More members are taking advantage of our PrePay Power payment option - should you? - Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation
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APRIL 2021
More members are taking advantage of our
PrePay Power payment option — should you?
A
pproximately 10% of our night — through the free SmartHub
membership has signed up app, by calling the automated payment
for PrePay Power, Brunswick system, or at a Bill Payment Terminal.
Electric's pay-as-you-go payment system. The free SmartHub app is an easy-
More than 9,500 members are enjoying to-use tool that helps you manage your
having no monthly bill, becoming more usage, and your account. You’ll receive
energy aware, and always knowing how email alerts through SmartHub when your PrePay Power helps you become more
much they’re spending on electricity. account balance reaches a certain level, aware of your energy consumption. It
With PrePay Power you pay for which you preset, with a link to a payment gives you freedom from a monthly bill,
power in advance of when you need portal for your convenience. You can check the means to become a smarter energy
it; you have control over your energy your current account status anytime and consumer, and the ability to know
usage because you choose when and view, in a layout of your choosing, your exactly how much you are spending on
how much to purchase. And there energy consumption by hour, day, week, electricity in real time. To learn more
are multiple, easy ways to add money and month. You’ll also receive helpful high and to sign up, call (800) 842-5871 or
to your account any time of day or energy use email notifications. stop by one of our offices.
Easy steps to prepare now for warmer weather Tips
z Check for leaks around windows and
doors. Fix any caulking that is cracked, caulk any
but it will make you feel
cooler, allowing you to set the
Tools
areas showing gaps, replace any weather stripping temperature higher while remaining comfortable.
that is worn, and weather strip any new areas that z Schedule an HVAC tune-up. Air conditioner
need it. This will help keep the warm air outside, issues can develop over the winter, and won’t be
where you want it. evident until you turn it on when it gets hot. Getting
z Check all registers and vents. As furniture your unit serviced in the spring will ensure that it will
gets re-arranged over the course of time, registers be working at maximum efficiency when you need it.
can be inadvertently blocked. Go room by room
and make sure that there is clear space around each
register and air vent, and that dust or pet hair isn’t
interfering with air flow.
z Switch ceiling fans to counterclockwise
rotation. Running a ceiling fan counterclockwise
pushes air down and creates a cooling breeze. It
won’t actually lower the temperature in the room,
April 2021 | 21
National Lineman
Appreciation Month
I
t was before Midnight on Monday, from your family, you have to want to to recognize
February 15, during the storm that serve others. We believe it’s a privilege the contract
Tim Tippett
spawned deadly tornadoes, when to do so. crews who work
District Operations
I got a call about an outage affecting It takes about 7,000 hours of with us on the Manager
35,000 member locations. By 12:30 training to become a lineman, and construction,
a.m., I had finished calling the linemen requires continual ongoing education. operations and maintenance of our
who work out of the Southport/Oak Cooperative linemen make up about transmission and distribution system.
Island district office, and they were 16% of all linemen in the US, and we The linemen are our brothers, working
heading out, joined by the men from tend to punch above our weight because side by side with us during lengthy
the Supply and Whiteville offices. of our vast service territories, covering storm restorations. They work with us
By 2 a.m., the outages were down to three-quarters of the US land mass. on larger installation projects using
7,000. We continued to work through Cooperative linemen tend to be more their specialized equipment, handle
the night and the next day, solving the motivated than most other linemen, portions of other projects in tandem
most difficult restoration problems who might be good at what they do, with our crews, and keep our Right-of-
and completing the work that evening. but don’t have the same connection Ways clear. Thank you to the dedicated
It was a horrific time for many of our to those on their lines that we do. No crews of Lee Electrical Construction,
members, and we were just doing our matter how big an electric cooperative Sumpter Utilities, New South
part to help. is, the very nature of our relationship to Maintenance, and the others we use for
Outages are personal to us. Linemen the membership means we can’t ever be special projects. BEMC and contract
truly care about the membership, and too big to care. crews are committed to serving the
feel the urgency that members feel During National Lineman membership to the best of our ability,
when the power is out. Management Appreciation Month, it’s important because you deserve nothing less.
and linemen want the same thing that
members want — electricity you can
count on — and that’s what drives our
high reliability and efficient restoration
efforts. Linemen find another gear
when the power is out, whether it is one
member or 10,000. We like to say we’re
on the FIN Team — Fix It Now — for the
membership. It’s rewarding, meaningful
work, and not everyone can do it;
they say you have to be cut from the
cloth. Because it can mean working in
miserable, hazardous conditions, and
spending nights and weekends away Jonathon Long, second class line technician
ember This section of the newsletter is written by a BEMC employee or member of the
atters executive team about a timely topic that affects you as a member of BEMC.
