TIMES MAY & JUNE • 2020
Community Spotlight Ohio Nature Education
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Responding to COVID-19, Pg. 2 Managing stress during covid-19, Pg. 9 Impact of Covid-19 on operations, pg. 10 ELECTRIC • NATURAL GAS • PROPANE
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TIMES MARCH & APRIL • 2020
In this issue
1500 Granville Road Newark, Ohio 43058 (800) 255-6815
President’s Message 3 2020 Scholarship winners 4
myenergycoop.com feedback@theenergycoop.com
Kids Day wins award 5 Ohio Nature Education 6
Todd Ware President & CEO
cyber security checkup 8
Gary Baker Director of Marketing & Public Relations Heather Juzenas Communications Manager
Please report any change of email address or phone number to us at (800) 255-6815 or by emailing feedback@theenergycoop.com.
Managing stress in a crisis 9 the impact of COVID-19 on operations 10 Treasurer’s report 13 Operation Round Up Thank you 14 Electrical safety crossword puzzle 15
The Energy Cooperative Times is the official publication of The Energy Cooperative. This magazine is the bi-monthly communication link between The Energy Cooperative, based in Newark, Ohio, and its 65,000 members.
Cover Photo provided by Ohio Nature Education. Teddy the Red Tailed Hawk Teddy was found under power lines with a wing injury. He now lives with two other red tailed hawks and two turkey vultures. He is named after President Theodore Roosevelt who was instrumental in starting our national parks.
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President’s Message By Todd Ware, President & Chief Executive Officer
Todd Ware
Responding to COVID-19
Event Cancellations and Updates
The Energy Cooperative remains committed to providing our members with safe, reliable and affordable energy now and always. We understand the critical importance of the services we provide to our members. This is particularly true in the most difficult of times, such as the one we are currently facing.
The Governor’s guidelines to postpone large gatherings led us to cancel Earth & Energy Day and Kids Day at the Works. All our employees look forward to hosting member events, and we hope to have an opportunity to treat our members again soon. While not canceled, the Board of Directors postponed our 2020 Annual Meeting of Members. They will decide in the upcoming months when the 2020 Annual Meeting will be held. Once a date has been confirmed, members will receive the Annual Meeting notice and election ballot approximately 30-45 days prior to the date of the meeting.
Our cooperative is dedicated to safety. In addition to keeping the lights on, the gas flowing, and propane tanks full, we keep the safety of our employees and members as priority number one. This includes a commitment to our employee’s health. For that reason, it is imperative that we help minimize social contact for our employees during this time and give them and their families the best opportunity to avoid exposure to COVID-19. As this situation is ever changing, I encourage you to visit myenergycoop.com/covid-19-response to review the latest steps we are taking during this pandemic. You can also follow The Energy Cooperative on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest updates on this situation, as well as resources for energy efficiency, electric and natural gas safety information, and more.
Disconnect Suspension We are sensitive to our members who have financial difficulties related to the COVID-19 outbreak. Effective March 13th, we suspended disconnection of services for non-payment for our residential and commercial members. Although non-pay disconnects are suspended, I encourage everyone to continue to make payments so you will not have a large bill to settle when this is over. As always, if you are having difficulties paying your bill contact member services at 1-800-255-6815.
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Free High-Speed Internet Hot Spots The Energy Cooperative is offering free 24-hour, high-speed wireless internet access throughout our communities. These parking lot hot spots are available for our members, neighbors and friends during this COVID-19 pandemic. Parking lot hot spots are a way to maintain social distancing while also accessing the internet from your vehicle. You’ll be able to connect to our members network at our Newark, Hebron and Utica offices. Visit myenergycoop.com/hotspots for additional information on this free service.
In this together Finally, I want to thank our employees for their incredible commitment to The Energy Cooperative and our member communities. These are difficult times with a great deal of uncertainty. Together we will get through this. I look forward to the day when we resume normal operations.
