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18 | Cooperative Living | May 2016 Northern Neck Electric Cooperative Northern Neck Electric Cooperative News NORTHERN NECK ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE 85 St. Johns Street P.O. Box 288 Warsaw, VA 22572-0288 804-333-3621 • 1-800-243-2860 www.nnec.coop Office Hours: M-F, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. President & CEO Greg W. White Local Pages Editor Andrew Packett Northern Neck Electric Cooperative is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Come by for NNEC’s Member Appreciation Hot Dog Lunch! Hot dogs, chips and drinks will be served from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday, May 20, in the parking lot at Northern Neck Electric Co-op. WRAR’s Prize Wheel will also be on site during those hours. NNEC is proud to be a member- owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative. Serving our members lunch is our way of saying thank you for being a part of the Cooperative! NNEC Sponsors Student to Leadership Conference T yler Reedal from King George High School attended the Virginia Institute on Cooperative Education (VICE) at Graves’ Mountain Lodge in Syria. Students from across the state participated for the weekend of April 1-3 to interact with their peers as they learn how a cooperative functions. The students were separated into four groups for a four-session workshop on the different aspects of cooperatives; purchasing, marketing, farm credit and electric co-ops. All of the students then took a test on cooperatives. The “Who’s Minding the Store” program was introduced and explained to the students. “Who’s Minding the Store” is a simulation game the economics professors at Purdue University designed for their MBA students. At this point the students were divided into six teams for the competition and the personality/leadership workshop began. After each session the teams received a report on how well their team managed during that specific session, and a final test concluded the program Sunday. Fun activities throughout the weekend included hiking the scenic location, a hayride through the apple orchards, an ice cream social and a dance. The eight students who scored the highest on their tests throughout the weekend qualified to attend the National Institute on Cooperative Education. Four scholarships of $2,000, $1,500, and two $1,000 winners were announced to conclude the weekend’s activities. The leaders of VICE are to be commended for all of their time, hard work and effort to make this event a meaningful and great educational experience. From left: King George High School Director of Counseling Robin Mitchell with Tyler Reedal. Northern Neck Electric Cooperative will be closed Monday, May 30, in observance of Memorial Day. Report an electricity outage or an emergency by calling toll-free 1-866-NNEC OUT (866-663-2688).

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18 | Cooperative Living | May 2016 Northern Neck Electric Cooperative

Northern Neck ElectricCooperative News

NORTHERN NECKELECTRIC COOPERATIVE

85 St. Johns StreetP.O. Box 288

Warsaw, VA 22572-0288804-333-3621 • 1-800-243-2860

www.nnec.coop

Office Hours: M-F, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

President & CEOGreg W. White

Local Pages EditorAndrew Packett

Northern Neck Electric Cooperative is anequal opportunity provider and employer.

Come by for NNEC’s MemberAppreciation Hot Dog Lunch!

Hot dogs, chips anddrinks will be served from11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.Friday, May 20, in theparking lot at NorthernNeck Electric Co-op.WRAR’s Prize Wheel willalso be on site duringthose hours. NNEC isproud to be a member-owned, not-for-profitelectric cooperative.Serving our memberslunch is our way of sayingthank you for being a partof the Cooperative!

NNEC Sponsors Studentto Leadership Conference

Tyler Reedal from King George HighSchool attended the VirginiaInstitute on Cooperative Education

(VICE) at Graves’ Mountain Lodge inSyria. Students from across the stateparticipated for the weekend of April 1-3to interact with their peers as they learnhow a cooperative functions. The studentswere separated into four groups for afour-session workshop on the differentaspects of cooperatives; purchasing,marketing, farm credit and electric co-ops.All of the students then took a test on cooperatives.

The “Who’s Minding the Store” programwas introduced and explained to thestudents. “Who’s Minding the Store” is asimulation game the economics professorsat Purdue University designed for theirMBA students. At this point the studentswere divided into six teams for thecompetition and the personality/leadershipworkshop began. After each session theteams received a report on how well theirteam managed during that specific session,and a final test concluded the programSunday. Fun activities throughout theweekend included hiking the scenic

location, a hayride through the appleorchards, an ice cream social and a dance.

