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Elaborate Scam Targets Utility Customers

Written by UCEMC Communications on . Posted in UCEMC News.

Upper Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation is warning its members about an elaborate scam attempt that is targeting utility customers. The scam starts with a person calling who states that if you don’t pay your bill immediately, your service will be disconnected. If you do not pay immediately with your credit card or with a service called “Pay Pac,” they ask you to call “customer service” through another number.

When you hang up and call that number, it becomes a 3-way “conference” call which is routed to the actual customer service department of your utility. While you’re on the phone with your utility company, the scammers are on the line, listening for any information you give, including your account number, credit card information, and even your bank account number.

Known numbers used in this scam:
Caller ID: 765-357-0159
Call back: 855-303-7775

UCEMC reminds its members:
Upper Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation will never call members to request credit card, banking or other financial information over the telephone.

  • Although all forms of payments are accepted, UCEMC will never call members demanding a specific payment method be used.
  • UCEMC will never call members requesting payment outside of normal business hours.
  • If you have any doubts about who might be calling regarding your electric bill, contact UCEMC: Corporate Office – 1-800-261-2940
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Where Power and Opportunity Meet

Written by UCEMC Communications on . Posted in UCEMC News.

Amazon recently announced that it plans to build a new operations center in Nashville. This is big news for the entire state as the project is expected to bring more than 5,000 jobs and millions of dollars in investment to the region. Chattanooga, Knoxville and Memphis have recently made headlines for industry announcements as well.

All of this attention on the state’s urban centers makes it easy to think that opportunity can only be found in a big city. Here in the Upper Cumberland, we know better. Opportunity and growth are all around us. 

Last year, nearly half of all new jobs created in Tennessee – more than 9,700 – were created in the state’s rural and suburban counties. These communities may not be growing at the pace of Nashville or Knoxville, but our area is quickly becoming more attractive to businesses planning to expand or relocate here.

A major growth spurt is happening now Cookeville. Colorobbia USA, Inc. and it family-owned ceramic and glass company headquartered in Italy, has invested $5 million to build a 50,000-square-foot facility here. The plant is projected to provide jobs in distribution and technical assistance for approximately 30 people. Academy Sports just completed a $100 million facility and is set to provide 700 well-paying jobs near Tennessee Tech. Not far down the highway in Baxter, Brazilian tile giant, Portobello, is projected to create around 220 new, high-quality, family-wage jobs once that $150 million facility is completed in 2021

Smith County has received $1.45 million in grants to expand the county’s industrial park. A $350,000 grant from TVA will be used to purchase the property and to clear trees within a 119-acre tract. Other grants from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development will pay for site grading and three building pads – the first step toward attracting high-tech, high-paying jobs to the county. 

The Upper Cumberland is centrally located and with its strategic geographical advantage, quality of life, and well-trained workforce, our area is the obvious choice for these industries that are dedicated to offering world-class service to their
clients.

UCEMC provides electric power to all or portions of eleven counties in the Upper Cumberland, but our interest in the communities we serve goes far beyond power. We’re working to be sure that our part of the state is strong and well prepared to compete in the modern economy. 

One of our recent projects has helped to “shed light” on economic development efforts in Carthage by converting mercury vapor and high-pressure sodium street lights to an LED system, providing safety and security for those visiting the downtown area and substantial energy savings for the city. The 556-light project included changing the lights on the Cordell Hull Bridge and Main Street of Historic Carthage. This update has been well received by the public. 

Our youth programs help young people in the Upper Cumberland develop important leadership skills. In 2018, five students from UCEMC’s service area spent a week in our nation’s capital as delegates on the Washington Youth Tour, learning about government and public policy. We also sent two high school students to Nashville for the Tennessee Electric Co-op Youth Leadership Summit to strengthen their leadership and networking skills.

All the things that happen here in the Upper Cumberland may not get as much attention as those in Nashville, but what goes on here matters. It matters to all of us who live here, and it matters to our co-op. UCEMC wants to see the communities we serve succeed. We want this to be an area where businesses thrive, families prosper, and opportunities are abundant.

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Phantom Load

Written by UCEMC Communications on . Posted in UCEMC News.

