NEC retail May 2014

www.necretail.com20 Texas Co-op Power NUECES EC May 2014

www.necretail.com 1.855.NEC.RD4UMember ConNECtions

John L. Sims, NEC CEO

Preparing For The Heat

PresidentBrian Menking, Alice

Vice PresidentBill Hartman, Orange Grove

Secretary-TreasurerDavid Rosse, Kingsville

Assistant SecretaryTommy Ermis, Agua Dulce

DirectorsGladys Lippincott, RetailMaxine Stewart, FreerJohnny Alvarado, RicardoDonald W. Herrmann, RobstownGregg Truesdale, RobstownRumaldo Z. Juarez, Corpus Christi

Chief Executive OfficerJohn L. Sims

Chief Financial OfficerRobbie Sorrell

Chief Operating OfficerVarzavand Irani

Chief Compliance OfficerSarah Fisher

Manager, Retail DivisionFrank Wilson

Line SuperintendentManuel Mayorga

Manager, Safety, Environmental& Job Training ServicesCassy Hill

Director of Information TechnologySergey Seryogin

Nueces Electric Cooperative Leadership

In Texas, some people joke, there are only two seasons: summer, and the rest of the year. For a few more weeks, we can enjoy the last bit of temperate weather before the nearly unbearable heat of a Texas summer settles in.

And if this summer is like the past few we’ve had, it’s going to get pretty hot around here. That means most of you will be running your air conditioners, and your electric bills will reflect how much work those units have to do to keep you comfortable.

Although there are steps you can take to increase your home’s efficiency, such as sealing air leaks, changing air-condi-tioner filters regularly and adding insula-tion, the amount of electricity you use for cooling may still give you a big bill.

If you discover that one month you can’t afford your electricity bill, the worst thing you can do is not pay it and not contact us. If we don’t hear from you or receive payment, your account will be subject to disconnection. If it is discon-nected for nonpayment, NEC charges a reconnection fee, plus you will still owe the amount of the original bill. Please, if you are faced with a high bill that you can’t pay, contact NEC and we will try to work with you to find a way through.

Please remember that Nueces Electric, as a member-owned cooperative util-ity, does not make a profit on the sale of electricity, which is sold to you as close to cost as possible. However, the co-op cannot afford to carry unpaid bills on our books.

Give us a call, and we’ll do everything in our power to help.

Assistance AgenciesTX Dept of Housing & Community Affairs(512)475-3800

Public Utility Commission(512) 936-7000

Your Local Community Action Agencywww.communityactionpartnership.com

Your Local County Human Services Office

Salvation Armywww.salvationarmyusa.org

Your Local Catholic Social Services

www.necretail.com May 2014 Texas Co-op Power 21

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www.necretail.com20 Texas Co-op Power NUECES EC May 2014


Rebecca Lancaster, 2014 Delegate

Victoria Wahlen, 2014 Delegate

Celebrating 75:

NEC Youth TourDelegates

2000 Emily Scheer2001 Della Serna2002 Tami Saverline2003 Abby Faske2004 Seth Crocker2004 Gina Naranjo2005 Corey Ward2006 Kyle Lunaas2007 Caleb Maltby2007 Brittany Winner2008 Angelica Barrientos2008 Dixie Wheeler2009 Katie Wernecke2010 Hallie Behrens2011 Rachel Pesek2012 Amy Nelson2012 Hayley Meyer2013 Holly Raiborn2013 Hunter Meyer

1995 Camille Crocker1996 Christina Garza1997 Charlie Rosse1998 Megan Crocker1999 Tristan Schober

Since 1995, NEC has held an annual essay contest to select winners for an all-expense paid trip to Washington D.C. Below is a list of all of the delegates who have represented the Co-op.

Many delegates have sent pictures and thank you notes throughout the years, and all have had the same theme that “this is the trip of a lifetime!”

They represented us within NRECA and in front of our national legislators and we thank them for their being the face and the voice of the Co-op.

Congratulations to Junior Rebecca Lancaster and to Junior Victoria Wahlen both of Calallen High School! In June, Rebecca and Victoria will travel with about 150 other Texas High School co-op members to Washing-ton D.C. where they will take VIP tours of the monuments and speak with our legislators about NRECA priorities.

