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Winter Storm Leon meets the Florida Panhandle
Between the evening of Jan. 28 and the afternoon of Jan. 30, CHELCO had a total of 2,960  members without power at one time or another. Most outages were caused by ice and downed tree limbs.
"The weather made restoration really slow," said Vice President of Engineering Matthew Avery. "Everything was wet, cold and icy."
However, crews worked round-the-clock, and power was restored within hours. Their efforts did not go unrecognized by members nor management. From CHELCO CEO Steve Rhodes, to members calling and writing in, there were praises all around.
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Recent conservation produces long-term savings
Members played a large part in CHELCO's successfully weathering some of the coldest temperatures the Florida Panhandle has seen in decades, and their cooperation will contribute to savings of more than $650,000 in electric costs this year.
Members were asked to conserve energy by postponing showers, dishes and laundry; lowering the thermostat to 68 degrees or below and turning off unnecessary lights and appliances at peak times on the coldest January mornings. These efforts, coupled with CHELCO's ability to manage voltage levels, helped curb peak demand for electricity on Jan. 7, 8 and 30.
"We avoided hundreds of thousands of dollars in extra costs that will not be passed on to members," said Vice President of Member Services Steve Wolfrom.
While many members may notice a sharp increase in winter electric bills due to the extreme cold and increased usage, their conservation efforts will produce long-term results.click here to read more
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Annual meeting and elections coming soon Each year three positions on CHELCO's nine-member Board of Trustees are open for election. This year Districts 3, 5 and 8 will be elected by mail and the winners announced at the annual meeting on April 12. Important Dates · Candidates' names posted week of Feb. 16. · Deadline for nomination by petition, Feb. 26.  · Election ballots mailed, Mar. 10. · Ballots must be returned, April 2. · Annual meeting, April 12. |
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 Utility scams abound
It seems that scammers are calling and sending emails to utility customers at a time when customers are especially vulnerable. With temperatures at record lows, a call or email threatening disconnection makes even level-headed consumers nervous.
In south Florida, Florida Power and Light reported scammers sending emails to their customers. "Scammers targeted our customers with emails disguised as monthly statements," said Heather Kirkendall a spokesperson with FPL. So, FPL is advising customers to always check the account number on their bill before assuming it is legitimate. Utility companies, including CHELCO, are reporting customers receiving bogus calls threatening disconnection for non-payment. These customers were given a number to call with their bank information so that payment could be made immediately. Since CHELCO never requests nor takes credit card numbers over the phone, anyone receiving such a call should be aware that the caller is not a representative of CHELCO. Such incidents should be reported to local law enforcement.
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Shining a light on renewable energy
Here in Northwest Florida, sunshine is abundant and seems to provide an infinite energy source. In fact all of rural America is buzzing about renewable power. Solar power can be harnessed when sunshine is plentiful; wind farms, are built on wide-open spaces or ridgetops; methane gas from livestock and landfill waste can be burned to produce power; trees, grass, and crop stalks can be shoveled into boilers or converted to other forms of fuel and the list continues to grow. Electric cooperatives such as CHELCO are exploring ways to make alternative energy viable; however, options in this part of the country are limited. click here to read more
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YOUTH TOUR 2014
For the past 31 years, CHELCO has sent high school juniors on a trip to Washington, D.C., as part of the national Washington Youth Tour program. Students from area schools get a chance to compete for the trip, and winners join Youth Tour representatives from across the country for a week in June.
The first part of the experience involves a trip to Tallahassee for two days, Feb. 12-13. Next, students will participate in a local competition, followed by a banquet on Feb. 27. Judges will interview students for 10 minutes each and select the four top-scoring students, as well as two alternates, for the Washington, D.C., Youth Tour, June 14-19.
Children or grandchildren of CHELCO members, employees and trustees also are allowed to compete for three positions for the Tallahassee trip reserved for them.
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