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2020 Scholarship winners Congratulations to our Children of Members Scholarship Recipients • • • • • •
Riley Burnstine, Northridge High School, attending Ohio University with a major in biological sciences and a minor in Spanish. Riley will also be on the varsity swim team. Mya Lepley, Utica High School, attending The Ohio State University with a major in biology with a pre-medicine. Ellie Kidwell, Tri-Valley High School, attending Kansas State University with a major in animal science. Mason Mitchell, Sheridan High School, attending The Ohio State University with a major in bio chemistry with a pre-medicine track. Kenny Sloan, Watkins Memorial High School, attending University of Cincinnati with a major in aerospace engineering. Peter Stedman, Licking Valley High School, attending University of Cincinnati with a major in computer science.
Riley Burnstine
Ellie Kidwell
Mya Lepley
Kenny Sloan
Mason Mitchell
Peter Stedman
*Operation Round Up Foundation, Inc. Scholarships and The John C. Barker Scholarship recipients will be featured in the next issue. MYENERGYCOOP.COM
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Kids Day wins award The Energy Cooperative’s Kids Day event received national recognition this year, by winning a Spotlight on Excellence Award from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. This program recognizes outstanding work produced by a cooperative’s communication and marketing department when compared to cooperatives from across the country. Out of nearly 1,000 cooperatives in this network, our Kids Day at The Works event won a Gold Spotlight award in the best event category. Kids Day was bigger than ever in 2019, as we expanded into the Canal Market district. Nearly 3,000 members, families and friends converged on The Works in downtown Newark for a fun filled day of bounce houses, hot dogs, ice cream, music and the opportunity to visit The Works at no charge. It takes a village to plan and host this event. The Energy Cooperative Kids Day committee plans the event each year and includes employees from nearly every area of our cooperative. In addition to our Kids Day committee, the CEO and his leadership team, as well as several members of our Board of Directors spend nearly all day working the event. Employees also show up in big numbers to help. It takes 100+ volunteers (employees and their families) to host this large event for our members. Many employees arrive at the location at 8am and stay until everything is cleaned up by 6pm. It is a long day for our employees and staff, but such a memorable one for our members and their families. We are so proud of this award, and the event it represents.
“Thank you to everyone involved in making The Energy Cooperative’s Kids Day at The Works a success! We look forward to hosting it again in the years to come.” – Gary Baker, Director of Marketing and Public Relations
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OhioBy GaryNature Education Baker, Director of Marketing & Public Relations
Gary Baker
Ohio Nature Education recently started offering virtual programs for their customers. Director Manon VanSchoyck shares, “We are so excited to conduct our first virtual program for Columbus College of Art and Design, plus we are developing virtual programs for school districts, libraries and others.”
positive impact in educating and influencing the next generation of conservationists and wildlife enthusiasts. For several years, Ohio Nature Education have participated in The Energy Cooperative’s Earth & Energy and Kids Day events. Additionally, Ohio Nature Education has also received several grants from The Energy Cooperative’s Operation Round Up Foundation to help support their mission. We consider Ohio Nature Education a valuable community partner and look forward to having them at our events in the future.
Ohio Nature Education provides a home for permanently injured wild animals. As a private, non-profit, volunteer organization, Ohio Nature Education cares for animals and incorporates them into creative and interactive education programs for people of all ages. Based in Johnstown, they share their animals with a wide variety of groups such as schools, Scout troops, garden clubs, senior centers, metro parks, and community centers. The programs feature many visuals such as study skins and pelts and interaction with our audience. They utilize different formats while providing entertainment and education for groups of virtually any size and age range.
Meet the animals (Pictured on right)
2019 OHIO NATURAL RESOURCES CARDINAL AWARD given to Manon VanSchoyck
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VanSchoyck founded Ohio Nature Education in 1997, and remains the executive director today. She is a strong collaborator with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Division of Wildlife. Manon is also a frequent presenter on wildlife education at the Natural Resources Park during the Ohio State Fair. Her passion for Ohio’s wildlife and her outreach efforts have had a significant,
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Tank, is one of our turtles that was removed from his home and cannot be returned to prevent spread of disease. Most box turtles spend their entire lives -which can exceed 100 years -- within 250 yards of the nests where they were born. If removed from its home territory, it will make every effort to return. Marselle, an opossom whose mother was hit by a car while she was in her pouch. As a result, Marselle suffered permanent damage that made her a poor candidate for release. Falco, the kestrel was caught by a cat and suffered permanent tendon and nerve damage. Hiboux, which is French for Owl, is a small male great horned owl. Hiboux was infected with the West Nile Virus in the summer of 2002. Even though he was fortunate to survive the virus, he suffers permanent partial paralysis of his left wing.
