A monthly publication for members of Heartland Power Cooperative | December 2019

Consider Running ForThe Board of DirectorsOne of your responsibilities as a cooperative member is electing the Heartland Power Cooperative Board of Directors.

This March, our members will once again have the opportunity to cast their vote for two members of the Board of Directors.

If you or someone you know is interested in running for the Board of Directors, please contact one of the following nominating committee members:

Gordon Boge, Charles City641-228-5798

Gary Girkin, Charles City641-228-6702

Bob Wright, Charles City641-228-6346

Dave Albertson, Leland641-567-3686

Wendell Finer, Thompson641-584-2301

Heartland Power Cooperative’s annual meeting will take place on March 24, 2020 at the Saint Ansgar School. One of the items of business will be the election of two directors. Are you or is someone you know interested in serving on the Heartland Power Board of Directors?

To be considered for election to the Board of Directors, an individual must be a member of Heartland Power Cooperataive and listed on the membership card. If only one individual is listed on the membership card, a joint membership may be obtained. In addition to being a member, the individual must reside and receive electric service from the cooperative at a location within the district in which they are seeking election.

Monthly board meetings usually take place during the day rotating between the offices in St. Ansgar and Thompson. Other board meetings and trainings take place on average of one day per month.

Candidates for election to the Board of Directors are selected by a nominating committee comprised of members who adequately represent the districts up for election. Appointed members of this year’s Nominating Committee are listed to the right.

If you are interested, or would like to submit the name of a member who is interested in being considered as a candidate, please contact or send information to one of the committee members or contact our office.

Upcoming Director Election

*Districts outlined in red are up for election this year.

Heartland Power will be closed Tuesday, December 24th and Wednesday, December 25th for the Christmas holiday. Our office will also be closed Wednesday, January 1st for New Years. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all of us at Heartland Power Cooperative!

Happy Holidays

energy@heartlandpower.com | www.heartlandpower.com | www.facebook.com/heartlandpower2 | NEWS AND VIEWS: DECEMBER 2019

MONTHLYCO-OP QUIZ

$25 Bill Credit WinnerKevin Koster of St. Ansgar

Last Month’s AnswerHeartland Power has returned over $9.8 Million in capital credits since its inception in 1998.

This Month’s QuestionWhat is something you learned or found interesting in this newsletter?Quiz GuidelinesEach member who sends in the correct answer by the 20th of the month will be entered in a drawing for a $25 bill credit.Mail or energy quiz answers to energy@heartlandpower.com.

TEN $500 SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLEHeartland Power is pleased to provide a $500 scholarship to ten high school seniors whose parent(s)/guardian(s) are Heartland Power Cooperative members with their primary residence serviced by the cooperative.

All entries must reach a Heartland Power office no later than February 1, 2020. Applications can be found on our website www.heartlandpower.com or through your school guidance counselor.

REBATES DUE DECEMBER 31If you have purchased and installed energy efficient equipment recently, make sure to check if it qualifies for a rebate from Heartland Power! Rebate forms can be found on our website at www.heartlandpower.com Please contact us with questions or to receive a physical copy in the mail. Rebate forms, invoices, and any necessary Energy Star labels must be submitted to Heartland Power by December 31, 2019.

THIS COULD BE YOUHIGH SCHOOL SOPHOMORES & JUNIORS

6 MONTHS FROM NOWHeartland Power is sponsoring two high

school sophomores or juniors in our service area to attend the annual Youth

Tour June 18-25, 2020. Youth Tour is a week-long, all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. where students can

learn more about electric cooperatives, government, and American history.

Learn more atwww.heartlandpower.com/youthtour

energy@heartlandpower.com | www.heartlandpower.com | www.facebook.com/heartlandpower

Jon Leerar, CEO/General Manager

JANUARY | The Benefit of Cooperative MembershipThe Heartland Power Cooperative Board of Directors started the year with the approval of a $400,000 refund of the 2018 operating margins, which was returned to members in late January.

MARCH | Powering Communities, Empowering LivesCooperative members gathered at our Annual Meeting to enjoy a meal, entertainment, door prizes, and the opportunity to vote in director elections. Taking time to discuss the cooperative’s future together is the beauty of our locally-owned business model.SupportingFuture GenerationsWe proudly awarded eight area high school seniors with scholarships at our Annual Meeting.

APRIL | Ice Storm Brings Community TogetherIce and strong winds pummeled our service area leaving hundreds of broken poles and many co-op members without power. We were

encouraged by overwhelming support by members as crews worked long hours to restore power as quickly and safely as possible.

2020

2018

2019 A Year In ReviewAnother year has come and gone. As 2019 comes to a close, I’d like to take a moment to look back on the accomplishments of the past year.

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JUNE | D.C. Bound with Youth TourClarissa Huisman of Osage and Kylie Greenfield of Lake Mills

represented the cooperative at the 2019 Youth Tour in Washington, D.C.