The eight students who scored thehighest on their tests throughout theweekend qualified to attend the NationalInstitute on Cooperative Education. Fourscholarships of $2,000, $1,500, and two$1,000 winners were announced toconclude the weekend’s activities.

The leaders of VICE are to be commendedfor all of their time, hard work and effortto make this event a meaningful and greateducational experience.

From left: King George High School Directorof Counseling Robin Mitchell with Tyler Reedal.

Northern Neck ElectricCooperative will be closedMonday, May 30, inobservance of Memorial Day.Report an electricity outageor an emergency by callingtoll-free 1-866-NNEC OUT(866-663-2688).

Food. Gasoline. Even cellphoneminutes. Like these and other goodsor services that are paid for before we

actually use them, NNEC introducesPrepaid Service as a payment method to better serve our members.

According to Richard McLendon, NNEC vice president,Customer Service and Information Technology department, whilethe electric rate remains the same, members on Prepaid Service are no longer subject to due dates, late fees, disconnect fees orreconnect fees. Prepaid Service began in April of this year. “Forover 75 years meters have been measuring electricity use followedby a bill from NNEC. Billing after-the-fact may involve a surprise,with an electric bill that may not fit into the member’s budget.Prepaid Service provides the member flexibility to choose whenand how to buy electric service,” McLendon continued. “NNEC’sPrepaid Service allows members to pay for their electricity beforethey use it. Members are empowered to manage electric use in away that best suits their individual situation.”

Prepaid Service offers better cash-flow opportunities for memberswho are paid once or twice a month and their electric-bill duedates do not match their paychecks. Members who are paid weeklymay find it easier to pay smaller amounts each Friday instead ofbeing hit with larger monthly bills. Instead of a 30-day due date,members choose the date to pay for electric service.

www.nnec.coop May 2016 | Cooperative Living | 19

Bill-Payment Choicesto Match Your Lifestyle

Paying your electric bill should be effortless. That is why NNECoffers several payment choices for you to select the method mostcompatible with your lifestyle. While some prefer to pay their

bill in person at NNEC’s office with cash, check or money order,others mail their payment to the Co-op or drop it off in the nightdeposit. Members paying their bill by telephone can pay by eCheckthrough NNEC’s customer service representatives or select theautomated system to pay by eCheck or credit card.

More and more, members are payingtheir electric bill with the automatic bankdraft or eCheck through their bankaccount, especially those who have gonepaperless and receive their NNEC bill byemail. Another online method withvarious additional features is under My Account on NNEC’s web page atwww.nnec.coop. NNEC’s Member Portal at www.nnec.coop allows you to receiveyour bill by email, make payments online, manage your account and much more:

• Sign up for emails of your daily orweekly electric use in kilowatt-hours;

• Receive “Beat the Peak” alerts;

• View payment history;

• Sign up for alert and remindernotifications, such as due-datereminders and payment confirmations,via text message or email;

• Sign up to receive high kilowatt-hour-use email or text alerts whenyour energy use reaches the limit you set;

• Schedule a one-time payment byeCheck or cedit card*; and

• Schedule future payments by eCheckor credit card* using the new “autopay” function.

You can also manage your account and pay online from your smartphone withNNEC’s App available free from the AppleApp Store or Google Play by searching forNNEC Mobile!

*Standard eCheck fee — 60 cents orStandard Credit Card fee — $4.95

Prepaid Metering: Pay-As-You-Go PowerAny NNEC member with a 200-amp (or smaller) residential

service account is eligible. Prepaid Service has the same residentialrate schedule as after-the-fact billing with no additional cost toparticipate. Existing members can convert their accounts toPrepaid Service by agreeing to the terms of agreement and placinga minimum of $25 on the account for daily usage.

Unlike traditional accounts, Prepaid Service does not requireany deposit and members are never penalized for disconnects andreconnects. Members who wish to convert to Prepaid but have anoverdue balance, can pay the full amount due or agree to apayment plan offered by NNEC.