Learn more about Ohio Nature Education Visit their website ohionature.org or visit them on Facebook and Instagram. You can also contact them at info@ohionature.org
Falco the American Kestrel
Igor the Turkey Vulture
Manon VanSchoyck with one of the birds.
Marselle the Opossum
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Hibous the Great Horned Owl
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Cyber Security checkup By Pat McGonagle, Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
Pat McGonagle
Businesses across the country have closed their office doors while their employees are working remotely from home. With this sudden change in operations, everyone is more vulnerable than ever to cyberattacks. This is because many of us are more reliant on on-line tools, such as videoconferencing and chat programs.
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Seven steps to safer cyber security. 1. Use strong passwords. Home Wi-Fi networks are a prime target for hackers to gain access and steal information. Use secure passwords — 12 characters or longer, using upper- and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters. 2. Enable firewalls. Firewalls create a barrier to prevent cyber threats from entering your system. Your computer will typically have a built-in firewall. Make sure that it is set up and enabled. 3. Secure your home network. Hackers are trying to access sensitive data through Wi-Fi networks. Change the name of your home network to something
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not easily associated with you. Also, if you haven't changed your router password since it was first installed, update it with a secure password. Connect with a VPN. If your company has a virtual private network, use it. VPNs protect laptop data online while retaining the same security, functionality and appearance as if they were within the company network. Watch for phishing scams. Watch for suspicious activity that asks you to do something right away, offers something that sounds too good to be true, or needs your personal information. Don't get personal. Many workers use company devices for personal use, increasing the risk of cybersecurity threats. Make sure that you're the only person that uses your company computer, and use it only for company purposes. Backup data. Don't take chances with data storage, especially at this time. Make sure data is continuously and securely backed up
Report any suspicious cyber activity or problems with your device to your employer's technology department. By working together, you can help maintain a secure and productive remote work environment.
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Managing Stress in a Crisis
By Connie Hogue, Director of Human Resources and Safety When you hear, read or watch news about an outbreak of an infectious disease, you may feel anxious and show signs of stress. These signs of stress are normal. The best thing you can do for yourself and your loved ones is to know the signs of stress and when to get help.
Emotions: • • • • • • •
Being anxious or fearful. Feeling depressed. Feeling guilty. Feeling angry. Feeling heroic, euphoric, or invulnerable. Not caring about anything. Feeling overwhelmed by sadness.
Thinking: • • • •
Connie Hogue
Know the Signs Here is a list of the behavioral, physical, emotional and cognitive responses that are all common signs of anxiety and stress.
Keep Things in Perspective Be sure to make time away to focus on things in your life that are going well and that you can control.
Behavior: • • • • • • •
An increase or decrease in your energy and activity levels. An increase in your alcohol, tobacco use, or use of illegal drugs. Having trouble relaxing or sleeping. Wanting to be alone most of the time. Blaming other people for everything. Having difficulty communicating or listening. Having difficulty giving or accepting help.
Body: • • • • • •
Having trouble remembering things. Feeling confused. Having trouble thinking clearly and concentrating. Having difficulty making decisions.
Having stomachaches. Having headaches and other pains. Losing your appetite or eating too much. Sweating or having chills. Getting tremors or muscle twitches. Being easily startled.
Keep Yourself Healthy • • • • •
Eat healthy foods, and drink water. Avoid excessive amounts of caffeine and alcohol. Do not use tobacco or illegal drugs. Get enough sleep and rest. Get physical exercise.
Ways to cope with stress Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including social media. Hearing about the pandemic repeatedly can be upsetting.
The bottom line Taking care of yourself, your friends, and your family can help you cope with stress. Helping others cope with their stress can also make our communities stronger.
