Mid-South Synergy News

MID-SOUTH COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT - Sundance Equine Assisted Therapies

09/10/10

Set on a beautiful spread of land in Grimes County is a young girl seated on a horse. From a distance, the child looks very small on top of such a large and powerful animal.

Yet there is something very natural about this scene as the horse begins to walk in the fenced area. Assisted by two adults, they hold her knees making sure the girl is comfortable and secure. She smiles and by looking at the beam across her face, one can tell she is on top of the world.

Suddenly, the group stops. One of the adults pulls out a red plastic ball. The girl thinks for a moment and then identifies the object as being red. The two adults are excited and proud. They put the ball down and continue to walk.

As they circle inside the fenced area, the group stops several times and other objects are brought out. Sometimes the girl identifies the color and other times she counts the number of items. In each instance, the adults acknowledge approvingly.

From a distance, one quickly can sense more is occurring than meets the eye -- something perhaps special.

What seems like a typical riding lesson is actually a form of therapy. The young girl is an autistic child who struggles with speech and social skills so on this day she’s learning more than just riding, she’s learning how to communicate.

Using a technique called ‘therapeutic riding,’ Sundance Equine Assisted Therapies is a business like no other in the Brazos Valley. Mid-South Synergy is proud to service electricity to such a locally unique organization. Sundance stands out in the fact that the facility uses horses to assist and educate the children and adults of our community.

For those individuals living with physical, occupational, and speech-language disabilities, Sundance’s use of horses as a treatment strategy has shown great results.

Opened in 2009, Sundance started out as a dream by Founder Laura Allen. With her love of horses, Laura envisioned incorporating her passion along with therapy. After doing extensive research, Laura became licensed in therapeutic riding and opened the center with her husband Brad.

For the couple, the venture is right up their alley. Brad and Laura also own and operate Allen Therapies which provides Physical Therapy treatment.

“For most of our children, it’s an educational experience” says Allen. “We’re teaching them the alphabet. We’re teaching them the colors, and how to do therapy all by using a horse. Using the horse opens windows and doors that a school or hospital bed can’t always get to.”

To see Laura in action, it doesn’t take long to see that there’s a connection between the child and horse. Laura says therapeutic riding works well because kids are drawn to the calm demeanor of the animal and feel safe.

“The horse gives them a new sense of power, strength, and confidence they may have never felt before” says Allen.

Even the horse seems to understand its helping. It exerts patience creating a great working relationship. Parents have also responded well after seeing these results.

Allen says initially many of the parents are a little nervous but after observing the interaction between the horse and the child, they become “supportive” and “true believers of the therapy.”

“Once people start seeing what it can do” Allen adds, “they’re hooked.”

Sundance Equine Assisted Therapies does not turn anyone away and will work with anyone who is in need. The center assists in finding financial aid for any parent wanting the assistance for their child. “We try to get them riding no matter what” says Allen.

Allen says she’s happy to do so. “This is my passion, this is where I belong.”

To find out more about Sundance Equine Assisted Therapies, go to http://www.sundancetherapies.org or call 936-870-3475.

MID-SOUTH SYNERGY LINEMAN TEAM RECOGNIZED IN STATE COMPETITION

09/08/10

With the hot sun beating down on their backs, Mid-South Synergy lineman competed last week in the 14th Annual Texas Lineman’s Rodeo.

Held in Seguin, the Lineman’s Rodeo is not what one might think typically of a rodeo. There are no steers or bucking broncos. This is a full on competition between cooperatives around the state to see which linemen have the right stuff.

With a series of challenges mimicking typical work scenarios, these trials test whose linemen are the most efficient in their job and committed to excellence.

We’re proud to say Mid-South Synergy lineman won 3rd place in the Pole Climb competition. That’s a huge accomplishment considering every co-op in the state came out vying to say they are the best. Line Superintendent Jim Woods attributes the award to our lineman team “working hard and showing professionalism in their job.”

In this event, Mid-South’s linemen were tested in their ability to climb quickly and safely up an electric pole. Once at the top, each lineman had to put an egg in their mouth and come down without cracking the shell.

The Pole Climb journeyman team of Clayten Owens, Jared Anderson, and Jeff Danford scored the winning 3rd rank placing. Apprentices Brandon Taylor, Darren Dean, Jacob Duke, Mathew Petri, and Sam Johnson also had excellent overall times.
Their scores reflected the precision and safety each competitor displayed that day.

“A lot of what linemen do in the field revolve around safety” says Safety Officer Mark Finke who helped prepare this year’s competitors. “That means to get a high score, competitors not only need to finish the challenge but they must complete it safely. Speed is a factor but not the most important one.”

After months of practice, the team was rewarded for their determination and commitment. Even though our local community and staff already know how efficient and committed Mid-South Synergy lineman are, it’s nice every once in a while to have the rest of the state know that too.

Congratulations to the 2010 Lineman’s Rodeo Team. You make us all proud!

MID-SOUTH SYNERGY LINEMAN TEAM RECOGNIZED IN STATE COMPETITION

09/08/10

With the hot sun beating down on their backs, Mid-South Synergy lineman competed last week in the 14th Annual Texas Lineman’s Rodeo.

With a series of challenges mimicking typical work scenarios, these trials test whose linemen are the most efficient in their job and committed to excellence.

Congratulations to the 2010 Lineman’s Rodeo Team. You make us all proud!

MID-SOUTH SYNERGY LINEMAN TEAM RECOGNIZED IN STATE COMPETITION

09/08/10

With the hot sun beating down on their backs, Mid-South Synergy lineman competed in the 14th Annual Texas Lineman’s Rodeo.

With a series of challenges mimicking typical work scenarios, these trials test whose linemen are the most efficient in their job and committed to excellence.

We’re proud to say Mid-South Synergy lineman won 3rd place in the Pole Climb competition. That’s a huge accomplishment considering every co-op in the state came out vying to say they are the best. LineSuperintendent Jim Woods attributes the award to our lineman team “working hard and showing professionalism in their job.”

Their scores reflected the precision and safety each competitor displayed that day.

According to Woods, the judges are also grading the scorecards around efficiency. Every bolt or tool needs to be properly handled, placed, and used to get the highest score. “With so many tools used in each competition,” says Woods “the real challenge is not getting them mixed up or confused.” After months of practice, the team was rewarded for their determination and commitment. Even though our local community and staff already know how efficient and committed Mid-South Synergy lineman are, it’s nice every once in a while to have the rest of the state know that too.

Congratulations to the 2010 Lineman’s Rodeo Team. You make us all proud!

COMMITTED TO PEOPLE -- COMMITTED TO SERVICE

09/07/10

Mid-South South Synergy monitors and maintains 2,781 miles of line. That’s about the distance from Washington D.C. to Los Angeles. A pretty amazing statistic especially when you consider the density of the cooperatives poles is 8 ¼ meters per mile. You can imagine it’s a lot of work maintaining all of these lines.

It’s true. Hard work is often not easy. And when you see the dedication of Mid-South Synergy staff working holidays and weekends during bad power outages, it’s often inspiring. It makes many wonder and admire why anyone would work so hard in their field. The truth is Mid-South staff understands one of the best kept secrets of life. Hard work delivers personal contentment.

As a Mid-South employee, it reminds me of the first time I learned the true value of hard work. It was back in 1993 and I was given the task to make a tomato garden. For an adolescent in their early teens, the idea of spending a Saturday digging up dirt, planting seeds, and creating a rock bed is about as unattractive an offer gets - especially when a posse of Nintendo games are beckoning inside.

But with the grave possibility that my video games might go on an extended vacation if I didn’t contribute convinced me to be a willing volunteer.

Making a tomato garden is not as easy as it sounds. To make the giant red fruit often mistaken for a vegetable grow, you’ve got to set a good foundation of soil. That means digging out weeds from the ground, mixing the soil with nutrients, and fertilizing the entire area. It helps to build some type of boundary such as a rock bed around the plants so grass and weeds don’t overtake your project. To do it right, it takes some attention and careful planning.

After all this planting preparation, the tomato is like any other fruit. You need to give it some tender loving care. For weeks, watering, monitoring, inspecting is all part of the job. And like any infant life form, the tomato needs to be catered to. Because once those first red buds of plump deliciousness come to life, rest assured the insect community wants a cut.