AUGUST | An End Of Summer CelebrationNearly 700 members attended our Open House event in St. Ansgar to

celebrate the move to our new location with an evening of food and fun.

NOVEMBER | Over $9.8 Million ReturnedCapital credits were returned to members! The Board approved to

return over $487,000 in capital credits this November. After thisrecent distribution, the cooperative has issued nearly $10 Million in

capital credits since 1998.

We would not be able to reflect on these accomplishments

without the member-driven work of our dedicated cooperative

employees our committed directors, and you - our engaged

and supportive members.

Thank you and Merry Christmas, from our family to yours!

energy@heartlandpower.com | www.heartlandpower.com | www.facebook.com/heartlandpower4 | NEWS AND VIEWS: DECEMBER 2019

Disconnected Service/Idle Service PolicyServices may be temporarily disconnected at a member’s request, however if the member requests the service be reconnected within the next 15 months, they will be charged the minimum bill service charge for the months the service was disconnected and a $60 reconnect fee.

Services that are not connected at the end of the calendar year will be notified as they must pay a $48 fee to have Heartland Power maintain the service in a state of readiness for the next calendar year. If the service is reconnected during the year, the member will receive a $4 credit on their bill for each month that service is active for the year. If the member elects not to pay the idle service charge, Heartland Power may remove the service at any time. Once the service line has been removed, removal costs and construction costs to rebuild the service line may be charged to the member to reinstall the service.

Operation Round-Up funds are generated through a voluntary rounding up of cooperative members’ electric bills to the nearest dollar. This change is used to assist worthy causes right here in our area.For those who opt to participate in the program, the rounding up results in an average donation of $6 per year. Let us know if you would like to join this worthwhile program. We’d be glad to get you signed up!Thanks to the generosity of our cooperative members, over $22,000 was given back to our local communities this year. Since the inception of Operation Round-Up in 2003, we have donated over $336,900.

Karrie Pringnitz, Director of Finance & Administration

HEARTLAND POWER COOPERATIVE | 5energy@heartlandpower.com | www.heartlandpower.com | www.facebook.com/heartlandpower

Most space heaters are 1500 watts. If you’re operating a space heater twenty-four hoursa day at the rate of 9.6 cents/kWh, it would cost $103.68 per month.

1500 watts x 720 hours/month x .096 cents/kWh/1000 = $103.68/month

Ron Gasteiger,Director of Member Services

Are You Prepared For Winter Weather?As temperatures continue to drop, it’s time to think seriously about the winter weath-er season to come. Take time now to prepare your family and home for any blizzards or ice storms we may experience in the next several months.Generators are among used by many Heartland Power members. They can be tem-porarily or permanently installed. A permanent generator is wired into a house by a qualified electrician using a transfer switch which protects from back feeding. A temporary generator fired by gasoline or diesel fuel should not be attached to a circuit breaker, fuse, or outlet, but rather, appliances should be plugged directly into the outlet on the generator.Although important and useful during outages, generators can be very dangerous, or even deadly, if not used properly. Be sure to test your generator and make sure the switch operates correctly so you are prepared before a storm hits!

1. Never use generators indoors, even with doors open.

2. Do not plug anything into the generator until it is running.

3. Before re-fueling, turn the generator off and let it cool down to prevent fire.

4. Do not connect generators directly to household wiring without an appropriate transfer switch.

5. Utilize heavy-duty outdoor extension cords.

Generator Safety Tips:

If a standby generator is the next step in protecting your home or

business, give us a call! We sell Briggs and Stratton

generators and are glad to help guide you through proper sizing and a safe interconnection with

the electric grid.

6 | NEWS AND VIEWS: DECEMBER 2019

Dave Low,Director of Operations

Accidents, severe storms, and other disasters can cause power lines to come down. With one wrong move before, during, or after a disaster, a life can be lost. Know the right steps to take to keep you and your family safe:

DOWNED POWER LINESAlways a Risk

• If you see downed power lines, or other damaged electrical equipment, notify the local electric utility as soon as possible because the lines could still be live.

• Just because power lines are damaged does not mean they are dead. Stay away, and instruct others to do the same.

• Power lines do not have to be arcing or sparking to be live and dangerous.

• Downed power lines, stray wires, and debris in contact with them all have the potential to deliver a fatal shock. Stay clear of fallen power lines and damaged areas that could hide a hazard. Be alert during clean-up efforts.

• Treat all power lines as if they are energized until there is certainty that power has been disconnected.

• If a power line has landed on the ground, there is the potential for the area nearby to be energized. Stay far away, and warn others to do the same.

• Be careful not to touch or step in water near where a downed power line is located.

• Do not attempt to move a downed power line. Even non-conductive materials can conduct electricity if slightly wet.

• Do not attempt to drive over a downed power line. If you are driving and come along a downed power line, stay away and warn others to stay away. Contact emergency personal or the utility company to address the downed power line.