Did you know that there’s a vampire in your home 24/7? Many electronics continue to use energy even after they’re turned off. If they remain plugged in after use, it’s what we call phantom load and it costs the average member more than $100 a year.

 

It sounds scary and indeed it is. Vampires are lurking around your home at this moment, sucking power from appliances and other plugged-in devices which continue to use power from electrical outlets even when they are turned off!

According to the Department of Energy, the average household has approximately 40 energy vampires in their home costing more than $100 a year. You can ward off energy-wasting vampires with these tips:

Bathroom

Hair dryers, curling irons and electric shavers left plugged into the wall while not in use can still drain electricity. Be safe and savvy by unplugging those devices when you’re done.

Kitchen

Make a habit of unplugging all unnecessary kitchen appliances including the coffee maker, microwave, toaster oven, blender, and other unused appliances.

Living Room

Older, set-top cable boxes and DVRs are the scariest vampires since they constantly drain 25-45 watts of energy when not in use. Try hooking up your entertainment center and other electronics to a power strip to easily switch off the entire system when you’re not using it. Exception: If you’re planning to record a show, your cable box must be on. Be sure to power down your video game console when it’s “game over.”

Home Office

The computer and printer still use energy when they’re idle. Plug your devices into a power strip and flip it off when you leave the room.

Bedroom

Once the cell phone or tablet is powered up, unplug the charger to avoid wasting energy.

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Coping with a Winter Power Outage

Written by UCEMC Communications on . Posted in UCEMC News.

Living without electricity is no easy task, especially during cold weather. To make the best of the situation as we work to restore your power, follow these tips from UCEMC once you’ve called to report the outage in your area:

Wrap up in warm clothes. Wear several think layers instead of one or two bulky garments. Woolen hats and thermal underwear can also help you keep warm.

Keep refrigerator and freezer door openings to a minimum. If food starts to thaw during an extended outage, place the food outdoors if it is cold enough. Choose a shady spot, and make sure the food is protected from animals.

Cook in your fireplace or outdoors on your grill or camp stove. NEVER cook indoors on grills or camp stoves since they can produce dangerous fumes.

Prepare hot foods such as soups, stews or chili. They provide warmth as well as nourishment.

In extremely cold weather, gather the family in one room and seal it off from drafts. Select a room with a fireplace or wood burning stove if you have one.

At bedtime, use several layers of quilts or blankets or use a sleeping bag.

Take advantage of natural body heat. A sleeping person gives off about 75 watts of heat, so sleep with two or more people together under the blankets or zipped-together sleeping bags.

While the power is off, turn OFF your major electrical appliances such as water heaters and heating systems. After the power comes back on, wait about 15 minutes and turn on the appliances one at a time. If your own a heat pump, be sure to check the manual before turning the heat pump back on. This will help avoid additional outages caused by overloads.

If you have a heat pump, do not immediately reset the thermostat to the “ON” position when power is restored following a winter outage. This can cause mechanical damage to the heat pump unit. Instead, follow this rule: If the power has been off more than three hours, place the system switch in the emergency heat position. This will quickly bring our home to normal temperature. Leave the switch in the emergency heat position for 24 hours. At the end of 24 hours, set the thermostat for heat pump operation. This will restart your unit in the heat pump mode.

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It Pays To Buy A Good Water Heater

Written by UCEMC Communications on . Posted in UCEMC News.

If you’re that family member who enjoys an extra-long, hot shower to begin your day, you might want to reconsider. Since water heaters are the second largest energy expense in your home after your heating and cooling system, washing away your cares could cost you if you don’t have an efficient water heater. It pays to buy a good one.

On average, a water heater lasts from 10-15 years. But because an energy efficient model can save you so much money, you may want to install one now.

