Dear co-op member:

�is time of year North Texans are always grateful for the air conditioner—and often concerned by how much it’s running. Keeping your home comfortable during hot, humid weather is a must. At Farmers Electric Cooperative we want to help you tame those summer bills and still enjoy a comfortable home.

Some of our ideas are simple and immediate—like closing curtains to keep out the hot sun and using ceiling fans to stay more comfortable even with your thermostat set at a higher temperature. Others are geared for longer-term savings, like our FREE energy audit and rebate programs that help improve your home’s overall energy e�ciency.

No matter what steps you take to use electricity e�ciently, summer heat and winter cold will always make you use more. �at’s where Budget Billing can be a huge help. �is convenient program lets you average out your annual electricity usage and pay a relatively consistent amount every month.

Summer comfort can be more a�ordable than you might have thought, and at Farmers we want to do everything we can to help you use your power wisely. Please contact us with any questions or ideas you might have to help us serve you better in any season.

Sincerely,

MARK STUBBSGeneral ManagerFarmers Electric CooperativeBUDGET BILLING PLAN

Average out your monthly bills so

you can budget more easily and

avoid surprises. We’ll help you

choose an option that suits you.

FREE ENERGY AUDITOur auditor will come to your

home free of charge and assess

how you’re using energy—then

show you the best ways to

improve efficiency and save!

WE’RE LOOKING OUT FOR YOUWe’re working to make your co-op experience better

every day. That includes helping you manage your electric

bill by offering energy-saving ideas, providing flexible

billing options, and even working with local assistance

organizations if you’re experiencing financial hardships.

YOU’RE IN POWER.

TAKE CONTROL & SAVE OUR 3-POINT PLAN HELPS MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR POWER.

Farmers wants to help you make the most of the power we provide! Please don’t hesitate to contact us, whether you have questions about your bill, need an energy audit, want to suggest better ways for us to serve our members, or just feel like connecting with your neighbors.

LET US HEAR FROM YOU!800 541-2662FarmersElectric.coop YOU’RE IN POWER.800 541 2662 | FarmersElectric.coop | 2000 East I-30, Greenville, TX 75402

2000 East I-30 Greenville, TX 75402

THIS QUARTER:

A DEGREE MAKES A DIFFERENCE! We’ll crunch the numbers on the outdoor temperature, the indoor thermostat setting, and your air conditioner’s workload so you can maximize your comfort and save.

Fans are people coolers, not room coolers. They move air to make you feel 4 to 6 degrees cooler,* but they don’t cool the air itself. Save electricity by turning them off when you’re not in the room.

Comfort systems typically account for about 48% of home energy use.** That’s why optimizing your air conditioner use is so important to taking control of your electric bill.

Farmers’ Paperless Billing program not only makes life more convenient, it helps control the co-op’s operating costs and keeps your contact info, records, and mailing address up to date—especially important when it’s time to deliver your Capital Credit check!

Plus, if you provide a cell phone number when you enroll, you can receive real-time updates by text whenever a power outage occurs in your area.

Sign up today! Create an electronic account online at FarmersElectric.coop and choose paperless billing in your Smart Hub account.

* U.S. Green Building Council http://greenhomeguide.com/know-how/ article/10-ways-to-beat-the-heat

** U.S. Department of Energy http://energy.gov/energysaver/ articles/tips-heating-and-cooling

DID YOUKNOW?

PRSRT STDUS POSTAGE

PAIDDALLAS TX

PERMIT NO. 1845

FINAL FEC.150402 Summer Mailer D3 copy.pdf 1 11/16/15 1:27 PM

Your air conditioner removes heat from inside the home, and then shuts o� when the temperature cools to the point set at the thermostat. When enough outside heat gets back inside (heat gain), the air conditioner comes on again.

A well-insulated home slows down the heat gain and limits how often and how long your air conditioner has to run to maintain a comfortable temperature. Farmers’ FREE energy audit can evaluate your home to determine whether it’s su�ciently sealed and insulated.

When the indoor temperature is set at 75˚ and the outdoor temperature is 90 ,̊ the air conditioner has to maintain the di�erence of 15.̊ �at di�erence is the total cooling load.

Your bill can be consistent, even when the weather isn’t.Farmers Electric Cooperative wants to help you make the most of your comfort, your power, and your budget all year long.

Sign up for Budget Billingand start saving today. 800 541 2662

NARROW THE GAP FOR COMFORT & SAVINGS.

Save up to 8% for every degree you set the thermostat above 78˚F.*

Install a programmable thermostat that adjusts temperatures automatically. A 7˚-10˚ adjustment for 8 hours a day could save you up to 10% a year on heating and cooling.*

Set the thermostat to 85˚ (or higher) while the family is away during the day, and lower (around 78˚) while everyone is home in the evening.

Close your curtains or blinds to block out more of the sun’s heat during the day.

* U.S. Green Building Council http://greenhomeguide.com/know-how/article/10-ways-to-beat-the-heat

* US Department of Energy http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/tips-programmable-thermostats

Raising the thermostat setting 3 degrees to 78˚ reduces that di�erence by 20.% �e U.S. Green Building Council estimates that you’ll save 5–8% on cooling costs for every degree you set your thermostat above 78˚ during the summer.

