After the storm Outage reporting & outage response See pages 6 and 7 Watt High Lights Jackson County Rural Electric Membership Corporation Brownstown, Indiana Your Touchstone Energy Cooperative September 2016 Volume 71 - Number 3
Watt High Lights Jackson County Rural Electric Membership Corporation 274 E. Base Road (Venus Road) P.O. Box K Brownstown, IN 47220-0311 Local calls - 812-358-4458 Toll free - 800-288-4458 FAX only - 812-358-5719 E-mail - info@jacksonremc.com Web site - www.jacksonremc.com Pay bills online - visit our website (above) Pay bills by phone - 1-888-999-8816 Office Hours 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday To report outages or emergencies 812-358-4458 (local) or toll free 1-800-288-4458 day or night Board of Directors President John Trinkle - district 3 Vice-President Earl Pottschmidt - district 8 Secretary-Treasurer Jerry Kelley - district 5 John Hackman - district 1 Walter Hunter - district 2 Paul Elliott - district 4 Mark Trisler - district 6 Curtis Wischmeier - district 7 John Miller - district 9 OUR COVER A rainbow after a storm is a pretty sight, but no one enjoys a power outage caused by a storm. See pages 6 and 7 for information on reporting an outage and for a diagram that shows how your REMC goes about restoring your power. 2016 Capital credits retirement Mark McKinney, General Manager As a consumer and a member, you own a portion of Jackson County REMC. One benefit of membership involves the allocation of excess revenue, called margins, in the form of capital credits. In my opinion, allocating and the eventually retiring excess revenue to its members helps distinguish electric cooperatives from any other electric utility. Margins earned from electric revenues are the only real source of equity for electric cooperatives. Electric cooperatives operate at cost by collecting enough revenue to run and expand the business without the need to raise rates just to generate profits for distant shareholders. After the financial books are closed each year, any money left over is then allocated back to the membership based on the amount of electricity each member consumed during the year. The retirement of capital credits, so called because members provide capital to the electric cooperative for it to operate and expand, depends on the financial status of the cooperative. We utilize capital credits to cover emergencies, such as a natural disaster and other unexpected events, and to expand the electric system, all of which may require large-scale construction of poles, wires, and equipment. This process decreases the need to raise rates due to borrowing money to pay for infrastructure needs. Typically, when the financial position permits, cooperatives retire capital credits to its members. Based on recent published data from the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC), in 2014, electric cooperatives across the nation retired $974 million in capital credits to current and former members, and since 1990, cooperatives have retired $13 billion. Since its first capital credits retirement in March of 2014, Jackson County REMC has retired almost $6 million in capital credits. The planned capital credits retirement this November will include the years of 1978 through 1983 for almost $3.3 million. For more information about capital credits retirements, be sure to look for information on page 4 this issue of the Watt high Lights and our website at www.jacksonremc.com. Watt High Lights - (USPS 669-580) is published monthly for $3.00 per year (electric rates include subscription) by Jackson County Rural Electric Membership Corporation, a consumer owned utility, 274 E. Base Road, Brownstown, Indiana 47220. Periodicals postage paid at Brownstown, Indiana. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Watt High Lights, P.O. Box K, Brownstown, Indiana 47220. Follow your REMC on Page 2 - September 2016
Beat the Peak Energy Management Program helps keep REMC s rates down! You can earn bill credits by signing up and doing your part! Jackson County REMC s Beat the Peak Energy Management Program completed a successful summer season on August 31 with a total of 11 activations of the load control devices that were installed on equipment in the homes of the nearly 500 participating members. Why was this important? Each activation helped reduce the REMC s peak energy usage on which its wholesale rates will be based for the next three months. What is the Energy Management Program? It is an innovative Beat the Peak program that uses electrical control switches to manage electricity use when demand for electricity is at its highest. The peak demand occurs when you and our other 20,000 members of the REMC are using significant amounts of electricity at the same time. The control switches manage the operational times of electric water