Barton County Electric Cooperative News

91 West Hwy 160 Lamar, MO 64759 | Office: 417.682.5636 or 800.286.5636 | www.bartonelectric.com | facebook.com/BartonCountyElectric

Manager’s MessageCEO/General Manager

Jeff Hull

Connection Through Communication

Our office will be closed Monday, December 24th & Tuesday, December 25th.

If you have an emergency or outage please call 417-682-5636 or 800-286-5636.

Each month my goal is to give you, our owners an inside look at the state of your cooperative. Hopefully what I choose to share each month helps you better understand what’s going on at BCEC. Communication is the transfer of understanding, which is ultimately my goal.

We will end another year of business soon. As we look back over 2018, we will end the year financially in a good position. Weather was the primary reason for the good year for us. As I have mentioned several times, weather is a key factor for BCEC to stay financially sound. Prior to 2018, we had experienced several seasons of unfavorable weather patterns for BCEC, which was good for members financially. I have a saying around the office, all of our team knows, “personally I don’t like hot/cold weather but professionally I do like it”. This statement is directly tied to how your cooperative’s financial patterns are determined.

We are looking at ways to help make the weather less of a determining factor for BCEC’s financial stability. One way we are looking at this is through changing the way we bill our member-owners by adding a third part to your bill. You have noticed beginning in October we added a line on your bill which says “Demand”. Many of you have asked why this was added and what it is. I plan to go into the details of what demand is and how it will affect your bill as I continue to communicate with you. You may have seen some communication about demand in some bill inserts. Currently the Demand portion of your bill has no charge. We don’t plan to start charging for demand any time soon, this is to begin to educate you what demand is and how it will affect your monthly bill. The purpose for charging demand is NOT a way to increase your bill, it is simply a shift in the way we will bill you in the future. This is the reason we are starting to show you the demand number with zero charge at this time. I will continue this conversation as I continue to update you on the condition of your cooperative and transfer understanding.

As each of us look forward to Christmas, it’s a time to reflect, look forward and be thankful. I am thankful first of all for the birth of Christ. I am also thankful for family, friends and the opportunity to serve you our member-owners. May each of you have a blessed Christmas!

From our Family to Yours

Brennon Bass Jeff Dimond David Engelage Larry Fanning Dennis Gariss Jeff Hull Charles Lathrop Tara Littlejohn Cole Lollar Pat Marriott Andy Marti Don McConaughey Lori McCulley Kem Mein Angela Moore

Kenny MorrisShawna Phipps Bobby Pulliam Cheryl Rawlings Christy Rice Tim Riley Jonathan Sheets Eric Snodgrass Todd Suschnick Terri True Jerry Weber Sharla WilkersonBrent Willhite Travis Willhite Andy Wolf

The Best Gift Around The Christmas Tree is the Presence

of Family Wrapped In Love

Barton County Electric Cooperative News December 2018

TO REPORT AN OUTAGECall 417.682.5636 or 800.286.5636

24 hours a dayBefore you call:

• Check breaker(s) in your home and below your meter

• Check with your neighbors to verify they have power

• To better serve you when you do call please have the following information ready:

1. Name on the account you are reporting 2. Your six-digit BCEC location number

Bill Payment Options1. The Office

You are always welcome to stop by the office located

1 mile west of Lamar at 91 West 160 Highway

Office Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.2. Drive-up Drop Box

located at our office available 24 hours a day

3. On-Line Bill Pay available 24 hours a day at

www.bartonelectric.com4. By Mailing To

Barton County Electric Cooperative 91 West Highway 160

Lamar, MO 647595. Auto Pay

from your checking or savings account or with your debit/credit card

6. By Phone Using your debit or credit card

Monday thru Friday 8am to 5pm 417-682-5636 / 800-286-5636

7. Prepay Call or stop by to learn more about how you can prepay

for your electricity

Your DirectorsKenny Owen, President

Kevin Taffner, Vice-PresidentTom Williams, Secretary/Treasurer

Jerry Marti Karl Morey Karen Nims

Matt Schlichting David Stump

Charles Webb

Your CEO/GMJeff Hull

You’ve seen this list before, but it’s still agood set of tips for the holidays from theU.S. Department of Energy:

Day 1: get a home energy auditGive the gift of energy savings by purchasinga professional home energy audit for someone.The audit will help pinpoint where your homeis losing energy — and what you can do to save money — by checking for air leaks, inspecting insulation, surveying heating and cooling equipment and more. By making up-grades to your home following a home energy audit, you could save 5 to 30 percent on your energy bills.

Day 2: install a programmable thermostatDon’t pay for warm or cool air you aren’t using.Install a programmable thermostat to save money on your energy bills. Lowering your ther-mostat 10 to15 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 hours can save up to 15 percent a year on heating bills. If you are traveling this holiday, be sure to program your thermostat for energy savings while you are away.