Once a member signs up for Prepaid Service, the account isread daily by NNEC. The member is responsible for monitoringthe account to ensure the balance doesn’t reach $0, which wouldcause suspension of service. If a member’s account funds run out,the service is disconnected the next morning. Members will receivelow-balance alerts prior to being set to disconnect, and will receivealerts once the power has been cut off. Members can recharge theiraccount at any time; day or night, online, by phone, or at NNEC’soffice during normal working hours. Upon the payment beingprocessed, service will be automatically restored.

Contact the customer service representatives at NNEC bycalling toll-free 800-243-2860 or 804-333-3621.

Excerpts from the BylawsARTICLE II – COOPERATIVE MEMBERSHIPSECTION 2.1 – Membership Eligibility.

Any natural person, firm, association,cooperative, corporation, limited liabilitycompany, business trust, partnership,limited liability partnership, state, stateagency, or state political subdivision, orother body politic (collectively, “Person”),that purchases any products, services orequipment related to the Cooperativefurnishing and the person receivingenergy, telecommunication, water orsewerage (collectively, “Utility Services”)from the Cooperative is eligible tobecome a Member.No Person may hold more than one

membership in the Cooperative. Except asotherwise provided in these Bylaws, no Cooperative membership, and no right orprivilege associated with Cooperativemembership, may be sold, purchased, assigned, or otherwise transferred.

ARTICLE III – MEMBER MEETINGSAND MEMBER VOTINGSECTION 3.7 – Member Voting. Upon

presenting identification or proof ofCooperative membership as reasonably required by the Cooperative, andregardless of the value or quantity of UtilityServices used, received, or purchased,each Member may cast one vote on anymatter for which the Member is entitled tovote. Individuals voting on behalf ofnon-natural person Members must presentevidence satisfactory to the Cooperativethat the individual is duly authorized tovote for the non-natural person Member.Unless otherwise provided by Law, the

Articles, or these Bylaws, Membersapprove a matter and act if:

1. a Member Quorum exists; and

2. a majority of those voting approve.

At any Member Meeting, the individualpresiding over the Member vote mayrequire the Members to vote by voice. Ifthe individual presiding over the Membervote determines, in good faith, that awritten vote is required to determine thevote results, then the Members shall voteby written ballot (“Member MeetingWritten Ballot”).Cumulative voting by members is not

allowed.

SECTION 3.8 – Member Voting by Member Proxy. A Member may appointanother Member (“Member Proxy”) tovote on any matter for the Member. NoMember shall vote a proxy for more than

ten (10) Members at any meetings of theMembers. When voting on the sale ordisposal of more than twenty percent(20%) of the assets of the Cooperative, noMember shall vote more than three (3)proxies and no proxy so voted shall bevalid after sixty (60) days from the date ofits execution.

A. Member Proxy Appointment.A Membermay appoint a Member Proxy bysigning and dating a form appointingthe Member Proxy and specifying theMember Meeting at which, or thedates during which, the Member Proxymay vote for the Member (“MemberProxy Appointment”).

A Member Proxy Appointment iseffective if it is received by the individualdesignated by the Cooperative(“Cooperative Proxy Manager”) at thebeginning of the Member Meeting atwhich the Member Proxy will vote for theMember. A Member Proxy may notdesignate a substitute Member Proxy tovote for the Member. A Member ProxyAppointment may limit the MemberProxy’s authority to vote for the Member,or may direct the Member Proxy to votefor the Member in a specified way. Unlessotherwise specified in the Member ProxyAppointment or these Bylaws, a MemberProxy Appointment is (a) valid for ninety(90) days, (b) valid for any MemberMeeting properly adjourned andreconvened on, or at, another date, time,or location, and (c) unlimited regarding thematters or actions, or the manner of votingon any matter or action, upon which theMember Proxy may vote for the Member.