• If power lines fall on your vehicle while you are driving, do not attempt to drive away or get out. Call for help, and stay inside until utility crews say it is safe to get out. The only exception would be if fire is present. In that case, jump - don’t step - with both feet hitting the ground at the same time. Jump clear. Do not allow any part of your body to touch the vehicle and ground at the same time. Hop to safety.

Power lines aren’t dangerous only when

they’re down!

Look up before lifting ladders and other long-handled tools to avoid

accidental contact with electric lines. Contact us to report tree branches or

limbs near power lines. Our crews can safely trim the branches, increasing

safety and reliability.

Brady Codner, Randy Dieterich, Jim Foos, Justin Gasteiger, Ron Gasteiger, Jenny Kramersmeier, Jordan Lee, Jon Leerar, Dave Low, Vickie Maakestad, Gabe Mayer, Jay Muller, Tim Oldenkamp, Alex Ollendieck, Sheila Olsen, Kevin Pannhoff, Pete Paulson, Brad Pecinovsky, Karrie Pringnitz,

Eric Rosenbaum, Colton Skarpohl-Ost, Jarrett Woods

Mark Kingland, Don Knudtson, Vince Morische, Gary Pearson, Richard Rosenberg,Roger Solomonson, Larry Tjaden, Roger Tjarks

Our offices will be closed December 24, 25, and January 1.In the case of an outage or emergency,

please call 888-417-3007.

HEARTLAND POWER COOPERATIVE | 7energy@heartlandpower.com | www.heartlandpower.com | www.facebook.com/heartlandpower

We did not receive any recipes this month. For March’s recipe club, send in a favorite

breakfast recipe to share!

Recipes can be mailed to our office or emailed to energy@heartlandpower.com

by February 20th. Members with their recipe published in the newsletter will

receive a $5 bill credit.

Members use SmartHub for many reasons...What’s Yours?• You’re Busy Pay your bill online with a credit card or access past billing statements.

• You Travel Check your daily usage or set consumption threshold text and email alerts to make sure your power is on, but usage isn’t suspiciously high.

• You Want to Conserve Electricity Check your usage daily. Notice the difference in days you do laundry or when you unplug that extra dehumidifier or refrigerator. Monitoring your consumption helps you make smart energy decisions.

USAGE & BILLINGYour inside look at

with SmartHub

Providing members with safe, reliable, affordable electricity and enhancing the quality of life for members and their local communities.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Office Hours 7:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. M - F

Thompson 216 Jackson St | P.O. Box 65Thompson, IA 50478

641.584.2251

St. Ansgar 110 Industrial Park Dr. | P.O. Box 70St. Ansgar, IA 50472

641.713.4965

Outage Reporting Thompson 641.584.2200 St. Ansgar 641.713.4646

System Wide 888.417.3007

Digging & Line Location Call 811

Website www.heartlandpower.comEmail energy@heartlandpower.comFacebook facebook.com/heartlandpower

CEO/GENERAL MANAGER Jon Leerar

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Richard Rosenberg, President 641.736.2378Roger Solomonson, Vice President 641.590.0049Mark Kingland, Treasurer 641.590.4400Larry Tjaden, Secretary 641.220.0114Gary Pearson Asst. Secretary-Treasurer 641.732.9420

Roger Tjarks, DPC Director 515.341.5444Vince Morische, Director 641.732.4076Don Knudtson, Director 641.590.1416

LOOKING FOR A UNIQUE, YET PRACTICAL GIFT IDEA?Give the gift of renewable

energy! Ask us about community solar

subscriptions.

The Trading Place: Any Heartland Power member or employee may submit ads free of charge. The members’ name, account number and phone number are required for all ads. Ads will be printed for one month only. We will only accept two ads per

member per month. No ads will be taken over the phone. Heartland Power reserves the right to reject ads. Please submit your ad by mail or email. Deadline is the 20th of the month prior to publication.

For Sale: 2004 550cc Polaris, M-20, rebuilt engine with very few miles on. Electric start, good condition. 319-290-7804For Sale: 2003 Top Cap enclosed trailer – 12’, white. 319-290-7804For Sale: 8’ pickup box trailer, 2” coupler, jack, lights - $350. 641-740-1251For Sale: ’77 Chevy 350 engine, 4-bolt, needs rebuilt - $150, also 350 turbo long tail - $100. 641-740-1251For Sale: 2012 Quantum 6 power wheelchair, 3-speed, blue color, used mainly indoors, battery charges well & chair in very good condition - $800. 641-985-4029

For Sale: Golden Retriever puppies, cute, playful Christ-mas gifts! 8 weeks on November 12th – Call 641-228-2738For Sale: Meuser Lathe German built, 1960’s, good condi-tion, $2,000 or best offer – Call 641-748-2290For Sale: Boston Terrier Puppies, raised on farm, shots & wormed - $550, Call 641-982-4200For Sale: 2007 Skidoo MXZ Renegade 600 SDI. Electric Start, Reverse. 136” X 1 1/4” track. Black, white and yel-low. All plastic is good. Always stored inside. 6390 miles. Well maintained. $2250. Call Laurie 641-220-4028.