The whole process, though seemingly easy now, wore me out at thirteen. It was challenging and tedious. But when I plucked the first large round tomato from my garden, I experienced a contentment that has stayed with me to this day. An enormous sense of pride swelled in me as I tasted my first tomato that grew out of one dedicated Saturday. Perfection! All the hard work paid off and it was one of the best feelings I ever experienced.

It’s funny as I look back I can’t tell you what else I did that summer - not even the titles of my once precious video games. But I can remember in detail the whole process of working hard and seeing something fostered grow to life. I learned that year hard work can bring great contentment.

And that feeling is one of the reasons I believe Mid-South Synergy crews are so dedicated. Their drive comes from knowing the value of delievering you reliable, affordable electricity.

Whether it’s the member service representative who has a heavy call volume or the lineman laboring in the sun, it feels good to work hard. And that’s why we do it.

MID-SOUTH SYNERGY QUICK FACTS

08/31/10

Mid-South Synergy Fast Facts:

Last year, Mid-South members had electricity for 99.97 percent of every hour (that’s 59 minutes and 58 seconds out of every hour), the highest percentage in Mid-South history
Mid-South’s Member Services Department answered over 65,000 phone calls (that’s about 250 calls a day).
We also served over 70,000 members who walked into one of our offices to pay their bill (that’s over 270 members a day).
And, we processed over 130,000 mail-in bills (around 500 bills a day).

KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR ELECTRICAL USE

08/26/10

Learning to track how much electricity your home consumes is a great way to start managing your home’s electric use.

You can purchase devices at stores that provide a constant, digital reading of how much electricity your home—or an individual appliance—is using. One type of device, such as the Kill-A-Watt, fits between an electrical outlet and an appliance to give you an instant reading of how much electricity an appliance draws.

Another type connects to your electricity meter and wirelessly relays information on use to a small screen inside. Called an in-home display, the device looks similar to a wireless weather monitor and can help make consumers more aware of energy being used day to day. Research conducted by the Cooperative Research Network (CRN), the research arm of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, shows that most consumers who have an in-home display use less energy than those without one. And even after homeowners stop paying attention to the devices, most still use 1 to 3 percent less energy than before.

“The question of whether in-home displays catch on and become permanent fixtures in the American home is still open,” said Brian Sloboda, program manager with CRN. “However, for anyone wanting to take a proactive approach to understanding electric consumption, the in-home display may be worth exploring. You could use the knowledge that an in-house display provides to change the way you use electricity in your home and save some money.”

There’s also the old-fashioned way of tracking electricity use: reading your meter. As your home draws current from power lines, your electricity meter keeps a steady record of every watt being used. Many meters today are digital, replacing the older design that uses spinning discs and dials.

Digital versions make tracking energy use a breeze: Jot down the number you see and check it again in a month. The difference between the two represents the amount of electricity that has been used for that month or a typical billing period. Check it more frequently to get an idea of how you use electricity in a given week, or even day by day.

To read an older model meter (with spinning dials), write down the numbers as shown on the small dials from left to right. Some of the dials spin clockwise, some counterclockwise, but record each number closest to the dial hand. Once you have the full reading it can be compared to later readings, as described above.
If you have any questions about reading your meter or learning more about how much electricity your home uses, please contact your electric cooperative.

(Article taken from the February 2010 Texas Co-Op Power Magazine)

POWER RESTORED AFTER OUTAGE ON AUGUST 24

08/25/10

On Tuesday afternoon, August 24, about 600 Mid-South Synergy members experienced an outage when a truck carrying an oversized load snapped a utility line carrying power to their homes. Power was restored in about an hour.

This was not a “brown-out” (a temporary interruption of power service in which the electric power is reduced). Even though temperatures in Texas have placed a demand on electric use, Mid-South’s systems continue to remain reliable.

Mid-South remains committed to providing each of our members with quality service at a reasonable price.

If you do experience an outage, please call (936) 825-5100.

DIY HOME ENERGY AUDIT

08/23/10

One of the first steps to making your home more efficient involves understanding how it uses energy. Just as a doctor has to do a thorough examination of a patient before writing a prescription, your home will need a good inspection before most inefficiencies can be identified and corrected.

You can easily conduct a basic home energy audit with a simple but diligent walk-through. When auditing your home, keep a checklist of areas you have inspected and problems you find. Full lists are available online—Touchstone Energy Cooperatives® Home Energy Saver (at www.touchstoneenergysavers.com) and the Alliance to Save Energy Home Energy Checkup (search for it at www.ase.org) are both useful—and most trouble spots can be found in a few key areas.

Locating Air Leaks

First, make a list of obvious air leaks (drafts). The potential energy savings from reducing drafts in a home may range from 5 percent to 30 percent per year, with a much more comfortable residence the result. Check for indoor air leaks, such as in gaps along a baseboard or the edges of flooring and at junctures of walls and the ceiling.

Inspect windows and doors for air leaks. If you can rattle them, movement means possible air leaks. If you can see daylight around a door or window frame, then the door or window has a leak; you can usually seal these through caulking or weatherstripping.

On the outside, inspect all areas where two different building materials meet, including all exterior corners, siding and chimney junctures, and areas where the foundation and the bottom of exterior brick or siding join. You should plug and caulk any holes or penetrations for faucets, pipes, electric outlets and wiring.
Also, look for cracks and holes in the mortar, foundation and siding, and seal them with the appropriate material. Check the exterior caulking around doors and windows, and make sure exterior storm doors and primary doors seal tightly.

Insulation

Heat loss through the ceiling and walls in your home could be very large if insulation levels are less than the recommended minimum. When your house was built, the builder likely installed the amount of insulation recommended (if any) at that time. Given today’s energy prices (and future prices that will probably be higher), your insulation might be inadequate, especially if you have an older home. Online energy audits will provide more details on checking insulation levels in the attic, walls and basement.

Heating/Cooling Equipment

Inspect heating and cooling equipment annually, or as recommended by the manufacturer. If you have a forced-air furnace, check filters and replace them as needed. Generally, you should change them about once every month, especially during periods of high use. Have a professional check and clean your equipment once a year.

Lighting

On average, lighting accounts for about 10 percent of a home’s electric bill. Examine the wattage size of the lightbulbs in your house. You may have 100-watt (or larger) bulbs where 60 or 75 watts would do. You should also consider using compact fluorescent lightbulbs for areas where lights are left on for hours at a time.

More information on both do-it-yourself and professional energy audits can be found at www.energysavers.gov.

Source: U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

(Article taken from The Texas Co-Op Power Magazine, September 2009)

NOTICE: On-line Bill Pay Closed Daily Between 10:50p-12:05a

08/19/10

For more information call Mid-South Synergy at (936) 825-5100.

RECYCLE YOUR OLD FRIDGE

08/18/10

The 10-year-old refrigerator you’re getting ready to send to a landfill contains more than 120 pounds of recyclable steel. Don’t throw it away; recycle it.

If your old refrigerator is still in good operating condition, consider donating it to a charity such as a shelter that can send someone over to pick it up. Although any refrigerator made before 1993 uses about twice the electricity to run as new, energy efficient models, a needy organization might appreciate having any working appliance.

Buy your new refrigerator from a company that will haul away and recycle your old one. Some companies will pay you for the old unit or offer you a rebate on a new one if you let them have the old one.

Look for local organizations that recycle appliances. Check with your city to learn if it has a refrigerator recycling program. Find a local scrap metal recycler to haul the relic away. Ask for a guarantee that the unit will be properly recycled.

THE MOST EXPENSIVE DIRT IN THE WORLD

08/17/10

The most expensive dirt in the world may lurk in your home’s heating and cooling system. If neglected, dust collecting in the equipment’s air filter could increase your energy bills hundreds of dollars every year and result in costly repair or replacement costs.

Dirty filters cause a system to work harder and break down faster. That’s because unfiltered dust and grime work into critical parts, creating friction that causes unnecessary wear and, eventually, failure. As you move around your home, you drive dust into the air from carpets, drapes and furniture. Pets generate dust particles by shedding, grooming and tracking in dirt from outside. Regardless of where it comes from, dust trapped in a heating and cooling system air filter leads to several problems, including:

Reduced air flow in the home and up to 15 percent higher operating costs.
Costly duct cleaning or replacement.

Lowered system efficiency. Every time a system with a dirty filter kicks on, the day of reckoning—total replacement— draws closer.

