coloradocountrylife.coop 4 MAY 2016 7

SANGRE de CRISTO ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION

[The Outlet]

DSANGRE DE CRISTO ANNOUNCES 2016 SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS Dependents of Sangre de Cristo customers recently competed for scholarships provided by the rural electric cooperative and in conjunction with power suppliers Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association and Basin Electric Power Cooperative. Forty-six applications were considered for one four-year scholarship at $1,500 per year and eleven $1,500 scholarships. In addition, one $1,000 scholarship sponsored by Basin Electric and two $1,000 scholarships sponsored jointly by Tri-State and Sangre de Cristo were awarded.

A scholarship committee consisting of Sangre de Cristo directors and employees tackled the difficult task of determining scholarship winners.

Lukas Ommen, of Buena Vista High School, received the four-year scholarship at $1,500 per year.

The eleven $1,500 scholarships funded by Sangre de Cristo went to:

Abigail Cranor of Buena Vista High School Ara Singleton-Marine of Buena Vista High SchoolEmily Crossley of Custer County High SchoolEmily Perez of Buena Vista High SchoolJaymi Doke of Buena Vista High SchoolJesse Stokes of Buena Vista High SchoolJosh Yates of Buena Vista High SchoolKatlyn Freeburg of Custer County High SchoolKeenan Barr of Buena Vista High School Shieanne Banta of Cotopaxi High SchoolTory Storms of Buena Vista High SchoolThe Scholarship Committee awarded the $1,000

scholarship sponsored by Basin Electric to Alexis Dewberry of Cotopaxi High School.

The two $1,000 scholarships sponsored jointly by Tri-State and Sangre de Cristo were awarded to Jennifer Henrich and Madisen Henrich, both from Custer County High School.

Sangre de Cristo Electric is a non-profit, rural electric cooperative that provides electric service to over 12,000 consumers in Lake, Chaffee, Fremont, Custer and Saguache counties.

We at Sangre de Cristo are proud of the youth in the community and impressed with the depth of their achievements. We wish them the best with each endeavor and Sangre de Cristo will always be an advocate for their success.

ABIGAIL CRANOR

EMILY CROSSLEY

JOSH YATES

LUKAS OMMEN

TORY STORMS

JAYMI DOKE

JESSE STOKES

ALEXIS DEWBERRY

EMILY PEREZ

KATLYN FREEBURG

MADISEN HENRICH

ARA SINGLETON-MARINE

JENNIFER HENRICH

KEENAN BARR

SHIEANNE BANTA

coloradocountrylife.coop8 MAY 2016 MAY 20168

[The Outlet]

AA quick search of the Internet reveals many great ways to save energy around your home. Simple things, such as adding insulation or using energy-efficient light-bulbs, are simple and relatively inexpen-sive ways to save small amounts of energy.

The same search will also reveal “amazing” products that claim to cut up to a third of your energy bill, without changing anything about your energy use habits. Claims like this sound too good to be true, and there is good reason for that. These claims almost always turn out to be exaggerations or downright lies.

An energy efficiency scam is generally easy for a person who works at an electric co-op to spot and identify. However, it isn’t so easy for most people. Scams gener-ally center on misstatements of science or confusion over utility programs.

A popular scam is a little box that promises to save you energy. The box is a device that supposedly saves energy with-out the consumer making any changes to behavior, turning anything off or adjusting the thermostat. The people who sell these boxes often claim outrageous energy savings — sometimes as much as 30 percent or more. They often use terms, such as power conditioning, capacitors and power factor, all of which are legiti-mate industry terms.

The sales pitch usually goes some-thing like this: The device being sold will control alternating current and power factor and reduce the cost of electric bills. It will condition your power and make appliances last longer. The device uses no power and has no moving parts. It will make the motors in your home run better. The sales material often claims that the

utility doesn’t want you to know about the device. That last part is actually true — because it is a rip-off. Variations of the product have been sold to both residential and commercial customers.

There are several questions that you should ask a salesman (or yourself) when reading an ad for the next magical cure-all:

1. Does it violate the laws of science? Some products claim that they are capable of “changing the molecular structure … to release never-before tapped power.” Changing the laws of science is no easy task. If the inven-tors truly can do this, the product will surely be sold at every store in the nation and they will become wealthy. They won’t be mailing out flyers or operating from a poorly designed website.