Source: CDC.gov/coronavirus
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1-800-255-6815
The Impact of COVID-19 on Operations Dan McVey, Vice President of Gas Operations, and Gary Electric cooperatives have a strong track record of Glover, Vice President of Electric Operations answered preparing for a variety of emergencies that could impact questions on how COVID-19 has impacted our operations. the ability to generate and deliver electricity to one in eight Americans. For weeks, electric co-ops have taken proactive steps to prepare for the evolving coronavirus Q. What health and safety protocols have challenges while maintaining their commitment to the you implemented to protect your workforce members and communities they serve.
from the impact of the virus?
Answer: At The Energy Cooperative, we implemented the following measures to protect our front line workers from COVID-19. • We have implemented increased hygiene and safe distancing measures. • Both service centers are closed to the public to prevent the spread of the disease. • Employees who are able are encouraged to telework or use video conferencing apps. • Workers now ride in separate vehicles and stagger trips to cooperative warehouses to avoid congregating. • A contingency plan for essential employees in the event they need to be sequestered to ensure we are maintaining safety and reliability of the system. • Facility and office decontamination is completed weekly. • Staffing needs are reviewed regularly to ensure continuity of critical business functions. • Temperature screening protocols are now in place. • Masks are available for our employees to use.
Q. How are you maintaining reliable service during this time? Answer: Natural gas service has an extremely high degree of reliability by nature of its facilities being mostly underground and heavily regulated for safety by the federal government. The Energy Cooperative’s system is no exception. We have supply redundancy that includes local production, interstate transmission and local storage.
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Q. What steps can members take to control their energy usage and their bill as they spend more time at home? Answer: Fortunately as we exit the heating season natural gas consumption will be reduced. However, if the situation extends into the fall, it could impact our natural gas and propane members. Electric cooperatives constantly work with members to reduce their monthly bill. That hasn’t changed. As members spend more time at home, we encourage them to monitor their use in SmartHub. Our meters provide frequent data that can help you compare energy use from day to day, even hour to hour. Looking at your energy use in SmartHub can help you identify the times you are using the most electricity. As always, we encourage members who are concerned about increased energy use to give us a call at 1-800255-6815. Our member service representatives can look at your bills and help you identify ways to save. You can also visit myenergycoop.com/manage-energy-use for energy efficiency tips and recommendations.
Q. What challenges are you seeing as you work to plan ahead? Answer: We are working on a plan to begin ramping up our operations to perform necessary construction and maintenance. It will be a gradual process following the guidelines set by the Governor. We will continue to use enhanced hygiene and keep ourselves distanced while slowly allowing people to come back to their reporting locations. 10
“We appreciate the dedication of our employees and patience for the members as we work through this crisis. #inthistogetherohio” – Dan McVey
“Thanks to our employees for navigating this challenging time, and working hard to keep our members lights on.” – Gary Glover 11
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Natural Gas Safety Tips
from The Energy Cooperative
The Energy Cooperative is committed to providing safe and reliable energy to our members with highly-responsive service consistent with Cooperative principles.
THE PURPOSE AND RELIABILITY OF NATURAL GAS AND PROPANE GAS PIPELINES:
Purpose: To safely transport natural gas and propane gas. Reliability: Our natural gas and propane gas pipelines are installed only by qualified professionals and tested for leakage before they become operational.
LEAK RECOGNITION AND RESPONSE:
Remember the three ways to recognize a natural gas or propane gas leak: • SMELL: To help you SMELL a leak from a gas line or appliance, a familiar odor like rotten eggs is added to natural gas and propane gas. • SEE: Near a gas leak, you might SEE blowing dirt, bubbling water, or an unusual area of dead vegetation. • HEAR: A leaking pipeline might make a hissing sound you can HEAR. Please note that natural gas transported by gathering pipelines may not be subject to fluid protection, may have varying levels of btu content, and does not have the odorant mercaptin added, although the gas may still have a distinct natural odor.
HAZARD AWARENESS AND PREVENTION MEASURES: Awareness of
Hazards: Damage to gas piping can cause a fire or explosion.