To avoid this expense, change filters monthly when a system’s in regular use. Discuss cleaning the unit and ductwork with your heating and cooling service professional. While most types of filters must be replaced, a few filters are reusable. They’re available in a variety of types and efficiencies, rated by a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV). MERV, a method developed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, tests filter effectiveness. The higher the MERV number, the higher the filter’s effectiveness at keeping dust out of your system.

To learn more about how to save energy, visit

www.energysavers.gov

RECAP OF MIDSOUTH'S ANNUAL MEETING

08/12/10

The 70th annual membership meeting of Mid-South Synergy had a lot to offer the members and their guests June 18th as they filed into the Walker County Fairground building just outside Huntsville.

Members visited booths offering information on the many services and perks that come along with being a part of Mid-South Synergy. This included information on Water Resources, Rheem Marathon water heaters, home energy rebates, the Pay-As-You-Go program, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Our Energy Our Future, right-of way mandates (which included free oak saplings for members), compact fluorescent lightbulbs, the co-op’s scholarship and Youth Tour programs and other member services.

Members were treated to a video that looked back 70 years ago when Mid-South Synergy was created and area residents came together to make the dream of having electricity a reality. Cooperative member Floyd Nowak, who remembers when Mid-South’s first lines were energized, talked about all of the milestones he had seen because of electricity being available in rural East Texas: In the 1940s, land values increased. In the ’50s, huge leaps were made in employment. In the ’60s, rural education improved due to more available light for studying. From the 1970s to today, the number of meters continues to increase by the thousands, thus allowing for more opportunities and benefits to members.

General Manager Kerry Kelton introduced the special guests of the meeting, including representatives from Techline, Lamar Tech, McClure & Brown and Brazos Electric Power Cooperative. He introduced the nominating committee, the co-op’s key personnel and the board of directors. “Their experience and passion makes them a wonderful board,” Kelton said. Directors Kenneth McDougald and Judge Robert D. Pierce were both recognized for their numerous years of service to Mid-South Synergy. Board President Marshall Shirley called the meeting to order, and Director Kenneth McDougald gave the invocation. Secretary-Treasurer Jack Shepherd declared that a quorum was present with 313 registered members and read the notice of meeting, which was mailed out in the pages of Texas Co-op Power. The main business of every annual membership meeting of Mid-South Synergy is to elect directors. Since the co-op only elects by mail-in ballot, John Fultz, Mid-South Synergy’s counsel for more than 20 years, read the results. Russell Watson and Paul E. Malek were both re-elected with 490 and 552 votes, respectively. “Your cooperative is a democratic organization. We need your vote—it’s your privilege as a member-owner,” Fultz said.

One of Mid-South’s former Government-in-Action Youth Tour participants, Daniel Sanders, was featured in a short video encouraging members to have their children apply for the annual trek to Washington, D.C. The co-op sponsors four high school students each year to take the 10-day educational trip to our nation’s capital. The winners for 2010, Amber Brown, Brittany Zdunkawicz, Caleb Jones, and Jacob Jones, won the trip by creating a video on the topic: “Without electricity, how would your day-to-day life be different?” All four said that it definitely was the trip of a lifetime.

Another video featured the Mid-South lineman crew and Mid-South’s commitment to safety. “Safety is really, really important, and not only around our electric lines. We are on the road, traveling for most of the day, too,” 1st Class Lineman Kevin McDuffie said in the video. These crews service 2,781 miles of line. To put that number in perspective, it’s close to the distance between New York City and Los Angeles. The video also took members on a ride-along with a crew and showed what happens when an outage call is placed to dispatch. T the crew responded to an incident in which a pole had been knocked down by a drunken driver in the middle of the night. Fighting against time—a storm was blowing in— the crew had the pole up within a couple of hours. Because of Mid- South’s smart-grid technology, when an outage is reported, staff can quickly pull up all information on that location, enabling crews to get the lights back on as quickly as possible.

“Last year, we had electricity for 99.97 percent of every hour. That’s the highest in our history as a cooperative,” Kelton said. “Also don’t forget our Member Services Department. Last year, they answered over 65,000 phone calls. They processed over 70,000 members who walked into one of our offices to pay their bill. They processed over 130,000 mail-in bills. And, they did this incredible job with a smile.” Mid-South Synergy’s members were recently surveyed in the American Customer Satisfaction Index, and the co-op scored an 82. “This ranks us with the elite in the electric utility industry,” Kelton said. “We’re well above the national average, which is in the low 70s. And this doesn’t just include cooperatives. This survey ranks us against even the investor-owned utilities.”

The meeting included a skit about Mid-South’s rebate program. If an appliance qualifies, a member can receive a check from the cooperative, simply by investing in new, energy-efficient appliances. To learn more about Mid-South Synergy’s rebate program, go to www.midsouthsynergy. com or call 1-888-525-6677.

The meeting concluded with the giving away of door prizes. The luckiest winners were arguably Tommy Sullivan, a member since October 1980, who won a $500 energy credit and member Ruth Kolbasinski, who walked away with a 42’’ Sanyo television.

KEEP YOUR COOL

08/11/10

Ah, the dog days of summer are here. Typically in Texas, that means warm days and absolutely scorching afternoons. It can also mean high electric bills. It is important though, especially during this part of the year, to stay cool. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to remain comfortable during the hottest part of the year. And with a little effort, you can still keep that bill affordable.

The best way to beat the heat is to stay indoors in the air conditioning and use a fan to circulate air. Fans help you stay cooler and let you keep your A/C thermostat set a few degrees higher, saving you energy and money. Use caulk and weatherstripping around windows and doors to keep hot air out and cooled air in. Draw the curtains on windows during the hottest part of the day to keep solar heat outside. Keep your thermostat set at 78 degrees or higher. For every degree you can raise the thermostat, studies have found, you will save about 3 percent on your energy bill. Better yet, install a programmable thermostat and use it to turn the thermostat up when you are away from home or in the dead of night, when you’re sleeping and won’t notice.

Keeping that bill down can also be achieved through cooking habits In the evenings, when the temperature has dropped, enjoy a picnic or a cookout in a park or your backyard. Cooking outside has the advantage of keeping oven and stove heat out of the kitchen, where it adds to your air system’s cooling load. If you do cook indoors, use appliances such as microwaves and slow cookers, which use less energy than a stove or oven and don’t add as much residual heat to the air.

Just make sure, indoors or out, wear lightweight clothing and drink plenty of water. If you must work outside, try to do most of your heavy labor in the morning before it heats up. Take frequent rest breaks and stay hydrated. Avoid alcoholic beverages, which can cause dehydration. And know the warning signs that you’ve gotten overheated. Symptoms of heat exhaustion include dizziness, muscle weakness and nausea. If you begin to experience these symptoms, stop what you are doing and get someplace cool right away. If left untreated, this condition can progress to heatstroke, which can kill. And, during these next few blazing-hot weeks, watch out for your friends and neighbors, especially the elderly or infirm individuals, who might have trouble coping with the heat.

As for us at Mid-South Synergy, we strive every day, in all kinds of weather, to keep electricity affordable and reliability high so you can keep your cool.

KEEP YOUR COOL

08/11/10

And, during these next few blazing-hot weeks, watch out for your friends and neighbors, especially the elderly or infirm individuals, who might have trouble coping with the heat.

As for us at Mid-South Synergy, we strive every day, in all kinds of weather, to keep electricity affordable and reliability high so you can keep your cool.

REBATE$ - Great Way to Save Money and Energy

07/29/10

For years, we’ve heard conserving energy is important. It’s great for the environment, community, and our lives. We’re marketed by companies to let us know that energy saving appliances, improved green technology, and other new products will make things better. And in fairness, after initial costs, these claims are often true. Money is saved with energy efficient products and the moral objective of keeping our environment healthy is one small step closer.

But for some of us, we haven’t quite jumped on the bandwagon. It is has nothing to do with resisting the idea of upgrading - we’re completely supportive of lower electric bills. It’s the transition that lacks incentive. The financial investment of crossing over is missing from the equation...that is until now.

Many of us would love to get rid of that old washer sucking kilowatts each month. Or maybe you’ve got a fridge where you find yourself chipping away aggressive ice formations because leaky door seals deliver Antarctica in a box. We’ve been there, done that, and are still doing it. The holdup on conserving energy is the cost of upgrade. Mid-South Synergy understands this which is why the co-op is offering a Home Energy Rebate program.

