Proposed Bill Likely to Raise Rates for NOVEC Customers
Cable TV companies attempt to pass their cost of doing business to YOU!
C
able TV companies have introduced legislation at the
Virginia General Assembly that will reduce their cost
of doing business at your expense. The bill (HB 1186)
is a poorly disguised rewrite of last year’s telecom bill (HB
1439), which was sent by the General Assembly to the Virginia
State Corporation Commission (SCC) for study.
The SCC conducted an exhaustive study and issued a final
report on Nov. 1, 2011. Two specific conclusions of particular
importance to NOVEC’s customers were reached and included
in the report’s executive summary.
1 — Likely increase to electric rates “… any
reduction to cooperatives’ and electric investor-owned
utilities’ pole attachment rates will likely require an
increase in consumers’ electric rates if the utilities’
revenue requirements remain the same.”
2 — Broadband expansion in underserved areas
won’t happen “… No persuasive evidence was
submitted in this proceeding that proved lower pole
attachment rates would directly result in additional
broadband deployment.”
The proposed cable TV bill seeks to impose a very narrow
definition of “just and reasonable,” which would only provide
compensation for a small portion of the cost associated with the
Did You Notice the PCA Credit on
Your January Electric Bill?
Customers received a credit of $0.01066 per
kilowatt-hour on January bills, resulting in a
savings of $15.99 for an average user of 1,500
kWh of electricity. The reduction is a direct result
of the NOVEC power supply team taking
advantage of favorable energy market conditions.
The 2012 PCA calculation is pending final State
Corporation Commission approval, but it is
expected to be a credit throughout the year, which
is good news for all NOVEC customers.
construction and
maintenance of
NOVEC’s overhead
distribution system.
Safety Also a Concern
Safety is also a very
legitimate concern. We
have documented many
unauthorized and unsafe
attachments on our
system. Such
connections have caused
power outages and
hindered service
restoration, placing
NOVEC employees,
Improper, and frequently unauthorized,
customers and the
pole attachments by cable TV
general public at risk.
companies cause power outages,
Contact Your
Representatives
hinder service restoration, and place
NOVEC employees, customers and the
general public at risk.
The bottom line is
that this bill will not
result in greater deployment of broadband in areas lacking
sufficient customer density to make it profitable for the cable
TV companies to extend their service. What it will do is keep
NOVEC from recovering its costs, and that takes money
directly out of your pocket.
We think that’s a bad idea and hope you agree strongly
enough to contact your legislators in the Virginia House and
Senate. Tell them you don’t want to pay higher electric rates to
subsidize unregulated cable TV companies and ask them to
“kill” HB 1186. Visit the Virginia General Assembly website at
http://conview.state.va.us/whosmy.nsf/main?openform to
quickly and easily contact your representatives about this issue.
New Customer Survey Winner!
Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Mark and Susie Kincy of
Nokesville, the most recent winners of NOVEC’s new customer
survey drawing. They received a Lowe’s gift card.
Bill Payment Options for Any Lifestyle
W
ith NOVEC’s wide variety of payment options, there’s one
to suit every customer’s lifestyle.
Levelized Billing — Prevent drastic
changes in monthly payments, even
during the coldest or hottest months.
The monthly bill is based on a rolling
12-month average of the previous 11
months and the current month’s billing
amounts.
e-Billing — Receive, view, and pay
bills online. It’s fast, easy, and free at
NOVEC.com. Bank, credit union, and
other consolidator web sites can also be
used, but they may charge a fee. After
three months on e-Billing, customers no longer receive a paper
bill in the mail.
e-CHECK — Eliminate check writing and authorize NOVEC to
automatically deduct the bill amount each month from a bank
account.
Speedpay — Pay bills 24 hours a day, seven days a week with
credit card, check, or debit card via telephone or online. The
Speedpay fee is $2.45 per transaction. Visa, MasterCard, and
Discover credit cards are accepted, along with STAR, Honor,
Visa, MAC, NYCE, Magic Line, and Yankee 20 debit cards.
Western Union-Quick Collect — Cash payments can be
made at any participating Western Union location. You must
have your NOVEC bill or account number. A Western Union
customer convenience fee will be charged.
In Person — Payments can be made during business hours at
the Lomond Drive or Minnieville Road offices. Most NOVEC
offices also have a drop-box for payments anytime day or night
(except the Balls Ford Corporate Center).
By Mail — Use the envelope enclosed with the billing
statement and include the return portion of the bill.
For more information — visit www.novec.com, send email
to [email protected], or call 703-335-0500 or
1-888-335-0500.
Quick Fixes for Winter Energy Savings
Eliminate Drafts: According to the U.S.
Department of Energy, drafts can waste
5 to 30 percent of your energy use. Use a
draft snake, which you can purchase or
make yourself. Just place a rolled bath
towel under a drafty door, or sew one
from fabric and fill with sand or kitty
litter.
Change Furnace Filters: It’s important to
replace or clean the furnace filter once a
Holiday Office Closing
Presidents Day: Monday, February 20
To report power outages, call
703-335-0500 or
toll-free 1-888-335-0500
month during the heating season. Dirty
filters restrict airflow and increase
energy use. Also, consider switching to a
permanent filter, which is more efficient
at trapping dust and controlling bacteria,
mold, and pollen.
Run Ceiling Fans in Reverse: Most ceiling
fans have a switch that reverses the
direction of the blades. Running the fan
clockwise forces the warm air that collects
at the ceiling to be circulated down into the
living space — cutting heating costs as
much as 10 percent.
Insulate your windows: Use a window
insulation kit to add a buffer against
drafts. You can save even more by hiring
a professional to
install a high-tech
“low-e” film directly
to the window glass.
Install Caulking and
Weatherstripping: Seal
up air leaks with
caulking and weatherstripping. Look for gaps where air
can get in your home at windows,
doors, around chimneys, where
pipes or wires exit, and along the
foundation.
For more information: visit NOVEC’s
website at www.novec.com/useitwisely2.
For additional information or to submit suggestions for future articles, contact: NOVEC Public Relations,
P.O. Box 2710, Manassas, VA 20108 or send email to: [email protected]. Visit www.novec.com.