2. Was the product tested by an inde-pendent group like a national lab or

university? If the performance of the product was not tested and certified by a lab or other entity not connected to the company selling it, then be skeptical. Call the third-party group and talk to a representative. Some-times scammers lie about the tests.

3. Is it too good to be true? In today’s economic times, saving money is top of mind. We want something to be true so we can save money, improve our lives and feed our families. But wanting something to work doesn’t mean it will. Sometimes energy scammers contact consumers di-rectly, either by calling or stopping by and claiming they represent the local electric co-op. Never give anyone personal or financial information who claims to be an employee of the co-op without confirming his or her identity. If someone calls, ask for a call-back number and verify the caller’s identity with your co-op. If someone stops by, ask the person for a valid employee ID.

The key is to be skeptical and ask ques-tions. Asking tough questions and being skeptical will not offend honest people. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Brian Sloboda is a technical research ana-lyst specializing in energy efficiency and renewable energy for Business Technology Strategies, a service arm of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

Don’t Get Tricked Into Energy Savings Scams BY BRIAN SLOBODA

Energy Efficiency Tip of the Month

Sangre de Cristo Electric Association

76TH ANNUAL MEETINGJune 10, 2016

10ANNUAL MEETING

Mark Your Calendar

SAVE THE DATE

Avoid placing lamps or television sets near your room air-conditioning thermostat. The thermostat senses heat from these appliances, which can cause the air conditioner to run longer than necessary.

Source: Energy.govCuster County Consolidated School Gym, Westcliffe

Registration opens at 9:30 a.m.Business meeting convenes promptly at 10 a.m.

coloradocountrylife.coop 4 MAY 2016 9

[The Outlet]

TIPS FOR MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR CEILING FANS.

If you are like most Americans, you have at least one ceiling fan in your home. Ceiling fans help our indoor life feel more comfortable.They are a decorative addition to our homes and, if used properly, can help lower energy costs.

MAKE THE MOST OF CEILING FANS BY TURNING ON THE FAN, YOU CAN TURN UP THE SAVINGS!

1. FLIP THE SWITCH – Most ceiling fans have a switch near the blades. In warm months, flip the switch so that the blades operate in a counter clockwise direction, effectively producing a “wind chill” effect. Fans make the air near them feel cooler than it actually is. In winter, move the switch so the fan blades rotate clockwise, creating a gentle updraft. This pushes warm air down from the ceiling into occupied areas of the room. Regardless of the season, try operating the fan on its lowest setting.

2. ADJUST YOUR THERMOSTAT – In the summer, when using a fan in conjunction with an air conditioner, or instead of it, you can turn your thermostat up three to five degrees without any reduction in comfort. This saves money since a fan is less costly to run than an air conditioner. In the winter, lower your thermostat’s set point by the same amount. Ceiling fans push the warm air from the ceiling back down toward the living space, which means the furnace won’t turn on as frequently.

3. CHOOSE THE RIGHT SIZE – Make sure your ceiling fan is the right size for the room. A fan that is 36-44 inches in diameter will cool rooms up to 225 square feet. A fan that is 52 inches or more should be used to cool a larger space.

4. TURN IT OFF – When the room is unoccupied, turn the fan off. Fans are intended to cool people - not rooms.

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Sangre de Cristo collects spent, 4-inch or less, unbroken, residential compact fluorescent lightbulbs at our headquarters located at 29780 N. US Highway 24 in Buena Vista. Through a program offered by our power supplier, Tri-State Generation and Transmis-sion Association, Inc., Sangre de Cristo will ship the bulbs to be recycled by Veolia, a leader in recycling technology. The mercury, glass and metals in the

ballast are all recycled. Bring your spent, 4-inch or less, unbroken, resi-dential CFLs to Sangre headquarters and the co-op will do the rest. Since the recycling program started, more than 700 lightbulbs have been recycled. For questions or information, please contact Linda at 719-395-2412 or 800-933-3823.