“We want to assist our members in their energy conservation plans” says Dianne Sechelski, Chief Member Services Officer at Mid-South Synergy. “It’s not easy to upgrade your HVAC unit or buy a new appliance. But if some of our members know they might have to replace some of these items soon, the good news is that there’s help.”

The assistance Sechelski refers to is coming in the form of energy rebates. These include an assortment of new rebates members can receive for doing home energy upgrades. For instance, members purchasing new energy star appliances can receive back $100 per appliance. Or if you upgrade your attic insulation from R8 TO R38, you could get a rebate back for 550 dollars. HVAC upgrades, programmable thermostats and many other energy conservation purchases will also receive rebates back (see next page for list).

“The idea is that if Mid-South can assist in the cost for members wanting to upgrade, there will be more incentive for them to embrace energy conservation. The benefits add up in the long run, giving them more value with their electric usage” says Sechelski.

And it’s not just for existing homeowners; you can get rebates back if you are building a new home. Mid-South Synergy promotes homebuilders to design their new homes to the standards of what is called a “Touchstone Home.”

What this means is that if you are building a new home and the house meets the Touchstone Home list of energy saving requirements, you will get back a rebate from Mid-South Synergy just for following a few simple guidelines.

Energy conservation is something we all aspire to take part in. It hasn’t always been easy with the prices of energy saving upgrades. But now with the help of Mid-South Synergy and the energy rebate program, it’s become a lot easier. Click on the Energy Rebates icon @ www.midsouthsynergy.com to view list of rebates to begin your savings this year.

10 HOT TIPS FOR GREEN SUMMER COOKING

07/23/10

Keep your cool this summer when preparing meals. You can save money and reduce your carbon footprint with these 10 easy tips for going green when cooking summer meals (and year-round, for that matter).

1. Cook outdoors when possible to reduce the load on your air conditioner. Try a solar cooker or oven. Solar cookers and ovens are by far the most energy-efficient cooking appliances. They require no fuel, reduce unwanted summer heat in your home by taking cooking outside and can accommodate any food a slow cooker can. Some solar ovens can reach 500 degrees. To learn more, visit www.solarcooking.org.

2. Toaster ovens, convection ovens and slow cookers get the job done with less energy than conventional stovetops or ovens, especially when preparing smaller meals.

3. Use as small a pan, as little water and as little preheating time as possible.

4. Bake in glass or ceramic ovenware instead of metal. You can turn the temperature down by 25 degrees, and foods will cook in the same amount of time.

5. Don’t open the door and peek in the oven. Use the oven window instead!

6. Regularly clean burner pans (the pans under the burners that catch grease). Clean pans more effectively reflect heat to the cookware. Dirty burner pans absorb heat and reduce efficiency.

7. Use flat-bottomed cookware that rests evenly on the surface of electric coil burners or solid-disk or radiant elements under smooth-top ceramic glass.

8. Avoid thawing food in the microwave. Thawing food in the fridge is far more energy efficient contributes to the fridge’s cooling and is safer than thawing food on the countertop or in the sink.

9. Use residual heat. Turn the stove or oven off before cooking is done to allow cooking to continue while reducing energy use. An electric burner element can be turned off two minutes before removing the cookware since it remains hot. Ovens can be turned off 20 minutes before cooking’s done.

10. Consider substituting one or more stovetop burners with an induction cooker. The typical efficiency of an induction cooker is 84 percent and gas stovetops are 40 percent efficient, according the U.S. Department of Energy. What’s more, induction cookers which require magnetic cookware such as cast iron or enameled steel) produce as much heat as gas and are less costly to operate than a conventional electric burner. To learn more, visit www.theinductionsite.com

Source : John Bruce(NRECA)

CO-OP CONNECTIONS CARD Puts Value in Your Wallet

07/16/10

Mid-South Synergy’s commitment to you goes beyond providing safe, reliable, and affordable electricity.

We’re always looking for ways to provide value to our members and our community, especially during tough economic times. Mid-South Synergy’s Co-op Connections Card is a money-saving tool we’re proud to offer our membership. The card connects you with discounts on everything from hotel stays to prescription drugs.

We hope local businesses participating in the Co-op Connections program benefit from increased traffic from Mid-South Synergy members. Businesses can sign up for the program at no cost. For a complete list of all participating businesses in our area, simply log on to our website www.midsouthsynergy.com and follow the Co-op Connections Card link.

The card also gives you access to online savings at more than 95 national retailers like Barnes&Noble.com, Hertz Rental Cars, Best Western hotels and ProFlowers.com. You can check out these great national discounts at www.connections.coop.

One of the most valuable features of the Co-op Connections Card is the pharmacy discount. While it is not insurance, the discount can mean savings of 10 to 60 percent on prescription drugs. The logo and information on the back of your card is recognized at more than 60,000 national, regional, and local pharmacies.

The pharmacy discount has been widely used by members of Touchstone Energy co-ops across the country, resulting in combined savings of nearly $20 million on prescriptions.

Want to find out more? Log on to www.locateproviders.com to search for pharmacies in our area honoring the card. Use code 22203 as the group number under the “Groups” login section. Next, enter your zip code.

As a Touchstone Energy co-op, Mid-South Synergy strives to serve our members according to four core values: integrity, accountability, innovation and commitment to community. Our Co-op Connections Card is one of the ways we live up to those values.

We’re eager to answer any questions you have about the card and how to take advantage of the discounts it provides. Call us at 936-825-5100 to find out more or click on the Co-op Connections Card icon @ www.midsouthsynergy.com

“SET IT AND FORGET IT”- The Benefits of a Programmable Thermostat

07/09/10

A programmable thermostat is one of the quickest, easiest and most inexpensive ways to save on energy bills year-round. The average household in Mid-South Synergy's service area spends more than $1,200 in heating and cooling costs. Programmable thermostats—which cost between $50 to $200— are a smart investment because they can reduce energy costs by as much as 15 percent, or about $180 annually.

A programmable thermostat makes saving energy easy by controlling the heating and cooling settings in both the winter and summer. It’s like putting your house on “cruise control” by using preprogrammed settings that regulate the home’s temperature during the night and even while you’re on vacation. This type of thermostat automatically turns down the heat in the winter and turns up the cooling in the summer. A homeowner can save energy and money while still maintaining overall comfort.

Programmable thermostats are an easy energy-saving tool. Here are a few more energy savings tips:

--Always look for the ENERGY STAR label when buying a new thermostat.
--Use the pre-programmed settings to maximize energy savings.
--Be sure to have the thermostat installed correctly using a certified HVAC contractor.

Programmable thermostats offer a lot of value by maximizing energy savings without sacrificing comfort. Best of all, they can be tailored to match a family’s schedules. To learn more about buying and setting a programmable thermostat, contact your Energy Advisors at Mid-South Synergy or visit TogetherWeSave.com. Mid-South Synergy also offers a $25.00 rebate on a Programmable thermostat. To apply for the rebate, complete our rebate application @ http://www.midsouthsynergy.com/emResidentialHomeImprovement.aspx

CALM BEFORE THE STORM - Storm Safety Tips from Mid-South Synergy

07/01/10

No season in Texas is safe from severe weather. When one of those destructive summer thunderstorms rolls through our area, lines can go down and members can lose power — sometimes for an extended period. But with proper planning and preparation, experiencing a heavy storm can be managed with many dangers being avoided.

Using Generators Safely

During an outage, some folks rely on portable generators while power is being restored. If you use a generator, do you know enough about it to operate it safely?

The safety of our members and our employees is a top priority at Mid-South Synergy, especially during dangerous times. When storms hit our area, we rush to restore power as soon as conditions allow.

Our line crews take necessary precautions before they work on downed power lines, taking care to ensure that a line is de-energized before working on it. But even after these measures, an improperly connected generator can put our workers’ lives at risk.

Mid-South Synergy is proud of our outstanding safety record, but sometimes, no matter how many steps we take to keep everyone safe, the very people we are there to help unknowingly put our lives—and their own—in danger.

Portable generators can prove fatal to linemen when used improperly. Of course, no one would ever purposely cause the death of a lineman. Nevertheless, a generator connected to a home’s wiring or plugged into a regular household outlet can cause backfeeding along power lines and electrocute anyone who comes in contact with them—even if the line seems dead.

Mid-South Synergy employees are not the only ones in danger when a

portable generator is used improperly. Those who operate generators improperly can risk being electrocuted, starting fires, damaging property or being poisoned by carbon monoxide.