PREVENTION MEASURES UNDERTAKEN: Natural gas and propane gas
companies are required by law to perform leakage tests on all jurisdictional main lines and service lines before activating them with natural gas or propane gas. Periodic leak surveys are also required as a method to locate and/or repair a leak before it becomes hazardous.
IF YOU RECOGNIZE EVEN ONE OF THE ABOVE SIGNS, WALK AWAY, RIGHT AWAY. • •
PIPELINE LOCATION INFORMATION: The natural gas transmission,
gathering and distribution, and propane pipelines we operate and maintain are mostly not visible to the public. The pipelines are buried below ground in our right-of-ways. The approximate locations of our pipelines are identified by pipeline markers that are placed within the right-of-way. In accordance with federal regulations, our pipelines are patrolled on a regular basis to inspect for any leakage, corrosion problems, encroachment, etc. Some segments along our pipelines have been designated as “high consequence areas.” We have developed supplemental assessments and prevention plans for these highly populated areas that are near our pipelines’ right-of-way.
PURPOSE OF PIPELINE MARKERS AND WHAT THEY ARE USED FOR: Natural
gas and propane gas pipelines are identified by markers placed at intervals along pipeline right-of-ways. The markers display the name of the owner of the pipeline and display a 24 hour emergency telephone number. The markers are generally placed whenever needed to indicate the presence of a pipeline, such as where a pipeline easement intersects a highway, railroad, creek, or river crossing, and in heavily congested areas. The markers are used to show the approximate location of the pipeline.
AVAILABILITY OF THE NATIONAL PIPELINE MAPPING SYSTEM (N.P.M.S.):
Our transmission pipelines are located within four Ohio counties – Licking, Muskingum, Noble, and Perry. The pipelines are a safe and reliable source of moving natural gas within our system.The pipelines are not visible because they are buried within our rightof-ways. The pipelines are patrolled and surveyed on a routine basis for leakage, corrosion, and encroachment problems, etc. To view our transmission pipeline system go to www.npms.phmsa. dot.gov.
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Don’t try to stop or repair the leak yourself or use anything that might create a spark such as a cell phone. Avoid using potential ignition sources such as telephones, doorbells, electric switches, or motor vehicles. From a safe distance, call 911. Never try to extinguish a gas fire or operate any pipeline valves. Then contact The Energy Cooperative immediately at 1-800-255-6815.
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS FOR GAS-LEAKS IN THE HOME:
Be prepared. Practice safety drills for getting your family out of the house at night before an emergency occurs. Don’t turn lights on or off. Remember: • Don’t light matches or cigarette lighters. • Don’t use a flashlight during the drill because an electric arc might ignite the gas. • Don’t use the telephone or cell phone because an arc might ignite the gas. • Plan what you’re going to do and move slowly and carefully. • Practice the drill in the daylight first.
BE SAFE - OHIO811 BEFORE YOU DIG: Before you break ground at any
construction site or begin a project around your home, be sure you have taken the proper measures to achieve the highest level of safety possible. A simple phone call at least two days before starting the excavation work to the Ohio Utilities Protection Services (OUPS) will result in a representative locating buried facilities at your construction site or at your residence. This FREE service can help protect you from personal injury or property damage, and prevents interruption of your Energy Cooperative and other utility services. • To contact the Ohio Utilities Protection Service, call 811, or 1-800-362-2764, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. • In case of emergency call The Energy Cooperative at 1-800255-6815.
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QUESTIONS? CONTACT THE ENERGY COOPERATIVE AT 1-800-255-6815 OR FROM MYENERGYCOOP.COM.
Treasurer’s Report By John Klauder, District 6 Director, CCD, BL
For the year ended December 31, 2019, the Board of Directors engaged BHM CPA Group, Inc. to perform an audit of the cooperatives’ books and records. The bhm group has extensive experience in auditing both utilities and cooperatives. On March 17, 2020, bhm issued the audit report for the John Klauder year ended December 31, 2019. The audit report contained an unmodified opinion, which in accounting terms is a clean opinion from the auditor. In 2019, total revenues for the cooperatives were approximately $112.9 million and patronage capital received from other cooperatives was $2.3 million. Total operating expenses for the year were $108.5 million of which $54.9 million was for purchased energy. The net margin for the consolidated group was $6.7 million for 2019. Consolidated comprehensive income for 2019 was $5.3 million. Comprehensive income is calculated by adding net margin and unrealized gains/losses on post-retirement benefits plans. Comprehensive income by entity for 2019 are as follows: • Licking Rural Electric - $2.8 million
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National Gas & Oil - $2.1 million NGO Transmission - $703,000 NGO Development – ($634,000) NGO Propane - $387,000.