Some to consider:

  • Storage/electric resistance water heaters: The most commonly used model, the storage/electric resistance water heater works by heating water and storing it in an insulated tank. It’s inexpensive and easy to install and converts power at a 100% efficiency.
  • Heat pump water heaters: These use electricity to move heat from one place to another instead of generating heat directly. They operate like a refrigerator in reverse. While a refrigerator removes heat from a box and expels it into a surrounding room, the heat pump takes the heat from the surrounding room and expels it into the water tank. Basements that aren’t air-conditioned are an ideal place for these, as they dehumidify air as they work.
  • Tankless water heaters: These are point-of-use heaters that heat water instantaneously and have no tank. They can be gas or electric, and are more expensive to install. However, they may save money over the long-haul as they don’t have to maintain a tank-full of hot water when not in use.
  • Solar water heaters: These use solar panels on the roof or in a cleared area of the lawn to power a conventional water heater. In summer months, the solar panels may provide all the power that’s required.
  • Desuperheaters: Attached to a geothermal heat pump, desuperheaters catch waste heat and use it to warm your water. In hot climates, these can meet most of your home’s needs in summer months.

Buying Tips  

  • The ENERGY STAR label is important, but look especially close at First Hour Rating (FHR) indicated on the label. This is more important than the size of the tank because it tells you how well the system will perform under pressure during morning or evening use.
  • If you live in a moderate climate, consider an efficient heat pump water heater. It may have a higher initial cost, but can save up to 50% on your energy bill.
  • Look for units with sealed combustion when buying gas or oil-fired units to avoid back-drafting into your home.
  • Choose the water heater with the highest energy fact (EF) when possible. EF is based on recovery efficiency, standby losses and cycling losses. Electric resistance haters have an EF ranging from .86 to .95; gas water heaters from .50 to .60, with a few high-efficiency models around .80; oil heaters from .70 to .85; and heat pump water heaters have an EF ranging from 1.50 to 2.00.

Compare warranties to make sure you’re getting the most for your money.

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Winter Storms Keep Co-op Crews Busy

Written by UCEMC Communications on . Posted in UCEMC News.

Electric cooperative line crews in several states are keeping cold weather gear and coveralls close by as they restore power to members knocked offline by a series of winter storms.

Since mid-November, four major winter storms have brought ice, snow and blasts of frigid cold weather to co-op served territories east of the Rockies. The latest storm knocked out electricity to more than 50,000 co-op served meters in the Carolinas and Virginia in early December.

Many of those outages affected some of the same co-ops that spent days restoring service following an early season snowstorm that swept across the region Nov. 15.

North Carolina’s 26 electric co-ops reported 45,000 outages as of Sunday, December 9, but that number was down to about 4,700 by the following Tuesday morning. Improved weather conditions are expected to help keep restoration efforts on track.

In South Carolina, electric co-ops were working to restore service to about 3,600 co-op-served meters following the storm, primarily along the Blue Ridge Mountains. That same weather system caused outages here in Tennessee and Kentucky.

In Virginia, heavy snow caused problems with falling and leaning trees, which damaged electrical equipment across the co-op’s service territory, according to Ronald O. White, vice president of member and public relations for Southside Electric Cooperative. About 1,300 members of that co-op remained without power two days after the weather system moved through.

Crews from other co-ops in the area joined contractors to help Southside EC repair its lines.

Derrill Holly
NRECA staff writer

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The Kilowatt Hour

Written by UCEMC Communications on . Posted in UCEMC News.

Concerned about your energy costs? There are some simple steps you can take to reduce the amount of electricity you’re using. But first, let’s take a look at the terms Kilowatt and Kilowatt Hours.

Watt (W): The amount of energy required to operate an electric device. A light bulb is rated in WATTS – 60 WATT, 75 WATT, etc.

Kilowatt (KW): A 100 WATT bulb in your home consumes “X” amount of WATTS. When it consumes 1000 WATTS, it has used 1 Kilowatt.

Kilowatt Hour (KWH): If you have ten, 100 WATT bulbs operating in your home for one hour, they will consume 1,000 WATTS in one hour, or 1 Kilowatt Hour.

Charges for electricity is in KILOWATT HOURS (along with other charges such as Customer Charge, TVA Fuel Cost Adjustment, security light(s), etc.).

Electrical equipment has a data plate indicating WATTS consumed.

Example: Water heaters are the second largest energy expense in your home, after space heating and cooling.  A 50-gallon water heater consumes 4,500 WATTS. To determine your approximate cost for that equipment, divide 4,500 WATTS by 1,000 (1 Kilowatt) and it consumes 4.5 Kilowatts. At ten cents per KILOWATT HOUR, the operating cost would be 45 cents if used for one hour. Installing a new electric water heater? Check out the UCEMC Water Heater Rebate Program.