Rules for applying for a 2015 Farmers Electric Cooperative Rebate:

Only Farmers Electric Cooperative members are eligible for rebates on existing

and new homes. Applications must be received within the 2015 calendar year.

After all program requirements are met, a rebate will either be issued as a check

or in the form of a bill credit issued to the member's account. Please allow up to

4 weeks after receipt of all the documents for the rebate to be processed. 

Farmers Electric Cooperative reserves the right to verify all projects in order to

meet minimum program guidelines. The member may lose the rebate if Farmers

Electric Cooperative cannot verify the information provided on the application

form. Submission of application does not guarantee a rebate; funding for the

program is limited. Once funds budgeted for the rebate program are exhausted,

the program stops. Contact Jim Mellody at jmellody@farmerselectric.coop for

more information or if you have any questions.

2015 ENERGY-EFFICIENCY REBATESSavings now and down the line.Learn more at FarmersElectric.coop

Just like your vehicle, your air-conditioning system runs

better, longer, and more efficiently when it’s tuned to peak

performance. Right now, get a $50 rebate from Farmers

when you have your AC tuned up for the season.

TUNE UP YOUR ACSAVE $50

Saving energy is easy when you switch from old-fashioned

incandescent bulbs to energy-efficient compact fluorescent

lighting (CFLs) or light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Plus,

Farmers will reimburse you up to $100 for CFLs or LEDs

you buy in 2015.

LIGHT FOR LESSUP TO $100

HOLD OFF THE HEAT, HOLD ONTO YOUR MONEY

UP TO $500

Add attic insulation (minimum R-30 value) and get up to

$500 back, and install full solar window screens for a rebate

of $10 per window (maximum $200). Farmers has lots of

other energy- and money-saving rebates available now—

see rebate rules below and visit FarmersElectric.coop for

more information.

TEMPERATURE TWEAKS & TIPS:

78º

$85 - $90 Monthly Bill (SAVE $10 - $15)

$78 - $85 Monthly Bill (SAVE $15 - $22)

Base Temperature $100 Monthly Bill

$92 - $95 Monthly Bill (SAVE $5 - $8)

�e more you narrow the gap between indoor and outdoor temperatures, the less your air conditioner has to work. What’s more, the longer you keep the thermostat at the higher temperature, the more you stand to save.

80º

81º

79º

$100 was used as an easy to understand monthly bill for the savings

that occur for every 1 degree increase in temperature. Your monthly

bill may be different, as well as your percentage of savings.

1º DEGREE CAN = 5% TO 8% SAVINGS*

FINAL FEC.150402 Summer Mailer D3 copy.pdf 2 11/16/15 1:27 PM

#226Spotlight on Excellence Entry Form

NRECA Voting Member Classification * Distribution Cooperative: 50,001-90,000 meters

Category * 6. Best Special Publication

Entry Title * S-Summer Mailer

I wish to receive Judges' comments onthis entry

No

Contact's Name * jim nimmo

Cooperative * Farmers EC

Mailing Address 2000 IH 30 East greenville, tx 75402

Contact's Email * jnimmo@farmerselectric.coop

Contact's Phone Number * (903) 453-0558

Name of entrant as it should appear onthe award (if given)

Jim Nimmo

Is this the first time you've entered the No

Spotlight competition?

Entrant's Email jnimmo@farmerselectric.coop

Names of others (freelancers ororganizations) involved in the project, ifapplicable

cue:creative

Describe your/the co-op's role in theproject *

We experienced some member unrest on social media during the firstquarter of 2015 due to a prolonged winter with unusually lowtemperatures for our region. We wanted to be more proactive for thesummer high bill season. We wanted to let every residential memberknow that summer was coming and to let them know we had tools tokeep their bills affordable.

Describe others’ role in the project(Reference outside sources of material,including templates; pre-existing Webtools and apps; information from outsidegroups, such as Straight Talk orTouchstone Energy; stock photos andmusic, etc.) *

We used cue:creative, an ad agency in Tyler, Texas, to help us with theproject. We wanted something that looked interesting to the member.

Circulation or Number of People Reached * 49,000

Number of Attendees *

Project’s Budget * $15,000

Target Audience(s) * every residential co-op member

Project's Objective * We wanted to be more proactive for the summer high bill season. Wewanted to let every residential member know that summer was comingand to let them know we had tools to keep their bills affordable. Wewanted to provide information about budget billing as a way to keepbills consistent, even when the weather isn't. We wanted to buildawareness of our rebate program and that we provide free homeenergy audits. This led to a huge surge in rebate and audit request!

Restrictions/Limitations * It was imperative that we get this information in the hands of themembership before high bill season, but not so soon that the piecewas ignored.

Describe why you chose this type of socialmedia and how you used it *

Provide a brief summary that states thepurpose of the event, how the programwas implemented, and results and howthey were measured *

Provide a brief summary that states thepurpose, how the program wasimplemented, and results and how theywere measured using the RACEframework. Each component has its ownword limit noted below.