Day 3: maintain your fireplaceIt isn’t the holidays without a crackling fire,but don’t let your energy bills go up in smoke.Proper chimney maintenance — like sealing your fireplace flue damper, caulking around your hearth and installing tempered glass doors and a heat-air exchange system to blow warmed air back into the room — will help keep warm air in your house and cold air out.

Day 4: prepare your windows for winterBefore you curl up on the couch in front of thewindow this holiday season, take steps to re-duce heat loss. Weatherizing your windows canreduce drafts, and installing storm windows cancut heat loss through your windows by 25 to 50percent.

Day 5: take advantage of sunlightUse sunlight to your advantage this winter.Open curtains during the day to allow sunlightto naturally warm your home; close them atnight to reduce the chill from cold windows.

Day 6: buy ENERGY STAR electronicsAre computers, TVs or other electronics on your wish list this holiday season? Be sure to ask for ENERGY STAR home electronics for in-stant energy savings. For example, depending on use, an ENERGY STAR-qualified computer can save 30 to 65 percent more energy than other computers.

Day 7: purchase rechargeable batteries andan ENERGY STAR battery chargerIf you are buying gifts that require batteries, userechargeable ones, which are more cost effec-tive than disposable ones, as well as an EN-ERGY STAR battery charger. In the U.S. alone, more energy-efficient battery chargers could save families more than $170 million annually.

Day 8: save energy in the kitchenBetween holiday baking and meal preparation,your oven is probably working overtime. Cooking alone accounts for 4.5 percent of your home’s energy use, and when factoring in other kitchen appliances, your kitchen’s energy use

can be as high as 15 percent. Take simple actions such as using the right-sized — and covered — pots on stove burners, using the oven light to check on a dish’s progress and baking multiple items at the same time. Use a microwave or toaster oven instead of the stove where feasible.

Day 9: use LEDsLight up your home with light-emitting diodelights. In addition to being sturdier and moreresistant to breakage, LED holiday lights lastlonger and consume 70 percent less energy than conventional incandescent light strands. It onlycosts about 27 cents to light a 6-foot tree for 12 hours a day for 40 days with LEDs com-pared to $10 for incandescent lights.

Day 10: install a timerWhen decking your house in holiday lights, usetimer controls to lower energy consumptionand save money. The controls allow you to turnlights on and off at specific times, while stayingin the holiday spirit.

Day 11: plug holiday decorations into powerstrips. Even when you aren’t using lights andelectronics, they still draw small amountsof energy, averaging $100 a year. Plugyour electronics into a power strip, andturn it off to reduce your energy bills. Day 12: drive your way to fuel savingsWhether you are driving across town todo errands or across the country to visitfamily, fuel costs can add up. To save, domultiple errands on one trip. Also emptythe car after your driving trips — anextra 100 pounds in your vehicle couldincrease gas costs by up to 8 cents a gallon.

12 Days of Energy Savings

During the next few months, Barton County Electric Cooperative will be sponsoring a survey that is conducted every three years to measure the quality of service provided to you, our member. This survey will ask several questions about your satisfaction and energy usage with the cooperative.

In this random survey of members, a mixture of online and telephone interviews will be conducted. You may be sent an email invitation to participate in the survey OR you may be sent a postcard in the mail inviting you to participate. Members may also be randomly selected to complete a telephone interview. It should take approximately 11 minutes to answer all questions on the telephone. The call center conducting the survey will identify themselves as calling on behalf of the cooperative. They will be conducting calls Monday-Friday from 5:00 pm until 9:00 pm and on Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us here at the office.

2019 Member Satisfaction Triennial Survey

Recipe for

Never-Fail Christmas Fudge

2 cups sugar2/3 cup evaporated milk12 marshmallows (not minis)1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/8 teaspoon salt1 cup semisweet chocolate chips1 cup chopped walnuts1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Grease or line an 8x8-inch pan with nonstick foil. Set aside. In a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, milk, marshmallows, butter and salt. Cook, stirring

constantly, until the mixture is bubbling. Boil and stir for 5 minutes; remove from the heat. Stir in the chocolate chips until completely melted. Add the walnuts and vanilla. Spread into the prepared pan and cool for 4 to 6 hours in the refrigerator before cutting. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or at room temperature.

Many ancient vows and superstitions involved food. At medieval feasts, a roasted peacock, with its feathers and head intact, was often common fare. Knights would put a hand onto the roasted peacock’s back and

make a vow for the coming year, much like our New Year’s resolutions. Ancient Egyptians believed that onions kept evil spirits away. When they took an oath, they placed one hand on an onion.

Some say that if it rains on the fi rst Sunday of December, it will rain for a week. Weather proverbs are our attempts to explain and understand our climate. Some are useful,

some are ridiculous, but almost all are interesting. Here’s another one relating to the days of the month: If it storms on the fi rst Thursday of the month, count the remaining days of the month, add to this the number of days until the New Moon (Dec. 17 this month), and that will give you the number of storms for that season.

