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CURRENT
NEWS & EVENTS
Be
sure to check our monthly safety articles too!
FEC is a CFL
Disposal Site for Co-op Members
If you have a burned out compact fluorescent light (CFL) or one that has been
broken, you can drop them off at the FEC office in Chillicothe, and we will dispose of the
CFL. We have purchased CFL disposal containers and we are making them available to
FEC members.
DNR
Has Cash Rebates For Specific Appliances
May, 2010 Watts Up
If you
haven't spent your tax refund yet, think about investing it in energy-efficient
appliances this spring - and get money back in the process. Farmers' Electric does offer rebates on
specific appliances and now the Missouri Department of Natural Re-sources (DNR)
has $5.6 million in federal stimulus funds to spend on an Energy Star appliance
rebate program.
You
may download a fact sheet about
the rebates. But, in short, here are the appliances and their rebates:
-
Gas furnaces
- $125
-
Air-source heat
pumps - $250
-
Central air conditioning
- $100
-
Water heaters
- gas storage - $100
-
Water heaters
- gas tankless - $100
-
Water heaters
- solar (with gas backup) - $500
-
Water heaters
- electric heat pump - $150
-
Water heaters
- solar (with electric back-up) - $500
-
Clothes washers
- $75
-
Dishwashers
- $75
Federal tax credits also are available
for qualifying non-solar water heaters, air-source heat pumps and central air
conditioning units. They cover 30 percent of the cost up to$1,500 and expire Dec. 31, 2010.
You can contact state Department of
Natural Resources two different ways if you have questions pertaining to the appliance
rebate. Go to their website
or call toll free 877-541-4848 between the hours of 8 a.m.-7 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Maintenance
Work for 2010 Will Include Replacing 14 Miles of Line, Over 700 Poles
April 2010 Watts Up
Farmers'
Electric crews and private
contractor will be very busy this year, replacing at least 14 miles of power lines and over 700poles.FEC currently has 3,772 miles of
energized power lines and over 80,000 poles on its distribution system that covers all or parts of
nine counties. The largest power line replacement project will be an eight-mile stretch coming out of
the Kidder substation. Another 2.5 miles of power lines will be replaced out of the same
substation about three miles east of Hamilton. The remaining 3.5 miles of line to be
replaced will be east of Hale.
"Most of the lines being replaced are the
original power lines that were installed many decades ago," said Troy
Hermanson,
Operations Manager for Farmers’ Electric. All of the power lines being replaced are three-phase distribution
lines. Plans also include replacing over 700 power poles in the extreme northwestern part
of FEC’s service territory around Coffey. Tests on the poles showed they had decayed
to a point to where they were no longer reliable, said Hermanson. "This will take longer than normal to
replace these poles because most of them are right on state highways," Hermanson said.
"This requires the use of additional personnel
for safety reasons, including flagging traffic."
Hermanson said the crews would have to
use two trucks to replace the old poles. One truck would be used to pull the energized line
away from the old pole. The other truck would remove the old pole and install the new
one. Hermanson said power would not be turned off while the change-out took place and
there shouldn’t be any interruption of service.
FEC
Pays Nearly Half a Million Dollars in Taxes
January
2010 Watts Up
Farmers' Electric Cooperative paid
nearly half a million dollars in personal property and real estate taxes to nine north
Missouri counties in 2009.Overall, FEC paid $495,325.37 as a result of the
transformers, substations, poles and property owned in its service territory.
The taxes paid by county are as follows: Caldwell, $72,638.45; Carroll, $53,092.52;Chariton, $25,050.39; Clinton,
$1,026.74;Daviess, $125,626.98; DeKalb, $1,178.79;Linn, $33,182.48; Livingston, $118,258.86;Ray, $65,827.46.
Capital
Credit Checks to Arrive Soon; No Rate Increase Planned for 2010
Mike
Sanders, CEO, December, 2009
Last month we announced in the
Rural Missouri that your Board of Directors had
voted to retire $397,539 of capital credit allocations. These checks will be sent out in December.
