NEWS LINE · Winter roars, CEC fights back A fast moving winter storm as-saulted our area in late...
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NEWS LINE APRIL 2016 Citizens Electric Corporation’s monthly publication Winter roars, CEC fights back A fast moving winter storm as- saulted our area in late Febru- ary. While the snow did not last long, it did leave over 16,000 members without power and the ground wet and muddy during restoration. Snow is not usually an issue for power lines, however the warm temperatures allowed for the snow to melt and re-freeze as ice on the lines. is ice caused the lines to catch wind and be blown around violently. In this case, many poles were actually knocked to the ground by the added weight and wind. A total of 32 poles had to be replaced with the largest number of those being in Perry County. Additional poles were affect- ed, but were not deemed dangerous. However, they have a slightly shorter lifespan due to the added stress. e outages were widespread, but most of the damage occurred in Perry County. Crews replaced 26 poles in the Central District. CEC called in crews from other Missouri cooperatives to assist in the resto- ration process. Seing poles and repairing conductor became even more complicated as the ground was saturated with water and melting snow. is made working out of trucks impossible in many locations. Oſten, conductor needed to be de-energized in order to make repairs and an all-terrain carrier equipped with a digger and derrick was used to dig holes and install poles. While our outage management system assisted in identifying mem- bers that were without power, we oſten encountered lines and poles that had fallen in desolate areas. ese unknown damages slowed the restoration process as equipment and supplies had to be brought in. Line crews worked hard to have most members restored within the first 24 hours, yet we did have 24 me- ters, of the original 16,472, that were without power for over 48 hours. We would like to thank all our members for their support and patience as we worked to restore power. e overwhelming number of supportive posts on our Facebook page and thank you calls that were received, illustrate the true meaning of a cooperative. We are lucky to have such wonderful members. We would also like to thank all of our employees for their hard work during this process; without such a dedicated team we could not have made restorations as quickly as we did. An all-terrain carrier equipped with a digger derrick can navigate soggy and muddy ground without becoming stuck. Tyler Sauer works to connect power after ice and strong winds downed a neighboring pole. When it comes to saving energy, buyer beware is alive and well. We are all bom- barded by claims that border on outright falsehoods, so it pays to view savings claims from third parties cautiously. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it generally is. Electric space heaters drain energy savings from your home if used incorrectly. Companies make elaborate claims about the amount of money you can save and charge exorbitant sums for their products. e advertisements frequently target those on a fixed income, presenting false hope while extracting precious dollars from their customers. Many of these space heaters, while they appear to be well made, typically offer no beer economy than any other 1,500-wa electric heater. Boom line, electric space heaters should only be used to heat small spaces – not an entire home. Black boxes that claim to clean up pow- er, protect appliances and reduce energy use come and go. ese oſten require an electri- cian to install and claim to improve power quality, smooth out power fluctuations and store energy so you can reduce your bills. Save your money. e concepts they pres- ent are already in use by Citizens Electric and require utility-size equipment to deliver them. Something that can fit in a shoebox is not going to deliver any value, at least not in the areas promised. If you are concerned Devices to avoid! SEE AVOID, PAGE TWO Attempting a DIY generator can be expen- sive and dangerous. Please leave all electri- cal work to trained professionals.
Transcript of NEWS LINE · Winter roars, CEC fights back A fast moving winter storm as-saulted our area in late...
NEWS LINEAPRIL 2016Citizens Electric Corporation’s monthly publication
Winter roars, CEC fights backA fast moving winter storm as-
saulted our area in late Febru-ary. While the snow did not last long, it did leave over 16,000 members without power and the ground wet and muddy during restoration.
Snow is not usually an issue for power lines, however the warm temperatures allowed for the snow to melt and re-freeze as ice on the lines. This ice caused the lines to catch wind and be blown around violently. In this case, many poles were actually knocked to the ground by the added weight and wind. A total of 32 poles had to be replaced with the largest number of those being in Perry County. Additional poles were affect-ed, but were not deemed dangerous. However, they have a slightly shorter lifespan due to the added stress.
The outages were widespread, but most of the damage occurred in Perry County. Crews replaced 26 poles in the Central District. CEC called in crews from other Missouri cooperatives to assist in the resto-ration process. Setting poles and repairing conductor became even more complicated as the ground was saturated with water and melting snow. This made working out of trucks impossible in many locations.
Often, conductor needed to be de-energized in order to make repairs and an all-terrain carrier equipped with a digger and derrick was used to dig holes and install poles.
While our outage management system assisted in identifying mem-bers that were without power, we often encountered lines and poles that had fallen in desolate areas. These unknown damages slowed the restoration process as equipment and supplies had to be brought in.
Line crews worked hard to have most members restored within the first 24 hours, yet we did have 24 me-ters, of the original 16,472, that were without power for over 48 hours.
We would like to thank all our members for their support and patience as we worked to restore power. The overwhelming number of supportive posts on our Facebook page and thank you calls that were received, illustrate the true meaning of a cooperative. We are lucky to have such wonderful members.
