August 2016 20AA Touchstone Energy® CooperativePlanters EMC www.plantersemc.com

OFFICIAL MEMBER NEWSLETTER OF PLANTERS ELECTRIC MEMBERSHIP CORPORATION

Inside this issue:• Living up to the Seven Cooperative Principles • Wash the energy waste out of your laundry• Still burning old lightbulbs? Make the switch• Cool summer evenings call for fans, not A/C

• Energy Efficiency Tip of the Month• Working for you• Barbecue-Stuffed Peppers

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Continued on page 20D

as it happened to you? Driving along, you see a stranded motorist and you say to yourself, “Oh,

I wish I could help.” But you keep driving because you don’t feel safe or don’t have time to stop.

Fortunately for Mark and Jean Hindermann, a Minnesota couple traveling through Georgia a few months ago, it didn’t happen that way.

While in the Millen area, the couple had a flat tire. Planters EMC Staking Technician Steve Burke and Engineering Technician Trey Dozier saw the Hindermanns’ predicament and changed the tire. The couple expressed their appreciation and went

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‘Y’all have a good day!’ Living up to the Seven Cooperative Principles

From left, Planters EMC employees Trey Dozier and Steve Burke put a key cooperative principle of concern for community into action recently by changing a tire for two stranded motorists from Minnesota.

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The Seven Cooperative Principles1. Voluntary and open membership:

Cooperatives are voluntary organizations, open to all persons able to use their services and will-ing to accept the responsibilities of membership.

2. Democratic member control: Cooperatives are democratic organizations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting poli-cies and making decisions.

3. Members’ economic participation: Members contribute equitably to, and democratically con-trol, the capital of their cooperative.

4. Autonomy and independence: Cooperatives are autonomous, self-help organizations con-trolled by their members.

5. Education, training and information: Cooperatives provide education and training for their members, elected representatives, manag-ers and employees so they can contribute effec-tively to the development of their cooperative.

6. Cooperation among cooperatives: Cooperatives serve their members most effec-tively and strengthen the cooperative movement by working together.

7. Concern for community: While focusing on member needs, cooperatives work for the sus-tainable development of their communities.

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20B GEORGIA MAGAZINEPlanters EMC Planters EMC is an equal opportunity provider and employer

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Wash the energy waste out of your laundryBY PAT KEEGAN AND AMY WHEELESS

he average American family washes about 300 loads of laun-

dry per year. All that washing uses a lot of energy, but there are some easy ways to reduce your energy use in the laundry room.

Consider purchasing more efficient appliances: One of the biggest changes you can make is to purchase a new, ENERGY STAR-cer-tified washer and dryer. Washers with this certification use about 40 percent less water and 25 percent less energy than standard washers. ENERGY STAR washers can be top- loading or front-loading machines; front-loading machines are general-ly more water and energy efficient, helping offset any additional upfront costs. ENERGY STAR dryers use 20 percent less energy than standard dryers. Visit energystar.gov for more information about estimated water and energy use by all its certified products.

Get out of hot water: The easi-est way to save energy in the laundry room is to stop using hot water. Almost 90 percent of the energy con-sumed by your washing machine is used to heat water, but most loads of laundry can be just as easily cleaned with cold water. Using cooler water

Take it easy; wait until you have a full load to do laundry.

is also easier on your clothes. If you need to use hot or warm water on a particularly dirty load, a well- insulated water heater will limit the costs of using warmer water.

Do fewer loads: When pos-sible, wash a full load of clothes. However, when you must do a smaller load, adjust the water-level settings on your machine.

Help out your dryer: One of the best ways to reduce the amount of drying time is to get as much wa-ter as possible out of the clothes in the washing machine. Use a higher spin setting to wring the extra water out of your laundry. When you are ready to dry, remember not to overfill the dryer so there is enough room for drying air to reach the clothes.

Use your dryer’s features: If your dryer has a moisture sensor, use it rather than guessing how long each load of laundry will need to dry. A dryer’s cool-down cycle uses the residual heat to finish dry-ing your clothes, without using as much energy.

Dry like with like: Heavy fabrics, like towels and blankets, should be dried separately from lighter fabrics, like T-shirts. When using a dryer’s moisture sensor, the dryer will keep running until the wettest (and probably heaviest) item is dry. Rather than one towel extending the drying time for each load of laundry, dry the towels together.

Live lint-free: Clean the lint trap on your dryer regularly to help air circulation. Periodically use a vacuum nozzle to clean the area under or behind the lint filter, where lint can also get caught. If you use dryer sheets, scrub the filter clean about once a month; dryer sheets can leave a film on the

filter that reduces air flow.Remember safety: Your laun-

dry room extends from the back of the dryer, down the dryer duct and all the way to the end of your dryer vent. Inspect your outside dryer vent regularly to make sure it is not blocked, and periodically work with a professional to clean your dryer ducts. Making sure the duct and vent are clear not only helps your dryer work more effi-ciently but also can prevent a fire. If possible, move the dryer closer to an exterior wall to shorten the length of the dryer duct and make sure the duct is as straight as possi-ble. This helps reduce the oppor-tunities for clogging and increases efficiency.