This month, we have
some more good news for you - there will not be a rate increase in 2010. Our
power supplier has recently informed us that we will not have an increase from
them next year; therefore our rates will remain the same in 2010.
While this is great news in the short
term, we still need your help in trying to stabilize electric rates in the future. The Senate
is still debating on the cap-and-trade legislation, and if this passes in its current form,
it will result in a drastic increase in your electric bill. If you haven't done so already, please
join Farmers' Electric and all of the electric cooperatives across the nation in the
"Our
Energy, Our Future" campaign. Please contact your two Missouri Senators and ask them
to work with the electric cooperatives and fight for a bill that is fair, affordable, and achievable.
As we close out this year, all of us here
at Farmers' Electric want to wish you and your families a Merry Christmas and a
Happy New Year!
Automated
Attendant Answering FEC’s Telephones (effective
October 1, 2009)
The telephone lines
at the cooperative office in Chillicothe are answered by an automated attendant.
When you call either the 646-4281 or 1-800-279-0496 number you will hear the
following: “Thank you for calling Farmers’ Electric Cooperative. To make a payment, press
9. If you know your party's extension, you may dial it now. Otherwise, dial Zero (0)
or remain on the line to speak to the operator.”
PHONE EXTENSIONS
- Payment 9
- Capital
Credits 10
- Member
Services 11
- Billing 12
- Connect/Disconnect
16
- Tree
Replacement 26
- New
Construction 39
To report a power outage, please call 1-800-927-5334. This toll free
telephone number is manned 24-hours-a-day. You may also pay your bill
any time of day by credit card, debit card or e-check at this number.
In conjunction with
the PAMS program, FEC opened a 24-hour payment
telephone line. Members wishing to use the telephone payment option, may call 1-800-927-5334 and use a debit or a credit card to
make their payment.
A
Home Energy Audit Can Save You Money
Cash incentive will pay up to $500 on your energy efficiency projects
Farmers' Electric Cooperative is offering a service to its members that will result in
lower energy usage at the residence if FEC recommendations are followed. Home energy audits, which are a
thorough examination of a residence that reveals where energy efficiency weaknesses exist, will
be offered to FEC members at a discounted price.
FEC members may also take advantage of
the cooperative's new Incentive Plus Program and receive 50% off of the cost of their energy
efficiency efforts up to $500.
"There are two ways in which members
can lower their monthly energy usage," explained Steve Shoot, FEC Manager of Member
Services."Members can make changes in their lifestyle, such as lowering thermostats in
the winter, or they can spend a little money to make their home more energy efficient.
It’s best to do both."
Adding insulation, caulking around doors
and windows, replacing older heating and cooling systems, replacing incandescent light
bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs, and replacing old inefficient appliances with
Energy Star appliances are just a few ways in which members can become more efficient in
managing the energy usage in their home.
It is important to note that FEC already
offers rebates to its members on specific heating and cooling systems, as well as several Energy
Star appliances and water heaters. The Incentive Plus Program is not designed to provide
further assistance in purchasing these Energy Star appliances. The program is designed
to assist in the purchase and installation of, for example, insulation in attic and wall
areas. Plus, FEC already offers its members free CFL bulbs through its Light Bulb Swap
Program.
The Blower Door energy audit is an
excellent tool in which you can determine where the energy robbing leaks are in your home.
Plus, our employees will also perform a 75-pointwalk-through examination of your house. Following the home energy audit, a
specific list of recommendations will be provided to you. So give use a call. We can save you
money every day.
FEC Members Can Now Pay Bill Online, Acquire Additional Information
Farmers' Electric member-owners now have another means in which they can use the internet to take advantage of new services being offered by their cooperative. Effective April 1, 2009, FEC members may use the new online services to make a payment with a debit or credit
card or E-check, check out their capital credit allocations over the years, look at their billing records for the previous 12 months, and more.
Members
received an application with their April 1 bill to enroll in the e-Business program.
The update / enrollment application is also available here.
