Notes from the Manager

The DS&O Electric Cooperative, Inc.

“Always looking out

for you”

New Facility Construction-

Visit www.DSOElectric.com for a time lapse video of the construction

July 2014

DS&O Electric Cooperative, Inc.

Board of Directors Bruce Spare, President

Ron Seyfert, Vice PresidentJames Christopher, Secretary/Treasurer

William Chamberlin, ChapmanBrian Lang, SolomonDane Clark, Gypsum

Doug Lindahl, EnterpriseKen Hedberg, MarquetteDean Allison, Delphos

Chad Lorson, Hope

StaffDonald Hellwig, General Manager

Mike Olberding, Operations ManagerRandy Tritt, Line Supervisor

Judy Barten, Assistant ManagerDerrick Rutherford, Marketing &

Key Accounts Manager

In case of an outage call1-800-376-3533

After hour calls will be answered by dispatch and forwarded to standby personnel.

After hours and on weekends call1-800-376-3533

Office Hours8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Headquarters201 Dakota Drive • P.O. Box 286

Solomon, KS 67480

District Office1292 Highway K-4 • P.O. Box 469

Lindsborg, KS 67456785-227-2186

Visit www.DSOElectric.com Kid’s Zone to learn more.

Ki rd’ rns C eo

The back-up generator for

the office has been installed

Follow us on Twitter@DSOElectricCoop

Visit us on the Web at www.dsoelectric.com

Don HellwigGeneral Mgr.

Happy 4th of July

I hope everyone is having a great holiday weekend. This is a time to cheer all of the good things about the country where we live. I spend a lot of time in this column complaining about the cost of power, all of the regulations and the many challenges we face here in rural Kansas. But for all of that...We still live in freedom and we have more opportunity than any other place on earth. We all need to remember those freedoms and say a big thank you to our military and our veterans for giving us the opportunity to celebrate the 4th of July. This year the 4th of July weekend is not only a celebration of our freedoms but it is moving day! We are moving into the new headquarters facility. Plans are to be open for business at the new facility on July 7th. DS&O staff will be working through the weekend to move computers and phone system. During the move, our phones will be answered by the after-hours answering service, much the same as any other holiday or weekend. Currently plans are to have on-line information such as the Energy Tracker and the electronic payment system off line for no more than twenty four hours. Staff hopes that from the members perspective, phone calls, the website, phone apps, social media, etc. should all look and operate the same after the move as it does now. Once DS&O gets everything moved and operational, we will be hosting an open house to show the new efficient facility to members and guests. We believe you will agree that this project will be something in which you we can all be proud. I also want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your patience this past month. We

are thankful for the rain, but several extreme storms came along with the rain. DS&O lost several poles across the system and Westar lost a large number of transmission line poles serving DS&O substations especially across the southern part of the system from the Ramona, Gypsum, Lindsborg and Marquette areas. DS&O has put a great deal of effort into reconstruction and maintenance. Because of these efforts, DS&O can now ride through storms much better than in past years but when the winds hit eighty MPH plus, trees and poles break in even unexpected places. Again thanks. I hope everyone is having a productive summer. Have a great month.

CFL Charlie’sSummer Search

CharlieCool EnergyThermostat

Ceiling FanPopsicleTurn OffShut Down

HeatLight BulbsCFLLED

Hey kids! CFL Charlie here. Looking to stay cool over the summer? Here are some tips on how to do that while saving energy. \1) Turn your thermostat up a few degrees - it can save you a lot of money! If you’re still hot, turn on a ceiling fan or have a popsicle. 2) Make sure to turn off things like your TV and shut down your computer - those make a lot of heat if you leave them on. 3) Finally, make sure to replace your regular light bulbs with CFL or LED light bulbs - these save energy and aren’t as hot.

www.kidsenergyzone.com

l i g h t b u l b s f e op o p s i c l e e u f n tl n w o d t u h s l o e ae i l r a h c p o o n r ed n l m t c f t e o r g hn a f g n i l i e c u y li t h e r m o s t a t a a

Charlie Cool EnergyThermostat Ceiling Fan PopsicleTurn Off Shut Down HeatLight Bulbs CFL LED

Cabinets are installed in the employee break room

Happy 4th of July

LocationsPayment

New Building Photos...

Carpet has been installed in the board room

Training room is almost complete

By Amber Bentley

Follow us on Twitter @DSOElectricCoop Visit US on the Web – www.dsoelectric.com

Replacing your conventional power strips

with advanced power strips (APS) can help reduce the electricity

wasted when electronic devices are idle.These

power strips are a convenient and low-

cost way to save.Source: Department of Energy

Pepare Your Home & Yourself to Handle the Heat

BE SurE tO ChECk Out Our

NEw wEBSitE www.dsoelectric.com

Here are a few co-op

connections card

participants

NewMembers

As rewarding as it may be, farming is an extremely difficult job—and it ranks among the top 10most dangerous professions in the United States. At DS&O, safety is top priority for all—our employees andour members.

Our farmers work hard to get the job done, and some-times it’s easy to forget all the necessary steps to take when practicing safe operations. Grain bins are siloed spaces built for storing grain and fermented feed known as silage. These bins play an integral role in the efficiency and profitability of farm and ranch operations, and safety regulations should always be considered when working around these structures.

