Connect
Apr '24
In this issue:

A Letter from Our CEO

Thomas Golden

April is a big month for us in the electric cooperative space. Most notably, it’s Linemen Appreciation Month, when we pause and reflect on all the hard work that our lineworkers do for our cooperative and our communities. This month we also start to appreciate what is blooming all around us, revisit our eco-friendly initiatives and recognize Earth Day on April 22.

To kick off this month, I want to personally recognize our line crew. These are the individuals who are working around the clock to keep your electricity running and your life empowered. The crew, which oversees our 19-county service area, is made up of nearly 80 individuals. It’s a community that very often feels like family — because when you’re encountering rigorous conditions, working around the clock and navigating hazardous situations, looking out for one another becomes a non-negotiable.

That’s why in honor of North Carolina’s Lineman Appreciation Day on April 8, we pause to express our gratitude to those who keep us connected to one another, our comforts and our resources. It’s with tremendous joy and appreciation that we dedicate this month’s issue to the linemen who make our everyday lives empowered.

I hope that you too will recognize their hard work with a simple thank you. Whether you’re moved to do so on Facebook or Instagram or even just saying “hello” if you see them around, I know our linemen will appreciate the gesture. And to our linemen: thank you for everything you do.

Our team has also been hard at work preparing our Cooperative Responsibility and Sustainability Report. This is a report of some key highlights from the past year and is available online for you. We are always looking for ways to keep our members’ best interests at heart and this report is a great reflection of that.

As always, thank you for being a member of our cooperative. We love being able to support our members not just by providing reliable energy, but also by enriching the neighborhoods we live in.

Sincerely,
Thomas Golden, CEO

Teachers:This one is for you

EnergyUnited is proud to support teachers who believe in enriching their classrooms through Bright Ideas grants. Sponsored through Touchstone Energy cooperatives, these grants go directly to teachers who are looking to fund innovative learning projects not covered by traditional school financing. Last year, EnergyUnited awarded nearly $50,000 to teachers across our 19-county service area.

Apply on or before August 15 for a chance to win one of five $100 Visa Gift Cards

The final deadline is September 15. To apply,

Click here

Get ready forEarth Jam

April 13 from 4 to 7 pm

EnergyUnited is joining the Cornelius Parks & Recreation Department for their annual Earth Jam Event at Robbins Park! Join us to learn more about our sustainability initiatives and community efforts to keep North Carolina beautiful. This event is totally free to attend and includes:

  • Eco-friendly crafts
  • Demonstrations from community partners
  • Wildlife habitat improvements
  • Nature walks
  • Live music, concessions, and more!

Everyday EmpoweredCelebrating linemen appreciation month

North Carolina Lineman Appreciation day APRIL 8

Our linemen are often considered the heart and soul of our industry — and we tend to agree! We rely on these courageous individuals to maintain our lines, restore power when any outages occur and work in snow, rain and heat to keep our lives comfortable and safe. It feels only fair that we have a whole month dedicated to them, with Lineman Appreciation Day in North Carolina on April 8. In this month’s Connect, we’re highlighting three of our crewmembers who serve across our 19 counties to help keep your Every Day Empowered.

Tim Griffin

Title: Serviceperson

Region: Yadkin River Region – Lexington

Years with EnergyUnited: 30 years

“What I enjoy most about being a lineman: I love working with all of my co-workers to get the job done safely and efficiently. I also really love meeting and getting to know the members in the towns and communities that we serve and the members expressing their true gratitude for the work that we do to keep the power on! That gives me a great sense of pride to be a co-op lineman!”

Dale Webb

Title: Journeyman Lineman

Region: Foothills – Taylorsville

Years with EnergyUnited: 7 years

“I enjoy working outside and having something different to do every day. Working for EnergyUnited feels like a family with the people you work with, because you end up working with these guys more than you see your own family, but that’s just part of it. You build this bond with them. You’ll work through some bad storms and get pushed to your limits, but you’ll keep working because you know they are all depending on you for your part.”

Chad Smith

Title: Journeyman Lineman

Region: Lake Norman

Years with EnergyUnited: 4 years

“One thing I love about being an EnergyUnited lineman is the positive impact I have on my hometown. For me, I grew up on EnergyUnited’s system in Huntersville and so by working in the Cornelius office I get to help family and friends that still live on the system and give back to the community that I grew up in.”

