Celebrate Your Co-op IndependenceThe Fourth of July is a festive day on which we celebrate our nation’s independence with family and friends. While we spend a lot of energy hav-ing fun, if we give any thought about our forbearers and their determined e� orts to bring about our nation’s independence, it’s fl eeting.

However, it is worth refl ecting that this uniquely American spirit of independence remains part of our col-lective DNA more than 200 years after the independent nation of the United States was formed. This sense of independence has served us well. For example, more than 70 years ago, an independent streak inspired groups of farmers across America’s countryside to band together and improve their qual-ity of life. Aside low-interest loans and engineering expertise, rural Americans had little help in bringing electricity to their homes. So, they did it them-selves by pulling together and working cooperatively.

For the past 40-plus years, nearly every president, has talked about the goal of U.S. energy independence–re-ducing our reliance on imported oil and other forms of foreign energy. While we still have work to do, we are closer to that goal than ever before. We are exporting more gas and importing less foreign fuel than in recent memory. American ingenuity in the form of new technology and innovation is open-

ing up more options and spurring greater e� ciency across all forms of energy.

Members play an im-portant role on the road to energy independence. You can help the country move toward national energy independence by taking action in simple, practical ways: Insulating and caulking around win-

dows, doors and electrical outlets Washing clothes in cold water Replacing air fi lters Installing a programmable thermostatUsing more energy e� cient appli-

ances and home heating/cooling systems

E� ciency e� orts can cut costs for individual households, with the collective benefi t to our country being even greater. If we all work together to achieve increased energy e� ciency we can make even more progress on our road toward energy independence.

At Twin Valley Electric Coopera-tive, we want to be a resource for you in this e� ort. We can provide energy-saving tips tailored for your unique household needs.

So this Fourth of July, as you gaze up at the fi reworks illuminating the night sky, refl ect on the enduring spirit of independence that is integral to our American character.

Board of DirectorsDaniel PetersonPresidentBryan CooverVice PresidentRonald McNickleSecretaryDareld NelsonTreasurerRodney BakerTrustee Tom EllisonTrusteeLarry HubbellTrusteeBryan HuckeTrusteeJason ZwahlenTrustee

O� ce HoursMonday-Friday8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Contact Us1511 14,000 Rd, P.O. Box 368Altamont, KS 67330620-784-5500www.twinvalleyelectric.coop

Twin Valley Electric Cooperative, Inc.Ron Holsteen CEO

1511 14,000 Rd, P.O. Box 368, Altamont, KS 67330866-784-5500

www.twinvalleyelectric.coop

T W I N VA L L E YE L E C T R I C CO O P E R AT I V E

NEWS

Co-op Connections Card Savings UpdateSo far in 2015, members have saved $613.83 in prescriptions using the Co-op Connections Card.

Ron Holsteen

FROM THE MANAGER

ducing our reliance on imported oil and other forms of foreign energy. While we still have work to do, we are closer to that goal than ever before. We are exporting more gas and importing less foreign fuel than in recent memory. in prescriptions

JULY 2015 KANSAS COUNTRY LIVING 16-A

NOTES FROM OPERATIONS

William Worthy

Twin Valley O� ers Items for Sealed BidTwin Valley Electric Coopera-tive is constantly looking for ways to cut overhead and expenses. We have evalu-ated our fl eet and decided to sell a pickup, a

trailer and a compact track loader with some attachments. We are going to attempt to do something di� erent and handle the auction in-house.

The items will be available for inspection starting Monday, July 20, 2015, and the sealed bids will be due by Friday, July 31, 2015. A notice of public “sealed bid” auction and equip-ment bid form can be picked up at the Twin Valley o� ce starting on July 20, 2015. The items up for auction are: 2009 Ford F-150 4X4 Crew Cab with 73,000 miles 2005 Imperial 20-foot Lowboy Tilt Trailer 2004 ASV RC-100 with bucket, Marshall Tree Saw and a Harleman Ground Force Auger

Submit your sealed bid for these items by July 31, 2015.

Twin Valley will accept sealed bids until July 31 on a 2009 Ford F-150 4X4 Crew Cab with 73,000 miles (left) and a 2005 Imperial 20-foot Lowboy Tilt Trailer (below).

