The Federal Emergency Management Agency is helping the Cooper-
ative prevent or limit future power outages by strengthening sections
of overhead power lines throughout the service area. The Coopera-
tive received approval in October, 2011 from FEMA for a project
that includes the rebuilding of 235 miles of line in eight counties:
Cedar, Clinton, Des Moines, Johnson, Louisa, Muscatine, Scott and
Washington. The areas highlighted in yellow show the sections which
will be rebuilt. To strengthen the sections of line included in this
project, poles will be replaced and the distance between the poles
will be shortened. In addition, much of the overhead line will be
replaced with stronger, higher capacity line. According to the FEMA
guidelines for this project, the rebuilt sections of line must follow the
same route as the old line. The Cooperative has contracted with Stanley
Consultants Inc. of Muscatine to engineer and administer the construction of the power lines included in this project. Actual construction of the new line will be done primarily by contract line crews with Cooperative line personnel also doing some of the work.
Those with questions concerning this project should contact Tom Quiram,
Cooperative engineering technician, toll free, 1-800-728-1242.
View the FEMA rebuild project maps here.
For those looking to finally get rid of that old refrigerator, freezer or window air conditioner, Eastern Iowa REC can help with the Pull The Plug program.
Cooperative members can have these old, operable appliances recycled and collect an incentive for taking part in the program. Members merely need to contact the
Cooperative member service department to request to have an eligible appliance collected.
Each member is limited to three appliances per address. Incentives for specific appliances include $25 for window air-conditioners or freezers and $35 for
refrigerators. Incentive checks will be mailed to participating members
within two days of the appliance collection.
Appliances that do not qualify for the Pull The Plug program, like clothes washers and dryers, computers, dishwashers, microwaves, televisions and water heaters, can be picked up by
Environmental Services of Iowa, LLC representatives at a cost of $20 per appliance. Also note, a $20 penalty fee may be charged to any scheduled collection that includes appliances identified that are not available or all the appliances on site that are determined to be ineligible for the program. It is important that the
appliances are placed outside your home and are operable so that the actual energy savings for removing an inefficient appliance can be realized.
If you want to get rid of that old energy-wasting refrigerator, freezer or window air conditioner, contact the
Cooperative member service department, toll free, 1-800-728-1242. You can not only get rid of that clunker appliance but you can receive a cash incentive for taking part in the program.
Information about power outages affecting homes, businesses and farms served
by Eastern Iowa REC is now available online at www.iowarec.org, the web site of the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives. During major outage situations, information will be posted on the Cooperative’s site along with updates to the new statewide outage map. This web resource, developed by the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives this fall, provides a statewide view of power outages at electric cooperatives that deliver electricity in each of state's 99 counties to approximately 650,000 Iowans. When you log onto the power outage tool, you will see a map of Iowa, and you can view the information from a county-by-county view of Iowa or electric cooperative-by-electric cooperative view, including Eastern Iowa REC. The web site will automatically refresh every 10 minutes, so it will reflect the most recently entered information from the electric co-ops.
At the Eastern Iowa REC district meetings this summer, elections for positions on the board of directors will be held. Your name must appear on the Eastern Iowa REC membership in order to seek election to the board or to vote during the election. An example: If just the husband's name appears on a membership, the wife cannot be a candidate for the board or vote in the election. Two unmarried adults may become joint members. There is no charge to take out a joint membership. Joint memberships have been available for about 10 years.
Joint membership applications are available HERE. You can also obtain joint membership forms at any Cooperative service center or at each district meeting, but both the husband and wife must be present to sign the application. Bring your completed joint membership form with you to your district meeting or mail it to the Cooperative prior to the meeting: Eastern Iowa REC, PO Box 3003, Wilton, IA 52778-3003.
Eastern Iowa REC, like all electric utilities, wants everyone to use electricity as safely and efficiently as possible. These two new web sites offer a variety of materials to make that possible.
Through the UseElectricWisely.com web site, you can obtain information about specific electric appliances, calculate home heating/cooling costs, obtain safety information and find contacts for contractors to help with electrical-related home projects.
Safe Electricity is a multi-media public awareness program that
provides life-saving information through its comprehensive web site. The site
includes information for home owners, children, teachers, contractors and agri-business
professionals.
Eastern Iowa REC has established new e-mail service which is tied to the
Cooperative's web site. This will provide better avenues of communications
for several departments. You can now reach personnel (with the exception
of the line crew) who work out of the Cooperative's Wilton service center by
name. For example jim.williams@easterniowa.com.
Other important e-mail addresses are:
General
Information
info@easterniowa.com
Billing
Information
billing@easterniowa.com
Member Service Information member.service@easterniowa.com
To submit Market Place ads market.place@easterniowa.com
What stands more than five feet tall, has four hands, two
feet, a pair of antennae and gets
children to laugh while learning about
electricity? Many eastern Iowa elementary school
students could easily
provide the
answer--Louie the Lightning Bug. Eastern Iowa REC
uses Louie the Lightning Bug shows to teach children about electric
safety. The Eastern
Iowa REC
Louie program consists of a special Louie video and musical review of
safety
tips. By the end of the current school year, more than 20,000
students throughout the
Cooperative's service area will have seen and heard
Louie's safety message since the
program was started in 1986. To schedule
a visit by Louie the Lightning Bug, contact
Janet Davis at the Cooperative's Wilton
service center 1-800-728-1242.