heating and central air conditioning units. The operation of the appliances can typically be reduced when demand for electricity is the highest with little noticeable impact. Why has an Energy Management Program become important? The wholesale cost of electricity during peak demand times has skyrocketed over the last several years. It is now a bigger factor in determining the rates that you and all our members have to pay for the electricity that we deliver. By reducing the peak demand for electricity the REMC can save money on its electricity purchases. These savings are then passed thru to you in the rates we charge for electricity. When are the appliances controlled? Water heaters are controlled during the summer months (June, July, August) and the winter months (December, January, February). Heat pumps and central air conditioners are controlled only during the summer months (June, July, August). On average only three to four control events occur per month. Do members receive any benefits for participating? By participating in the program you not only receive the satisfaction that you are helping yourself and other members of the REMC, but you also receive bill credits during the control months. (See the box to the right or the sign-up form on page 7 for bill credit amounts.) The maximum bill credit per account is $48.00 per year. Only residential accounts are eligible to participate in the program at this time. How do I sign up? Members can help Beat the Peak by signing up for the Energy Management Program. You do not have to come into the office. Forms are available on our website at www.jacksonremc.com, or we can mail a form to you. Once we receive your signed agreement you will be contacted to schedule the installation of the control switches. Please note that forms for rental properties must be signed by both the landlord and the tenant. Please contact us if you have any questions about the Energy Management Program. Decrease in retail rates for the 4th quarter of 2016 Jackson County REMC will adjust its retail metered rates based upon a pending decrease in the cost of purchased electricity that is being charged by Jackson s power supplier, Hoosier Energy, Inc. The $0.89 per 1,000 kwh decrease in the power cost adjustment stems from an upcoming October 1, 2016 quarterly adjustment in Hoosier s power cost tracker due to the varying costs for energy fuels, market power purchases, and other highly fluctuating expenses. Effective October 1, 2016, the power cost adjustment will change from $0.009275 per kwh to $0.008383 per kwh, decreasing a typical bill of 1,000 kwh from $126.83 to $125.94, or.70%. These rates will remain in effect through December 31, 2016. September 2016 - Page 3
Capital Credits allocations for 1978 through 1983 to be refunded The Jackson County REMC Board of Directors has declared that the capital credits that were allocated to members for the years 1978-1983 are eligible for refund, with payments scheduled to begin in November. Members and heirs of members who had service during these years are eligible to file claims. Please note that if you received a capital credit allocation refund during the last two years, for the years 1949 to 1977, you do not need to reapply for the new refund period. The refund for the new period will automatically be sent to the address we have on file. Notices will be mailed starting in September. If you were a member from 1978 to 1983 and you receive a mailed notice because we had a valid address for you in our records, you may fill out and return the claim form that accompanies the notice. If you were a member from 1978 to 1983 but do not receive a mailed notice, go online at www. jacksonremc.com/content/ capital-credits to confirm that you have a refund available and to download an inactive account claim form. You can also call the office at 812-358-4458 Page 4 - September 2016 or 800-288-4458 to check if a refund is available. We can mail an inactive account claim form to you. If you are an heir of a member from 1978 to 1983 who is now deceased, you can either go online at www.jacksonremc.com/ content/capital-credits to check if there is a refund available and download an estate claim packet, or you can call the office at 812-358-4458 or 800-288-4458 to confirm that there is a refund available and receive an estate claim packet by mail. If you need to update your name and address for a future capital credits refund, you may obtain a name and address change form by going online or by calling the office. As always, contact the REMC office at 812-358-4458 or 800-288-4458 if you have any questions. The REMC Board of Directors hopes to make further refunds on an annual schedule, eventually achieving a 30- year rotation. However, the board will evaluate the program year by year to determine how best to proceed.