22 | April 2021
The Linemen of Brunswick Electric
Southport/ Oak Island j
Back row, left to right. Jim Willis, Ervin Etheridge, Mike Sullivan, Adam Fulford, Chris
Rhodes, Nick Wright, Bryan Gore, Bailey Hill, Jeff Green, Jonathan Long. Front row,
left to right. Pee Wee Gore, Brad Conway, Ethan Watson, Jeremy Beresoff, Matt Wilkins,
Isaac Stanley, Mike Waite, Trent Phelps. Not pictured. Mike Blue, Jamal Moody, Andrew
Ennis, Elton Jackson, Richard Hill, Will Babson
Supply j
Back Row, left to right. Steve Var
num, Brandon Frink, Gaston Wa
Roy Stephens, Gerik Ivey, Kevin rd, Bill Gore, Kyle Rigby,
Hardin, Benji Etheridge, Adam Fau
row, left to right. Blaine Lawson, , Bruce Babson. Front
Eugene Cartrette, Hunter Marlow
Fitz Hall , Dale Fulwood, David Fea , Jason Hammonds,
rnside , Larry Sanderson, Brad Har
Shepherd, Cameron Smith. Not pict dison, Rusty
ured: John Johnson, Clayton Rivenb
Anthony Raulerson, Tony Sellers. ark , Brad Jenkins,
Whiteville j ,
Dallie Canady, Jeremy McLelland, Elvis Cain
Back row, left to right: Mark Raspberr y, t row, left to right:
ey Lee, Dean Long. Fron
Andy Noble, James Price, Jason Zokal, Rodn
Cole man , Chuck Nance, Jacob Gore, Cody Buck,
Ricky Danford, Noah Horton, Reno red:
Nicky Nance, Andrew Edmund. Not pictu
Jimmie Conley, Gabe Davis, Justin Ward,
William Godwin, David Norris. April 2021 | 23
2021 Touchstone Energy Sports Bright Ideas Education Grants fund
Camp Scholarship Program teachers’ in-person and online
suspended due to COVID-19 classroom projects — apply now
Due to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the COVID- The past year has been
19 pandemic, BEMC has made the difficult decision not to particularly hard on teachers,
offer our Touchstone Energy Sports Camp Scholarships students and parents. It has
this year. This long-standing program typically provides full required extra determination,
scholarships for middle school students to attend overnight flexibility, creativity, and
summer basketball camp at North Carolina State University in some cases, extra cash to make learning happen. If you’re
and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. an educator with an idea for a project that will enhance your
“We are disappointed not to move forward with this students’ in-person or online classroom experience, consider
program this year, but feel this decision is in the best applying for a Bright Ideas Education Grant.
interest of scholarship applicants and their families given Each year, Brunswick Electric provides grants for up to
the challenges of the current pandemic,” said Sherry $2,000 for innovative classroom projects that would otherwise
Skumanick, Communications Specialist. “We remain go unfunded. Last year, 29 teachers in Brunswick and
optimistic that we can resume this opportunity in 2022 Columbus counties received more than $32,110 for projects
when campers can once again experience the full benefits across all disciplines, benefitting more than 7,000 students in
of the program.” Brunswick and Columbus counties.
To learn more about this program and its impact on Applications are being accepted now at NCBrightIdeas.com
local youth, visit bemc.org/sports-camp-scholarships. or at bemc.org/bright-ideas-grants, and the deadline to apply is
September 15, 2021. But don’t wait, applications received by August
15, 2021 will be entered into a drawing for a $100 Visa gift card.
Nominations for Board of Directors
In accordance with BEMC bylaws, the Nominating and
Election Committees will meet on August 10, 2021 at
BEMC headquarters. Nominations for the Board of
Directors may be made by the Nominating Committee
Brunswick EMC or by the petition process. Completed petitions must be
offices will be closed received at BEMC headquarters by 5 pm on July 27, 2021.
on Monday, April 5, Questions regarding requirements for the board or the
for the Easter Holiday. election process should be directed to Jean King at
(910) 754-4391 x 4213.
24 | April 2021You can also read