Download and print the application,
then just follow the directions / fill in the blanks, and mail or fax it back to the office in Chillicothe.
Members will need to create a password and use their account number (or member number) to gain access to their personal records. Members may also be able to store their credit card information with only the last four numbers of the card being visible so they don't have to look up the number every time they use the e-Business program. The e-Business Member Login is protected by SSL technology, verified by
Geotrust.
Contact
FEC If You Are On a Life Support System
We are asking Farmers' Electric
members who are on life support systems to contact us so we may have an updated listing.
Please call the office at 660-646-4281 or 1-800-279-0496 and ask for Gina.
Insulation
is One of the Best Energy Investments You Can Make
If you want to reduce your overall energy use and make your home more comfortable,
insulation is one of the best energy investments you can make. Insulation’s thermal resistance (R-value)
is usually measured per inch of material. In January of 2006 the Department of Energy
(DOE) changed its insulation recommendations for attics in north Missouri from R-38 to R-49.
It takes about 18-21 inches of insulation to reach the recommended R-49 value.
There are basically five different forms
of thermal insulation. They are:
-
Batts and Blankets are flexible,
bound insulation made from glass or cotton fibers. They come in rolls or strips in
standard widths, usually to fit between farming on 16-or 24-inch centers. The thickness of batts
and blankets varies depending on the desired R-value. They are available with or
without vapor retarder facings. Blankets are available in continuous rolls, whereas batts are
precut.
-
Loose-Fill
Insulation consists of fibers or granules made from cellulose, fiberglass,
rock wool, cotton or other materials. This loose insulation conforms to the space in which it is installed.
Loose-fill insulation comes in bags and is usually blown into cavities or attics with special
equipment. Sometimes loose-fill fibers are co-sprayed with an adhesive or water in order to cover
irregularly shaped and hard-to-reach areas or to install in walls before drywalling. The is
usually called wet cellulose insulation. The insulation dries within a few days and is resistant
to settling.
-
Rigid
Insulation is made from fibrous materials or plastic foams and is pressed
or extruded into board-like forms. It is commonly used on exterior walls (under siding) and
foundations. It is very useful in cramped areas such as cathedral or vaulted
ceilings.
-
Foam in
Place materials require special equipment to meter, mix, spray or extrude into place. They provide
air sealing as well as insulation. These foams can be sprayed into open wall cavities, where
they expand to fill the space.
-
Radiant
barriers stop heat from moving through the attic by radiation rather
than slowing heat conduction. They reduce attic temperatures in warm climates.
Governor Blunt
Inks Right-of-Way Legislation
New right-of-way legislation, approved by the Missouri House of Representatives
and Senate, has been signed into law by Governor Matt Blunt. The new legislation allows electric
cooperatives the ability to maintain their respective right-of ways. The legislation will allow
FEC to control the vegetation in rural areas regardless of existing easements and with-out prior
permission. The right-of-way distances are 30-feet from the center line, for a total of 60 feet.
There may also be instances where tall trees out-side that area, with prior notification of
the landowner may fall under this legislation. The right-of-way bill was signed by
Governor Blunt on July 10 and and went into effect August 28.
Spray
Crews Will be at These Substations
Northeast Rural Services, a private contractor employed by Farmers' Electric Cooperative,
is currently spraying FEC right-of-ways in the Chillicothe, Hale and Indian Grove
substations. They will also be spraying the right-of-way areas for the Avalon, Stet and Polo
substations before the end of the year.
Watts Up! Your Farmers’ Electric
News Adds Page and More
by
Mike Sanders, FEC CEO August, 2008
A few months ago the decision was made to expand the number of Farmers’ Electric
news pages in the Rural Missouri
magazine. At the same time, the decision was also made to move our FEC pages inside the
magazine. There are so many important issues in the world right now that have an impact on
your monthly bill. We need the extra space to provide you with more detailed information as
to how these issues will or could make a difference in your life. Plus, there is a ton of additional
information to pass along to you, including energy efficiency tips, safety, rebates, and much more.
