Electric cooperatives aren’t like other utilities — you, as an owner and Member, own a portion of the business. One benefit of that membership

involves the allocation of excess revenue, called margins, in the form of capital credits. When the trustees approve the availability, Hancock-Wood retires capital credits, paying them to more than 10,000 Members, typically in December.

The prior years’ margins are allocated to Member accounts based on energy use. Electric co-ops operate at cost — collecting enough revenue to cover emergencies, such as a natural disaster and other unexpected events, and to expand its electric system, all of which may require large-scale construction of poles and lines.

When Hancock-Wood has money left over, and the co-op’s financial position permits, that money is allocated back to you and other Members as capital credits. As a truly nonprofit cooperative, we believe this money should be returned to you — our Members. Be sure to look on your monthly statement

this December for a portion of the capital credits from your patronage

account that is being returned to you for 2016. Capital

credits are just another benefit of your electric

co-op that sets HWE apart from investor-owned utilities. Visit hwe.coop to learn more about your Member benefits.

DECEMBER 2016 • COUNTRY LIVING 19

HANCOCK-WOOD ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE

MEMBER CONNECTIONS1399 Business Park Drive South, P.O. Box 190, North Baltimore, OH 45872 • www.hwe.coop • info@hwe.coop • 800-445-4840

HWE - a powerful value for 78 years.

George Walton, Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative President and CEO

NOTICE: Our office will be closed Dec. 26 and Jan. 2, in observance of the Christmas and New Year holidays.

The OurSolar community solar array grand opening was held Oct. 24. All available subscriptions for the output of the panels have been sold.

IN T

HIS

ISSU

E

Energy bike fun at Family Science Night. WINTER WORD SEARCH

BRRR

CHILLY

HOT CHOCOLATE

ICE SKATE

ICICLE

MITTENS

SCARF

SNOWFLAKE

SNOWMAN

WINTER

Find these words hidden in the puzzle below:

RQNKICTQFRRERED

IDNAKBPKUOLTKLW

LCZXMASUGQWABTF

UXIRXWDZCTLKUMO

JGRCRHOVAFDSCFL

MCVJLWMNWCPEHFI

QSINIEQOSFWCIOX

TNTNKWNNJYLILYI

GOTWASUMLDABLIX

SEDFDIGVXKEGYKB

RQHOTCHOCOLATEL

IWMXSCARFGKJRQO

REOPHVFOUEDREXR

PRWTADHOUQRWVAO

SNETTIMXLBGRXAY

Energy Explorers winter word search for kids!

Consider purchasing LED holiday lights; they are cool to the touch and more energy e�cient than incandescent bulbs.

Test holiday lights by connecting each strand

before hanging them.

Make sure there are no broken bulbs or damaged or frayed cords. Discard any defective strands.

Use holiday lights that include the Underwriter’s

Laboratories (UL) label.

Do not overload electrical outlets or extension cords.

Turn o  all indoor and outdoor holiday lighting before leaving the house or going to bed.

Avoid resting bulbs on tree needles and branches. Try using a clip to keep the bulbs upright.

OLIDAY LIGHTING SAFETY TIPS

Check out some holiday lighting safety tips.

YOU GET THE CREDIT – CAPITAL CREDITS OURSOLAR GRAND OPENING Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative hosted the grand opening of its OurSolar community photovoltaic array on Oct. 24, at the site on the northwest corner of U.S. Route 224 and Marion Township Road 215, just east of Findlay. “This is the first community solar array for our co-op and the first in our area,” said Hancock-Wood President and CEO George Walton. “We are very enthusiastic about this venture, as are our Members, who initiated this project with their requests for more renewable energy sources.”

Hancock-Wood Trustee Chairman Tom Kagy announced that HWE has officially sold out of all the energy output of the available 304-panel subscriptions for the program. “A 10-panel subscription is estimated to generate approximately 350 kWh per month, which is 25 to 30 percent of an average Member’s energy use,” Kagy said.

Funded by Hancock-Wood and initiated by the co-op’s statewide association, Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives (OEC), the solar array will be maintained by the cooperative. Janet Rehberg, marketing director at OEC, shared her thoughts on seeing the project completed.

“Hancock-Wood did an exceptional job with this project,” Rehberg said. “They are the first co-op in the state to sell all of their subscriptions, and they should be very proud of that. They completed this project with you — the community members — in mind.”

Members may still elect to have their names added to a wait list, if more panels become available. Those interested can contact the co-op office. Currently, the program is open to residential Members only. To learn more about the program, visit hwe.coop/residential/oursolar-community-solar.

20 COUNTRY LIVING • DECEMBER 2016

MEMBER CONNECTIONS

Hopefully your holiday season is off to a great start! During this busy time of year, electrical safety should be an important part of your holiday planning. Below is a list of tips — most may be familiar, but a reminder can’t hurt.

Inspect decorations before use• Check for certification labels. Decorations not bearing a label, such as Underwriters Laboratories, have not been tested for safety and could be hazardous.• Cracked or damaged electrical sockets, loose or bare wires, and loose connections can cause a serious shock or start a fire.• Never overload outlets. Overloaded electrical outlets and faulty wires are a common cause of holiday fires.

Use caution when installing outdoor displays• Outdoor lights and decorations should be plugged into circuits protected by ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI). GFCIs are the only electrical equipment that is designed to save you from electrocution. • Make sure all extension cords and electrical decorations used outdoors are labeled for outdoor use. • If you are installing decorations where power lines are present, be sure to keep yourself and your equipment at least 10 feet away from the power lines.

Turn off the lights• Turn off all indoor and outdoor electrical decorations before leaving home or going to sleep. Not only will this help keep you and your family safe, it will also lower your electric bill.