Each year, Nueces Electric Cooperative sponsors two attendees to make this educational and inspirational journey. The Electric Cooperative Youth Tour has brought high school students to Washington, D.C. every June since 1964. Nearly 50,000 students from rural areas and small towns across America have participated in this program. Some of our Youth Tour alumni have gone on to design airplanes, to lead companies and to serve in the highest ranks of our government, including the U.S. Senate.

Nueces Electric Cooperative would like to congratulate you both again and we look forward to hearing all about your trip when you return!

1970 Youth Tour Delegates

www.necretail.com22 Texas Co-op Power May 2014


If you’ve had your eye on an energy- efficient appliance, Memorial Day weekend might be the time to buy. That weekend, shoppers in Texas will not pay sales tax on certain Energy Star-rated appliances.

The tax holiday, created by the Legislature in 2007, runs from May 24-26 this year.

Items exempt from taxes that weekend include any of these products that are Energy Star-rated:

• Air conditioners priced at under $6,000 • Ceiling fans• Clothes washers• Dehumidifiers• Dishwashers• Incandescent and fluorescent

lightbulbs• Programmable thermostats• Refrigerators priced at $2,000 or less

Clothes dryers and Water heaters are excluded, even those rated by Energy Star.

The holiday covers Internet, catalog and lay-away sales of qualifying products as well. In addition to the purchase price, the tax holi-day extends to shipping, delivery and some installation charges.

Tax HolidayEnergy Star appliances are exempt from sales taxes on Memorial Day weekend.

No central air conditioning? No problem! Your window or room air conditioner doesn’t have to be an energy hog. Follow these energy tips when using your win-dow unit, and say goodbye to higher bills.

• Purchase an Energy Star model. Energy Star room air conditioners cost at least 10 percent less to operate than conventional models.

• Use a timer. Set the plug-in timer to turn off the air conditioner when you leave home and to turn it on just before you return.

• Purchase a unit with varying fan speeds. Use a room air conditioner with fan speed control. This allows faster cooling when needed and quieter, more efficient operation at other times.

• Keep the unit centrally located. To allow better air circulation, install your room air conditioner in the window or area of the wall that is nearest to the middle of the space being cooled.

• Seal the unit. Once a room air conditioner is in place, seal the space around it to prevent warm outside air from leaking in.

• Don’t set the thermostat at high initially. When you first turn on your room air conditioner, set the thermostat at normal or medium. Setting it any colder won’t cool the room any faster.

• Keep the unit out of the sun. Locate your room air conditioner on the shady side of your home. It will operate more efficiently in a cooler location.

• Close the fresh-air vent. Make sure the fresh-air vent is closed when the room air conditioner is operating so you aren’t cooling outside air. Open the vent when the outside air is cooler to let in fresh air.

Wisely Use That Window Unit

Buying an Energy Star window air conditioner will save you money on your energy bill each month.



Memorial DayNEC will be closed Monday, May 26, in observance of the holiday. Thank you to all those who have served and con-tinue to serve our country.

Maintain your water heater to save moneyDrain a quart of water from your water heater’s tank every three months to remove sediment that impedes heat transfer and lowers its efficiency. Follow the manufacturer’s directions to perform the task.

Source: energysavers.gov

Make sure all exhaust fans in your home are working properly and are dust-free. Regularly wash or replace filters. Consider installing a timer switch on your bathroom fan so that it runs only as long as it is required.

• Make sure you change the direction of airflow on your ceiling fan. In the winter, let the fan run clockwise to push warm air toward the floor. In summer, switch the direction to draw air upward, cooling the room and ensuring constant airflow.

• In preparing for the summer, consider investing in some insulated, thermal-backed drapes for your windows. They’ll help keep your home cool in summer.

• Before buying an air-conditioning unit or system, find out its energy-efficiency ratio. Calculate the EER by dividing the unit’s cooling capacity (Btu/hour) by its energy requirement (watts). An EER of 10 or more is very good, and 6 or 7 is fair. Remember to buy the smallest capacity unit or system that will meet your needs.