As of December 31, 2019, your cooperative had total assets of $301.4 million, which includes $236.9 million in net plant assets. The cooperatives invested $19.5 million in new plant assets in 2019. At the end of 2019, the company had $41.4 million of patronage capital in other cooperatives, including Buckeye Power and Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC). Included in total assets was over $1.9 million in cash and short-term investments. Total liabilities were $249.4 million as of year-end. The cooperative has equity of $51.9 million as of the end of 2019. Equity for the combined entities has grown to 17.23 percent. Our lender, CFC, will consider allowing the payment of capital credits once the cooperative reaches an equity position of 20 percent. As of December 31, 2019, The Energy Cooperative serves more than 66,000 members. During 2019, we paid out approximately $6.8 million in taxes and retired almost $64,000 in patronage capital credits to estates. If you have additional questions about this financial report, please contact the office at 1-800-255-6815.
Operation Roundup Grants The Energy Cooperative’s Operation Round Up Foundation awarded $35,659 to the following community organizations in April. • Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church in Heath toward “back to school” blessings project • Newton Township Fire Department toward skid unit for UTV • West Muskingum Local Schools toward technology for STEM aviation program • Wilson Middle School for GaGa play pits for school and after school use
• Licking County Library toward summer reading program • Twin Oak Elementary for ELMO presenters • Greater Buckeye Lake Historical Society toward renovation of waterwheel • National Trail Volunteer Fire Department toward new firefighter gear • Thorn Township Fire Department toward new firefighter gear • The Turban Project toward mask making supplies. 13
Do you know an organization that could benefit from an Operation Round Up Grant? The remaining meeting dates for 2020 are June 2, Aug 4, Oct 6, Dec 1. Application materials must be received ten days before the meeting date for consideration. Visit myenergycoop. com/operation-roundup to apply for an Operation Round Up grant, or download the application for paper submission. 1-800-255-6815
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Pictured: Left- Wiggin Street School Students in Mount Vernon, Southwest Licking Students, Center- West Muskingum Second students in Zanesville, Right- The Turban Project
Thanks to our members who participate in Operation Round Up! Rounding up your Energy Cooperative bill creates a lot of smiles in all of our member communities.
That’s the Cooperative Difference!
ELECTRICAL SAFETY CROSSWORD PUZZLE 1.
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May is Electrical Safety Month!
Read the safety tips below to complete the crossword puzzle. 1. ACROSS: Keep all liquids away from _________, like TVs, computers and gaming consoles. 2. DOWN: Never overload electrical _________. This creates a greater risk of fire. 3. DOWN: Never use electrical _________ that feel warm to the touch or are damaged in any way. 4. ACROSS: Smoke _________ should be installed in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of your home. 5. ACROSS: Don’t run electrical cords under rugs. This creates potential fire _________.
ANSWER KEY
1. electronics 2. outlets 3. cords 4. alarms 5. hazards
1500 Granville Road P.O. Box 4970 Newark, Ohio 43058-4970 1-800-255-6815
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Important phone numbers • •
To report an electric power outage or a downed power line: call 1-888-535-5732. To report a natural gas or propane outage or emergency: 1-800-255-6815.
Safety Reminders: Safety is always our top priority. • •
If you smell natural gas (rotten eggs), leave the area immediately. Call 911. Then call us at 1-800-255-6815. If you see a downed power line or other electrical hazard call 911. Then call us at 1-800-255-6815. Assume downed power lines are energized and dangerous. Consider any object touching lines energized as well.
Thank you to our employees! Thanks to our employees for their incredible commitment to The Energy Cooperative and our member communities. Whether in the field, in the office, or at home, thanks for all you do.
bringing you safe, reliable Energy now and always.