Conserving Energy

Lighting: Install compact fluorescent lights (CFLs). CFLs are a good choice for home lighting because they use less energy than incandescent bulbs, produce the same light output, and last up to 10 times longer. Each bulb can save $40 or more in electricity costs over its lifetime.

Water Heaters: Set your water heater thermostat to the “normal” setting or 120 degrees, unless the owner’s manual for your dishwasher requires a higher setting. Savings are 7-11 percent of water-heating costs. Make sure you turn off the breaker to your water heater before opening the panels. Insulate the first five feet of pipe coming out of the top of your water heater, or the whole length until the pipe goes into the wall, if that is less than five feet.

Seal the leaks: Caulk and weatherstrip around windows and doors to stop leaks. Look for places where you have pipes, vents, or electrical conduits that go through the wall, ceiling, or floor. Check the bathroom, underneath the kitchen sink, pipes inside a closet, etc. If you find gaps around the pipes or vents, seal them up with canned foam insulation which is available at any hardware store.

Winter thermostat 68 degrees (or lower): Every degree of setback for eight hours a day can reduce heating bills by 1-3%.

Summer thermostat 78 degrees (or higher): Every degree you raise your thermostat for eight hours a day can reduce cooling bills by 3-5%.

Replace filters: Dirty filters on your heating and cooling systems restricts airflow and increases energy use. Keeping the unit clean, lubricated, and properly adjusted will reduce energy use. Savings are up to 5 percent of heating and cooling costs. An easy way to remember – replace your filter when you receive your monthly electric bill.

For more tips visit EnergyRight.com

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Look out for scam artists posing as debt collectors from Tennessee Valley Authority

Written by UCEMC Communications on . Posted in UCEMC News.

Unfortunately, Caller ID can’t tell us when a scammer is on the line. We must be vigilant for the latest techno-tricks scammers are using to steal our hard-earned cash.

Upper Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation (UCEMC) warns you to be on the lookout for scam artists posing as debt collectors from Tennessee Valley Authority. They could be targeting UCEMC members. These scam callers threaten to shut off service unless the member provides immediate payment using a credit card or money order. The caller may also request that members call a 1-888 number to provide their credit card information.

“These calls sound official, and the caller ID may even display the TVA name,” says Jimmy Gregory, General Manager of UCEMC. “This scam is particularly harmful because there is no way to track or recover the money.”

“Caller ID Spoofing” is the practice of rigging the telephone network to indicate on caller ID, a phone number different from that of the telephone from which the call was placed. The term is commonly used to describe situations in which the caller’s motivation is considered malicious. TVA will never call UCEMC members directly. TVA will not and cannot request payment from UCEMC members. Only UCEMC personnel are authorized to contact members and even then, only during business hours.

  • UCEMC will never call members to request credit card, banking or other financial information over the telephone.
  • Although all forms of payments are accepted, UCEMC will never call members demanding a specific payment method be used.
  • UCEMC will never call members requesting payment when UCEMC offices are closed.
  • UCEMC service personnel will never ask to enter your home unless you initiate the request for co-op personnel to perform a specific service. Co-ops do this only by appointment and with a member’s prior knowledge.

If you have any doubts about who might be calling regarding your electric bill, contact your local UCEMC District Office:

Carthage 1-800-261-2940, Cookeville 1-800-261-2940, Gainesboro 1-800-261-2940, Livingston 1-800-261-2940 or the Corporate Office 1-800-261-2940 or 1-800-261-2940.

Whether by phone, in person, or online, be certain you are dealing with an official representative of the Cooperative and be sure you are visiting our official website. UCEMC personnel carry company identification at all times and vehicles are plainly marked with the UCEMC official logo. Pay your bill online ONLY through the OFFICIAL ucemc.com website. Third-party, so-called “bill-payment” websites posing as UCEMC might not pay your bill on time, if it is paid at all. Look on your browser bar to indicate that you are on UCEMC’s secure and OFFICIAL website.

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After Devastating Loss, “Getting Your Power Back” Takes On New Meaning…

Written by UCEMC Communications on . Posted in UCEMC News.