September 2016 - Page 5
Nobody likes it when the power goes out, but now reporting your outage is easier than ever. You can report your outage on your Smartphone or Tablet using the Smarthub App. SmartHub makes it easy to check your service status, and report an outage. Below you will find instructions on how to set up the SmartHub App, and how to report an outage. Setting up SmartHub Report an Outage 1. Search for SmartHub in the App store on your Smartphone or Tablet 1. Open the SmartHub app on your Smartphone or Tablet and Tap the Service Status icon 2. Search by Name 2. Tap Report my power is out 3. Search for: Jackson County REMC 4. Confirm your selection 5. Either Login to your SmartHub Account, or Register as a new user. If you are a new user you will need your account number to set up SmartHub. You can find your account number on your bill, or you can call our office and we will be happy to help you. 3. Tap in the Comments field and add any helpful infomation about your service interruption 4. Tap the Submit button to send the information to Jackson County REMC SmartHub is a registered Trademark of National Information Soluntions Cooperative. Page 6 - September 2016
September 2016 - Page 7
National Chicken Month! by Betty Baute Member Services Representative Yes, even chicken has its own special month, and we re celebrating with three of my favorite easy and tasty chicken dishes. Just add a salad and some crusty bread to make a complete meal. Here s one of my favorite shortcuts for making chicken casseroles --- instead of cooking and then dicing or shredding a chicken, buy a rotisserie-cooked chicken from your grocery s deli. Use what you need for your recipe, then freeze the rest for fixing another meal. * * * * * Coming in October My-oh-my --- autumn is here! And, with autumn comes pie season! There are few things more comforting on a chilly autumn evening than a slice of pie warm from the oven that s served with a steaming mug of coffee, tea or cocoa. We ll serve up three of our favorite pie recipes for you to try. * * * * * Little things can add up to energy savings! = Be sure to check your heating system s filter on a monthly basis. If you can t see daylight through the filter, it s time to replace it! = Set your thermostat no higher than 68 degrees, and slip on a sweater or sweatshirt if you feel chilly. = Use small appliances, such as slow cookers, micorwaves and counter-top toaster ovens, instead of the range, to do your cooking. Slow cooker cheesy chicken 6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/2 pounds) salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste 2 cans (10.75 ounces each) cream of chicken soup, undiluted 1 can (10.75 ounces) condensed Cheddar cheese soup, undiluted Place 3 chicken breasts in slow cooker; season to taste. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts. Combine soups; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on LOW 6 to 8 hours or until chicken is tender. Yield - 6 servings Chicken & noodle soup 1 chicken (3 to 4 pounds), cut up 2 cloves garlic, minced 10 cups chicken broth or water 1 bay leaf 1 large onion, chopped 1 teaspoon black pepper 6 carrots, diced 8 ounces broad egg noodles 4 stalks celery, diced Combine rinsed chicken with all ingredients, except noodles. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is very tender, skimming fat off surface every 20 minutes or so. Remove from heat; remove chicken from pot and allow to cool. Pick chicken meat from skin and bones and return to pot. Ten minutes before serving, bring soup to a boil. Add noodles. Simmer until noodles are tender and chicken is heated through. Yield - 10 to 12 servings Alpine chicken 4 cups cooked chicken, diced 1/2 cup milk 2 cups chopped celery 1/4 cup chopped onion 2 cups dry bread crumbs 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese dash of pepper 1 cup Miracle Whip Combine all of the ingredients and mix well. Pour into a lightly greased 3-quart casserole dish. Bake, uncovered, at 300 degrees for 40 minutes, or until heated through. Yield - 6 servings Page 8 - September 2016
Attic insulation rebate To help you save on your heating costs and make your home warmer, the REMC offers an attic insulation rebate for the remainder of 2016. To qualify for a rebate: 1 - Your home needs to be total electric or have a dualfuel system that features an electric heat pump or central air conditioner. The rebate for a total electric home is $500.00 and $250.00 for a dual-fuel home. 2 - Your attic s insulation needs to be brought up to a minimum of R-42, after it settles. We ll pick up your old refrigerator or freezer. You ll get a $50.00 rebate and you ll save up to $150.00 a year in energy costs. With our appliance recycle program, we ll recycle your refrigerator* or freezer* in good working condition between 10 and 30 cubic feet in size (using inside measurements). *Some restrictions apply. Jackson County Rural Electric Membership Corporation Brownstown, Indiana Your Touchstone Energy Cooperative 3 - The work must be done by a professional installer. The rebate will not be paid for do-it-yourself projects. 4 - You will need to submit a completed rebate form and an invoice from the installer that details the work done. The REMC reserves the right to make random inspections to verify the work and insulation depths. Call us at 812-358-4458 or 800-288-4458 for more information or to arrange to have an appliance picked up. September 2016 - Page 9
