Membership Matters
November 2002
How We Restore Power
While colder weather often offers us the chance to enjoy a beautiful winter wonderland in northwest North Carolina, it also occasionally brings unwelcome wind, ice, or snow storms that affect power reliability.
In the event of an outage, Blue Ridge Electric employees immediately begin following a power restoration plan. First, a computerized outage system assists our system operators in analyzing member calls and locating problems. Using this information, they can direct line crews more efficiently to outage sources. Blue Ridge Electric’s goal is to safely restore power to the largest number of members in the shortest amount of time possible. To achieve this goal during a major outage, here’s our plan of action:
Step 1: Transmission structures and lines that supply power to one or more transmission substations are restored first. These lines receive priority because they serve tens of thousands of people.
Step 2: Distribution substations which affect thousands of members are restored as a second step in the outage restoration process.
Step 3: If the outage isn’t originating in a substation or transmission line, distribution supply lines are checked. These are the lines you see on utility poles along the sides of roads or that run underground. When the problem can be corrected at this stage, all members served by a distribution supply line will see power restored if there’s no problem farther down the line.
Step 4: The final power supply lines – called tap lines – are checked next if the problem is not identified earlier in the process. These lines tap off of the main distribution supply lines down secondary roads and driveways to the transformer poles or underground pad mounted transformers.
Step 5: Damage can also occur on the service line leading from the transformer pole into your home or building. This can explain why your neighbors have power and you don’t.
Members Only News
-For Members of Blue Ridge Electric
Meter Readers Use Friendlier Dog Protection Device
While most dogs are man’s best friend, there are some who pose a risk for those whose work take them on other people’s property. Dealing with aggressive dogs or worse – dog attacks – are part of the business for workers such as meter readers.
Mace has been the tool of choice to protect against dog bites and attacks in the past, but Blue Ridge Electric meter readers are now using a friendlier but equally effective device to protect themselves: the Bite Terminator.
“The Bite Terminator is basically a large umbrella-type device that’s carried in a bright yellow carrier on our belts,” said Tony Wheeler, supervisor of Utility Meter Service, Inc. (UMS), which provides Blue Ridge Electric with meter reading services.
Wheeler says meter readers encounter several “close calls” each week and an occasional serious bite. “We’ve tested the Bite Terminator during the past month, and so far it has worked very effectively. For so long in our industry, there has been no other effective choice besides mace to fend off an attacking dog. We’re glad there’s finally an alternative that’s friendlier to dogs and protect the men and women out in the field.”
The Perspective
An Editorial by Chief Executive Officer Doug Johnson
Power Update
Since late last year, we’ve kept you informed though this newsletter and our web site about the effects rising wholesale power costs are having on your cooperative and you as a member. We are experiencing more than a 15 percent increase – $7 million – in the price we’re charged for power.
To give you a brief background, electric distribution cooperatives like Blue Ridge Electric purchase power from power generating utilities or power marketers on the wholesale market. We purchase this power for our member-owners, along with 25 other electric cooperatives across the state, from North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation (NCEMC).
When we learned about the increases last fall, we began cutting costs and the result has been extremely positive – we are about $750,000 under budget for the year on operating expenses. This, along with good sales year-to-date, has kept the cooperative in excellent financial condition.
Since the wholesale power increase was so large it was also necessary to implement an adjustment you began seeing on bills last November as “Wholesale Power Cost ADJ.” This recovers only the wholesale power cost increases.
At this time, the direct “pass-through adjustment” method is the best way to recover these costs from members. We have decided not to incorporate these costs into our rates because we are still working on possible ways to reduce them for our members.
My primary focus since last fall has been to conduct an in-depth study of our wholesale power costs and to determine possible ways to reduce our cost of power without sacrificing the reliability of our supply. I expect to be able to report the results of this study to you by spring of next year. In the meantime, we continue to look for additional efficiencies in operations. You can be assured that while we’re experiencing some additional costs due to factors beyond our immediate control, your cooperative is in strong financial condition and will be here to serve you with reliable power now and in the future.
While we evaluate the power marketplace, we will need to pass along the additional costs from NCEMC. This means you’ll continue to see a wholesale power cost adjustment on your bill for the next several months. Just remember, as long as you see it as a separate item on your bill, it means we’re still working hard to try to reduce these costs rather than putting them into our rates.
Members Get Discounted Tickets to Appalachian State University Mountaineer Basketball Games
Blue Ridge Electric and ASU Athletics invite Blue Ridge members to be a part of the Family Fun Zone at the Holmes Convocation Center during the 2002-2003 basketball season.
Family Fun Zone Means:
- Discounted home game tickets for your family
- Special seating in the end zone
- Visits from Yosef and a chance to win prizes
Single Game Family Fun Pass:
- Men’s Basketball - $20 (regularly $25)
- Women’s Basketball - $10 (regularly $15)
- Family Fun Passes include two adult and two youth tickets or 3 youth and one adult ticket.
Season Pass for Family Fun Zone:
(See below for schedule)
- Men’s Basketball - $180 (regularly $200)
- Women’s Basketball - $80 (regularly $100)
-Order by phone or mail
-Tickets must be purchased in advance
-Ask for Blue Ridge discount
-Blue Ridge Electric account number required.
2002-2003 ASU Basketball "Home" Schedule
Men
Nov. 22 - Mars Hill
Nov. 25 - UNC-Charlotte (DH*)
Dec. 10 - Greensboro College
Dec. 17 - SMU
Jan. 2 - Bluefield
Jan. 6 - ETSU
Jan. 11 - UNC-Greensboro
Jan. 15 - Gardner Webb
Jan. 27 - Furman
Feb. 1 - The Citadel (DH*)
Feb. 3 - Western Carolina
Feb. 10 - VMI
Feb. 15 - College of Charleston
Feb. 22 - Davidson (DH*)
Women
Nov. 25 - UNC-Asheville (DH*)
Jan. 4 - Furman
Jan 8 - ETS
Jan. 13 - College of Charleston
Jan. 21 - Western Carolina
Feb. 1 - Georgia Southern (DH*)
Feb. 11 - Davidson
Feb. 18 - Wofford
Feb. 22 - Chattanooga (DH*)
March 1 - UNC - Greensboro
*Doubleheader games - pay men’s single game price. Season tickets are good for admission to both games.
Keep Basic Emergency Supplies on Hand . .
- Emergency light sources such as flashlights and lanterns. Keep extra batteries on hand.
- Portable, battery-operated radio for weather reports and emergency advisories.
- First aid kit including any medication taken regularly.
- Bottled water. Plan on one gallon per day per person.
- Food that doesn't require cooking or refrigeration. Have enough on hand for several days.
- Extra quilts, blankets or sleeping bags.
- Baby supplies such as milk and diapers, if needed.
- If you home has a fireplace or wood stove, keep a good supply of dry wood on hand.
- For heaters that use kerosene or another fuel, have adequate supplies of fuel available. Use fuel-burning heaters ONLY in a well-ventilated area and according to the manufacturer's instructions. Always store fuel in a cool, dry place - not in your home.
For more tips, visit www.BlueRidgeEMC.com and click on "News," then "Storm Room."
Published monthly by Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation for its 51,939 members.
