What’s Inside Throwback Recipe: Strawberry Delight
Sharing the cooperative in classrooms and communities
Safety begins at Services
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The
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Current
A Publication of Cotton Electric Cooperative Inc.
“The Current - Informing Our Members Since 1957” VOLUME 66
May 8, 2023
NUMBER 9
Managing, monitoring your Cotton Electric account with ease By Carli Eubank ife can be fast and hectic, but it doesn’t always have to be complicated. Keeping up with your Cotton Electric account shouldn’t be a complex task, and with SmartHub, it won’t be. Some members may have heard of SmartHub but are unfamiliar with its many benefits. SmartHub can help members take control of their account so they can spend less time worrying about their electric bill and more time focusing on other responsibilities. SmartHub has several features, including being able to pay a bill, viewing energy consumption, contacting Member Services and getting the latest co-op news. Upon login, members have access to their billing history in the Bill and Pay tab. With the Payment History feature, they can view their current or previous bills to compare payments throughout the years. “Another feature within the Bill and Pay tab is if members choose to go paperless with billing, they can still view and download paper bills from previous months on the app,” said Jennifer Kriz, Cotton Electric member service representative. Members are also able to view their energy consump-
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tion in the Usage tab. SmartHub shows how member’s energy use is trending over time by comparing monthto-month power use or showing a year’s worth of kilowatt hour (kWh) usage. This allows members to take steps toward lowering their bill. Another feature in Usage is a comparison of daily energy consumption to average temperature. This is shown on a bar graph overlaid with high, low and/or average temperatures. This illustrates the increase in electricity use during extremely hot or cold weather. Energy use thresholds can be set to notify members when they are using more energy than they would like and help them keep bills as low as possible. “One of the great things about the energy consumption graphs is they can provide a summary of usage or it can show very detailed reports,” said Tonya Daniel, Cotton Electric director of member services. “Everybody’s usage is different and this helps members understand how much energy they use.” Making payments through SmartHub is fast and easy. The first time a member submits a payment, they are able to securely store payment information for future transactions, allowing for easy payment on future bills.
SmartHub gives members access to an overview of their Cotton Electric account from anywhere.
Power Cost Adjustment Calculated The power cost adjustment now being applied to bills mailed after May 1, 2023, is $0.00597 per kWh.
On a member’s average bill of 1,300 kilowatt hours (kWh), this will amount to a charge of $7.76 on the May bill.
SmartHub accepts payments via electronic check or with Visa, MasterCard or Discover credit cards any time of day. Credit cards will not be accepted for payment on commercial accounts. Another perk when using SmartHub is Cotton Electric members can arrange to have an email sent when their bill is ready, allowing them to know the amount of their bill before receiving it in the mail. “If members want to update their stored payment information on their account, they will need to change it themselves,” Daniel said. “To ensure their security, employees can’t manage a member’s account.” Members using our MyChoice prepay method can keep track of their balance and can schedule alerts for low balances. Downloading SmartHub is not mandatory for members enrolled in MyChoice, but it’s recommended. SmartHub alerts members of important co-op notices in the Notifications tab. Whether it’s billing notices, payment confirmations, annual meeting, youth programs or anything in between, members can stay updated in the app. Members can select how they wish to be notified, including emails and text messaging. “It’s important to have a current phone number listed on an account to make sure you can receive notifications and updates, all from your phone,” Daniel said. Reporting an outage is quick and easy from SmartHub. Using the app to report an outage immediately alerts the co-op that a member is without power. Since the app sends your account number with the report, it should not be used to report a neighbor’s power outage. Members can use the Comments section to include a good callback num-
April 2023 Temperature Extremes Day High Low 1 70 46 2 80 40 3 89 51 4 85 69 5 72 40 6 65 40 7 71 40 8 73 43 9 74 41 10 77 47 11 77 48 12 81 43 13 82 44 14 84 55 15 72 42
Source: srh.noaa.gov/oun/
Avg. 58 60 70 77 56 53 56 58 58 62 63 62 63 70 57
Day High Low 16 73 36 17 83 37 18 82 53 19 92 58 20 76 49 21 74 48 22 55 46 23 60 37 24 73 38 25 69 54 26 63 50 27 65 49 28 63 47 29 74 49 30 76 48
Average Daily High: 74 Average Daily Low: 46
Avg. 55 60 68 75 63 61 51 49 56 62 57 57 55 62 62
Tech tidbits USE THE APP
When using a mobile device such as a phone or tablet, its best to use the app instead of the browser. Browsing from mobile devices sometimes causes problems.
THINK ABOUT TIMING
CHECK YOUR BROWSER
If you are accessing through CottonElectric.com, SmartHub works best with Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari. It is not always compatible with Chrome or Edge.
CHECK FOR TYPOS
When asking questions or leaving comments through SmartHub, keep in mind that it is not monitored beyond normal business hours. If you have a timesensitive issue, please call.
ber and related information about what was heard or seen before the power went out. Contacting the co-op’s Member Services department can also be done through SmartHub if members have any non-emergency questions they need answered. Specific information requires an account number, but SmartHub automatically sends that with the email. Members can also call the Member Services Department with any issues
Did You Know? Cotton Electric offices will be closed on Monday, May 29 to recognize Memorial Day. Emergency calls will be answered at 580-8753351 or 800-522-3520.
Ensure your email address is typed correctly as well as your password. Remember that passwords are case sensitive.
logging into the app, or if you have a time sensitive issue. With SmartHub, our members can manage and keep up with their Cotton Electric account no matter where they are, giving them access to all the app can offer right at their fingertips. Members can access SmartHub through CottonElectric.com or by downloading the app on your mobile device through the App Store or Google Play.
Contact Us
Do you have a story idea for The Current or do you need to place an ad? If so, let us know. We can be reached at 580-875-3351 or by email at TheCurrent@ cottonelectric.com. You can also drop us The next issue of The a line at Cotton ElecCurrent should arrive in tric Current, 226 N. mailboxes on June 12, Broadway, Walters, OK 2023. 73572.
Mission Statement Our mission is to safely deliver reliable and affordable power, provide excellent member service, and improve the quality of life in the communities we serve.