GCEA TO ADJUST RETAIL RATES EFFECTIVE MAY 1, 2019

G unnison County Electric Association members may notice a small increase in their monthly

electric bill soon. The GCEA Board of Directors approved an overall 2% retail rate increase, which will become effective May 1, 2019. The average rate increase for individual rate classes will vary depending on the specific cost characteristics for each rate class. GCEA’s last rate increase was two years ago on May 1, 2017. This rate adjustment is necessary due to rising costs associated with maintaining a safe and reli-able electric system, as well as the need to attract and retain qualified employees. Since the last rate increase two years ago, inflation has risen by 4.6%.

The GCEA Board of Directors and staff certainly do not take rate increases lightly. Over $1 million in capital projects and

$40,000 in expenses either were eliminated or deferred resulting in a lower rate adjust-ment than originally anticipated. Also, instead of implementing the rate increase on January 1, GCEA made the decision to wait until May 1 so that members don’t first experience the increase during the winter months when their bills are highest.

For the past decade, energy sales have remained flat even though more than 700 new electric services were added. This means that GCEA is selling less electricity per member, which provides less revenue to offset general inflation and other rising costs. Even with the additional workload of providing service to more accounts and maintaining more electrical infrastruc-ture, GCEA employs the same number of employees it did 10 years ago. GCEA employees currently provide service for

BY MARCIA WIREMAN, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

COLORADOCOUNTRYLIFE.COOP

MAY 2019

Powering Possibilities

GUNNISON C O U N T YELECTRICASSOCIATION

MAILING ADDRESSP.O. Box 180

Gunnison, CO 81230-0180

STREET ADDRESS37250 West Highway 50

Gunnison, CO 81230

ph 970-641-3520 tf 800-726-3523 fax 970-641-7333 web www.gcea.coop email gcea@gcea.coop

facebook.com/GunnisonCountyElectricAssociation

@GunnisonREA

MARCIA WIREMAN, CFO

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more than 10,900 accounts and maintain 1,092 miles of electric line in Gunnison, Hinsdale and Saguache counties.

As a part of the rate adjustment, the service availability charge will increase for all residential and small commercial rate classes by $1 per month. The service avail-ability charge represents fixed costs that are incurred by GCEA on behalf of a member regardless of whether or not a member uses any energy. These costs include elec-trical infrastructure, maintenance, meter reading, billing and other costs that allow a member to flip a switch and have the benefit of electricity at their convenience.

SO, HOW DOES THIS RATE INCREASE AFFECT THE TYPICAL GCEA MEMBER? The average residential general service member uses approximately 650 kilo-watt-hours of electricity and can expect to see an increase of 2%, or $2.21 per month, to their bill as a result of the rate adjustment. This includes a $.00186 per kilowatt-hour increase for energy, as well as an additional $1 per month increase in the service avail-ability charge.

Please keep in mind that the overall rate impact to individual members will vary based on their specific rate class and level of usage. For more information, please see

the new rate schedule posted on our website at www.gcea.coop.

In conclusion, GCEA’s board of direc-tors and staff understand that a rate increase has a personal and individual impact that is specific to each member. Please know that the GCEA board and staff are working hard to achieve a proper balance between cost control and providing the quality of service that GCEA members both deserve and expect.

As always, if you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact us at GCEA at 970-641-3520 or gcea@gcea.coop. We are always happy to assist and we appreciate hearing from our members.

EMPLOYEE ANNIVERSARIES

Jeff Hanggi – Crested Butte Working Foreman, 23 years

Jo Anne Bateman – Accounting Assistant, 9 years

Logann Long – Communications and Outreach Coordinator, 5 years

CO-OP CALENDAR

Member Forum

Power Supply Issues Tuesday, May 21, 5:30 p.m.Gunnison Headquarters37250 West Highway 50Gunnison, CO 81230-0180

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M ost people know that a surge of too much electricity running through a home or building is a bad thing — equipment can be damaged, could catch fire or cause

shock. However, many of us don’t stop to think about what too little voltage, or not enough electrical power, can do.

Anemic or low voltage is often caused by an overloaded power grid during high-demand times, such as weekday afternoons or during the dog days of summer when air conditioners are running high. Regional energy shortages and other extreme weather events can cause brownouts as well. Problems can also originate from faulty electrical circuits in a homeWHAT IS CONSIDERED LOW CURRENT? Low current is defined as 90% or less of normal capacity for one minute or more to a device. Evidence of a power supply dip includes poor appliance performance, dim or flickering lights (aka brown-outs) and intermittent outages.

It’s important to know equipment may malfunction or even overheat simply because it’s not getting an adequate supply of the power it needs to operate. This could be due to a limiting source in your home or a low supply from your electric provider, causing brownouts.

Unfortunately, there is not a lot homeowners or renters can do to protect themselves against the “ebb” in the ebb and flow of power that sometimes happens, but here are a few options to consider:

1. Look into appliance-specific protective devices, like a brownout surge protector for your refrigerator.

2. Consider the bigger and stronger brother of surge-protector strips, known as uninterruptable power supply devices. They plug in to an outlet but also contain battery backup to keep your devices running smoothly during surges, power reductions or brief outages.

3. If you can, limit major appliance use during peak energy usage times, usually weekday afternoons and on hot days.

4. Turn off any appliances you’re not using.5. If you suspect your home has faulty wiring, consult a

qualified electrician.

For more information about electrical safety, visit SafeElectricity.org

How Low Can You Go?

STORM WATCHKeep an eye on the forecast and make sure you are inside when a thunderstorm approaches. Lightning can strike up to 10 miles from the area in which it is raining. Wait at least 30 minutes after the last thunder or lightning before returning outdoors.

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P roviding our membership with up-to-date programs is important to us at Gunnison County Electric Association. We recently updated our website to

be more professional looking and user friendly. The new website is easier to navigate and you can to find everything you need. We stayed with the Co-op Web Builder platform but will update to the 3.0 version. We hope you enjoy the new website. Please contact us at GCEA if you have any questions.

NEW WEBSITE INFORMATION

MORE EV CHARGERS COMING TO THE VALLEY

May 2019

Energy Efficiency Tip of the Month

Avoid placing items like lamps and televisions near your air-conditioning

thermostat. The thermostat senses heat from these appliances,

which can cause the A/C to run longer than

necessary.

Source: energy.gov

G CEA continues to grow the elec-tric vehicle charging station network in the valley. This

summer GCEA will add a level 2 multi port EV charger in Pitkin at the Silver Plume General Store to meet the expanding needs of EV drivers in the area. GCEA also has plans to add another level 2 multi port EV charger and a 25-kilowatt multi port EV charger in the Gunnison area. The 25 kW charger provides a faster charge rate to get EV drivers back on the road more quickly.

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