Membership Matters

November 1999

When Winter Weather Approaches, Be Prepared

In northwestern North Carolina, cold weather is often welcomed as we anticipate the delights of a winter wonderland. However, weather that promises a wonderland sometimes brings unwelcome winter storms affecting power lines or poles, and causing interruptions in electric service.

Blue Ridge Electric employees follow a plan to restore service when outages occur, and our training prepares us for many situations. But do you know what to do to prepare for a snow or ice storm that could cause an unexpected outage?

If extreme weather is predicted, fill the bathtub with water you can use to help flush toilets and for other purposes. Always keep a supply of emergency items on hand such as: drinking water, flashlights, batteries, blankets, first-aid kit, nonperishable food items, a manual can opener, a thermos, battery-operated lanterns, and a windup clock. A gas grill with a supply of propane or a charcoal grill with extra charcoal, matches, and lighter fluid can be useful for cooking, but be safe by only using grills outdoors.

If an outage occurs, you can report it by calling PowerLine, our automated outage reporting system, at 1-800-448-2383. You can also call your local cooperative number to report an outage. We are here 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Giving Through BREMCare

Your cooperative works with community helping agencies to make sure all BREMCare donations go to needy families.

BREMCare offers up to $100 per year to members needing help paying electric bills or buying heating fuel, and onetime $300 awards to families needing help weatherizing their home.

You can help a family stay warm this winter by donating to BREMCare in one of the following ways:

• Make a lump sum donation by writing a check to Blue Ridge Electric and noting “BREMCare” on the memo line. Drop the check by or mail it to your local Blue Ridge Electric office. (This check should be separate from your electric bill payment.)
• Donate a few cents each month by enrolling in the monthly electric bill round up program. Call your local office to choose this method, which automatically “rounds up” your electric bill to the next dollar. The extra cents exceeding your bill will be donated to BREMCare. For example, if your bill is $62.42, it would round up to $63, with the additional 58 cents going to BREMCare.

All BREMCare donations are tax deductible, and you may choose to discontinue your contributions at any time.

Making Your Holiday Lists?

I f you’re searching for the perfect gift, look no further. Blue Ridge Electric offers gift certificates that can be applied toward a member’s electric bill. Of course, the recipient must be a member of Blue Ridge Electric.

Not only will a Blue Ridge Electric gift certificate be useful and appreciated, it’s also a quick and easy purchase for you. You can buy a gift certificate in any amount. Just drop by any Blue Ridge Electric office and you’ll get a holiday themed gift certificate and envelope. Happy Holidays!

The Perspective

An Editorial by Chief Executive Officer Doug Johnson
Bremcare: a Program Founded on Cooperative Spirit

O ne of our guiding principles is to to demonstrate our care for and commitment to the communities we serve. Blue Ridge Electric’s BREMCare program exemplifies that principle in a meaningful way to our members.

Through BREMCare, individual members pool resources to help fellow members who have been identified by local agencies as needing assistance paying their electric bills or weatherizing their homes for energy efficiency. Through your contributions made through the electric bill round up program and lump sum donations, many of our members have helped make a difference for our neighbors who need it most. For 4 1/2 years, BREMCare has helped local families in over 1,500 instances who are having a difficult time financially.

That kind of support is not surprising among the members of Blue Ridge Electric. The same spirit this cooperative was founded upon more than 60 years ago is still alive today – inspiring us to help each other and to dedicate ourselves to a better quality of life for all citizens in northwestern North Carolina.

If you’d like to join us in the BREMCare effort, see page 4 to learn how you can volunteer to provide financial support. It’s members like you who make BREMCare the helping tradition it has become, and who support this program by giving to assist people really in need of some help with their energy bills.

Year 2000 Readiness Disclosure

While Blue Ridge Electric is prepared for the Year 2000, we remind members that New Year’s Eve falls during a time when this area often experiences severe winter weather. Heavy ice and snowstorms can affect power lines and poles, sometimes leading to outages. Please refer to the winter preparedness tips listed in this issue of the Enlightener to be ready for rough weather this winter.

We want you to know that as an industry that frequently must deal with outages when natural disasters strike, Blue Ridge Electric and other electric utilities have developed contingency plans outlining emergency restoration and operating procedures to handle unexpected events.

As a final preparation to emphasize our commitment to Year 2000 readiness, Blue Ridge Electric will staff its operations centers over the New Year’s holiday. This is an extra precaution to handle anything not foreseeable through risk assessment and contingency planning.

Blue Ridge Electric works diligently throughout the year to minimize and avoid any disruption in electric service. We have earned a reputation for high quality service and reliability, and we are dedicated to continuing this reputation for the benefit of our members into the New Year and beyond.

Published monthly by Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation for its 50,054 members.

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