communicator In 2014, Elizabeth Babcock received the South River EMC Bright Ideas Benefit All Learners December 2015

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1 the South River EMC communicator December 2015 SOUTH RIVER EMC OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED DECEMBER 24 AND 25 IN OBSERVATION OF CHRISTMAS. OFFICES WILL ALSO BE CLOSED FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, IN CELEBRATION OF NEW YEARS. PO Box US 421 S Dunn, NC (910) / Follow Us! southriveremc Bright Ideas Benefit All Learners In 2014, Elizabeth Babcock received a Bright Ideas grant that allows her 5th grade students to immerse themselves in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM. Babcock is the technology facilitator at LaFayette Elementary School in Kipling. There has been a growing trend to introduce activities involving students in STEM-related fields. Students visit the computer lab once every other week on a fixed schedule, said Babcock. The teachers and I collaborate in order to create project-based lessons and activities that integrate technology with grade-level curriculum and teach technology and computer skills as determined by the N.C. Department of Instruction and Common Core state standards. Thanks to the Bright Ideas grant, students were able to build, create and program robots to do a variety of tasks; and although they have only scratched the surface, students are thinking critically. We couldn t be more thankful for the opportunities Bright Ideas provides us, she said. Building, programming, measuring, and working together has become part of an activity that students will remember forever, rather than a lesson students will forget after the test. Babcock s goal in the classroom is to help all students solve realworld problems for their future lives and careers, in the hopes that they will continue to further their education. I was a struggling learner in school and luckily encountered an amazing teacher in high school who made me feel like I had the ability to perform at more than a below-average level. It was huge motivation for me, said Babcock. I had decided before that class that I was not attending college, mostly for fear that I wouldn t get accepted; she made me feel like I could go and achieve great things. This propelled Babcock to attend Edinboro University of Pennsylvania for a degree in Elementary Education and The University of Colorado at Denver for a masters in Instructional Technology in Education. With those, she pursued her calling to make sure other students realized they could do great things too. South River EMC Communicator DECEMBER 2015 A

2 All The Benefits Of Being A Cooperative Member Your Co-op Connections card has many benefits, with the most recent addition being that of identity protection. The Connections card is beneficial to members who may have medical insurance, but not dental, vision or chiropractic care, whether because it isn t required, or because it s rarely used. The Co-op Connections card offers discounts at certain providers, visit connections.coop and select the Healthy Savings tab, click on locate providers and enter your zip code. While on connections.coop, you can also check out the national deals available. Maybe your kids have always wanted to visit Legoland, there s a code to buy a ticket, get a ticket free. What a great deal to buy two tickets and be able to take your family for four! Maybe you re planning a romantic getaway, there are hotel deals, or maybe you need to get someone a gift, you can find some great deals at connections.coop by searching national deals. The cash back mall is another option available to members visiting connections.coop. This option allows you to shop online at some of your favorite retailers, all while earning cash back on purchases. As you make purchases you will accrue cash back which you receive as a credit for future purchases on stores where you re already shopping! Spending money to make money to spend on things you love, what a deal! Don t have a card, let us help you get one! Once you go to connections.coop, you can enter your zip code and select South River EMC as your cooperative. The card on the top left corner will show South River EMC s card. Click on it and it will give you the option to print it. This option gives you the ability to have your name on the card, although in order to use your card it isn t necessary. Don t worry, you don t have to register the card to take advantage of the savings. To start seeing what deals you could be taking advantage of, visit connections.coop today. B DECEMBER 2015 South River EMC Communicator

3 Employees Celebrating Years Of Service DUNN OFFICE Front row, sitting (l-r): Kathryn Sills, 5 years; Maria Ramos, 10 years; Dana Tew, 5 years; Milagros Santiago, 15 years. Middle row (l-r): Maverick Smith, 5 years; Scott Tripp, 20 years; James Seabolt, 5 years; Tim Peede, 10 years; Andy Hardy, 5 years; Steve Holmes, 15 years. Back row (l-r): Eric Gainey, 5 years; Christal Wood, 10 years; Will Blackmon, 5 years; Tim Parker, 25 years; Dana Green, 15 years; Aaron Jackson, 10 years; Tim Chisolm, 30 years. FAYETTEVILLE OFFICE Sitting: Shellie Dunn, 10 years Standing (l-r): Eric McDowell, 10 years; Keith Bowden, 10 years; Jimmy Fisher, 25 years. South River EMC Communicator DECEMBER 2015 C