COMMUNITY CALENDAR To have your non-profit group s event listed in our Community Calendar, please contact us by letter, phone or e-mail (bbaute@jacksonremc.com) at least six weeks before your event date. Include a phone number we can call to verify your information. Jackson County September 17-50th anniversary celebration of the Muscatatuck Wildlife Refuge east of Seymour. The day will feature a 7:30 a.m. bird walk, a Passport to Nature event, special guests, memorabilia, a walk down memory lane, lunch and a birthday cake! Call the Refuge (812-522-4352) or visit Muscatauck Wildlife Refuge on Facebook for more information. September 24 - Annual Kurtz Community Day. Breakfast served from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m.; hog roast from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Activities and vendors throughout the day. Contact the Kurtz Church of the Nazarene (812-995-8652) for more information. October 21 - Fish fry at the Tri-County Conservation Club. Food served from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Call-in orders taken from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. by calling 812-498-6522 or 812-498-4448. Call 812-498-4447 for more information. October 2 - Sauers Men s Club annual soup and sandwich supper and bake sale from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at St. John Lutheran School. Soups, sandwiches, salads, drinks. Contact Richard Darlage (812-522-3535) for more information. October 7 - Annual Lutheran Central chili supper - Chili, sandwich, dessert and drink for a $5.00 donation. Dine-in or carry-out from 4:00 to 6:30 p.m. in the school gym. Call the school (812-358- 2512) for more information. October 8-7th Annual HOPE Medora Goes Pink breast cancer awareness event; Schneck Medical Center health fair Page 10 - September 2016 at 7:00 a.m., 5K walk/run, entertainment, children s activities, food and more from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Contact Debra Wayman (812-530-0093, 812-966-2754) or debrawayman@gmail.com for more information. October 8 - Houston Fall Festival from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the Salt Creek Township community of Houston. Craft booths, food, music and games. 5K runwalk at 8:00 a.m. Antique tractor drive at 10:00 a.m., greased pig contest at 2:00 p.m. Parking and admission are free. Festival proceeds help preserve and maintain the 1916 Houston School building. Contact Janet Fisher (812-583-7035) for more information. October 9 - Annual fall supper and Ladies Aid bazaar from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Wegan. Turkey, ham and all the trimmings. Dine in or use the special carry-out line; free-will donation. Contact Greg & Lisa Wischmeier (812-528-9523) or Kyle & Julie Warren (812-216-2861) for more information. October 15 & 16 - Fort Vallonia Days - Craft and flea markets, food and pioneer demonstrations; parade at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Visit www.fortvalloniadays.com for more information. October 16 - Fort Vallonia Days 5K Run/Walk sponsored by the Brownstown Exchange Club. Registration at 12:00 noon in front of the main stage in downtown Vallonia. Race starts at 1:00 p.m. Visit www.brownstownexchangeclub.org for more information or to download a registration form. Proceeds benefit the charitable works of the Exchange Club. October 29 - Annual holiday arts & crafts bazaar & bake sale at the Seymour First United Methodist Church, 3rd & Ewing Streets in Seymour. Sale hours 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Lunch served. For more information or for booth space contact Nancy Erp (812-522-5264). Jennings County October 14 & 15 - Hector s Haunted Evening - ghost walk and mystery dinner. Delicious 5-course dinner served by a multitude of mysterious actors. No reservations needed for the ghost walk ($4.00 per person ages 11 and older, $2.00 for ages 10 and younger), but reservations required in advance for the dinner ($18.00 per person or $32.00 per couple) by calling 812-346-8989. Ghost walk stories re-enacted by local theatrical students. All activities begin at the Jennings County Historical Society Museum in Vernon. Call the museum (812-346-8989) or e-mail hector1838@frontier.com for more information. Lawrence County November 5 - Caring For Kids (Prevent Child Abuse) Lawrence County chili cook-off and annual Basket Bonanza fundraiser. Contact Amy Holbrook at amyholb@yahoo.com or call 812-329- 0093 for more information or to enter the chili cook-off contest. Scott County September 23, 24 & 25 - Annual Raptor Days sponsored by the Friends of Hardy Lake at the Hardy Lake shelter house. Tour the raptor rehab center, shop Continued on next page
