Plans are moving forward to hold the 82nd Annual Meet-ing of Otero County Electric Cooperative! Mark your cal-endar to attend Saturday, August 7 in Cloudcroft. See you there!

During the pandemic, there has been a moratorium on electric shutoffs, but that will be ending soon and disconnects for non-payment will resume. OCEC understands the financial hardship COVID-19 has had on our members so there are options avail-able to those needing assistance.

If you are struggling to pay your electric bill, call our Credit Department at 575-682-7607 to set up a payment plan. Representatives will be happy to work with you to find an arrangement that fits your situation.

You may also qualify for other types of as-sistance that are available from other pro-grams. Below is a list of additional organi-zations offering assistance to those affect-ed by the pandemic.

RENTHELPNM.ORG Offering assistance for the following:

• Rent

• Utility bills, including electric and gas

• Water and sewer

• Trash removal, fuel oil, wood and pel-lets

LIHEAP Complete the on-line application through the Yes NM portal at www.yes.state.nm.us or call your local New Mexico Human Ser-vices Office. Otero County—575-437-9260 Lincoln County—575-378-1762 Southeast NM Community Action Corp. Otero County—575-437-1364 Lincoln County—575-887-3939

Cloudcroft 575-682-2521

Alto 575-336-4550

Carrizozo

575-648-2352

www.ocec-inc.com

LOBBY HOURS 8 AM - 4 PM

Monday - Friday

TO REPORT AN

OUTAGE, CALL

1-800-548-4660

FOR BALANCE

INFORMATION

OR TO PAY YOUR

BILL, CALL

1-844-846-2695

May 2021

Safety around electricity is always a good idea, but when spring comes—and we finally get to spend more time outside—it’s essential to revisit some of the dos and don’ts. It only takes one careless moment for tragedy to strike.

Electricity constantly seeks a path to ground. A tall piece of machinery, a metal ladder, a long-reach pruner, a tree or—worst of all—a human body that touches both an energized wire and the ground will complete the circuit with devastating results.

To prevent yourself or a loved one from be-coming a victim of an electrical accident, fol-low these safety tips:

• Never go near a downed power line, whether you think it is energized or not.

• If a power line falls on your vehicle, your safest option is to remain inside the vehi-cle unless there is a fire. The vehicle acts as a path for the electrical current to reach ground. You could get electrocuted if you attempt to get out. Call 911 so our highly trained line crews and emergency re-sponders can help you remain safe.

• Never fly drones, model airplanes or rock-ets, mylar balloons or kites near power lines. If something gets caught in the pow-er line, do not try to remove it yourself. Call our dispatch center at 800-548-4660.

May 2021

Avoid placing items like lamps and televisions near your thermostat. The thermostat senses heat from these ap-pliances, which can cause your air conditioner to run longer than necessary.

Source: energy.gov

Jerry Crump—Custodian—2 years

Delbert Lucero—System Engineer—5 years

Mark Martin—Northern Operations Supv.—32 years

Mario Romero—General Manager—19 years

Crews working to trim trees and vegetation in rights-of-way are currently in the following areas and are expected to remain there for the next few weeks

• Hondo Valley

• Hay Canyon OCEC reminds members that you may see vehicles, ATVs and crew members from Rogers Tree Service, and BILT Tree Service trimming and cutting trees near exist-ing power lines. Vehicles will be marked with their com-pany name and an OCEC contractor placard.

If you are thinking about going solar, reach out to the en-ergy experts at Otero County Electric Co-op prior to agreeing to or signing anything. There is more to har-nessing the power of the sun than simply installing a so-lar panel system at your home.

We want to make sure our members have all the infor-mation needed to make an informed decision about so-lar. Be wary of a contractor or salesperson who advises you not to contact your electric cooperative, as they may be keeping you from obtaining valuable information.

Reaching out to us gives us the opportunity to explain how adding solar panels will impact your bill, how the metering process works, offer assistance in sizing a sys-tem that will work for the way you use energy, and guide you through the interconnection process.

We work for YOU and want to help our members make smart energy decisions for your home.

OCEC offices closed

REMEMBER & HONOR

There’s no denying it—moms are simply the best. From our family to yours, we

hope all you amazing moms out there have a wonderful Mother’s Day!