This information needs to be presented to you on a monthly basis. As a result, the decision
was made to change to a four-page "mini-newsletter" located in the center of the
Rural Missouri magazine.
In recent months we have started a
number of new programs at FEC that can make a difference in the quality of your life and in
the lives of other members of Farmers’ Electric. These include the FEC Co-op
Connections Card, a discount card for FEC members only; Operation Round Up,
a major new
program that involves your cooperative’s charity and a change in an existing program that will
assist you financially in specific appliance purchases. The program provides FEC members with the “Power” of cooperative member participation to provide revenues that will
be used to assist area families who have children that have been ill or injured in which the parents do
not have enough money or health insurance to cover the medical costs. All of the money raised through
Operation Round Up will be placed in your cooperative’s charity, the Area Youth Benefit
Fund. To date, nearly $400,000 has been donated to area families in need throughout our nine-county service territory. The additional
revenues received through the Operation Round Up program will allow higher dollar
donations to be made for payment of expensive medical bills. Our rebate
programs now include
a rebate on several Energy Star appliances, plus significant increases in rebates for dual
fuel systems and geothermal, or ground source heat pumps. There are more announcements to
be made in the near future so I encourage you to keep track of what your
electric cooperative is doing each month in Watts Up. There will be articles every month that will
save you money if you take advantage of the material we provide you. For
example, energy efficiency expert Doug Rye will make regular appearances in Watts Up, plus our member
services department will also be providing information that will make a difference in your
monthly payment to us. Watts Up with Farmers’ Electric? Check us out each month in your
Rural Missouri magazine. P.S. You also need to check out our
safety articles at www.fec-co.com/safetyarticles.htm.
Check
Out the Efficiency of Heat Pump Systems
In the dog days of summer, heating your home for winter is hardly a priority. But
in fact, this is a good time of year to plan how to reduce your largest energy expense:
heating your home. 30525If your heating system is more than 15 years old, it may be time to bump up to a more
efficient system, particularly as energy costs continue to rise. The reason heat pumps are so efficient: they move heat from one source to another
instead of creating heat. If you heat with electricity, a heat pump can trim the amount of
electricity you use by 30 percent to 40 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Air-to-air heat pumps have efficiencies
of around 250 percent. Ground-source heat pumps, which use the earth's more
constant below-ground temperature, have 350 percent to 400 percent efficiency - a 3.5 times
greater return on your dollar. According to a survey conducted by Associated Electric Cooperative, about 30 per-cent of Missouri co-op members already
use heat pumps. If you’re building a new home or upgrading your existing heating and
cooling system, call FEC and talk to the guys in members services about the different rebates
they offer on specific heat pump systems. Buying and installing a new heating
system is a big-ticket purchase. But given that heating your home in winter is probably your
greatest use of electricity, a new system could be the best use of your energy dollars.
 The
Cheapest Energy Around
Ron Cornett President
Last year my message to you was
"Be
Wise...Economize." It is still very important for us to “be wise in 2008.”
All energy costs are up and it appears that energy prices will continue upward.
Gasoline may hit $4 a gallon by mid-summer, which makes fuel companies billions of dollars
in profits.
Electricity is up at the cooperative, but
profits are down. We dislike telling you rates have to increase, but we have no choice.
Associated Electric Cooperative had to raise their rates to us and us to you.
Even with the increased
cost of electricity it is still a bargain compared with all other energy costs.
We all need to become more efficient in how we manage our use of energy. It’s better
for you and it’s better for your cooperative if you take advantage of the energy saving
opportunities that are now available to you. Keep reading your Rural
Missouri magazine each month for energy saving ideas and tips.
The decision to abandon the Norborne
power plant project was a surprise to us at FEC and the N.W. area, especially in light of the
need for additional base load generation in the near future. The current trend in base load
generation for the cooperatives is not positive. If these trends continue we will run out of
power in the next decade. Come to your June 10 Annual Meeting to see when we expect this to happen.