MORE COMMUNITY CALENDAR EVENTS from vendors with nature-related goods. All-you-can-eat breakfast served on Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Adults - $6.50; children 3 to 12 - $3.00; children under 3 - free. All proceeds support the Dwight Chamberlain Raptor Rehab Center. For more information visit www. friendsofhardylake.com. October 21-1816 Pioneer Dinner at the Scott County Museum; hosted by the Scott County Genealogical Society. Serving begins at 6:00 p.m. Three speakers will present programs after the dinner, which will consist of foods prepared from that era. Tickets are $15.00 per person and can be purchased at the Research Rooms. Only 50 tickets are available. Call 812-752-3388 for information. October 22 - Fall Fun Day and allyou-can-eat breakfast sponsored by the Friends of Hardy Lake; breakfast served from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at the Hardy Lake shelter house. Adults - $6.50; children 3 to 12 - $3.00; children under 3 - free. All proceeds support the Dwight Chamberlain Raptor Rehab Center. For more information visit www.friendsofhardylake.com. Washington County September 17 & 18-141st Old Settler s Days in Salem. Special musical entertainment, food, crafts and more. The Stevens Museum and the historic train depot will also be open to visitors. Contact Becky Day (812-620-4718) or visit www.oldsettlersdays.org for more information. September 17 - Beck s Mill Cornmeal Bake-Off. Entries must be made with at least a 1/2 cup of Beck s Mill cornmeal and should be in a non-returnable pan with recipe included. Drop off entry between 11:00 a.m. and noon. Judging will be at 12:30 p.m. Prizes will be given to first and second place. Admission to the grounds and mill is $5.00 for adults. Children under 16 are free with a paid adult admission. For more information contact Judy at 812-883-3926, at becksmill1864@outlook.com or visit the Beck s Mill website at www.becksmill.org. September 18-4th annual Beck s Mill The Grind 5K and 10K races. Both races begin and end at the historic Beck s Mill. Challenging hill courses with a very fast downhill finish. Visit www.becksmill. org for times, entry fee schedule and online registration information. October 1-13th annual Franklin Township School reunion at the home of Bob and Jane Marquand, 790 S. Franklin School Road, beginning at 4:00 p.m. Bring a covered dish and plus any memorabilia that you would like to share. October 15-5th annual Harvest of Hope walk and brunch at Cornucopia Farm in Gibson Township. Registration at 8:30 a.m., walk begins at 9:00 a.m. Brunch featuring fall produce follows the walk. Pink pumpkins will also be for sale. Proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society. For more information e-mail info@cornucopiafarm.com or call 812-752-6694. September 2016 - Page 11
TELEPHONE - 812-358-4458 TOLL FREE - 800-288-4458 During regular office hours you will be connected with our customer service representatives. After regular hours you will be connected with our answering service. Please call during regular office hours for all business other than outages or emergencies. OFFICE HOURS 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM - Monday through Friday FAX only - 812-358-5719 E-mail - info@jacksonremc.com Web site - www.jacksonremc.com Pay bill online - visit our website (above) Pay bill by phone - 1-888-999-8816 When calling or writing please give the name and customer number above your name on this label or your account number shown on your bill. Are you thinking about installing a new heat pump or central air system this fall? Be sure to include the REMC s rebate program in your plans! Your REMC offers rebates for the following qualifying* HVAC systems: = New or replacement all-electric heat pumps = New or replacement dual-fuel heat pumps = New or replacement central air conditioners = New mini-split heat pump systems = New or replacement geothermal heat pump systems Call us or visit our website for rebate details. *Heat pumps and central air conditioners must have a minimum SEER rating of 14 for single-wide and double-wide manufactured houses and a minimum SEER rating of 16 for stick-built houses to qualify for the rebate program. Mini-split systems must be a minimum of 16-SEER and have a minimum of 2 indoor units. Participation in the REMC s Energy Management Program may qualify you to receive a double rebate amount. Rebates available for equipment installed before December 31, 2016 only.