Connect

May 2024

Being a member of an electric cooperative is more dynamic compared to relationships with other service providers. For starters, as a member, you’re a part owner of the cooperative and therefore can vote for your board of directors and participate in quarterly MAC meetings. Our Member Guide is a great resource to help members understand the cooperative difference and The EnergyUnited Way.

We recently redesigned the document to make it even easier to navigate and locate the information you need, whenever you need it.

To view your new Member Guide,

click here

May is National Electrical Safety Month

This month we are excited to highlight EnergyUnited’s commitment to employee and community safety. Safety is a core principle that distinguishes The EnergyUnited Way of doing business.

Locating Underground Utility Lines

Call 811 before you dig.

Digging into an underground utility line can be both costly and dangerous. EnergyUnited is currently leveraging ground-penetrating radar (GPR) technology to help mitigate this risk. This technology uses electromagnetic microwave pulses to detect objects beneath the ground’s surface.

Recent system improvement projects for our members, such as our conductor replacement for the Henkle exit circuits in Statesville, have been completed safely and efficiently due to our use of GPR technology.

Voltage Detection

EnergyUnited is also embracing other innovations to enhance employee safety. Personal voltage detectors (PVDs) are now a vital tool for field personnel, providing an extra layer of protection when working around energized lines.

These PVDs, clipped onto hard hats, offer audio and visual alerts, alerting workers to the presence and proximity of energized power lines, thus reducing the risk of accidents during storm restoration efforts and everyday operations.

Through continued innovation and collaboration, we strive to uphold the highest standards of safety in all our operations while keeping our members Every Day Empowered.

In honor of National Electrical Safety Month, we’re highlighting practical tips to help prevent electrical hazards. Many home fires and accidents can be prevented simply by understanding basic electrical safety principles. We work hard to show these demonstrations in schools across our service area, but nothing beats having these important conversations at home with your family.

Use Extension Cords Properly

Roughly 3,300 home fires originate from extension cords each year, killing 50 people and injuring 270 more. Extension cords can overheat and cause fires when used improperly. Remember: Do NOT attempt to plug extension cords into one another and make sure extension cords are properly rated for their intended use.

Outlet Safety

Avoid overloading outlets and make sure to unplug appliances when not in use to save energy and minimize the risk of shock or fire.

Double Check

Always check to make sure you are keeping papers and other potential combustibles at least three feet away from space heaters and other heat sources and make sure
you use proper wattage for lamps and lighting. Slowing down and checking these things greatly decreases your risk.

PROTECT YOURSELF WITH GFCIs

A ground fault circuit interrupter, or GFCI, is a fast-acting circuit breaker and is designed to shut off electric power in the event of a ground fault within as little as 1/40 of a second. GFCIs help protect people from electrocution. In fact, the Electrical Safety Foundation International reports that the installation of GFCIs has cut the number of home electrocutions in half. You can identify these within your home devices as the pop-out “reset” buttons on the outlet.

Source: https://www.esfi.org

For more electrical safety tips,

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We’re pulling together security tips regularly to make sure you stay protected from cyber threats and scams. We hope that these points will help you and your family have engaging conversations so that you stay safe from scammers.

1. Stranger danger

We often think of our digital lives as a wholly separate entity from our physical safety, but the reality is that there are a lot of overlaps in how you should think about the two. First, think of all the things you do to ensure the safety of your home: you lock the doors and windows, you may have an alarm system, and if a stranger knocks on your door, chances are you are not going to let them in. The same goes for your cyber identity. Your computer and email all have passwords and if you receive an email from someone you don’t know, that’s akin to a stranger knocking at your door. If it is something truly urgent they will have other ways to contact you.

2. When in doubt, throw it out

When unknown emails, text messages or calls come in, simply do not engage. Mark a foreign email as spam or simply delete it. Do not verify any 5- or 6-digit codes via text messages that look foreign to you, and if an unknown call comes in asking for sensitive medical or personal information you have our permission to simply hang up. We recognize that many of us were raised to be polite and kind, but if it’s a person you don’t know, please remind them that you are not interested and hang up the phone. One moment of “rudeness” is worth it when compared with the potential identity theft and financial damage that scammers can wreak on your life.

3. A security system for your computer

If you have a computer you should download anti-malware software to keep you safe from viruses and scammers. Newer versions of Microsoft Windows have one built in called Microsoft Defender, but if you are a Mac or other PC user, you can purchase one on the open market like McAfee or Norton. If you are putting anti-malware on your computer, please make sure it stays updated. You will receive a pop-up alert when it’s time to update that and you should click “yes” (rather than X-ing out of it). Again, it’s worth taking the extra few minutes to update than leave yourself vulnerable to cyber threats.

EnergyUnited members can be nominated to be director candidates by the Nominating Committee. For more information, please email Nominating.Committee@EnergyUnited.com

Click the link below to access the most up-to-date list of Nominating Committee members. *This list is subject to change.

click here