4 Nominating Committee Appointed South River EMC is preparing for the 2016 Annual Meeting of Members. At a meeting of the Cooperative board of directors, the nominating committee was appointed in accordance with the Cooperative bylaws. This committee, made up of a representative from each of the directorate districts, will make recommendations for directors from districts 4, 6 and 8. Anyone interested in running for a seat in any of the districts up for election in 2016 can contact any member of the committee by January 3. Members can also be placed on the ballot by submitting an authorized petition form 45 business days prior to the annual meeting. The petition must include the full name of the member and the district they wish to represent. The petition must also contain the printed names, addresses and telephone numbers of at least 150 South River EMC members. Anyone interested in obtaining an authorized petition form should contact Barbara West-Lee at District 1 - Van Buie, 1680 Buie Rd., Broadway; represents South River EMC service area west of Highway 401 in Harnett County. District 2 - Raylon Wood, 71 Unity Church Rd., Four Oaks; represents South River EMC service area east of Highway 421 and north of Highway 13 in Sampson and Johnston counties. District 3 - Iris Lucas, 887 Junious Lucas Rd., Faison; represents South River EMC service area east of Highway 242 and south of Highway 13 in Sampson County. District 4 - Johnnie Baggett, 1108 Fayetteville Hwy, Dunn; represents South River EMC service area in Sampson County southwest of Highway 421 and west of Highway 242, east of Dunn Road and Carroll Store Road to Maxwell Rd., east of South River School Rd. and Bluman Rd. to the Harnett- Sampson- Cumberland county lines and north to Highway 421. District 5 - Anthony Tony Warren, 2392 Andrews Chapel Church Rd., Roseboro; represents South River EMC service area south of Maxwell Rd., west of Carroll Store Rd. and Dunn Rd., west of Highway 242 and Highway 411 to Highway 701, northeast of Old Fayetteville Rd. and Turnbull Rd. to the Sampson Cumberland county line and north to Maxwell Rd. District 6 - Carol Hudson, 3661 Murphy Rd., Fayetteville; represents South River EMC service area in Cumberland County north of Highway 24, east of the Cape Fear River, south of the Cumberland- Harnett county line and west of the Cumberland- Sampson county line. District 7 - Wayne Collier Jr., 5489 Indian Ridge Rd., Linden; represents South River EMC service area in Cumberland County north of Highway 24, west of the Cape Fear River, south of the Cumberland- Harnett county line, and all of Harnett County east of Highway 401. District 8 - Walter Clark, 1124 Pony Dr., Hope Mills; represents South River EMC service area in Cumberland and Bladen counties, south of Highway 53. At Large - Alexander Eastman, 995 Butler Rd., Salemburg; may nominate from any South River EMC district. D DECEMBER 2015 South River EMC Communicator

5 Send Us A Copy Of Those A s South River EMC will hold a Give Us An A drawing on February 10. Send us your report cards! Drawings are held twice a year for students who have achieved at least one A on their report card. Each of the 15 students drawn receives a $25 gift card. The program is open to students who are members, or children of members, of South River EMC. Just make a copy of the most recent report card with at least one A and send it to the Cooperative. Please include the member s name, South River EMC account number, mailing address and daytime telephone number. Report cards can be sent to: South River EMC Give Us An A PO Box 931 Dunn, NC You can also scan and the report card to connections@sremc. com. Scholarship Opportunity For High School Seniors The South River EMC Power Source Volunteers, or PSV, Scholarship application period is currently open. Every year, the PSV committee awards at least one $1,000 scholarship and two $500 scholarships to students whose parents or guardians are members of South River EMC. Factors considered in granting scholarships include: character, moral standards, citizenship, past and present academic performance, letters of recommendation, statements of career goals and qualifications and extra-curricular activities. The following stipulations are required of applicants: Must live in a home, which receives electric service from South River EMC. A candidate must have a recommendation from either his or her high school principal, guidance counselor or teacher. Non-traditional students or transfers must provide a letter from their work supervisor or community college advisor. Candidates must apply no later than January 22, Candidates must have taken the SAT or ACT and submit scores with application. To obtain a copy of the application visit sremc.com, sremc@sremc.com or call x South River EMC Communicator DECEMBER 2015 E

6 When All You Want For The Holidays Is A Warm Home For climates with moderate heating and cooling needs, like North Carolina, heat pumps offer an energy-efficient alternative to furnaces and air conditioners. During the heating season, heat pumps move heat from outdoors into your home. Because they move heat rather than generate it, heat pumps can provide equivalent space conditioning at a lesser cost than the operation of conventional heating or cooling systems. South River EMC offers rebates on high-efficiency units, like air source, dual fuel hybrid, and geothermal heat pumps. Each system will have different appeal to members. What matters is finding the efficient system that works for your home. Don t think that because a unit is three ton, it s perfect for your home. Size is important, but bigger isn t always better. Your unit should be sized to fit your home, and if it isn t, it will cause the unit to work inefficiently. What you should be on the lookout for is the seasonal energy efficiency ratio, or SEER, rating. SEER rates a heat pump s cooling efficiency, while HSPF rates the heating efficiency of a unit. While HSPF is good to look at, SEER is most frequently considered in North Carolina, with temperatures sometime reaching 100 degrees in the summer. Consider a high efficiency unit, 15 SEER or greater, if you re in the market for a heat pump. South River EMC offers a $200 rebate on air source and duel fuel hybrid heat pumps, and a $500 rebate for geothermal units. While it might not be on your mind, remember that South River EMC rebates for 15 SEER or greater central air conditioning as well. For complete details visit sremc.com or call x Appliances In All Colors And Sizes Is a new Energy Star appliance at the top of your list? Maybe you picked one up at a Thanksgiving sale, either way, don t miss this chance for a rebate. South River EMC offers a $25 rebate on the purchase of an Energy Star certified refrigerator, clothes washer, or dehumidifier. An Energy Star appliance saves money energy, and in some cases, water. With the average American family washing about 300 loads of laundry each year, an Energy Star certified clothes washer can use about 25 percent less energy and 40 percent less water than a regular washer. Energy Star certified refrigerators are about 9-10 percent more efficient than standard models, with Energy Star certified dehumidifiers using 15 percent less energy. If you could see energy savings such as that, why wouldn t you purchase an Energy Star appliance? Being eligible for a rebate is just an added bonus. Getting one on sale makes the deal even sweeter. To receive an application, or for more information, visit sremc.com or call x F DECEMBER 2015 South River EMC Communicator