• Have you ever thought about installing an attic ventilator? An attic ventilat-ing system draws cool air up through the house and can provide the same level of comfort as an air conditioner at a much lower cost. Pump in cool air during summer evenings then seal your home during the day. Attic ventilation can help lower winter heating bills, too.

• Have a look at your foundation walls. If you have an unfinished basement or crawlspace, check for air leaks by looking for spiderwebs. If there’s a web, there’s a draft. A large amount of heat is also lost from an uninsulated basement.

• Does your home have a sliding glass door? Make sure to keep its track clean. A dirty track can ruin the door’s seal and create gaps where cold air can escape.

• When dust and pet hair build up on your refrigerator’s condenser coils, the motor works harder and uses more electricity. As part of your cleaning routine, make sure the coils are cleaned and air can circulate freely.

• Don’t forget to check the seals on your refrigerator door to make sure they are clean and tight. Your refrigerator accounts for up to 11 percent of your house-hold’s total energy use, which can have a major effect on your energy bill.

• If you’re thinking about purchasing a new appliance, always look for the Energy Star label on new appliances. These products are more energy efficient and can help reduce your energy costs.

Ways To Be More Energy Wise

Switch the direction of your ceiling fan with the change of the seasons to improve airflow.



Notice to customers concerning Critical Care Residential Customer and Chronic Condition Residential Customer status:

If you are a residential customer and have a person permanently residing in your home who has:

• beendiagnosedbyaphysicianashav-ing a serious medical condition that requires an electric-powered medical device or electric heating or cooling to prevent the impairment of a major life function through a significant deterioration or exacerbation of the person’s medical condition;

• beendiagnosedbyaphysicianasbeing dependent upon an electric-powered medical device to sustain life.

You can apply for certain protections by con-tacting your Retail Electric Provider for an application.

Aviso referente al estado Cuidado Crítico y Condición Crónica para clientes residenciales:

Si usted es un cliente residencial y tiene una persona viviendo permanentemente en su hogar que:

•hasidodiagnosticadaporunmédicocomopersonaquetieneunaseriacondiciónmédicaquerequiereunaparatomédicoeléctricoocalefaccióneléctricaorefrigeraciónparapre-venir la debilitación de una función vital por deterioración o exacerbación significativa de dicha condición medica;

•hasidodiagnosticadoporunmédicocomopersonaquedependedeunaparatomédicoeléctricoparapreservarsuvida,

Usted puede solicitar ciertas protecciones comunicándose con su proveedor electrico para obtener una solicitud.

Critical Care Notice

Doctor For A DayNEC Board Member Interns at Driscoll Children’s Hospital

As President Emeritus of Texas A&M University - Kingsville, Dr. Rumaldo Z. Juarez has held a Doctoral title for some time now, how-ever recently he added a different kind of doctor to the mix when he became a Driscoll Children’s Hospital Medical Intern for a Day.

The Intern for a Day program at DCH allows selected companies from the community to send a representative to spend a day at the hospital to observe Driscoll’s everyday care of patients, including rotations with physicians and observing the special care given to DCH’s young patients. This program also gives the hospital and the physician’s valu-able input from community sectors concerned with health care.

Each intern was assigned to specialists in Pediatric ICU, Neonate ICU, Rehab, or Surgery. As an intern, each spent the day with physicians and/or nurses, accompanying him or her through everything from office rounds to surgery.

A closing ceremony was held and each Intern was given a certificate of completion displaying a personalized hand imprint made by a Neona-tal Intensive Care Unit baby.

Driscoll Children’s Hospital invited NEC to participate in the program after receiving a grant from Nueces Charities, the co-op’s foundation funded by NEC Members who round-up their bill each month. The cents really do add up and because of our members generosity we are able to assist organizations like Driscoll.

For more information on Nueces Charities, visit: www.nueceschari-ties.org. The next deadline for grant applications is August 1, 2014.

NEC District 1 Director and Nueces Charities Vice President, Dr. Rumaldo Z. Juarez, spent a day at Driscoll Children’s Hospital as an Intern to see first-hand where the dollars go.



If you live in a hurricane evacuation zone, and you have special health-care or transportation needs, you need to make extra efforts to get ready for hurricane season, accord-ing to the Governor’s Division of Emergency Management.