Portable generators can be very helpful during outages. But it is imperative that you follow these safety guidelines when using one:

Never connect a generator directly to your home’s wiring unless your home has been wired for generator use, which includes having a transfer switch installed by a qualified electrical contractor. The transfer switch will disconnect your home from the power grid. Connecting the generator to a house’s wiring without such a switch can cause current to flow out of your home’s circuitry and along power lines. This situation can hurt or kill anyone coming in contact with the lines.
Always plug appliances directly into generators or use only heavy-duty, outdoor-rated extension cords. Make sure extension cords are free of cuts or tears and the plug has three prongs. Overloaded cords can cause fires or equipment damage.
Ensure your generator is properly grounded.
Never overload a generator. A portable generator should only be used when necessary to power essential equipment or appliances.
Turn off all equipment powered by the generator before shutting it down.
Only operate a generator on a dry surface under an open structure.
Always have a fully charged fire extinguisher nearby.
Never fuel a generator while it is operating.
Read and adhere to the manufacturer’s instructions for safe operation. Never cut corners when it comes to safety.

Any time a hurricane approaches the Texas coast, you’re likely to be reminded to take precautions. But the time for planning should begin well before hurricane season arrives.

Don’t Blow off Hurricanes

Follow these tips to prepare yourself and your home for hurricanes:

Develop a plan for installing covers for windows.
Don’t waste time taping windows. When a 100 mph wind blows an object at your window, tape won’t stop it.
Remove weak and dead trees and tree limbs on your property.
Know whether your home is in a zone that could be flooded.
Have a “grab and run” bag ready with important papers (like your homeowner’s insurance policy) and prescription medicines in the event you have to evacuate.
Have a plan in place for where you will go if you evacuate, the route you will take, and how others can contact you.
Have a survival kit ready with nonperishable food, water, a first-aid kit and other things you may need.
Keep a battery-powered radio handy. And don’t forget the extra batteries.
Don’t hesitate to evacuate, especially if you are living in a manufactured home or a house that may not be sturdy enough to stand up to the wind.

We encourage you to protect the well-being and safety of your family during outages and safeguard those who come to your aid during emergency situations. When we work together for safety and the good of our communities, we all benefit.

HELP BRING LIGHT - Vote for the NRECA in the Chase Bank Giving Community competition

06/25/10

There are more than 2 billion people throughout the world that do not have electricity nor the personal and economic benefits that electricity provides. The NRECA International Foundation (a charitable organization supported solely through volunteer donations of time, money and materials) helps rural residents in developing countries around the world obtain electricity and provides them with opportunities to enjoy the social, economic and health benefits that come with electricity.

Foundation projects have two main objectives. The first is to help improve the standard of living of rural residents by providing access to electricity. The second is to help stimulate economic development by promoting productive uses of electricity.

The Foundation is currently campaigning to win the top prize of the Chase Bank Giving Community competition. The competition takes place on Facebook and the winners are decided based on the number of votes that each organization receives from Facebook users. Chase Bank will award the top 200 organizations with the most votes a cash prize. The first place organization will receive $250,000, the next four organizations will receive $100,000, and the other 195 organization will receive $20,000.

“After spending this past Sunday at the NRECA International Foundation board meeting,” said Kerry Kelton, General Manager of Mid-South Synergy, “I realized how important it is that we give to this program. Mid-South has supported this 50 year old program for many years. This program has provided light to many villages around the world based on the generosity of the cooperatives and their members. I’m proud we are helping others, because we know how much electricity helps rural America.

Should NRECA International Foundation win $250,000.00 the money would go towards bringing light to communities who have never had light before. The money will pay to send volunteers overseas to assist developing countries and for the materials needed.

To vote for NRECA International Foundation, log on to your Facebook account and click here. After adding the voting application on Facebook, you will be able to nominate us.

Please help us in achieving this goal. Your support and vote will truly make a difference in bringing electricity to those communities that most need it!

To learn more about NRECA International Foundation and our programs, please visit www.nrecafoundation.coop.

FROM THE TOP - GENERAL MANAGER KERRY KELTON

06/11/10

June has arrived so that means that the Mid-South Synergy Annual Meeting is just around the corner. This year we will be celebrating our 70^th Annual Meeting by seeing where we have come from as a cooperative and how that has prepared us for where we are going. Over the years, we – the employees of Mid-South Synergy and our members – have seen our share of ups and downs, good times and bad.

For all of us, 2009 was no different. Mid-South Synergy had a good year financially, but with the slowdown in the economy and the tightening of the credit markets, our growth was the slowest it has been in many years. You had to make decisions about how to best provide for your family during these tough times. Mid-South had to make tough decisions this year in order to continue to provide the highest quality service to our members.

One of the major decisions we made this year was to no longer out-source work. To keep down costs, we challenged the employees of Mid-South to assume additional responsibilities during this time and take on work previously handled by contractors. By doing this, Mid-South continued to provide a secure workplace for our employees while meeting the needs of our members.

I am proud of how our employees shouldered those tasks and responded to the challenge. Our continuing focus in 2009 on line maintenance produced our best Member “ON TIME” ever recorded. You, the members of Mid-South Synergy, rewarded those efforts by giving us our highest ever survey score in “Member Satisfaction”.

Our employees have worked hard during the past 70 years with one goal in mind -- “to provide quality service at a reasonable price”. Over the years, our members’ definitions of “quality” and “reasonable” have changed. What has not changed is the desire of all of us at Mid-South Synergy to strive to exceed our members’ expectations. Since 1940, Mid-South Synergy has been more than a power provider. Through your efforts, we were created to help bring the dream of a new way of life to this part of rural Texas. Seventy years later, we – the employees of Mid-South Synergy and our members – are still fulfilling dreams.

I look forward to seeing you at this years’ Annual Meeting as we celebrate the past 70 years and prepare together for our future.

70 YEARS OF RELIABLE SERVICE

06/04/10

As we come together to celebrate our 70th year as an electric cooperative, we’d like to reflect this month on the story of our members. After all, they are the focus of Mid-South Synergy and the reason electricity was introduced into our community.
It’s a grand story that speaks of struggle and hardship, reward and determination. And the one consistent theme is how Mid-South Synergy members move forward together. With this spirit, the electric co-op has provided the great service of affordable, reliable electricity.

70 years seems like such a long time. But it’s just the beginning of what our members did, can, and will do together.

“It’s here! Electricity Has Arrived!”

This is what Mid-South Synergy was proclaiming during their first Annual Meeting back in 1940. Today, the electric cooperative is just as excited about providing power to homes.

Looking back, it was a challenge just to get the co-op off the ground. Some of our early members will remember coming out of the 30’s with bone-dry bank accounts from ‘The Great Depression’.

Or they’ll recall in the same decade dark, luminous dust clouds destroying crops all over Texas called the Dust Bowl. Before 1940, there was so much effort spent just to live.

Along with these previous setbacks, they didn’t have the support of any commercial electric provider, many banks wouldn’t give loans for electricity, and locally there were some who didn’t understand the technology and frowned at the idea. No one wanted to take a risk on the rural farmer obtaining electricity. When you think about the difficulties, it’s impressive that Mid-South Synergy members were able to start the cooperative in the first place.

But they did. They convinced congress to support electrification of rural America because their instinct told them it would be worth the effort. And today, it’s paid off.

So what kept discouragement from taking reign? How did the individuals in Walker, Waller, Madison, Brazos, Grimes, and Montgomery counties handle the stresses of the beginning – let alone set up an infrastructure for electric service? The simple answer is: they came together.

Coming Together to Gain

Coming together seems like such a generic explanation of why Mid-South Synergy is the organization it is today. But those two words truly made the difference in the beginning. In fact, it’s the way an electric co-op is set-up.

An electric cooperative differs from an investor owned utility company (IOU) in the sense of who the organization caters to. An IOU is created to benefit stockholders and investors, giving the least amount possible for the greatest profit. And it’s a profit that doesn’t always go back into the local community. In fairness, this is the model of many businesses.

But a cooperative is created to benefit members. Any profits are returned to membership through Capital Credits. And to become a member, someone has to build or move into a home on Mid-South’s lines or operate a business in the service territory.

So sticking together to benefit our local community is in the very seams of what Mid-South Synergy is. The founders stood unified realizing electricity would be a huge advantage in their daily lives. It would be so much more than a convenience; it could be a game changer for the community.