Our Energy
We, as electric co-op members and constituents, must call on elected officials to provide this
leadership. That's why I want to encourage you to contact your elected officials. Now. You don't need to be an energy expert to
ask questions. Asking questions helps find the answers to solve the problem of balancing
climate change goals with keeping your lights on and your electric bills affordable. Right now, members of Congress as well
as state elected officials are hearing from lots of different interest groups who have ideas about
how to address climate change. No one is talking to consumers, however. We need
a plan people can live with today while we deal with the climate change problem of tomorrow.
To make things easy, we have
a Web site that will send an email for you. Go to www.ourenergy.coop
and plug in your address. There you'll be able to ask a series of questions to your
representatives in Washington. We're kicking this effort off with a basic but critical question:
"What are
they doing to make sure we'll have the power we need in the future?"
Weather
Radios are Still Available at FEC Office
It’s the time of year when severe weather can happen at any time. The only way to receive
quick notification when severe weather or potentially severe weather is expected in your area is with
a weather alert radio. As FEC members you can purchase a Midland Weather Alert
AM/FM Radio for just $59.95plus tax, for a total of $62.48. FEC can also ship your radio
directly to your home or business for an additional $5.
Late
Payment Fees Change April 1
Effective with the April 1 bill, late payment fees will be changing for FEC
members. If payment is not received by the15th of each month, the late payment fee will be $5 or five percent(5%) of the bill,
whichever amount is greater. Visit our Administrative
Services page for additional details.
The
Energy Challenge
by Mike Sanders,
FEC CEO, Rural Missouri, April, 2008
We have an energy challenge. The surplus
generating capacity that has been available to us for many years has just about run out. And it's
been predicted that in the next 10 to 15 years we need to increase generating capacity by 50% just
to meet our projected growth. The increased material costs and the proposed
climate change legislation have made it more difficult to build new power plants, so we
must look for other ways to try to meet this demand.
One way to reduce the growth in demand
and delay the need for new generation is to use electricity wisely. There are many ways to spend
a little money now and have that investment save you several times that much on future
electric bills. You will still enjoy the same quality of life, but your usage will be less because of some
of the energy efficiency measures that you've adopted.
Some of the things you can do to reduce
your usage, and help delay the need for a new power plant, are to replace incandescent light
bulbs with compact fluorescent lights (CFLs), increase the amount of insulation in your attic,
caulk around doors and windows, and replace older appliances with Energy Star appliances. Other
energy saving ideas can be found at www.touchstoneenergysavers.com.
Later this year,
Farmers' Electric plans to
introduce several new energy efficiency programs that will be available to our members. We
hope that you will take advantage of these programs to help reduce your usage. Please look for
details on these programs in upcoming issues of Rural Missouri.
So
Far Weather Predictions Have Missed This Winter’s Forecast
March, 2008
Last fall, weather prognosticators predicted the winter of 2007-2008 would be warmer than average. According to weather data compiled by FEC, the 2007-2008 winter to date is turning out to be colder than average.
FEC personnel record the daily high and low temperatures. A system called heating degree days and cooling degrees days is used to show a temperature pattern. FEC comparisons are on an 11-year average.
Based on the heating degree numbers, which are used to track winter temperatures, the month of November was very close to its usual average temperature mark with 663 heating degree days. November’s 11-year average for heating degree days is 672.
December and January,
however, have proven to be colder than average, as a result of several extended Arctic cold spells that lingered in north Missouri. Heating degree numbers for December show a total of 1,116 heating degree days. FEC’s historical records shows the average for December is 1,059 heating degree days.
January’s average was off by a higher margin than December’s average temperatures. The January 2008 numbers show 1,217 heating degree days when compared to
the average of 1,059 heating degree days. Colder than average temperatures will have a financial impact on any type of energy used to heat your residence or business during the winter months. Heating appliances obviously use
the most energy in the home during this season.
Figuring degree days...
Here is how to figure heating degree days. Add the high and low temperature of the day and divide by two. Subtract this number from 65 and you have the heating degree days for that specific day.
Collection
Charges Changing March 1, 2008
March, 2008
Collection charges and re-connecting charges will be changing effective March 1.