B. Member Proxy Appointment Revocation.A Member Proxy Appointment may berevoked prior to the Member Proxyvoting for a Member by:

1. the Cooperative Proxy Manager receiving a Member ProxyAppointment more recently datedthan the Member ProxyAppointment appointing theMember Proxy;

2. the Cooperative Proxy Manager receiving a written revocation ofMember Proxy Appointment signedby the Member appointing theMember Proxy and dated after theMember Proxy Appointment;

3. the Member appointing the MemberProxy attending and voting at aMember Meeting specified in, oroccurring during the dates specified

in, the Member Proxy Appointment,including any Member Meetingproperly adjourned and reconvened; or

4. the Cooperative Proxy Manager receiving notice of the death or legalincapacity of the Member appointingthe Member Proxy.

ARTICLE IV – BOARD OF DIRECTORSSECTION 4.1 – Board. The Coopera tive

shall have a Board consisting of at leastseven (7) natural persons elected by theMembers. These members shall representequitably the geographical areas servedby or to be served by the Cooperative.Except as otherwise provided by Law, theArticles, or these Bylaws:

1. All Cooperative powers shall be exercised by the Board, or under theBoard’s authority; and

2. All Cooperative affairs shall be managed under the Board’s direction.

To the extent the Law, the Articles, orthese Bylaws authorize any Person toexercise any power that the Board wouldotherwise exercise, the Person exercisingthe power has, and is subject to, the sameduties, responsibilities, and standards ofcare as the Board.

SECTION 4.2 – Director Qualifications.Any Director or Director candidate mustcomply with this Section.

A. Director Qualifications. A Director or Director candidate must:

1. be a natural person;

2. have the capacity to enter intolegally binding contracts;

3. be a Member in good standing or bea duly authorized officer, director oremployee of a non-natural personMember in good standing;

4. be a bonafide resident in the areaserved by the Cooperative unless thedirector is a duly authorized officer,director or employee of a non-natural person Member; and

5. not have a felony conviction.

Items 1 – 5 collectively, “MembershipDirector Qualifications”.

B. Board of Directors Meeting AttendanceRequirements. Any Director who isabsent from five (5) consecutiveregularly scheduled meetings of theBoard of Directors shall be immediatelyremoved from the Board and suchvacancy occurring in the Board ofDirectors shall be filled by a majority

20 | Cooperative Living | May 2016 Northern Neck Electric Cooperative

vote of the remaining Directors for theunexpired portion of the term.

C. Conflict of Interest DirectorQualifications.While a Director, andduring the one year immediately priorto becoming a Director, a Director orDirector candidate must not be, norhave been:

1. a Close Relative of any existingDirector, other than an existingDirector who will cease being aDirector within one year;

2. an existing, or a Close Relative of anexisting, non-Director Cooperative Officer, employee, agent, or repre sentative;

3. employed by, materially affiliatedwith, or share a material financialinterest with, any other Director; or

4. engaged in, employed by, materiallyaffiliated with, or have a material financial interest in any entity, otherthan an entity in which the Cooperativepossesses an ownership interest:

a. directly and substantiallycompeting with the Cooperative;

b. selling goods or services insubstantial quantity to theCooperative; or

c. possessing a substantial conflictof interest with the Cooperative.

Items a – c collectively, “Conflict of Interest Director Qualifications”.

D. Continuing Director Qualifications.Only natural persons complying withthe Membership Director Qualifications,and Conflict of Interest DirectorQualifications (collectively, “DirectorQualifications”) may serve, or continueto serve, as a Director.

After being elected or appointed a Director, if any Director fails to comply withany Director Qualification, as determinedby the Board, then the Board shall removethe Director. If at least a majority of Directorsauthorized by these Bylaws comply withthe Director Qualifications and approve aBoard action, then the failure of any Directorto comply with all Director Qualificationsdoes not affect the Board action.

E. Close Relative. As used in theseBylaws, the term “Close Relative”means an individual who:

1. is, either by blood, law, or marriage,including half, step, foster, andadoptive relations, a spouse, child,grandchild, parent, grandparent, orsibling; or

2. principally resides in the sameresidence.

Any individual properly qualified andelected or appointed to any position doesnot become a Close Relative while servingin the position because of any marriage orlegal action to which the individual wasnot a party.