WEATHERPROVERBS

If the wind blows much on St. Ste-phen’s Day (Dec. 26), the grapes will be bad in the next year.

Many stars in winter indicate frost.Between the hours of 10 and 2, will show you what the day will do.

Much sleet in winter will be followed by a good fruit year.

If at Christmas ice hangs on the wil-low, clover may be cut at Easter.

If the wolves howl and foxes bark during the winter, expect cold weather.

Black clouds in the north in winter indicate approaching snow.

For recipes, gardening tips and weather forecasts, visit:

www.almanac.com

Ancient superstitions

Weather Lore

Photo Credit: GreenArt/shutterstock

by Derrill Holly

During winter, for many of us, comfort at home means heat. While a good central heating system is designed to meet whole house needs, sometimes consumers turn to space heaters for additional warmth. Some people use one to boost temperatures for a single room where the available heat is inadequate, but their widespread use, over extended periods, can boost winter heating bills. “In some cases, space heaters can be less expensive to use if you only want to heat one room or supplement inadequate heating in a room,” according to analysts at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). “Howev-er, a space heater is not necessarily an economical source of long-term warmth. It is not an alternative to a whole-home heating system.”

Right Type for the Job According to DOE, two types of space heaters are generally available for the residential market. Most can deliver between 10,000 Btu and 40,000 Btu of heat per hour and commonly run on electricity, propane, natural gas or kero-sene. Wood and pellet stoves are also increasingly popular choices. Convective heating circulates air within an enclosed space, while radi-ant heating transfers warming energy directly to objects or people with-in close proximity to its source. If central heating is unavailable or inadequate, a convective heating unit can distribute heat relatively evenly throughout an enclosed space. For garages, workshops, workout rooms or laundry areas, used for a few hours a day or week, a convective heater could be a good fi t. Many convective electric heaters contain some type of sealed heat transfer liquid. They allow heat generated by the devices to store energy as heat, so they cycle less while providing consistent performance. Radiant electric heaters typically include infrared heating elements. Nearby surfaces, including people, absorb the heat. Air in immediate proximity to the unit’s cabinetry also aids in the transfer of warmth.

Safe Not Sorry Space heaters are responsible for 25,000 residential fi res a year, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Burn injuries associated with contacts with room heaters send about 6,000 people to emergency rooms every year. Because the devices are designed to give off heat, they should always be set in locations clear of all fl ammable materials and out of reach of small children, pets or anyone with impaired mobility. In recent years, many space heaters have been designed with tip-over safety features, which automatically shut off the power source in the

event that the unit tilts beyond its upright position. Because space heaters are designed to produce heat, they should be plugged directly into a wall when possible. If an extension cord is used, it should be heavy duty, and made of 14-gauge wire or larger. Given a choice between high, medium and low, or an adjustable ther-mostat, choose the latter. A unit that heats your space to the desired temperature will cycle less, saving energy. Also, buy the right size heater for the right size space –– too small and the warming results could be disappointing, too large or powerful and you’ll be uncomfortable. Any time you open doors or windows to vent away warm air, you are wasting energy.

Getting More for Less “Space heaters are not the ideal solution for heating homes,” says Brian Sloboda, a senior program manager for the National Rural Elec-tric Cooperative Association. “For every unit of electricity that is con-sumed by these devices, they produce one unit of heat.” While adding several space heaters to supplement your central heat-ing system is also likely to drive up your energy costs, selective use can help you save money. According to analysts at the Environmental Protection Agency, the key is using space heaters in smaller rooms that are occupied infre-quently, as well as lowering thermostat settings on the central system. Lowering thermostat settings from 70 to 65 degrees and using a thermostat-controlled space heater to heat 10 percent of a home’s con-ditioned fl oor space will save a heat pump user $67 a year. But the EPA cautions that space heaters are most effi cient when used in small spaces for limited periods and can actually waste energy if consumers try to heat too much area with the devices. There are currently no space heaters among the EPA’s list of Energy Star-rated products. Agency offi cials said they have evaluated several models but have no plans to include such products in the labeling pro-gram in the near future. Still, high-end heaters are heavily marketed during cooler months. An energy expert at your local electric co-op can help determine if a space heater is right for your home. “They may suggest other alternatives, like sealing air leaks, add-ing insulation or tuning up your heating system so it operates more effi ciently,” says Brian. “Those are just a few of the options that won’t increase your overall energy use.”

Derrill Holly writes on consumer and cooperative affairs for the Nation-al Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the national trade association representing more than 900 local electric cooperatives.

R M | H O M E C O M F O RT

Cozy Comforts of HomeUsing space heaters at home could lead to bigger bills