Sangre de Cristo Will Recycle Your CFLs

STAY IN TOUCH WITH LEGISLATORS

Get Your Copy of the 2016 Colorado Legislative Directory

Want to keep current on the latest happenings this legislative session? Go to www.myelectric.coop and click on the Members Only icon to access

your copy of the 2016 Colorado Legislative Directory. If you want additional copies please contact Linda at (719) 395-2412 or (800) 933-3823.

10 MAY 2016 MAY 201610

[The Outlet]SANGRE DE CRISTO OFFERS ENERGY EFFICIENCY REBATES FOR ENERGY STAR® APPLIANCES AND LIGHTBULBS

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS: APPLIANCES • Credits are available to all end-use member classes.• Applies only to equipment that is purchased by an

SDCEA member. • Credit must be requested within 180 days of

purchase. • A copy of the receipt will be required. • Equipment shall be listed as Energy Star® rated. • Applicants must be current on their electric bill. • Installation must be in SDCEA service area.• Credits cannot exceed the actual cost of the

equipment for which credit is requested. In order to receive rebates for the dishwasher and clothes

washer you must have an electric water heater and sign a Rebate Requirement form, which is downloadable from our website at www.myelectric.coop.

ENERGY STAR APPLIANCES REBATE AMOUNTS Refrigerators/Freezers $30/UnitRefrigerator/Freezer Recycling $60/UnitClothes Washer Front load $40/Unit Top load $30/UnitClothes Dryer $30/UnitHybrid Heat Pump Ventless $90/Unit Dishwasher $20/Unit

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS: WATER HEATERS• Applies to new or replacement water heaters.• Installation must be in SDCEA service area.• Credit must be requested within 180 days of

installation.• Applicants must be current on their electric bill.• Credits cannot exceed the actual cost of the

equipment for which credit is requested.Water Heating Credit Amounts:$50 for 30—55 gallon with lifetime warranty$30 for 30—55 gallon resistance

ENERGY STAR® LED LIGHTBULBS (LAMPS)Specifications:

• 500 Lumens or greater• Medium, GU24 or other residential/light commercial

oriented base• Qualified LED fixtures

Rebate is lower of:• $10 per lamp or fixture• 50% of the lamp/fixture cost• Per account cap of 50 per year

To receive a rebate, submit a copy of the receipt and a specification sheet for the lamp/fixtures.

For all rebates, please submit a copy of the receipt along with the make and model of the item you are requesting a rebate for. For questions about rebates contact member services at (719) 395-2412 or (800) 933-3823 or by email at info@myelectric.coop.

DDid you know that Sangre de Cristo Electric offers an innova-tive community service fundrais-ing program, a unique way for members to help fund worthwhile projects in our community?

Operation RoundUp® is just what the name implies. Each month, we simply “round up” your electric bill to next highest dollar. For example, a con-sumer’s monthly bill of $52.73 would be automatically rounded up to $53, with the additional 27 cents going to the Operation RoundUp® fund. Participation is voluntary. Donations are tax deductible. Each January and February a summary of yearly contributions is sent to all par-ticipating members.

All Operation RoundUp® donations are placed in a trust administered by an independent board of directors. At the board’s discretion, funds are dispersed to organizations and individuals for food, clothing, shelter, health needs and education. Operation RoundUp® funds may not be used for political purposes.

For more information about Operation RoundUp, go to the Sangre de Cristo Electric web page at www.myelectric.coop or contact Linda Nyberg in member services at 719-395-4589, 800-933-3823 or nyberg@myelectric.coop.

Please Partner With Sangre de Cristo and Contribute to Your CommunitySign up for Operation Round Up® today!

Please sign me up for Operation RoundUp®!Name: ______________________________________________________

Account number: ______________________________________________

Address: _____________________________________________________

City: ____________________________ State: ______ Zip: ____________

q Yes, I would like to participate and have my monthly bill rounded up.

q Yes, round my monthly bill up and add an additional $ ______________

each month.

q I would like to make a one-time contribution in the amount of

$ __________________________________.

THE MOST IT WILL COST YOU IN ONE YEAR IS $11.88!

GIVE A LITTLE, HELP A LOT.

coloradocountrylife.coop