Electric tools alone could allow a farmer to yield higher crop returns. Electricity could also provide water and plumbing inside – a burden previously so tedious it took hours to complete everyday. It would give safer light at night so one lamp’s runaway spark wouldn’t burn the entire house down. The advantages were great and immediate.

Some benefits were not sudden but just as attractive. Education became a huge bonus. According to the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), surveys would show in later years educational levels or rural children increased dramatically upon the introduction of electricity.

NRECA explains “The circle of light cast by a single kerosene lamp at night was small, and there were seldom enough lamps in most homes. Everyone huddled around what was equivalent to 25 watts of light, all trying to do their work such as sewing, reading, or school work.” With more light, the children could perform better in school.

Another long-term impact was the sustainability of the local economy. Factories and stores could now function in our community allowing growth and job opportunities for our members. And with their children getting better educations, there was an able work force ready to fill these new jobs without being forced to find employment in large cities. Opportunity began to knock right next door.

When construction began in 1940, you might understand there was considerable excitement. Quite simply, electricity was the beginning of a new, exciting era.

New Challenges Created

To say our members’ vision succeeded is an understatement. Electricity breathed life into towns like Huntsville, Navasota, Madisonville, and Montgomery. Stores and commerce opened up to new local markets where rural famers could sell their goods.

Mid-South Synergy became recognized locally as a name you can trust and as a new local employer, the co-op hired young men and women to work and bring about this exciting time.

It did still take some effort to get everyone on board. Retired co-op employee Floyd Nowak was with Mid-South Synergy from almost the beginning. He says it might sound strange now, but Mid-South had to “sell the idea of electricity” to some residents.

“We had this display kitchen set up in our first office,” Nowak says. “It had an electric stove with a sink. We would have local residents come in so they could see first-hand how cooking and heating water could be much easier.”

Floyd smiles as he recollects the early years. “Once the women saw how much easier their work would be, rest assured their husbands would be convinced on the rest.”

Electricity continued to do well and became a household fixture in decades that followed. In fact, with new generations being born with no memory of the early days, many began to have no knowledge of what it was like without electric power. The power supply was seemingly endless.

Not until the late 70’s did that perspective begin to change. Events like the oil crisis of 1973 spearheaded an understanding that natural resources were not unlimited.

Also, scientists began to theorize expiration dates on coal and fossil fuels. And added to this was a growing debate that pollution created from power plants was dangerous to the environment. Suddenly, politics surrounded the topic of energy and these concerns had an indirect impact on the cost for electricity.

As these discussions occurred, there was doubt for the first time since the co-op’s beginning if electricity could be affordable and reliable. It was a new type of challenge.

Before, the struggle had always been to get the co-op off the ground. Now, there was doubt if the service had sustainability. But as we see in the beginning, our members stood together to overcome this new challenge.

Only this time it would not be to gain, they would stand together to save.

Solutions Found through Conservation

Answering the challenge to keep electricity affordable is a hard pill to swallow. Energy had been so abundant that the idea of a limit was startling.

Our members didn’t create these obstacles but they did make the decision to find solutions. They supported Mid-South Synergy in researching new technology like Automatic Meter Reading and smart grid technology. They invested in energy saving appliances and shared information with each other on effective ways to save energy.

These efforts in the 80’s and 90’s paved the way into what we call now energy conservation. And the movement has kept costs down and Mid-South Synergy a more efficient electric provider.

Our members have also collectively stood together in raising their voices to congress. You might remember last year’s ‘Our Energy, Our Future’ campaign. The movement involved our members and other co-ops across the nation speaking out to congress requesting fair climate legislation.

Through these efforts, our government listened and did stop the bill that would have cost our members up to 20% more on their rates. With this recent success, it shows our members continue to work together accomplishing what is fair and reasonable for the community.

New Times Remind Us of the Beginning

It’s 2010 and our members’ story is still compelling. We show new growth as our membership becomes over 17,000 (see the charts on the next page) and our line density increases.

Of course, tough challenges do lie ahead. 2009 was a tough year and new national energy policy potentially looms. But if there’s anything we’ve learned as a co-op over the last 70 years, it’s that our members are resilient and adaptable.

With new programs like ‘Budget Billing’ and ‘Pay-As-You-Go’, we’re able to offer easy ways for our members to save. Communication tools like the newly designed www.midsouthsynergy.com and our electronic newsletter ‘Synergy Spot’ help our members connect and organize on a whole new level.

With this ‘synergy’ of new ideas, Mid-South Synergy is a stronger organization than ever before. Our members still stand unified showing their support of reliable, affordable electricity.

The tale of our members’ unbreakable character as they defied a great depression, withstood an energy crisis, outlasted all doubt of whether rural America could handle electricity - still lives today. Only the story’s chapter has changed.

It begins this year with “together we save” but will always read the same at the end:

“...and we did it together.”

STORM SEASON SAFETY TIPS - BEFORE THE STORM

05/14/10

Follow these useful safety tips as the Storm Approaches..

Stock up on nonperishable food, medicine, baby supplies, and pet food.
Purchase bottled water. The American Red Cross recommends one gallon of water per person per day.
Check emergency equipment, such as flashlights, battery-operated radios, extension cords, emergency generators, etc., and buy extra batteries.
Keep extra cash on hand, since an electrical power outage may prevent you from withdrawing money from automatic teller machines or banks.
Turn your refrigerator to its coldest setting. If the power goes out, this will keep food fresh longer. If you leave the refrigerator closed, most food will stay frozen or fresh for up to 12 hours.
Turn off and unplug any unnecessary electrical equipment--especially sensitive electronics.
Keep first aid kit and manual handy.
Have nonelectric can opener on hand.
Place your critical documents, such as birth certificates, insurance documents, special pictures, etc. in a safe box.

For more storm safety tips, click on http://www.midsouthsynergy.com/stormCenter.aspx

MAY IS NATIONAL ELECTRICAL SAFETY MONTH

05/07/10

Folks who work with electricity are acutely aware of the need for safety at all times, but the general public may not have that same level of awareness. That is the impetus behind May being Electrical Safety Month. Mid-South Synergy urges you to be aware of the dangers of electricity and to use the greatest care and safety when working with or near electricity. When trimming trees or working on your home, we all need to know where the electric wires and equipment are and how we can work safely around them. Don’t take unnecessary risks. If necessary, call a licensed contractor or electrician.

Teach children to stay away from such electric facilities as substations, transmission towers and transformers. Remember that electricity can move through conductive materials, i.e., water, metal, wood, aluminum, string and plastics. Put childproof covers on all outlets that children or pets can reach. Any outlets located outdoors, or in moisture-containing areas such as the kitchen, bathroom or garage, should have ground-fault circuit interrupters. Check extension cords for wear and tear and replace any that are cut or frayed. Use extension cords that are rated for the type of work you will be doing. (You can rub extension cords with a bar of soap to prevent pets from chewing on them.) May is National Electrical Safety Month, but the focus on electrical safety should continue year-round.

ITS A FARMING THING

04/23/10

Farming is a profession that requires incredible patience. The work is hard, the hours are long, and the sun is hot. Anyone who has ever hauled a 60lb hay bale all day long can tell you the job isn’t for everyone. But farmers have something that a lot of professions don’t have – passion and contentment for what they do. They love to be outside on the land, seeing the results of their hard work grow before their eyes.

There’s something satisfying about your office being Mother Nature, your signature seen not with a pen stroke but with acres of lines that blend into the horizon. It’s truly a unique profession when you compare it with other jobs. Their work is also important to the community. When our farmers invest in the land, we reap the benefits. There are good foods to eat and products we can use. It truly brings value to us all.

Mid-South Synergy has an idea of what that’s like. Since 1940, the co-op has been working hard, looking out for you the member. Serving the local community’s interests, part of this effort includes rewarding scholarships. Mid-South believes that when you invest in the local counties you serve, just like the farmer, the hard work brings back return.

Mid-South Synergy’s field is not any fruit or vegetable but rather the minds and lives of our community - and that includes our youth. It’s based on the belief of what can arise if a little effort is “tilled” into the fertile minds of our younger members.

Funded by unclaimed capital credits, the hope and intention is that if we invest into our youth’s education, we can see our young people grow into educated productive individuals.

Over the years that’s exactly what has happened. Dozens of recipients of Mid-South Synergy scholarships winners have gone on to receive their degree. When they come back home, they return with new skill sets and a growing desire to use them locally.