7 How Should You Heat Your Water? Having warm water is important, especially during the winter season. Don t be caught without a replacement plan if your water heater goes out, be ready. What size water heater do you need? What kind of water heater do you want? Are there any new technologies which might benefit you? While not new, heat pump water heaters, or HPWH, are some of the most efficient technology when it comes to electric water heating. Heating water by pulling heat from the surrounding air and dumping it, at a higher temperature, into the water tank, makes it two to three times more efficient than a standard electric water heater. Requiring installation in locations that remain in the Lighting For All Seasons Did you know that about 10 percent of the average household s energy use goes to lighting costs? If you re looking for ways to degree Fahrenheit range year-round and needing at least 1,000 cubic feet of air space around the unit, it exhausts cool air to the room or outdoors. Another efficient, and more costly option, is solar water heating. Solar water heating uses a natural resources to provide warm water for you and your family, in many different ways. Before jumping right in and saying yes to solar, do your research. There are numerous types of systems, and you ll need to know what size system and you ll want to make sure you have the right amount of sun for a solar system to be worthwhile. Before you make a big decision on water heating, do your cut energy costs this holiday season, upgrade to energyefficient lighting. One type with particular promise are LED bulbs, which are six to seven times more efficient than conventional incandescent lights, cut energy use by more than 80 percent and can last more than 25 times longer. If you re using these lights to decorate this holiday season, why wouldn t you use them in your home year round? Although slightly more expensive than CFLs, finding them on sale and submitting your receipt for rebate, can make a difference. South River EMC offers a $1 research, that way you know what you want when you need to replace an older or failing system. For more information on the rebates offered by South River EMC, visit sremc.com or call x per bulb rebate on the purchase of LEDs or cold cathode bulbs. Both lights are energy efficient and have along lifespan, which means less money spent on replacements. If you purchase LEDs or cold cathodes, send your receipt to: South River EMC Energy-Efficient Lighting PO Box 931 Dunn, NC South River EMC Communicator DECEMBER 2015 G

8 Keeping Comfortable During Winter Days And Nights Insulation and weatherization add comfort to a leaky home. You might not even realize you have leaks, but consider this: does your home feel cooler in some places than others in winter? Can you see gaps around doors to the outside? A few fixes can make all the difference in comfort and cost. When it comes to insulation, check your attic and crawlspace. If your insulation looks a little threadbare or isn t very fluffy anymore, it s time to replace it. Insulation works to prevent heat transfer, meaning if there was enough insulation in the attic space, it wouldn t be so cool in that one corner of your house. Weatherization keeps the warm air in and the cold air out. You use weather stripping in your home to seal air leaks around movable building components, such as doors or operable windows. For stationary components, caulk is the appropriate material for filling cracks and gaps. Doing upgrades to insulation and weatherization helps make you comfortable, so why not give it a shot? Especially if South River EMC is offering rebates for doing the work to save energy. Rebates are as follows: Comfortable Homes Make Comfortable Wallets If you re looking for a new home while trying to be efficient, consider a HERO home. What is it? A high efficiency residential option, or HERO, home is 30 percent more efficient than homes built to the standard North Carolina building code. It s so much more efficient because it requires slightly better insulation, fenestration, air sealing, equipment, and lighting packages. A HERO home can be built in two different ways: By following the prescriptive path, which is straightforward but inflexible. It involves complying fully with a list of specific requirements for things like insulation, high-efficiency lighting, and duct leakage testing, among other things. The other option is the performance path, which is more flexible. It requires an energy cost analysis (provided to you by your HERS Rater) as proof that the home you re building will have energy costs less than or equal to that same home built to prescriptive requirements. This path does NOT allow for HVAC or water heating tradeoffs to be HERO Code compliant. This means comfort all around for your family if you re Sealing Rebate Duct $100 Air $100 Insulation Rebate Attic/roof $100 Floor/crawl $100 For more details visit sremc. com or call x in the market for a new home. South River EMC offers rebates on HERO homes as follows. Contractors who build a new HERO certified home receiving electricity from South River EMC, are eligible to receive a $400 rebate*. Members who move into a new HERO certified home, are eligible to receive a $200 rebate*. Members who have a HERO home custom built, are eligible to receive a $600 rebate*. *Homes must be checked for compliance by a licensed independent HERS rater and all appropriate paperwork submitted. For more information, visit sremc.com or call x H DECEMBER 2015 South River EMC Communicator