It is critical that you begin now to make your evacuation plans, prepare an emer-gency kit and learn evacuation routes

This should be done well in advance. Operators answering the phones at 211—and 1-877-541-7905 for deaf people using a video or Internet-relay services—are prepared to help you register for trans-portation and special assistance now, before hurricane season begins.

If you have special health-care needs, register by dialing 211 or 1-877-541-7905.

Gulf Coast residents with special health-care needs (including those who are disabled or medically fragile) who live in evacuation zones and do not have friends or family to help in an evacuation should register for a ride in advance by dialing 211 or 1-877-541-7905.

The registry must be dialed IN ADVANCE. Do not wait until a storm is in the Gulf to register for assistance. This service is for people who cannot drive themselves or make transportation arrangements. If you need transporta-tion, call and register.

Hurricane Preparedness Tips on the Web Governor’s Division of Emergency

Management: www.txdps.state.tx.us/demFederal Emergency Management Agency

(FEMA): ready.govThe American Red Cross: redcross.org

Register Now for Evacuation Help

Summer vacation is about to begin for thousands of schoolchildren across the state. We all know that children love going outdoors to swim, fly kites, climb trees and play with their friends. Although playing outdoors can be a great pastime, there are electrical hazards that children need to be aware of to keep them safe. Safe Electricity offers a variety of tips to share with children before they head outdoors.

Make sure your children know these safety rules:• Stay away from pad-mounted transformers. Pad-mounted trans-

formers are green metal boxes that contain the above-ground portion of an underground electrical installation. These cabinets carry high volt-ages and are safe when locked, but they can be deadly if someone reaches inside. If you see one in your neighborhood that is open, call authorities and your electric lines company immediately.

• Never enter an elec-trical substation for any reason. If a ball or other toy enters the fence surrounding the substa-tion, call your electric lines company for help. Substations hold deadly amounts of electricity and should be entered only by professionals.

• Always be aware of overhead power lines. Do not fly kites or model planes near power lines or electrical substations. A kite string can con-duct electricity from an overhead line directly to the person on the ground. Be careful when using Mylar bal-loons for a party. These metallic balloons conduct electricity, so never tie one to a child.

• Never climb trees near power lines. If branches are touching the wires, the tree could be energized. Even branches not touching power lines could become energized if a child’s weight is added.

• If you hear thunder, go inside. Finally, storm fronts can move rapidly, and lightning can strike 10 miles in advance of a storm. Remember this rule from the National Weather Service: When thunder roars, go indoors. Make sure kids know that it is not safe to be outside during a storm.

For more information on electrical safety, visit SafeElectricity.org.

Keep Kids Safe OutdoorsShare these safety rules with youngsters before turning them loose outside

Be careful of nearby overhead lines when using long-handled tools like pool skimmers.



If your account number is:

Call, NEC before the 20th of the month to receive your

electric bill credit!

1.800.NEC.WATT

You Could Win a$ 25Energy Bill

Credit

10248-002

Fidelity Express Pay Stations accept NEC payments for an additional $1.50 service charge.

Pay Online www.necretail.comAccess your account 24 hours a day, 365 days a year from any computer to view usage, make payments or manage your account. Just click on “Pay Your Bill”, on the menu bar of our homepage.

Pay by Direct Draft:If you prefer to not use the computer, you can still sign up to have your bank account or credit card drafted for your monthly bill. While you are online, you can select to save paper with paperless billing. Simply edit your profile.

Pay by Phone:855-NEC-RD4U (855-632-7348) Monday thru Friday 8-5 p.m.

Pay in Person:Pay your bill at 709 E. Main in Robstown

Pay by Mail:PO BOX 260970 ~Corpus Christi, TX 78426

For your convenience, there are a number of ways you can pay your bill for FREE:

Pay Your Bill Online For FREE!

NEC Retail eBillFast. Simple. Smart.

www.necretail.com Sign up for free at:

Free detailed bills NEW!! Paperless Billing NEW!! Electronic Bill Notification Schedule Automatic Payments using credit cards or bank accounts Available 24-hours a day for FREE View prior billing information

Benefits of E-Billing:

eBill...Now Offering Paperless Billing!



Documents

NEC retail May 2014