Use your solar-powered dryer: Going “old-fashioned” and air-drying your clothes will defi-nitely reduce your energy use. You also can tumble-dry clothes until damp, then line-dry them until they are fully dry, which can prevent the “crunchy” feeling that line-dried clothes sometimes have.

For more information on how to make your laundry room efficient, please visit www.collabo-rativeefficiency.com/energytips.

Pat Keegan and Amy Wheeless write for Collaborative Efficiency, which works with rural electric cooperatives to develop energy-ef-ficiency programs that provide the most benefits for them and the communities they serve.

Front-loading washers clean clothes well and spin fast, which removes more moisture and enables your dryer to work more efficiently.

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August 2016 A Touchstone Energy® CooperativePlanters EMC www.plantersemc.com 20C

f your home’s lamps and light fixtures are still housing old-fashioned incandescent lightbulbs, it’s

time to switch to something more energy efficient.Twisty, compact fluorescent lightbulbs—CFLs—

are better. But LED bulbs are even more energy effi-cient and last much longer.

Yes, LEDs cost more than other kinds of light-bulbs—sometimes more than twice as much. But they use about 80 percent less energy than out-of-date incandescents. CFLs use about 70 percent less energy than the old bulbs.

Over time, though, LEDs shine the brightest of the three when it comes to energy use and cost sav-ings. The average life span of an LED bulb is 25,000 hours, compared with 1,200 for a traditional bulb and 8,000 for a CFL. At about 12.5 cents per kilowatt- hour—the national average, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration—you’ll pay $38

to operate the LED bulb for 23 years. If the incan-descent or CFL bulb lasted 23 years—it won’t—you would pay $201 or $48, respectively.

From left: incandescent bulb, compact fluorescent (CFL) bulb, light-emitting diode (LED) bulb.

Still burning old lightbulbs? Make the switch

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ven the hottest summer gives us a break occasionally, sending pleasant temperatures and gentle breezes our way, especially in the evenings.

When it’s not too hot outside, you can cool your house more economically with fans than by running your central or window air conditioner.

Placing a fan in a window circulates the air and freshens the home by exhausting stale air. It can remove odors from smoking and cooking that tend to linger when all the windows are closed.

A ceiling fan can be used, whether the air conditioning is on or off. During the summer, the blades send a slight breeze down into the room, which will make anyone in that room feel more comfortable.

Fans don’t actually cool the house. Instead, they make the rooms where they are located feel cooler because they move the air around. So turn them off when you leave the room.

Cool summer evenings call for fans, not A/CEE

Is your room air conditioner working overtime? Reduce air

leaks by installing rigid foam panels (instead of the commonly used

accordion panels) between the window frame and unit, and secure

with duct tape.

—Source: energy.gov

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GEORGIA MAGAZINEPlanters EMC Planters EMC is an equal opportunity provider and employer20D

Planters EMC:Working for you

Screven County District Office Cashier

Ashlee Forehand

Meet

A Special Taste of GeorgiaA Special Taste of GeorgiaBarbecue-Stuffed Peppers

Courtesy of Georgia Grown

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large skillet, cook ground beef until pink is

gone. Add onions to the pan and cook 2-3 minutes. Drain excess fat off meat then add seasoning rub and 1/2 cup barbecue sauce. Let simmer several minutes.

1 pound ground beef

1/2 cup diced sweet onion

1 tablespoon Joe Kem’s BBQ seasoning rub (or your favorite brand)

1/2 cup dill pickles, chopped

1 cup Joe Kem’s BBQ sauce, divided (or your favorite brand)

2 cups potatoes, diced small

Salt and pepper, to taste

6 medium bell peppers, cut in half, seeds removed

1/4 cup water

Living up to the Seven Cooperative Principles Continued from page 20A

on their way. Burke and Dozier returned to their daily duties.

Days later, when the couple returned home, they were so touched by the Southern hospitality that they shared their story with Elaine Garry, president and CEO of People’s Energy Cooperative in Oronoco, Minn. The Hindermanns are members of People’s Energy.

Garry was also struck by the act of kindness showed by the cooperative’s employees so far away. She wrote a letter expressing her appreciation to

Planters EMC General Manager Matt Brinson. The good deed re-emphasizes the care that

cooperatives have for the community, even if the member may be from a different co-op or a differ-ent state. The seventh Cooperative Principle relates that cooperatives have a concern for community.

The Minnesota couple will not soon forget their trip to the South and the men who came to their aid. No doubt the expression “Y’all have a good day” means much more now to the visitors from the North.

While meat is cooking, cook potatoes in salted water until almost tender, about 2-3 minutes once it boils. Drain potatoes then add to meat mixture. Add chopped pickles, stirring to combine. Adjust sea-soning and salt and pepper to taste.

Divide mixture evenly among pep-pers. Place peppers in an ovenproof dish and drizzle remaining barbecue sauce over top of peppers. Pour 1/4 cup water in bottom of pan. Cover pan with aluminum foil. Bake about 1 hour or until peppers are tender. Serves 6-10.

Visit Georgia Grown’s website, www.georgia grown.com, for more great recipes from farms and producers across our state.

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