SECTION 4.3 – Director Nominations. Director candidates shall be nominated as follows:

A. Nominating Committee Nominations.At least thirty (30), but not more than one-hundred and fifty (150), days priorto any Member Meeting at whichMembers are scheduled to electDirectors, the Board shall appoint aNominating Committee consisting ofnot less than five (5), nor more thaneleven (11), Members who shall beselected so as to give equitablerepresentation on the Committee tothe geographical areas served or to beserved by the Cooperative.

At least thirty (30) days prior to theMember Meeting at which Members arescheduled to elect Directors, theNominating Committee shall:

1. nominate at least one individual torun for election for each Directorposition for which Members arescheduled to vote at the MemberMeeting (“Nominating CommitteeNominations”); and

2. post the Nominating CommitteeNominations at the Cooperative’s principal office and publish theNominating Committee Nominationsin “Cooperative Living” magazine.

The Cooperative may reasonablycompensate or reimburse NominatingCommittee members as determined by the Board.

B. Member Petition Nominations.Members may nominate additional

individuals to run for election for any Director position for which Membersare scheduled to vote at any MemberMeeting (“Member PetitionNominations”). Members may makeMember Petition Nominations bydelivering to the Secretary at least sixty(60) business days prior to the MemberMeeting a single writing for eachMember Petition Nomination(“Member Petition”):

1. listing the name of the MemberPetition Nominee;

2. indicating the Director position for which the Member Petition Nomineewill run; and

3. containing the printed names, addresses, telephone numbers, andoriginal signatures of at least twenty-five (25) Members in good standing.

After verifying that a Member Petitioncomplies with this Bylaw, the Cooperativeshall post the Member Petition Nominationin approximately the same location as theNominating Committee Nominations.

C. Notice of Director Nominations. Atleast ten (10), but not more than sixty(60), days prior to any Member Meetingat which Members are scheduled toelect Directors, the Cooperative shallnotify Members of the:

1. Director positions for whichMembers are scheduled to vote;

2. names and corresponding Directorpositions of all NominatingCommittee nominations; and

3. names and corresponding Directorpositions of all Member Petition Nominations.

D. Nominations from the Floor. No additional nominations shall be madefrom the floor at the Member Meeting.

www.nnec.coop May 2016 | Cooperative Living | 21

Nominating CommitteeThe Board of Directors, at its regular meeting on March 16, 2016, appointed a

Nominating Committee in accordance with Article IV, Section 4.3, of the Bylaws. The members appointed to the committee are:

Mr. Lee Allain, 1013 Coan Harbour Drive, Lottsburg, VA 22511

Mr. Allen B. Coates, 7441 Passapatanzy Drive, King George, VA 22485

Mr. John A. Copley, 63 Springfield Lane, Fredericksburg, VA 22405

Mr. Stanley W. Dixon, 1631 Coles Point Road, Hague, VA 22469

Mr. Albert R. Henry, 7528 Leedstown Road, Colonial Beach, VA 22443

Mrs. Anne C. Kenner, P.O. Box 456, Lively, VA 22507

Mr. Randall W. Packett, Jr., P.O. Box 66, Warsaw, VA 22572

22 | Cooperative Living | May 2016 Northern Neck Electric Cooperative

Parts of NNEC’s Service TerritoryDevastated by Tornadoes theEvening of Feb. 24

Tornadoes touched down

in NNEC’s service

territory the evening

of Feb. 24 in the Naylors,

Morattico and Simonson areas

destroying homes, vehicles,

garages and personal property.

The Co-op restored power as

quickly as possible to those

homes able to receive power.

NNEC sympathizes with

those who suffered losses

from the tremendous damage

and is thankful there were

no fatalities.

Top, from left: Matt Hathaway on the derricktruck, Martin Pinon, Line Crew Foreman B.J.Walker and David Jackson pack the pole at theend of the line to restore power.Bottom, from left: In the buckets, linemen David Jackson and Shawn Coates tighten theline for it to have the proper “sag” during the

restoration process.Inset and below: One of theconcrete poles broke duringthe tornado.

www.nnec.coop May 2016 | Cooperative Living | 23

WATCHWATTSyour Make the Most Out of Ceiling Fans

By turning on the fan, you can turn up the savings!