Currently the scholarship committee is determining this year’s recipients. Keep reading in upcoming issues as we proudly announce Mid-South Synergy’s new scholarship winners. We’re excited about 2010 and we know you will be too. Because when we invest in ourselves, we only grow stronger.

5 WAYS TO SPRING INTO ENERGY EFFICIENCY

04/13/10

Spring is a perfect time of year to make your home more energy-efficient. Here are five quick tips that will save both energy and money. To learn about additional ways to cut your energy bill this spring, visit TogetherWeSave.com.

1. Seal the cracks and gaps around your home. Spring may be the right time to put away those storm windows, but it is also a good time to add weather-stripping and caulking around leaky window panes. TogetherWeSave.com shows how easy it is to use a caulking gun to seal up leaks around your house around doors, vents, ductwork and windows. A typical member at Mid-South Synergy can save more than $200 annually.

2. Change filters regularly. Furnace and air conditioner filters need to be changed monthly and this can really help lower monthly energy bills. Dirty filters can restrict air flow and reduce the overall efficiency of your cooling system and make it work even harder on hot summer days.

3. Clean the refrigerator inside and out. Now is a good time to not only throw out the leftover fruit cake from the holidays, but also to check the temperature settings on your refrigerator. Ideally, a refrigerator’s temperature should be between 37 and 40 degrees for maximum operating efficiency.
When it’s time to replace that old refrigerator, be sure to buy an ENERGY STAR® rated appliance and get a rebate on it from Mid-South Synergy. Energy-efficient appliances can save Mid-South Synergy members as much as $100 a year based on calculations from the TogetherWeSave.com website.

4. Think sun block. TogetherWeSave.com demonstrates that by pulling the shades on your windows this spring and summer, you could save about $35 a year. Your local hardware or do-it-yourself stores has lots of inexpensive window coverings. Best of all, by blocking the sun, your house will stay cool and comfortable year-round.

5. Enjoy the spring breezes. Use a clothesline throughout the warmer months to let the sun and breeze dry clothes naturally. This will reduce both energy and water bills, and add a genuine clean scent to your family’s laundry.

You can learn more about ways to lower your monthly energy bill by visiting TogetherWeSave.com.

BALANCING RIGHT-OF-WAY AND NATURE

04/01/10

Trees protect our home from the elements, beautify our neighborhoods, clean our air, and bring color to our lives. But they can also be dangerous. During a storm, even the healthiest trees can fall on personal property and electric power lines, disrupting your electric service. Mid-South Synergy trims and removes tree branches on a regular basis for general safety as well as to alleviate potential power interruptions. One of Mid-South’s primary responsibilities is to provide safe, reliable electricity to it’s members; keeping the lines clear is an important and necessary part of that.

Call Before you Dig

Building a deck? Planting a tree? Installing a mailbox? 811 is the new number you should call before you begin any digging project. As the new, federally-mandated, national “Call Before You Dig” number, 811 was created to help protect you from unintentionally hitting underground utility lines while digging on your property.

People digging often make risky assumptions about whether or not they should get their utility lines marked due to concerns about project delays, costs and previous calls about other projects. These assumptions can be life threatening. Every digging job requires a call, even small projects like planting trees or shrubs. If you hit an underground utility line while digging, you can harm yourself and those around you, disrupt service to an entire neighborhood and potentially be responsible for fines and repair costs.

Plan Before You Plant

Members can do their part in keeping right-of-ways clear when landscaping or planting new trees. Mid-South Synergy does not recommend planting shrubs or trees on the right-of-way. During outages, bad weather, or at night when trouble occurs, gaining access to power lines may damage shrubs located under the lines. However, if you must landscape adjacent to the right-of- way, careful planning during plant selection and location is necessary to keep branches out of power lines once the shrubs or trees mature. This will allow trees and shrubs to reach their maximum symmetry and beauty. Before planting a tree, it is wise to consider what the mature height of the tree will be. Different species of trees should be planted further distances from powerlines.

TAX CREDITS FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY UPGRADES

03/30/10

The federal government offers two ways to recover some of your expenses when planning upgrades: energy efficiency tax credits and renewable energy tax credits. Through the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, federal taxpayers can receive a personal tax credit of up to $1,500 for energy efficiency measures in existing homes through 2010.

You can recover 30 percent of the cost of adding insulation materials and exterior doors, windows, and roofs designed to help reduce your home’s heat loss or gain. The credit also covers efficient central air conditioners, air-source heat pumps, hot water boilers, and biomass stoves.

The maximum tax credit of $1,500 for all improvements made in 2009 and 2010 may be applied toward material costs or installation costs for heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems and biomass stoves.

If you want to start generating your own power, consider taking a renewable energy tax credit covering 30 percent of the cost of materials and installation for solar panels, solar water heaters, and geothermal heat pumps. This credit applies to both existing homes and new construction for projects placed in service between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2016.

Energy Star, a joint program of the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, provides guidelines on what qualifies for both tax credits at www.energystar.gov, keyword “Tax credits.” You can file for energy tax credits using IRS Form 5695. Remember to get a Manufacturer Certification Statement for your records. Some electric cooperatives and state government offices offer further subsidies or rebates to consumers who want to make their homes more efficient. For more information check the federally funded Database for State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency at: www.dsireusa.org.

Source : Megan McKoy at ECT.coop

LOCAL ORGANIZATION HELPS MEMBERS

03/19/10

Headquartered in College Station, the Brazos Valley Community Action Agency (BVCAA) is an organization Mid-South Synergy believes is making a difference in our local community. For years, their energy efforts have been focused and the cause - a great one. The agency is dedicated to home energy efficiency and offers weatherization programs for local residents. It’s encouraging to learn BVCAA has helped some of Mid-South’s members in the past by delivering home insulation and other energy conservation techniques. Because like Mid-South Synergy, BVCAA believes if a home is properly insulated and weatherized, the energy efficiency will change the residents’ lives for the better.

“It’s great to see the response of participants when their electric bill goes down” says Bryan Jones administrator of Housing and Weatherization at BVCAA. “They’re so grateful because lower utility bills make energy more affordable. We see the recipients, many senior citizens, having more money to spend on food, medication, and other essentials.”

The BVCAA does not charge recipients for their efforts. The non-profit agency’s budget comes from local support, government aid, and other donations. For qualifying families in need, there is an application and assessment process, but Jones says the opportunity delivers great results.

“Our program takes a few months to process, but when families do eventually receive the help they need, the benefits are quickly realized. It becomes worth the wait” says Jones.

The BVCAA has open applications for any eligible family needing home weatherization. To see if you qualify, go to the www.bvcaa.org or call 1-877-54-BVCAA for more information.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE A TOUCHSTONE ENERGY HOME?

03/10/10

Mid-South Synergy is a Touchstone Energy Cooperative. That means Mid-South is part of a nationwide group of cooperatives promoting energy efficiency and programs that help you conserve energy. The Touchstone Energy Home is just another great program Mid-South Synergy sponsors with the Touchstone seal of approval.

Like an Energy Star home, the Touchstone Energy Home follows a few guidelines in new home construction. These are meant to increase energy efficiency and reduce our members’ electric bill.

“Is it complicated? That’s the first questions I get asked,” says Rashaud Wallace, project manager at Mid-South Synergy. Wallace works with promoting the Touchstone Energy Home program and is an expert in construction and home building. “There is a list of sections but they’re not anything unusual for someone building a new home. Your homebuilder will know what these areas are and the adjustments are pretty common.”

These areas of consideration include:

Wall insulation
Attic insulation
Attic ventilation
Floor insulation
Draft control
Windows
Doors
Electric Heat Pump
Electric Water Heating
Kitchen and Bath Fans
Ductwork

Many of the requirements are becoming standard on new homes but the Touchstone Energy Home takes it one step further by guaranteeing your new home is efficient from all angles.

And the incentive is?

If you are a new home owner it means you’ll have greater home comfort because your insulation will be up to date. It means you cost of energy will be reduced because your energy efficiency will be up with tax incentives on the side. And you’ll end up having pride in your home because you’ll know that home’s value will improve and you’re contributing to the environment.

For the homebuilder, it means other things. Touchstone Energy Homes sell faster because it saves the customer money. As a homebuilder, you’ll be bringing house technologies to the forefront and incorporating updated and accepted building standards. You’ll also be offering a unique product that contributes to an environmentally friendly neighborhood.