We would also like to thank all of our employees for their hard work during this process; without such a dedicated team we could not have made restorations as quickly as we did.
An all-terrain carrier equipped with a digger derrick can navigate soggy and muddy ground without becoming stuck.
Tyler Sauer works to connect power after ice and strong winds downed a neighboring pole.
When it comes to saving energy, buyer beware is alive and well. We are all bom-barded by claims that border on outright falsehoods, so it pays to view savings claims from third parties cautiously. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it generally is.
Electric space heaters drain energy savings from your home if used incorrectly. Companies make elaborate claims about the amount of money you can save and charge exorbitant sums for their products. The advertisements frequently target those on a fixed income, presenting false hope while extracting precious dollars from their customers. Many of these space heaters, while they appear to be well made, typically
offer no better economy than any other 1,500-watt electric heater. Bottom line, electric space heaters should only be used to heat small spaces – not an entire home.
Black boxes that claim to clean up pow-er, protect appliances and reduce energy use come and go. These often require an electri-cian to install and claim to improve power quality, smooth out power fluctuations and store energy so you can reduce your bills. Save your money. The concepts they pres-ent are already in use by Citizens Electric and require utility-size equipment to deliver them. Something that can fit in a shoebox is not going to deliver any value, at least not in the areas promised. If you are concerned
Devices to avoid!
SEE AVOID, PAGE TWO
Attempting a DIY generator can be expen-sive and dangerous. Please leave all electri-cal work to trained professionals.
NLApril16.indd 1 3/14/2016 10:33:10 AM
If you want to celebrate Earth Day on April 22, start by making your home more energy efficient. Below are three efficiency tips from energy expert Brian Sloboda of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
Look around your home for no-cost ways to be efficient. Close the curtains in the summer and open them in the winter. Turn off your computers over-night. Also turn off video game consoles when they’re not being used. Better yet, keep them off and send the kids outside to play baseball.
Look for small steps you can take and DIY. Caulk around drafty windows. Check the attic for the correct amount of insulation. Switch to ENERGY STAR® LED light bulbs, and utilize POWER MOVES ® rebates . Plant a deciduous tree on the sunny side of your house; in a few years the leaves will cool your home against the sun in summer, then fall off
to warm it in the winter. Old cable TV boxes use a lot of energy. If yours is not ENER-GY STAR ®-rated, call your cable provider and ask for a new one. If you have a major appliance – like a refrigerator, washing machine or dryer – that’s more than 10 years old, don’t repair it. The energy efficiency of a newer model will likely pay for itself with energy savings in a few years. Before buying any appliance, look for the ENERGY STAR ® label, and learn to read it and compare products.
Call Citizens Electric about energy-saving pro-grams—They may be able to offer advice, HVAC and appliance rebates or a home energy audit. You might be surprised to find out what’s really driving up your energy costs.
NEWS LINE PAGE 2
How to start saving energy and moneyThree quick tips toward energy efficiency
about protecting your sensitive appliances and electronics, talk to Citizens Electric about surge protection.
When you see the ad that reads, “The power companies don’t want you to know,” skip it. These are generally claims around building your own renewable energy source from parts easily obtained at the local hardware store or a motor that produces limitless “free” electricity. These are equiva-lent with the emails from foreign countries telling you that you can receive millions of dollars by simply sending all your banking information.
There is a product that claims it will replace basement dehumidifiers and save tons of money. It basically is a fan system that vents all the basement air outside. Yes, dehumidifiers can be expensive to run and are a nuisance when you have to empty the water. The Cooperative Research Network (an arm of the Arlington, Va.-based Nation-al Rural Electric Cooperative Association) says these products fail to deliver on their
savings claims. The problem is that when you blow all the basement air outside, it is replaced with conditioned air from other parts of the house. Now your HVAC system works harder and dramatically reduces the promised savings. An easier solution is to set your dehumidifier to 60 percent and run a hose to a floor drain. This resolves the water emptying hassle and really reduces the power use while keeping the basement acceptably dry.
Electronics are not the only thing that can cost you more money, here is a non-tech-nology warning. Scammers love to call claiming they represent the local power company. Never give anyone personal or fi-nancial information who claims to be a Cit-izens Electric employee without confirming their identity. Ask for a call back number from the caller, their name and to what the call is regarding, then check with Citizens Electric at 877-876-3511. Gain as much information from the caller as possible.
It is also important that you avoid stores and websites that offer to make your payment for you. Many of these places will charge you to make the payment, and it can take several days for you payment to pro-
cess. CEC will never charge you to make a payment over the phone, online, in person, or at one of our remote pay locations.
Most of us want to save energy and keep our bills manageable. Technology can help do this, but be careful. Call CEC at 877-876-3511 before making any investments in technology that seem too good to be true. You’ll be glad you did.
FROM PAGE ONE
Avoid
While they might be well made and look like quality products, infrared heaters rarely save you money. If you must use a space heater, use it for small spaces only.
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