If you are like most Americans, you haveat least one ceiling fan in your home.Ceiling fans help our indoor life feel

more comfortable. They are a decorativeaddition to our homes and, if usedproperly, can help lower energy costs.

Tips for making the most of yourceiling fans:

1. FLIP THE SWITCH — Most ceilingfans have a switch near the blades. Inwarm months, flip the switch so that theblades operate in a counter-clockwisedirection, effectively producing a “windchill” effect. Fans make the air near themfeel cooler than it actually is. In winter,move the switch so the fan blades rotateclockwise, creating a gentle updraft. Thispushes warm air down from the ceilinginto occupied areas of the room.Regardless of the season, try operating thefan on its lowest setting.

2. ADJUST YOUR THERMOSTAT —In the summer, when using a fan inconjunction with an air conditioner, orinstead of it, you can turn your thermostatup three to five degrees without anyreduction in comfort. This saves moneysince a fan is less costly to run than an airconditioner. In the winter,lower your thermostat’sset point by the sameamount. Ceiling fanspush the warm air fromthe ceiling back downtoward the living space,which means the furnacewon’t turn on asfrequently.

3. CHOOSE THERIGHT SIZE —Makesure your ceiling fan is the right size for the room.A fan that is 36-44 inches

in diameter will cool rooms up to 225square feet. A fan that is 52 inches or moreshould be used to cool a larger space.

4. TURN IT OFF —When the room isunoccupied, turn the fan off. Fans areintended to cool people — not rooms.

This year, we’re focusing on how to keep safe after a storm rolls through. No matter the type of weather or damage to electrical equipment andinfrastructure, resulting safety hazards are generally the same.

To stay safe after a major storm or natural disaster strikes, Northern NeckElectric Cooperative urges you to develop a family action plan. Designate a placefor everyone to meet after an event. Map out ways to evacuate your home. Createa laminated card with emergency contact names and numbers for each familymember. Consider listing a relative or friend who lives far from your communityas the point of contact — if your family gets separated, that person can let othersknow who is safe.

And don’t forget pets in your family action plan — many rescue shelters willnot accept pets after a catastrophe of some sort, so it’s important to decidebeforehand where Fido or Tabby can take up residence for a while.

It’s not hard to understand why safety remains a top priority for NNEC —working around electricity is a life-or-death situation every day for many of ouremployees. As a result, we work hard to instill a culture of safety that our folkscan take home with them and live 24/7.

We also strive to raise safety awareness among NNEC members. Look forsafety tips in Cooperative Living magazine each month, and check www.nnec.coopfor more information.

Pledge to honor Electrical Safety Month by fashioning an emergency actionplan for your family today. Learn more about weathering storms safely atwww.ready.gov.

SAFETY CORNER

Honor Electrical Safety MonthEvery May, we celebrate ElectricalSafety Month. It’s a time when weplace a spotlight on ways wekeep you, our members, safe.

During summer months, our homes can be extremelyhot, making living conditions uncomfortable. Beforeyou fire up your air conditioner, try cooling off with aceiling fan first. Using ceiling fans can actually raise your thermostat setting by 4 degrees and still feeljust as comfortable.

Source: Department of Energy

24 | Cooperative Living | May 2016 Northern Neck Electric Cooperative

Knowing What to Do Saved Their Lives

When teenagers Lee Whittakerand Ashley Taylor saw a powerline-safety demonstration at

their high school, they never dreamedwhat they had learned that day would beput to test. Only days later, Whittaker andTaylor, along with two classmates, were ina car that crashed into a utility pole,bringing live power lines to the ground.

“When people are involved in a caraccident, electricity is usually the last thingon their minds,” explains Molly Hall,executive director of the Energy EducationCouncil’s Safe Electricity program. “We’reusually more concerned about whetheranyone was injured or how badly thevehicle is damaged. We can forget that byexiting the vehicle, we’re risking exposureto thousands of volts of electricity fromdowned power lines.”

