promoted to line superintendent.
RCEC employees, directors and his many
friends wish him safe travels as he enjoys
adventures with his family.
RCEC Receives Safety Award
RUSK COUNTY ELECTRIC Cooperative received a “No Lost-Time
Award” during the Texas Electric
Cooperatives annual Loss Control Conference in March. RCEC
received the award for going
one year without losing work
time because of accidents.
At the conference, from left,
were Robert Bryson, RCEC director of safety and training; Lanita
Bell, safety coordinator; and
Scott Corley of TEC, who presented the award.
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Texas Co-op Power RUSK COUNTY EC July 2016
rcelectric.org
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(903) 657-4571 | RCELECTRIC.ORG
Lifesaving Lessons To Be Learned
WHETHER IT’S SWIMMING, boating or fishing, summertime is
water recreation time for millions. Rusk County Electric
Cooperative reminds everyone to avoid electrical hazards during water recreation.
Electricity is essential—it keeps us cool in the summer,
lights our houses, keeps the refrigerator cold and runs the TV,
stereo and computers. Electricity also can be dangerous. It
doesn’t take much electricity to hurt someone. The power that
runs through most circuits is enough to kill an adult.
Ground-fault circuit interrupters are one form of protection from electrical hazards. GFCIs detect dangerous situations in which a shock might occur and cut off power
immediately to prevent it. Anywhere electricity is used in close
proximity to water, there is a shock hazard. You should have
GFCI protection on underwater lighting circuits, lighting
around pools, and on hot tubs and spas.
Do not put any electrical appliances within 5 feet of a swimming pool. Use battery-operated, rather than electrical, appliances near swimming pools.
Pools and decks should be built at least 5 feet away from all
underground electrical lines and at least 25 feet away from
overhead electrical lines. Any electrical outlets within 20 feet
of a pool should be equipped with a GFCI.
Never swim during a thunderstorm.
If a swimmer is electrocuted or shocked, don’t dive in yourself because you could be electrocuted, too. Turn off the power,
and then use a fiberglass shepherd’s hook to pull the victim out
of the water. Call emergency services immediately.
When you leave the pool, don’t change the radio station or
touch any electrical appliances until you are dry. Never touch
any electrical appliances when you are wet or standing in
water.
If children wish to play with sprinklers or hoses, emphasize
that they should be set up well away from any electrical outlets
or appliances.
In most instances, if potential safety hazards are taken into
consideration and handled proactively, accidents and deaths
can be avoided.
If you plan to go boating or fishing this summer, be aware of
your surroundings and potential electrical hazards. Electricity is
also dangerous around larger bodies of water.
Always check the location of nearby power lines before
boating or fishing. Contact between your boat and a power line
could be devastating. Maintain a distance of at least 10 feet
between your boat and nearby power lines to be safe. Your
boat’s wiring should be in compliance with American Yacht
Club Standards. If you are not qualified to work on your boat’s
electrical system, hire a professional.
rcelectric.org
ETI NC ELLE PHOTOG RA PHE | I STOCK.COM
Heed these tips to stay safe in or around swimming pools:
To prevent injuries, check outlets around docks and pools to make
sure they have GFCI protection, and check cords for exposed wires.
If your boat does come into contact with a power line, never
jump out of the boat into the water because the water could be
energized. Instead, stay in the boat and avoid touching anything metal until help arrives or until your boat is no longer in
contact with the line.
Be sure dockside outlets have GFCI protection, and check
cords that are plugged into them to make sure there are no
broken casings or exposed wires.
Check for the location of power lines before fishing. Make
sure you are casting the line away from power lines to avoid
contact.
July 2016 RUSK COUNTY EC Texas Co-op Power
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