I wish you and your family a safe and happy holiday season, and I look forward to helping you save energy in 2017!

Bruce Warnecke is a certified commercial energy auditor with an applied business degree from Lima Technical College and a universal EPA refrigerant certification. He is a Trane Service One graduate and an HVAC specialist with more than 22 years of experience.

THINK ENERGY $MART WITH BRUCE

Bruce Warnecke

Visit Hancock-Wood’s website, hwe.coop, to sign up for e-mail alerts and news for a chance to win the next quarterly drawing for $300 off your electric bill. Click on Members

Connect to complete the form.

WIN $300 OFF YOUR ENERGY BILL

ENERGIZING FAMILY SCIENCE NIGHTIn November, Hancock-Wood conducted energy bike demonstrations at Family Science Night at Findlay High School,

a popular community event for more than two decades. Judy Withrow and Deb Wickerham, both with Findlay Enrichment Program in Findlay City Schools, have been in charge of this program for the past 13 years. More than 400 students grades K-6 attended, and middle school kids who had come in the past were welcome to return. “It’s a great program that just seems to grow each year,” Wickerham said. “We hosted 11 stations this year and usually have nine.”

This program includes students from the Millstream Career Center, too. “Student helpers from our Millstream Child Care class have assisted us every year,” Wickerham said. “We try to include community businesses that work with science, technology, engineering, and math education (STEM) and pass it on to the students. We also had four teachers that provided discovery activity stations.”

Energy Services Advisor Bruce Warnecke demonstrates how kids have to use more energy to light up an incandescent bulb as compared to an LED bulb, while one student peddles on the energy bike.

Students play a game to make an electrical circuit.

DECEMBER 2016 • COUNTRY LIVING 21

HANCOCK-WOOD ELECTRIC COOPERATIVEBOARD OF TRUSTEES

Chair Tom Kagy, Vice Chair Dave Corbin,Secretary/Treasurer Tom Dierksheide, Assistant Secretary/Treasurer Marlene Barker, and trustees James Demler, William Kale, Edward Ingold, Knut Lahrs, Glen Miller, and Timothy Phillips.

HWE REBUILD PROGRAM UPDATEIn December, Hancock-Wood’s rebuild program will continue with three-phase line rebuilds on township roads

150 and 154 in Delaware Township, Hancock County. Single-phase rebuild will begin along Cygnet and Emerson roads in Bloom and Perry townships. Also, in Wood County in Center and Webster townships, HWE will be rebuilding a single-phase line along Scotch Ridge Road. Learn more at hwe.coop/construction-corner.

GIVING BACK THIS HOLIDAY SEASONCooperatives across the globe adhere to the same seven principles that guide all of our decisions — from how we

run the co-op to how we engage with our local communities. “Concern for Community” is the seventh principle, and it’s one that all employees of Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative honor year-round. But during the holiday season, concern for community seems especially important.

Electric cooperatives have a proud history of giving back. Each year, HWE donates to various charities and local causes within our service territory. The past holiday seasons, HWE employees donated money to help buy Christmas presents for children in Hancock County. Recently, Hancock-Wood partnered with CoBank to donate $10,000 to the Toys for Tots run in Findlay.

HWE Members help us give back, too. Through the Operation Round Up® program, Members can round up their energy bills to the next dollar amount, and the extra change goes toward helping those in need, right here in our communities.

Our commitment is also global. We have sent lineworkers to rural Guatemala so they can help bring power to thousands of people who have never experienced the benefits of electricity.

There are many ways to get into the giving spirit. Visit your local United Way chapter to find events to volunteer at in your community this holiday season.

Consider purchasing LED holiday lights; they are cool to the touch and more energy e�cient than incandescent bulbs.

Test holiday lights by connecting each strand

before hanging them.

Make sure there are no broken bulbs or damaged or frayed cords. Discard any defective strands.

Use holiday lights that include the Underwriter’s

Laboratories (UL) label.

Do not overload electrical outlets or extension cords.

Turn o  all indoor and outdoor holiday lighting before leaving the house or going to bed.

Avoid resting bulbs on tree needles and branches. Try using a clip to keep the bulbs upright.

OLIDAY LIGHTING SAFETY TIPS

THANK YOU FOR YOUR VOTEHancock-Wood thanks all Members who made the decision to cast their vote in November. It’s so important to

exercise your right to vote to protect your family and co-op rights. HWE appreciates all Members’ support when we seek out action on particular government issues that impact our Members. Learn more about these issues at action.coop.

Attention: High School Seniors and Juniors Are your parents Members of Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative?

You could win a college, vocational, or technical school scholarship! Hancock-Wood will be accepting

applications in January. For information and a complete list of all of the scholarships available, please visit

hwe.coop/community-involvement/scholarship-program.

22 COUNTRY LIVING • DECEMBER 2016

KIDS CONNECTIONS HANCOCK-WOOD ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE

WINTER WORD SEARCH

BRRR

CHILLY

HOT CHOCOLATE

ICE SKATE

ICICLE

MITTENS

SCARF

SNOWFLAKE

SNOWMAN

WINTER

Find these words hidden in the puzzle below:

RQNKICTQFRRERED

IDNAKBPKUOLTKLW

LCZXMASUGQWABTF

UXIRXWDZCTLKUMO

JGRCRHOVAFDSCFL

MCVJLWMNWCPEHFI

QSINIEQOSFWCIOX

TNTNKWNNJYLILYI

GOTWASUMLDABLIX

SEDFDIGVXKEGYKB

RQHOTCHOCOLATEL

IWMXSCARFGKJRQO

REOPHVFOUEDREXR

PRWTADHOUQRWVAO

SNETTIMXLBGRXAY