If you are in an accident with a utilitypole, your vehicle may be charged withelectricity. If this is the case and you stepout of the car, you will become theelectricity’s path to the ground and couldbe electrocuted. Loose wires and otherequipment may be in contact with yourcar or near it — creating a risk forelectrocution if you leave the vehicle.

While downed lines can sometimesreveal they are live by arcing and sparking

with electricity, this is notalways the case. Power lines do not always show signs thatthey are live, but they are just as lethal.

After an accident, stay in thecar, and tell others to do thesame. If you come upon anaccident involving power lines,do not approach the accidentscene. If you see someoneapproaching, warn them to stayaway. Call 911 to notifyemergency personnel and utilityservices. Do not leave yourvehicle until a utilityprofessional has told you it issafe to do so.

The safest place to be isalmost always inside the car.The only circumstance whenyou should exit the vehicle is ifit is on fire — and thoseinstances are rare. If you mustexit the vehicle, jump clear of itwith your feet together andwithout touching the vehicleand ground at the same time. Continue to“bunny hop” with your feet together tosafety. Doing this will ensure that you areat only one point of contact and will not

have different strengths of electric currentrunning from one foot to another, whichcan be deadly.

Whittaker, Taylor and their friendssurvived their accident because they hadlearned what to do. While they waitedmore than 30 minutes for line crews toarrive and deactivate the power line,Whittaker and Taylor made sure nobodyleft the car and warned those who cameupon the accident to stay far away.

“Knowledge was crucial in keepingeveryone involved in the accident safe,”Hall says. “We want to make sure thateveryone knows what to do if they’re inaccidents with power poles.”

For more information and to see Leeand Ashley’s story, visit SafeElectricity.org.

Ashley Taylor and Lee Whittaker, along withtwo classmates, survived a vehicle collisionwith an electric utility pole. The studentshad recently seen a safety demonstrationon what to do in this type of situation,which ultimately saved their lives.

www.nnec.coop May 2016 | Cooperative Living | 25

MEMBERS CAN CHOOSE FROM TWOPAYMENT PLANS FOR THE

GENERLINK™ COLLAR

While NNEC strives to maintain a high level of

service reliability, adverse weather conditions and

other forces of nature can cause power outages.

To aid cooperative members in coping with these

situations, NNEC offers the GenerLink™ emergency

transfer switch. The GenerLink™ switch provides a

quick, easy and safe way for cooperative members

to connect a portable generator to their home’s

electrical system. The GenerLink™ switch:

• is installed behind the electric meter with no

rewiring of the member’s electrical system;

• includes the interlocking power cord for

connection of the portable generator;

• detects when the generator is operating

and automatically disconnects from NNEC’s

distribution system, eliminating a dangerous

backfeed;

• can energize any appliance, up to the capacity of

the generator, by use of the home breaker panel;

and

• can be used with compatible generators listed on

www.generlink.com.

The GenerLink™ emergency transfer switch is available in 30-amp or 40-amp models for single-phase

services with a 200-amp or smaller meter base. Payment methods for the GenerLink™ switch include

paying the total purchase price at once or paying half of the cost with three monthly installments on the

remaining balance. Members must have a good credit record with NNEC and sign the GenerLink™

purchase form.

Buy the GenerLink™ 40-amp, 9.5-kw switch installed with tax for $829.75 total, or on the

installment plan you make a down payment of $434.88 with two monthly payments of $131.62 and one

monthly payment of $131.63. The 40-amp unit will accommodate up to a 10,000-watt generator.

Buy the GenerLink™ 30-amp, 7.2-kw switch installed with tax for $713.92 total, or on the

installment plan you make a down payment of $376.96 with three monthly payments of $112.32. The

30-amp unit will accommodate up to a 7,200-watt generator.

For additional information or to have an emergency transfer switch installed on your service, contact

Customer Service at 333-3621 or 800-243-2860.

www.nnec.coop

NOTE: Generator is not included. Not all generators canbe used with the GenerLink™ collar.