Whether you’re purchasing new grain bins or remodel-ing areas that contain existing ones, proximity to overhead power lines must be a considered factor.

Safe clearance: The National Electrical Safety Code requires an 18-foot minimum vertical clearance from the highest point of the filling port of the grain bin to nearby high-voltage wires and a 55-foot minimum distance from the power line to the grain bin wall. See the chart at left for further guidelines. Changes to landscaping and drainage work can affect clearance heights of power lines, so remember to check these measurements regularly.

Filling grain bins: High-voltage power lines are not insulated, so it’s important to remember

to maintain an adequate high-wire clearance when using a portable auger, conveyor or elevator to fill your grain bin.

Moving equipment near grain bins: When moving equipment, such as a hopper or a scaffold, be aware of nearby power lines. Remember to maintain a 10-foot clearance to ensure safety.

Accidents can happen in a split-second, which is why DS&O reminds you to always use caution when working near power lines. If you are considering a plan for a new grain bin or reconstruction of an existing bin’s site, please contact DS&O at 1-800-376-3533 and let us assist you in maintaining a safe environment for you and your family.

OFFiCE CLOSEDJuLY 4th

for more information visit us at

www.dsoelectric.com

Extremely hot temperatures are uncomfortable, inconvenient, and expensive. The Energy Education Council has tips to help you prepare your home and yourself to handle the heat. These tips will help you stay cool and save money when temperatures rise. The time to prepare for high summer temperatures is before the heat arrives. Small preparations around the house can add up to big energy savings. Preparing for hot temperatures does more than save you money. Simple preparations can also help keep you safe. Heat is a major weather-related killer in the United States, killing hundreds of people each year. DS&O has the following tips to help you prepare for rising temperatures:

• Seal cracks around the house. Weather stripping and caulking will help maintain your home’s temperature. • Use a programmable thermostat. Set it at a higher temperature when you will be away from home and a more

comfortable temperature when you are at home. • Update your window treatments. Curtains, blinds, and awnings reduce solar heat gain. • Clean off ceiling fans, and make sure they are circulating air in the correct direction for the season. During

warm months, ceiling fans should be operating in a counter-clockwise direction. Also, retrieve portable fans from storage. Fans create a cooling effect at less cost than air conditioning.

• Prepare your air conditioner. Air must be able to circulate around your air conditioner, so clear weeds, leaves, and other debris around your air conditioner. Replace the filter, and continue to replace the filter monthly throughout the home cooling season

Another important part of preparation is becoming knowledgeable. Know the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. If you or someone else experiences heavy sweating and weakness, immediately seek a cool environment, drink water, and apply a cold compress. If these symptoms progress to high temperature, vomiting, and uncon-sciousness, seek emergency medical attention. Try to prevent heat-related illnesses by seeking out cool environments, drinking lots of water, and wearing light clothes.

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Tyler ChurchBilly ClarkJustin CoupBud DavisJames DennisAndrew DidasLee DurhamSharon EngstromGrady FlukerClinton FrancisJulie Fulton

Lorna GalvezJames GriffithGreg HaaseKevin HallSteven HallJerry HarterDavid HendersonMax HoesliThomas HopperLH Sven JohnsonCasey Jones

Summer KoehnLarry Karl Farms, LLCPaige LempkeKina LewisChristina LugoJames MarshShane MaupinTeddy McintoshMidwest Concrete MaterialsSteven Milton

Bret NagelyKevin O’ConnerRussell PayneJulie Petruccel-li-TreenJohn PinkhamIrene PortilloSalvador QuintanaCourtney RobinsonSteven RudigerSteve SchwabRia Shapiro

Joseph SimpsonKrystal SmithSusan SpillerRobert StrathearnTesta EnterprisesBrandy TiceMindy TillbergBradley TomanJourdan TrevinoTed WagnerJoshua WardGarron Woodruff

Cabinets have been installed

in the mail room

The most significant way to help keep electric rates stable is to reduce the peak load during the summer. The electricity your household and family members are consuming at any given time is referred to as “load” And what we do is add up all of the electric consumption from all our members at any given time to determine the “load” for the whole system. There comes a time, everyday, when the system load reaches its peak. That’s when all of you, all at once, are using the most electricity. We must have enough power to meet these needs. It’s also the time when it costs the most to provide that power. The way to help keep electric rates stable is to reduce the peak. It’s what we call “load management.” There are some things you can do at home that can help. Since the late afternoon to early evening is the peak time for us, you can help by using major appliances, such as the washer and dryer in the morning, or later on in the evening. When preparing dinner, remember that slow cookers and other small appliances consume less electricity. Outside the home the usage of battery chargers, grain dryers, pumps, outdoor lighting and barn ventilation systems, may also be postponed to non-peak hours. The key to load management is the reduction of electrical usage during peak hours, 4 p.m. - 9 p.m. Anyway you can postpone electrical usage during those hours will reduce the peak load. This also helps keep our electric rates consistent. You can help promote load management at home. If you have any questions about load management and how we are doing, or you need more information about how you can help, just give us a call at 1-800-376-3533.

Load Management