Beginning July 20, Twin Valley will o� er items up for auction, including this 2004 ASV RC-100 with bucket, Harleman Ground

Force Auger (lower left) and Marshall Tree Saw (lower right).

KANSAS COUNTRY LIVING JULY 2015

N E W S F RO M T W I N VA L L E Y E L E C T R I C CO O P E R AT I V E

16-B

Be Alert: Peak Alerts Tell You When it’s Time to ConserveYou have probably heard radio spots encouraging members to delay certain chores such as laundry and baking until later in the evening or early the next morning.

Peak Alerts are not a notice of a power shortage, they are simply a load management e� ort used to reduce the demand for electric-ity and keep your cost of power as low as possible. Keeping electrical demand levels to a minimum allows our cooperative members reap the benefi ts, in the form of a lower cost of power.

Messages will be posted on our website, www.twinvalleyelectric.coop and Facebook page, www.facebook.com/twinvalleyelectric-cooperativeinc when we reach peak load. When you see this message, we ask that you start conserving energy. Peak load situations usually only occur when the temperature reaches over 95 degrees and are typically only temporary.

By working together and volun-tarily reducing electric usage, Twin Valley will be able to continue to provide the best service possible.

Peak Alert

4-9 p.m.

Invest in E� ciency and Watch Your Savings GrowIt is the middle of the summer, temperatures are rising and so are your electric bills. It might be time to make a big investment, an invest-ment in energy e� ciency.

Making your home more energy e� cient is still one of the safest investments you can make. Try employing these energy saving measures to collect major returns on your investments: Install a programmable thermostat Install a hot water heater

“blanket”Change your shower heads Upgrade appliances like

your clothes washer or your refrigeratorReplace old windows with energy

e� cient ones Install water e� cient toilets

Making all of these changes at once could be di� cult–if not im-possible–but investing in just one of these measures can yield a signifi -cant return on your investment.

Installing a new, energy e� cient clothes washer can yield around a 24 percent return on investment. Do your research, and make sure you are purchasing the right size

appliances. A small, energy e� cient washer will save you money, but if you have a larger family, washing multiple loads could negate your energy savings.

Multiple energy e� cient up-grades will help you save no matter where you live or what time of year it is. Upgrading to e� cient home cooling systems will help lower energy costs signifi cantly during the hotter months of the year.

Six percent of American energy consumption goes toward space cooling and it costs $11 billion per year for homeowners to power their air conditioners. You can reduce your energy usage by 20 to 50 percent when you upgrade to an energy e� cient home cooling unit. One option is to install a split unit air conditioner and heating unit–they can be more expensive, but they are highly e� cient, especially in homes without ductwork. Another option is to invest in an ENERGY STAR-approved air conditioning unit, which can be 15 percent more e� cient than a standard unit.

If buying a new cooling unit isn’t in the cards for you this sum-

mer, don’t worry. Replacing appli-ances isn’t the only way to lower energy costs. Sealing and insulating your home are the most important energy e� cient improvements you can make during the hot summer months. By adding insulation in attics, fl oors over crawl spaces and accessible basement rim joints, you can reduce your heating and cooling costs by an average of 15 percent and lower your overall energy costs by an average of 11 percent.

You can also lower your air con-ditioner’s energy consumption by between 5 and 15 percent by clean-ing your air ducts. Installing energy e� cient window treatments can reduce energy costs by around 10 percent. Or, you can simply turn on a ceiling fan, which will allow you to raise your thermostat temperature by four degrees, without impacting your comfort.

Investing in any of these energy e� cient improvements will keep you cool in the summer, warm in the winter and will make signifi cant changes to your energy bills. Do yourself a favor and invest in a more energy e� cient home.

JULY 2015 KANSAS COUNTRY LIVING 16-C

Twin Valley Electric is delighted to share its shiny new website with members. Check it out at www.twinvalleyelectric.coop

The new website will help you, our mem-bers, fi nd a lot of useful information about Twin

Valley and fi nd it fast! We think you will fi nd the new site more intuitive and more attractive!

The previous website had not been up-dated for several years and it was time for a fresh new look.

Twin Valley Unveils New & Improved Website

Summer Rate in E� ectSummer rates began with your JUNE USAGE, which will show on the bills mailed this month.

KANSAS COUNTRY LIVING JULY 201516-D