So how do I get started?

Building a new home can be an exciting experience. Your new home will serve your family as a place to lay roots. And chance are, building a new home is something you’ll do only once or twice in your life so it’s important to construct and design you home right. That’s why your new home should be a Touchstone Energy Home.

To get started click on the following link to download the Touchstone Home Application, and start saving today!

http://www.midsouthsynergy.com/emResidentialNewHomeRebates.aspx

CO-OPS COME TOGETHER IN ATLANTA

02/20/10

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) held their Annual meeting last month in Atlanta, GA. “Tough Choices Call for Strong Voices” was this year’s theme as co-op members from all over the country were in attendance. Items of discussion ranged from electric conservation to current energy regulations in Washington. Perhaps the meeting’s most profound discussion was the economic climate of 2009 and solutions to continue reliable, affordable energy for co-op members. NRECA CEO Glenn English addressed the crowd saying, “As we look at the economic difficulty and the challenges that our members are facing, there is no question that our focus is on that electric bill - trying to minimize any increases...Trying to work with those members to pay those electric bills. That is the focal point of our job.”

Following the discussion was a monologue of President Franklin D. Roosevelt performed by actor Ed Asner. The monologue quoted some of FDR’s famous speeches and reminded attendees that co-ops had to overcome hard times in the past. Specifically, there was a correlation between Americans overcoming The Great Depression and the challenges we face today.

NRECA President Wally Wolski shared his confidence in cooperatives. He felt the best way for co-ops to face the rising challenges was to focus on their members and “make this decade the decade of the consumer.”

MID-SOUTH SYNERGY LAUNCHES HOME IMPROVEMENT REBATES

01/29/10

Mid-South Synergy continues to look out for its members by launching the new Synergy Sense Rebates Program. With this program, existing and new home owners earn rebates from Mid-South Synergy when they take a step forward to make their homes more energy efficient.

The Synergy Sense Rebate Program offers two kinds of rebates – New Home Rebates and Home Improvement Rebates.

HOME IMPROVEMENT REBATES FOR EXISTING HOMES:

Marathon Water Heater - $100.00 rebate on a new Marathon Water Heater when you replace your old one
Energy Star Appliances - $100.00 per appliance with a maximum of $150.00. (Limited to Refrigerator, Freezer, Clothes Washer, Dishwasher and HVAC window unit)
Programmable Thermostat - $25.00 per unit with a maximum of 2 units per member
HVAC Tune Up - Up to $100.00 on one HVAC tune up per member as per specifications. (Prior Energy Audit required)
HVAC Upgrade - Rebate of $200.00 on a 14 SEER and $400.00 on a 15 SEER Electric Heat Pump. (Limit one per member)
Attic Insulation - Rebate of $550.00 when attic insulation is upgraded from R8 to R38. (Prior Energy Audit required)

NEW HOME REBATES FOR BUILDING A TOUCHSTONE ENERGY HOME:

A $500.00 rebate is given to residential members that build a new Touchstone Energy Home. Equipped with a high-efficiency electric heat pump; energy efficient windows and doors; R-rated floor, wall and ceiling insulation, and energy efficient water heaters, your home will provide years of comfort and energy savings for you. Visit our website www.midsouthsynergy.com to view the touchstone home standards.

Mid-South Synergy encourages all of its members to take advantage of this great opportunity. Click here to fill out an online application or call us for more details @936-825-5100.

MID-SOUTH SYNERGY IS NOW ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER AND YOUTUBE!

11/20/09

Just a few years ago the Internet was a place where you sent the occasional email or read an article from some outlandish website stating that the NASA moon landing was a hoax. Now it’s a bustling place to buy anything under the sun and grab all the information you’d ever want to know.

But the real phenomenon brewing is how people are speaking to each other on the web. They’re talking to old friends, making new ones, and even keeping up with family members. Through websites like Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube, we’re getting messages across in ways only seen in Stanley Kubrick films 40 years ago.

For some of us “Old School” people it’s a little strange to have that much access. But it’s becoming more common for members to interact with each other online. And that’s where Mid-South Synergy comes in.
As our members become increasingly younger and new homeowners are surfing the web, it’s becoming ever clear to this Coop that we have to think outside the box.

Old meets new

“Newspapers, magazines, and TV will still remain important,” says Dianne Sechelski, Chief Member Services Officer at Mid-South Synergy, “but we’ve started to look at new ways to communicate.”
These new ways include internet video, social networking sites, and electronic newsletters. Online formats were once trivial but now are becoming a vital part of Mid-South’s communication plan.
“With almost a third of our membership paying their bills online, it’s easier to see that the Internet is playing a more important role in their daily lives.” says Sechelski.

And Mid-South has kept close attention to this change in trend. With the recent launch of a Twitter account, Facebook profile, and Youtube channel Mid-South Synergy is staying in tune with the times.

You tubed what?

In the past, when you wanted to show your family a home video of your daughter’s recital or that funny video of Spot chasing his tail, you would have to rely on dubbing the VHS tape to another tape, sending it in the mail, and hope that it wouldn’t get lost or broken.

In 2005, three Paypal employees realized this was not practical. Hence, the idea of Youtube was born. And quickly what started out of convenience became a powerful tool for anyone to share a message.
As of 2008, Alexa Internet data services reports that Youtube is the third most visited site under Yahoo and Google. All of this means Youtube is quickly becoming an industry standard for online videos.
In the efforts to reaching members in this forum Mid-South Synergy has launched it’s own Youtube “channel.” The channel has a new video each week and goes over anything from safety tips to new events happening with the co-op.

I just want the facts

There are some of us though that really just want the low down of what’s happening. If there’s a blackout, we want to know it’s being fixed. A hurricane coming? Tell us your plan. That’s where the social networking sites come in handy.

Facebook and Twitter are networking sites that allow people and organizations to give constant status updates. Usually through text, some of these updates are casual but others can be important.
“Just think about weather on the level of Hurricane Ike,” says Sechelski. “In a situation where you might not be next to a TV or radio, the status updates might just be the better way to find out what’s happening. Twitter is great for that. It’s instant knowledge and a click away.”

Also, if you have a profile, you can have these updates sent to your mobile phone. As long as you’re getting cell coverage you’ll know what’s happening with Mid-south Synergy.
And Mid-South Synergy “tweets” just about everyday. If you don’t know what “tweeting” is, don’t worry, it’s not a bad word. Your grandchild will tell you all about it.

Sticking to the Basics

It’s truly becoming a computer world these days. Our members our seeking information in ways that seemed like distant ideas just a few years ago. But, as Dianne Sechelski says the traditional ways of speaking with members “won’t be abandoned.”

So whether you’re a Mybooker, Facespacer, or any other new-invention-the-internet-can-conjure-up type, just know that Mid-South Synergy will be getting the information to you. But for the rest of us, we’re just happy to keep on reading this magazine. Life just seems easier that way doesn’t it?

Follow us on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/midsouthsynergy
Get Updates on Twitter @ www.twitter.com/midsouthsynergy
Watch us on Youtube @ www.youtube.com/midsouthsynergy

Mid-South Synergy Launches ‘Pay-As-You-Go’ - Pre-paid Program Expected to be Huge Advantage for Members

10/20/09

October 1st, 2009 (NAVASOTA, TX) –Mid-South Synergy is pleased to announce a new way electric customers can pay their bill. The program, called ‘Pay-As-You-Go,’ is an electric service that requires no deposit and charges no late fees. Mid-South Synergy expects this will also be a great tool for their members trying to conserve energy. Members will have the ability to monitor their daily usage online and see what days they’re using the most electricity.

Pay-As-You-Go is innovative because the program doesn’t use traditional paper bills. The service keeps a balance and participants are notified when their balance is low through email, text, or by phone. “When consumers were late in the past,” says Manager of Member Services Michele Kimich, “there would be penalties charged to their electric bills. With Pay-As-You-Go, there isn’t room for late penalties because you’re not late. When your account is low it will notify the member. And when you want to recharge your account, you simply make a payment.” Users are notified well in advance before any disconnect takes place.

Pay-As-Go is now available to all Mid-South Synergy members. Kimich says the program has had “a good amount of customers interested in the program and many have already signed up.” To get started on the program, members can call Mid-South Synergy at 888-525-6677 or go on the website at www.midsouthsynergy.com.