Employee spotlightMarilyn Lineberger

Marilyn joined the EnergyUnited team in January as the Corporate Communications Manager. Read on to learn more about the newest addition to our cooperative team!

Q. Tell us a little bit about yourself and the path that led you to EnergyUnited.

A. I was born and raised in North Carolina. My husband, Tim, and I have been married more than 40 years. We have two grown daughters and five grandchildren. Professionally, I have had a long career in energy. I worked at Duke Energy for over 30 years and consulted at Quanta Technology in Raleigh as well before joining the EnergyUnited family. I’ve spent my career in corporate communications and operations communications and sincerely believe in the mission and importance of electricity in our lives. I was always impressed by EnergyUnited’s care for members and community support and now I feel honored to join this great team of leaders and employees.

Q. What goals or aspirations do you have for yourself and the communication team?

A. I look forward to our communications department team continuing to serve our members and teammates with excellence. The bar keeps rising for more concise, timely and accurate communications. Not too much; not too little. That’s what we want to deliver.

Q. What have been some defining moments in your life that have shaped you into who you are today?

A. My husband and I earned our college degrees after our girls were born, while both of us were working full-time jobs. I graduated with my B.S. in Business from Gardner-Webb University in 2007, and M.S. in Organization Development from Queens University in 2013. This experience taught us a lot about setting priorities, time management, focusing on what really matters, being resilient and squeezing joy out of every opportunity.

Q. Do you have anything special you would like to share with us?

A. I’d like to share an old family recipe with our EnergyUnited members. All the women in my family and my husband’s family are great cooks. They know all the secret Southern comfort foods and I like to think I’ve passed that on to our daughters. So, what could be more caring and Southern than pecan pie?

Marilyn’s Pecan Pie

Note: This recipe makes TWO pies. Please remember that ovens vary so you may want to check your pies at 25-30 minutes. Pies set after they cool.

1 ½ c. brown sugar, packed

¾ c. granulated sugar

3 Tbsp. self-rising flour, sifted

3 eggs, beaten

½ c. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

¾ stick butter, melted

2 (9-inch) pie shells

Pecan halves

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Layer pie shells with pecans. Mix wet with dry ingredients. Pour over pecans. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes. Pecans will rise to the top.

Feel free to drop a note at Marilyn.Lineberger@EnergyUnited.com to share any thoughts about the cooperative, or if you try her recipe!

why we love
My EnergyHub

We talk a lot about My EnergyHub because it is such a powerful resource. Available via app or on our website, My EnergyHub empowers members with solutions to monitor energy usage, stay informed during an outage and set up automatic monthly payments.

This system, which launched in 2020, has grown and evolved to offer our members data and insights to better manage energy usage. Most recently, we’ve also updated the login area on our website for enhanced security and a seamless experience.

Click here to download from the google play store

Click here to download from the apple App Store

OUR COOPERATIVE
RESPONSIBILITY & SUSTAINABILITY REPORT

Each year we pull together a report that reflects our sustainability efforts of the year prior. This year, we’ve gone a step further and are including our cooperative impact within the communities we serve.

The report is a fully digital experience (to cut down on unnecessary paper waste) that explores recent initiatives to promote environmental stewardship, community engagement and our democratic system of governance. This year’s report also comes with a new look and layout and we encourage you to scroll around the page to learn all about what Cooperative Responsibility & Sustainability means to us.

To learn more about this report, click here

Claim yourCapital credits

EnergyUnited is a not-for-profit utility, which means that when we make money beyond our operating costs, we return that money to our members in the form of “capital credits.”

Every year, EnergyUnited returns over $3 million to members in the form of capital credits.

For those who are still active members of our cooperative, this amount is served as a bill credit. The formula for distribution is based on prior years of operation, but sometimes members who are entitled to capital credits have moved and it is difficult to locate them. If the U.S. Postal Service returns a check to us, we make every effort to locate the recipient. However, if we are unable to obtain a current address for these members, these unclaimed funds are required to be sent to the state.

We recently updated our list of individuals with unclaimed capital credits. Please scan the QR code below to access this list. If you see a neighbor, family member or friend on our list, please ask them to contact EnergyUnited at 1-800-522-3793. We appreciate your assistance in helping us ensure that everyone receives their capital credit benefit.

To learn more about Capital Credits

Click here

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