Each charge will be changing from $25 to $35. Collection charge is when an employee gets dispatched on a non-paid account. Re-connect charge applies if the account is disconnected.
Find
Your Equity Number and Win!
March, 2008
Did you ever wonder what the five or six-digit numbers were that are scattered across your cooperative’s news pages?
The equity numbers of five members are chosen each month and placed on the Back Page.
If you spot your equity number, contact the office immediately, because you have won a prize!
You must contact the office before the next issue of Rural Missouri magazine arrives. Good Luck!
Going
Underground
by Mike Sanders, FEC CEO,
February, 2008
As you may remember, we had a
major ice storm in mid-December that severely
affected parts of our system. At its peak, we had nearly3,800 members out of service, although most
of these members had their service restored in less than 24 hours. As bad as this was, our
system was not hit as hard as others in the northwest part of the state. During outages, we are often asked why
we don't put the lines underground where they would be protected from the ice storms and
tornadoes. Until fairly recently, underground cable was not as reliable as overhead, and it did
not last as long as overhead conductor. Underground cable is also more expensive to put
in than overhead.
As our system grows, we determine whether
it is best to install underground or overhead conductor. We use underground in many of the
new areas that we serve, and will sometimes replace existing overhead lines with underground
lines. However, it is not feasible to replace all of our overhead lines with underground. We
currently have over 3,600 miles of overhead lines on our system.
The going rate for underground
installation is $11.88/foot, which means that it would cost our members over $225,000,000 to fully
convert our system to underground. This cost does not include the cost to retire the poles and
wires of the overhead system. We would have to borrow money from RUS (formerly REA) for
this project. The monthly payment for a 35-year loan for $225,000,000 at 5.5% interest is
$1,208,286. We currently serve 13,000 meters, so dividing that $1,208,286 by 13,000 would mean that
each of you would have to pay an additional $92.94 per month on your electric
bill.
So what can be done to help reduce future
outages? It would be very helpful to us if you would allow us to trim or remove any trees that are close
to our overhead lines. This will help prevent broken limbs, or the tree itself
from falling into the lines and causing an outage. If we remove one of your trees, we will give
you a new tree, which will be planted by a professional from a local nursery at no cost to you.
More information on our Tree Replacement
Program can be found on this web site.
I'm proud of the way that all of our
employees worked during the December ice storm. Many of them worked long hours in cold and wet
conditions. We will continue to do our best to keep your lights on, and we appreciate your
patience and understanding during those times that you are without service.
Please Contact Our Office If You Have a Back-up
Generation System at Your Home
The ice storm in December of
last year inconvenienced many of you in the northwest part of our
distribution system. The resulting outages also made us more aware that a number of you have a back-up
generator in case an extended outage does occur.
If you currently have
a back-up generation system, please contact our office in the next few weeks.
We will provide for you, free of charge, an inspection of your system to
determine if it has been correctly installed. If a unit is not installed
correctly, the power you are placing throughout your residence may accidentally
back-feed onto our power lines and create a dangerous and potentially fatal situation for our linemen
and contractors. If the unit is not installed correctly you may create a
situation that could be hazardous for your safety and the safety of your family, as well.
Please call us at 646-4281 or 1-800-279-0496 and let us inspect
your back-up generation system.
Compare Power
Usage Before You Buy Any Appliances
New audio-visual appliances make home entertainment more enjoyable, however it is
important to note they also use more energy. HDTV’s have larger screens requiring more energy, videogame consoles and personal computers
have more powerful processors, plus consumers have more cordless telephones in their homes.
Consumer electronics now account for about 11 percent of the overall residential use. “Phantom”energy users include DVDs, instant-on tv’s,
computers, monitors, satellite receivers and more. Some 65-inch televisions use 76 watts of
electricity when they are turned off. That is the equivalent of having a 75-watt light bulb on
constantly. Take advantage of Energy Star ratings on any appliances you may purchase. Energy
Star rated appliances will save you money over the period of time that you own the appliance.
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