Two destructive hurricanes in the southeast, only weeks apart, took a numbing toll on our neighbors in Florida, southern Georgia, and the Carolinas. Many lives were lost. Homes and businesses, obliterated. As we have seen so many times following storms of such epic scale, heartbroken survivors return to their devastated communities, only to find their way of life altered for many years to come.

Getting Your Power Back with UCEMCUpper Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation was one of 20 co-ops in Tennessee rushing crews of more than 185 volunteer line workers and equipment to affected areas in the wake of Florence and Michael. Their mission was clear: Restore power to nearly two million storm victims who couldn’t begin to rebuild their lives without it.

Line workers returning from these areas had many stories to share about the people they met and the destruction they witnessed first-hand; agonizing accounts of defeat from tearful residents returning to find everything they had worked for, swept away by a force of nature they could not control. Many of them evacuated with only the clothes on their backs and when allowed to return to what was left of their homes, waded through waist-high water or navigated perilous twelve-foot walls of debris to salvage a few belongings.

The recovery and the grieving process after storms of this magnitude can be so slow that the very sense of community is put on indefinite hold.

As the first few days passed and workers made progress repairing downed lines and poles, they saw signs of this grief-stricken narrative giving way to the triumphant human spirit. Within hours after crews arrived at the scene, they observed neighbor helping neighbor, strangers becoming comrades, all overcome by emotion, yet making preparations to tackle the exhausting chore of clean-up and re-establishment that is expected to take years.

Co-ops are in the business of restoring power and energizing communities.

Literally and figuratively.

Getting Your Power Back with UCEMC

In the aftermath of any catastrophic event, the smallest of comforts are embraced. We can only imagine the day-to-day struggle of the victims. Basics become a luxury and time seems to stand still as you helplessly wait for assistance.

But once electricity is restored and you can take a hot shower, charge the cell phone to communicate with loved ones, pump fuel, and eat a warm meal, you gain that sense of being in control again – reclaiming power over your own life. You realize that while it will take time to mend and resume normality, you have taken the first step of the long journey toward renewal.

Getting Your Power Back with UCEMC

Repairing, or in this case, rebuilding the entire damaged electrical system, is a monumental job that no single electric company or co-op could possibly tackle alone. Hundreds of line workers and tons of equipment are dispatched from surrounding states to these vicinities prior to landfall of the storm. They live in tents and divide into large teams, navigating heavy digger and bucket trucks through unfamiliar terrain and working in areas strewn with fallen power lines covered in mud and murky water.

Getting Your Power Back with UCEMCEveryone made it back to UCEMC safely and with many stories to tell about the amazing and brave people they met along the way. People who were once strangers, but are now new friends.

It’s dangerous and stressful business, but helping our neighbors in need is the cornerstone of the cooperative spirit.

Restoring that essential electric infrastructure following a catastrophic event eases at least some of the anxiety by allowing residents to return to their communities quickly, begin the process of picking up the pieces, develop a strategy to rebuild, get on with their lives the best they can – and most essentially – get their power back.

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Upper Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation Sending Crews South to Assist with Hurricane Michael Recovery Efforts

Written by UCEMC Communications on . Posted in UCEMC News.

Upper Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation (UCEMC) is once again sending crews to help with storm recovery efforts. Line workers and equipment are rushing to assist area cooperatives as the biggest storm in 13 years brings life-threatening storm surges and 110 mph winds to the Florida Panhandle.

General Manager Jimmy Gregory says UCEMC crews always respond quickly to help surrounding co-ops. “Strong storms like this can leave thousands of people without power,” Gregory said. “The working conditions are difficult and the hours are long, but it’s good to know that if we had a big storm here, we could count on our neighboring co-ops to help us.”

The massive hurricane is expected to leave widespread power outages across much of the northeastern Gulf Coast. UCEMC crews will be in place to assist as soon as it is safe to work. “Ten of us are headed down there and we’re taking digger trucks, bucket trucks and other equipment to help restore power,” Foreman Joe Frizzel said. We ask that everyone keep those who are hardest hit by this storm in your thoughts and prayers.” Frizzel and his crew join more than 80 other line workers from electric co-ops across Tennessee who will be assisting with hurricane recovery efforts.

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